In Chapter Three of my Aging Beautifully series, I will be interviewing, Kimberly Peters, a Manager of Events at a law firm in Washington, DC. She will be taking us on a trip to the thirties.
What is your first name, job title, and what decade are you representing (20s, 30s, 40s, 50s or 60s)?
Kimberly Peters
Occupation: Manager of Events
Decade: The 30s
What is something that you are most proud of?
I always like to ask this question during my interviews because I think it gives insight into the woman and sets the tone for the rest of the interview. I think that asking this questions is important because everyone has such different answers to this question. Sometimes as young women, we are too hard on ourselves and do not think about what we are most proud of. Kim responds, “Getting where I am today. My family is in the medical field, so they never understood the business side of things. I’m proud that I have gotten where I am today, by doing it my own way. Doing it the way that I know.” Kim is responsible for every aspect of event planning for her firm.
What is one word you feel best describes you?
Every women is unique, but there is always a set of words that women, and people in general, use to describe themselves. Kim struggled a little bit with this question. “When people ask me about my personality type, the word I go to is spontaneous. However, everything in my professional life is planned. I know those are those are oxymorons, but that is how I describe myself. In the professional world, I’m totally 100% a planner; everything is planned. However, at home, I'm more spontaneous. Those are the two words that describe me professionally and personally.” I find it interesting that Kimberly chose two words to describe herself. Sometimes one word just isn’t enough and sometimes we have more than one side, our school/work side and our personal side. Kim defines who she is inside and out of the workplace.
What is your go to skincare advice?
“In a professional setting, I always tell young women to keep it simple. You do not want to be the girl, who comes in with the bright blue eyeshadow, it is distracting in a meeting. So my advice is to keep it simple, and take care of your skin.” From conversations I have had with other women in the workforce, this is a common mistake younger women make.
Fashion advice for the workplace?
“Something that I was told when I was younger, and have always tried to live by, is, "dress for the job you want, not the job you have. You do not have to spend a lot to look good. Clothes do not have to expensive for example, Target has great clothes. Your clothes do not have to be designer from Nordstrom, they can be from everyday stores. For example, stores such as Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Gap. As long as the clothes fit you properly, and they are well kept, you are good to go.” Kim goes onto explain the importance of simplicity, “Do not wear the latest trend. Keep it simple and professional. Always wear comfortable shoes, whether you keep your shoes in your office, as I do. I wear flats every day to work and change when I get to work. My mantra for all of this is keep it simple.” I also couldn’t agree more about shopping at everyday stores. For example, my mom and I recently took several trips to Target, as Kim recommended, and each walked out with new clothes. Target has really stepped up their game in the fashion department. It truly is a one stop shop for affordable clothes, cleaning supplies, and food. Not only does Target have trendy pieces, they also have clothes for the workplace, which is perfect for a young women just starting out. Their clothes are cute, comfortable, and inexpensive.
What is the most essential piece of clothing you own?
Kim’s fashion advice is budget friendly for young women starting out in the workforce.
“I have two essential pieces of clothing, one is a basic sheath dress, and the other is a blazer. You can have an entire wardrobe with just a couple basic colored dresses. You can mix and match with different jackets. It is great because they are also interchangeable. I have a lot of blazers and a lot of basic dresses, so I can mix and match.” Kim also recommends investing in some fun accessories, such as necklaces and bracelets.
How has your fashion and skincare changed over the years?
“I discovered the products that work for me and the type of clothing that works for me. I've learned what looks best on my body type. Sometimes, the latest trends don't look good on everybody. I have learned what cuts and silhouettes look good on my body type.” Skin Care is also a trial and error process, Kim says. “I have been using most of the same products for the past five years. You just have to use trial and error and see what works best for you.”
I couldn't agree more. I like to try trends, but the majority of the time, the trends just do not look good on me. For example, several months ago, I tried on a white tube top from Brandy Melville because I see so many girls wearing them. Once I tried it on, I realized the tube top look is just not for my body type.
Why do you think it is important to reflect on our past?
As young women, we don’t have a past and experience to draw on. Hearing words of wisdom from successful women is important. Kim explains, “You can always look back and see what you did well and what needs to be improved on, to make those changes for the future. We should never forget the past. We should look back and reflect. We should see what we can change and improve upon moving forward.” I think this is a good piece of advice as we young women move forward into our careers. As many of you know, I find reflecting on my past very powerful and believe it can make us stronger in the future.
What is one thing you would tell your younger self?
Kim explains one bad fashion choice she wouldn’t make again. “I would wear gaucho pants, they used to be in style. This goes back to what I said earlier about fashion trends. If I could go back, I would tell myself to stop wearing the gaucho trend, they were not cute. You had to be tall and skinny to wear those pants, and I was neither of those things. I had them in every color: black, blue, and brown. I thought that they were the coolest. I would tell my younger self do not follow the trends, stick to what works. You do not have to be the coolest one in the room, but as long as it looks great, it fits, and you feel great in it, that is all that matters.”
Kim highlights something we have all done before. I think that this piece of advice is a reminder to us all to think before we invest in a popular trend. Especially when we are on budgets. I think we all go through a phase we look back on and really regret, but at the end of the day, it gives us another reason to laugh.
What are some examples of life advice you would give to young women just starting out?
“Do not be afraid to ask for help. There are always women out there helping other women. Do not be afraid to ask for what you need. This is the best advice I could give someone.” Kim stresses the importance of making connections early and staying in touch with those connections. “It is never too early to make connections. Those connections can lead to jobs. I got my first job through a connection and other jobs through various connections. Everything in my career has been made through a snowball effect of connections. Keep up with those connections too, do not just meet them once, and forget about them.”
Making connections is extremely important. I’m learning that LinkedIn does a great job of flourishing connections in the work world.
Anything else?
“I think the biggest thing is, do not be afraid to ask for what you want in life, and in the workforce. If you think you deserve a promotion, or more money, then you need to tell them that. You just have to ask for what you want, and a majority of time they will say yes. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there; you will learn from it and grow more as a person.”
This advice is extremely important. Many young women, including me, struggle with asking for help and stating our worth. I think we see asking for help as showing that we are weak, but in reality, it shows that we are strong.
I hope you enjoyed chapter three of my Aging Beautifully Project. Stay tuned for more interviews and advice from smart and successful women. And, thank you to Kimberly Peters, for sharing your words and wisdom.
-Forever Always
Emily
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