Never in a million years would I have imagined that I would become an "International Best-Selling" author.  When I put that dream on my board this year, I had no idea what would happen.  I just new it was part of my vision.  In February, I began exploring options to make that dream a reality.  At first it seemed unreachable, how could I ever afford to become an author and WHO would read my book?

In passing, I mentioned my interest of being an author to a friend.  Little did I know that simple comment would change my life.  Within a week my girlfriend called back with an opportunity to be apart of an anthology called "Success In High Heels" that I couldn't refuse.  This anthology involved 29 other successful women sharing inspiration around business and success.  Perfect!!

The actual book launched April 8th.  When I said, "YES" in mid-February, I just expected, to be in a book but God had bigger plans for me and ALL the ladies in this book.  Not only did we become authors, we ALL became BEST-SELLING INTERNATIONAL authors.  That changed the game, it shifted something inside and it shifted the kind of opportunities that have come my way.

Today, I celebrated this milestone in my journey with many friends and family present.  Can I say I was blown away by the LOVE and SUPPORT I received?  When God is in your life, trust me when I tell you that you will get more than you ever imagined possible.  Keep your eyes all Him and what you are called to do and blessings will flow.  

Catrice Jackson, thank you for always believing in me and sharing this opportunity with your sister.  Christine Marmoy, thank you for having the vision to make it happen. To ALL the beautiful authors who gave their heart in this book thank you and God bless.

This weekend a wonderful group of women came together to celebrate who they are at the 3rd Annual "Madly In Love with Me" celebration.  This year was unique as I had the distinct honor of Co-Hosting with Western Washington Woman, Fralisa McFall.  Together with the help of guest presenters:  Esther Alley, Kelly Morrison, Sonja Morgan and The Jeweled Scarab Dance Company the women in attendance had a transformational experience.

Belly Dancer's, Shelly and Nona, really rocked the house showing women that belly dance is a wonderful way to reconnect with your body and YOUR sexy.  At the end of their session the ladies were able to do a 5-minute choreography.  It was so much fun shimmying our hearts out!

When you’re making your videos NEVER FORGET you are the STAR of your channel. Just like you make first impressions in real life in the blink of an eye, people will decide quickly whether they want to keep watching your video or move on. By showing up like a STAR, uniquely YOU,  in your videos, you're going to stack the cards HIGH in your favor.




Here are FIVE secrets to looking like a STAR in your videos:

1.     Add a little more of the beauty accessory called "makeup". When applying your makeup prior to the video, think of how much makeup you wear on a daily basis and then double it. The lighting is going to mute the coloring so you will require more blush, eye shadow, and eye liner than usual. The key to wearing more makeup is to blend, blend, blend! The lines of demarcation show up more clearly on camera, so make sure you blend. Before shooting the video, don’t forget to take a test photo to make sure your makeup looks ready for the limelight.

2.     Have good lighting. Lighting is key. It’s your spotlight, after all! To ensure there are no unflattering shadows on your face, turn on the ALL lights, and bring in extra lamps if necessary. When using indoor lighting, one thing to pay attention to the temperature of the lightbulbs. Some lightbulbs emit a warmer orange-like light, while others emit a cooler blue-like light. Make sure any lighting you use shares the same temperature so it’s consistent on-screen. Another lighting alternative is opening the shades during the day for some diffused daylight – just remember, it’s diffused light you want, not direct sunlight! Direct sunlight makes people squint and produces shadows.  Not flattering!!

3.     Style your hair nicely. Just as you pay extra attention to your makeup, take care to make sure your hair is camera-ready as well. Use a little more hair product that normal to prevent fly-aways. Especially if you are filming in high definition (HD), any hair out of place will become more visible.

4.     Pay attention to your background. Everything in your video is speaking to your brand, including your background.  If you are doing fun videos like out on location or letting your audience in on your world spontaneity is okay.  Just don't let that be the norm unless that is  your brand.  You’re a STAR, remember?  Whether you stand for simplicity and elegance, or glamour and glitz, always choose a background that will reflect your brand.  

5.     Be personable. If you’re scared of the spotlight, pretend that you’re having a one-on-one conversation with one of your favorite people when speaking to the camera. That means smiling and lots of eye contact. People do business with those they know, like, and trust, so you want to make sure you come across personable so your audience can connect and subsequently, want to do business with you.  Something I do to shift my energy is DANCE!  Put some jams on and rock out for a minute and get in front of the camera and ROCK YOUR STAR POWER. 

***Need some help?  Check out my program "Simply Gorgeous:  Celebrity Edition" at http://www.connectwithbeauty.com

As entrepreneurs that are out to change the world, many of us work from home offices so we can juggle work and manage our homes. When you are your own boss, it’s easy to stuck in a pattern of waking up and making the 10-foot commute to your home office without bothering to change out of your pajamas. What does it matter, no one else will see you, right? I’m here to tell you why it matters. 

The bottom line is this: You will feel better about yourself and be more productive if you have a shower, put on some nice clothes, and do your hair and makeup. For many of us who work from home, we face similar challenges like isolation, depression, and accountability. While this seemingly insignificant change won’t eradicate all your problems immediately, feeling better about yourself will make a significant difference to your success in the long run.

So do yourself a favor! Treat yourself to breakfast, a shower, put on some nice clothes, and make yourself up. Because at the end of the day, when you look good, you feel good, which will enable you to do good in the world. Now go get dressed girl!!  :-)

A while back I was at a local firm where I was introduced to one of their consultants. This young man had a friendly manner to him and had evidently taken care to dress in a dress shirt, tie, and slacks and present himself professionally when working with clients. But there was one glaring oversight: head to toe, all of his clothes were wrinkled. In fact, they looked like they were just pulled from a pile of clothes on the floor.

Now you may think that a detail like wrinkled clothing could easily be overlooked. But imagine you are meeting a consultant you hired for the first time and he shows up looking half-baked wearing wrinkled clothes? Deep down, you may find yourself wondering, “If he has this lack of attention to detail in the way he presents himself, what else may he drop the ball on down the road?”

As professional women and entrepreneurs, we need to show up looking like who we say we are. Our words, mannerisms, and professional image need to be in complete alignment in order for clients to trust us and be willing to do business with us.  

If you are a financial planner and showing up looking like a gypsy, do you think your clothing is going to give your clients the confidence they need to entrust you with planning their retirement? No. As a financial professional, they are going to expect a certain degree of decorum and tailored styling. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that you stifle the gypsy altogether – I’m simply saying there’s a time and a place for everything. And for the record, your pinstripe suits will do far more to garner your clients’ confidence that you can get the job done than an armful of bracelets and a broomstick skirt.

It is my purpose to help align women’s inner and outer beauty. If you are feeling out of sorts and out of alignment, you are in the right place. Right now I am getting ready to debut an exclusive program “Be YOU, Be BEAUTIFUL, Be BANKABLE™” that will help you attract your perfect clients by simply showing up as your authentic self. Let me help you take your beauty all the way to the bank! 


NEW MENTORING PROGRAM UNVEILS:  JULY 25TH @ 1PM PST

So... this has been on my mind for AWHILE!  So today after being called Dorothy one more time, I just decided to share it. Many of you may be saying, girl you are crazy, but that's ok.  lol

In America, we tend to want to shorten peoples names instead of Susan, we say Suzie, Joseph, we say Joe and instead of DOROTHYINEZ, we say "Dorothy" without even asking if they mind.  I have found as I have tried these past few month to "correct" people that is is VERY UNCOMFORTABLE to do but it must be done because it's apart of my branding, just like Minister of Beauty™.  In fact, several women who also have difficult names told me it doesn't even matter to them anymore because they are used to it.  USED TO IT???  REALLY?  Why do we have to get used to be called anything but our name.  If someone decided to call you _______________(you fill it in) would you just go with that too?

For 40+ years I was called Inez, which I love! But when I was called to start a business to serve  women, I felt God inspired me to use my first and middle name TOGETHER, Not Dorothy, Not Inez, DorothyInez. My close friends and family call me Inez of course and that's ok. 

I believe our names are divinely given to us.  Most parents take the time to specially choose your name, they think long and hard some even have arguments about it.  I think it is a disrespect to that person to call them anything other than their given name without their permission.  I know NONE of you meant ANY disrespect, but I am just making a point.  I often feel bad for immigrant Americans who come up with "American" names because no one want to try to pronounce their given name.  It breaks my heart that Min Joo has to be "Helen" because we refuse to TRY to pronounce her name or Mary Susan has to just be Mary because it takes too long to say her full name.

Our names have meaning and I bet if you looked up yours, you would find that in some way you are living into that name because you have been called it for however many years. My name is Dorothy (Gift of God) and Inez (With A Pure Heart) that is who I am called to be to EVERY woman who works with me. Each time you say my name, I am reminded of my purpose and calling. It may seem long but its pretty easy to say once you get it. :-) 

I encourage you the next time you meet someone to ask what they like to be called don't just assume Suzanne wants to be called Suzy.  She just doesn't have the courage to correct you.  I can testify that it is so hard to do.  

Here's a video also explaining my logo AND name. I hope you understand where I am coming from. So please No more DOROTHY'S I share this with you in ♥

Over the years as a Multimedia Makeup Artist, I have learned some secrets that can help you look and feel your best, so you can reveal your brand with beauty, confidence and charisma. 

It’s no secret that everywhere we show up, our brand shows ups.  No matter what the medium is, print, radio or video, let your beauty shine from the inside out.  Beauty is a part of your branding, from your logo and web design to how you choose to show up in your headshot and YOU TUBE videos.  

Here are a few secrets that will have you looking like a PROFESSIONAL painted that face all day long.

1.     Hydrate, hydrate!!  I cannot say this enough.  Hydration is the FIRST key to beautiful makeup.  I like to use a hydrating spray like MAC’s Fix Plus or 10 Years Younger by Motives Cosmetics followed by my moisturizer.  If you have oily skin, you still need to moisturize AND please don’t use soap on your skin.

2.     Use a primer.   Many women think primer is a moisturizer when in fact, it is typically a silica based cream or gel that smoothes the skin, minimizes redness and helps your makeup last.  It does not clog the pores in any way so your skin can still breathe.  Apply primer after your moisture to create the perfect palette.

3.     Use a sheer-pressed or blot powder down the T-Zone to minimize the shine.  Avoid using heavy powders that are actually powder foundations.  Watch out for powders, especially mineralized powders containing MICA especially in flash photography as the mica will reflect light and make you appear to have what we call as artists, “floating head”, where your face is lighter than the rest of your body, you’ve see it. LOL

4.     Use a lipstick with minimal shine so your lips don’t become the focus of the picture or video.  Again, the shine is light reflective and can be distracting. I also recommend using a lipstick with color, not a nude because the lights will wash the color out.  Personally, I love wearing a red or hot pink lip!  Fun!

5.     If you are over 35…stay away from the SUPER MATTE look.  This is one of the biggest mistakes I see women make.  They still want to wear the foundation they wore back in the day and now its not working and no one is going to tell them.  That sales lady just wants you to keep buying and that’s it!  As you get older, it is important to keep movement and light in your skin to give it the appearance of vibrancy.  I recommend cream or liquid foundations with a light pressed powder like mentioned above.  So if you are using your daughter’s full-coverage POWDER foundation, STOP!  Liquid is simple to apply, your hands do the exact same movement.

Finally, let me give you one BONUS TIP:  Apply your makeup more generously for photos and video since the lights mute out all coloring.  Recently, I was recording a video and realized I was not putting on enough blush for shooting my videos indoors.  Understanding your lighting is key.  

Doing your makeup is not as difficult as it sounds.  It’s truly about taking the time to get to know YOUR unique face and how to apply the makeup in a way that compliments the masterpiece you are.  

Let me help you discover YOUR irresistible G-Factor! (Gorgeous Factor)  
Check out my NEW program Be YOU. Be BEAUTIFUL. Be BANKABLE.

About DorothyInez:

DorothyInez, the Minister of Beauty, is a Total Beauty Expert, she passionately teaches professional women and womenprenuers how to practice radical self-acceptance, align who they are with how they show up, and help them release their inner and outer gorgeous!   She loves working with soul-inspired, heart-centered professional women and womenpreneurs to Reconnect, Restore and Revitalize the power of their unique brand of beauty.