Maria Popova, a Bulgarian writer once quoted~ ‘What grants life its beauty and magic is not the absence of terror & tumult, but the grace and elegance with which we navigate the gauntlet’. Rightly said! Today, talking the relentless walk of life people have somewhere lost their actual self, defying to self-acceptance- dealing with life challenges or sometimes prodded by a variety of people & inexplicable circumstances. This is where Image Consultants come to the rescue and make them whole again by playing a significant role in their personal, professional and behavioural enhancement.

And, Neha Mathur, Founder of The Missing Piece Image Consultancy- a boutique coaching, grooming and personal branding firm, is one such revered face in the ascending Image Consultants industry. Having pursued Image Management course from Image Consulting and Business Institute (ICBI) with Conselle as their curriculum partner, Neha is a certified Image Consultant, NLP Practitioner, and a Soft Skills Trainer accredited by the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) and National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET).

Kindly get to know more, through an exclusive interaction of hers with Women Entrepreneur magazine, where Neha expounds on how image consulting is a benefiting concept for all while taking us on a detour of her astounding journey in the space.

What Motivated You To Plunge Into The Field Of Image Management & Consulting And Entrench The Missing Piece?

I am a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Delhi University. But, to talk about my professional career I never really had one in corporate terms as I had very early on realized that's not something I'm meant for. But, as photography was a hobby for me since childhood, I evolved as a freelance photographer doing family portrait photoshoots, including a couple of product shoots for my friends’ businesses & SNS accounts.

And, Image Consulting just happened to me when I was on a forced bed-rest due to some lower-back health issues. During the time, I realized that photography as a profession isn’t a lucrative career in the long run and that's when an Ad about image management and image consultancy kind of popped up for me on one of the social media platforms. I found it interesting as appearance modification was my natural forte. I got myself admitted in one of the Image Consulting courses to understand in-depth about what really goes behind understanding the body types of individuals, the colour & undertones, and how the psychology of colour, appearance and behaviour intrigues an individual.

The course did help me personally too on the pretext of self-acceptance, when I was myself a little bit on the on the heavier side having gained weight, hiding behind bigger clothes and not really showing myself to the real world. I witnessed that transformation jotting the missing pieces of my life too, and hence ‘The Missing Piece Image Consultancy’ came into being to help people experience the same joy of becoming whole again.

Give Us A Brief Overview Of The Missing Piece. What Are Some Of The Techniques Or Tools That You Deploy To Help Clients Gain Their Desired Results?

Established in 2018, ‘The Missing Piece’ is a four years old company where we coach, groom and personify an individual helping them discover their personality traits & core values, filling in the gaps in terms of communication style and etiquette build-up.

Till time, I've worked with a wide range of individuals essentially divided under three segments- firstly, the individuals (working professional, entrepreneurs, and students) for oneto-one consultations across different aspects of personal branding/ image management; secondly academic institutions (as invited guest lecturer) to deliver some credit courses on personal branding, communication, and interview readiness basics; and lastly, the corporates conducting sessions on topics like executive presence, corporate etiquette, personal branding and more for the different C-suite leaders.

"Just follow your heart, don’t tend to overthink over problems or second-guess yourself"

I deploy a mix of all of my certification skills & techniques- an Image Consultant, a Soft Skills Trainer, and a NLP Practitioner to provide my services in Public Speaking, Leadership Training & Development, Interview Preparation, and Corporate Training. I'm also pursuing a certification in colour psychology to coach & guide my clients around the impression of colour, such as clothing or skin colour. I am a lifelong learner, hence I strive to keep upgrading myself for the larger purpose.

Tell Us About The Key Roles & Responsibilities You Shoulder At The Missing Piece? Also, Do Highlight The Most Pressing Challenges Around Your Performance There.

Since, I am the founder and solo member heading the entity, I do everything single-handedly right from curation of ideas for a workshop to promotion, marketing and sales. However, sometimes it does get a little overwhelming for me to do it all alone, being a mother and having a family to look after. And, yes there have been some challenges too which I have been able to mitigate by onboarding some freelancers for the job. Currently, I’m also associated with a mentor who is helping and guiding me in streamlining & creating certain systems and processes for my business.

In Your Opinion How Has The Market For Image Consultation Evolved Over The Past Few Years? What Are The Current Developing Trends?

Initially, when I started out right about four years ago, a lot of my clients didn’t want me to use their names or were hesitant to talks about their seek to image management consulting treating it as a taboo or fearing of being judged by others. But, I think that is easing out now with people realizing the importance of what your image can do for you, your career, and to one’s own self-confidence.

This increasing number of more & more people opening about it and wanting to understand how they can enhance their personal brand to lead on to a personal or professional growth is profound, and hence, I believe it’s going to go a long way.

What Have Been Some Of The Most Significant Milestones That You Have Achieved So Far In Your Professional Journey?

I think I still am a toddler in the industry as I'm just four years old, being an image consultant. However, having worked with around 3000 individuals despite pandemic curbing economic & social imbalance is something great for me. I have received several awards of recognition too and grown organically through word of mouth over the years. Their success and belief in my work adds to and boosts my confidence.

What Would Be Your Tips For Young Women And Girls Aspiring To Become Business Leaders And Entrepreneurs In The Future?

Just follow your heart, don’t tend to overthink over problems or second-guess yourself. Dive in the journey, and you'll figure it out along the way. It may take time, but the good work will talk for itself.

Neha Mathur, Founder, The Missing Piece Image Consultancy

Neha offers an array of image management consultations & programs to help clients along the journey of self-acceptance and grooming.