Casual Power:: How to Power Up Your Nonverbal Communication & Dress Down for Success [Hardcover]

Sherry Maysonave (Author), Sherry Maysonave (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 1999

What are you saying before you speak a word? Does your nonverbal communication limit your effectiveness? In this enlightening guidebook, Sherry Maysonave shows you precisely how to command respect, inspire trust, and project personal power when you dress down for business. She emphasizes the silent but potent - nonverbal aspects of clothing, demeanor, and body language. She reveals how nonverbal factors determine the response you receive from others - factors that impact your ability to maximize success.

Sherry Maysonave puts an end to the confusion that surrounds casual attire in the workplace and social invitations requesting casual dress. In this groundbreaking book, she decodes the confusing catchall term "casual." For varied occasions, Sherry explains and clarifies two primary questions: 1) How dressed down is too casual? 2) How dressed up is not casual enough?

Using fascinating case studies, Sherry exposes the personal saboteur that works behind the scenes to undermine success. Personifying this conniving part of the human psyche, she introduces McSly, a friendly monster that seduces you into making choices that can disempower you. Sherry and McSly use real-life situations to show you exactly what casual apparel and what nonverbal communications sabotage or empower you and your career goals.

Sherry gives you key strategies for powering up your nonverbal communications and for taking control of your image. Using her expert tips, you can dress down with flair and confidence. Sherry's painless shopping strategies show you how to quickly examine clothing store inventories to find those garments that are empowering to you. Her secrets on creating wardrobe miracles are refreshing and exciting.

Sherry Maysonave brings needed clarity, sophistication, and wit to all dress-down issues in today's workplace. This inspiring, humorous, visually-rich book is the 21st Century's "How-To-Dress-Down-For-Success" bible. Visit Casualpower on the internet and find out how to enhance your personal power even more!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sherry knows what she is talking about and she has the power to bring out the best in you." --Robert Kiyosaki, author Rich Dad, Poor Dad, a New York Times, Business Week, WSJ and USA Today Best-Selling Business Book

"Casual Power goes straight to the heart of the relationship between clothing and empowerment. A lot can be learned from this wise and useful book." --Dr. Betty Sue Flowers, Business Consultant and Editor, Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth

"Casual Power shows you how to communicate your very best - Sherry's understanding of nonverbal communication is outstanding. Now everyone can enjoy her gift of understanding that visual communication is critically important to what we communicate." --Dean Ellen A. Wartella, Dean of the College of Communication, The University of Texas, Austin

About the Author

Sherry Maysonave is an expert in nonverbal communication, business dress, and image development. She has coached executives in achieving excellence in communications and image since 1982. Her training in the arts of communication, professional dress, and psychology has enabled Sherry to assist tens of thousands of people to reach greater levels of success. Sherry is the founder and president of Empowerment Enterprises, one of America's leading communication-image firms. Specializing in business images, Sherry's work addresses empowering individuals through verbal and nonverbal communication, apparel, demeanor, and all aspects of personal presentation.

Her clients include business professionals from a wide variety of industries, nationally known political figures, writers, university professors, seminar leaders, and entertainers. Sherry's corporate clients range from international companies in technology, finance, advertising, law, oil and gas, real estate, retail, to pharmaceutical, insurance, health-care, and professional-services companies.

An accomplished motivational speaker and author, Sherry has made appearances and been interviewed by over 200 TV, radio and print publications across the U.S. and Canada. This includes multiple appearances on NBC's Today show, Fox National News, ABC, CBS, and NBC television affiliates, NPR radio, a wide variety of AM and FM radio talk shows, and interviews with USA Today, the Financial Times, Associated Press, the Wall Street Journal, In-Style magazine, Selling Power, and Business Week.

Observing massive confusion surrounding professional business attire in the workplace and inundated with pleas for advice, Sherry wrote the category best-seller, Casual Power: How to Power Up your Nonverbal Communication and Dress Down for Success. In addition, Sherry is the author and producer of the DVD series, (i> Brand a Positive Business Image.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: Bright Books (TX); 1 edition (September 22, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880092484
• ISBN-13: 978-1880092484
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #352,760 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Business & Investing > Business Life > Fashion & Image

More About the Author

Sherry Maysonave is an expert in nonverbal communication, business dress, and image development. She has coached executives in achieving excellence in communications and image since 1982. Her training spans the arts of communication, professional dress, and psychology.

Sherry is the founder and president of Empowerment Enterprises, one of America's leading communication-image firms. Specializing in business images, Sherry's work addresses empowering individuals through verbal and nonverbal communication, apparel, demeanor, and all aspects of personal presentation.

Her clients include business professionals from a wide variety of industries, nationally known political figures, writers, university professors, seminar leaders, and entertainers. Sherry's corporate clients range from international companies in technology, finance, advertising, law, oil and gas, real estate, retail, to pharmaceutical, insurance, health-care, and professional-services companies.

Sherry has made appearances and been interviewed by over 200 TV, radio and print publications across the U.S. and Canada. This includes multiple appearances on NBC's Today show, Fox National News, ABC, CBS, and NBC television affiliates, NPR radio, a wide variety of AM and FM radio talk shows, and interviews with USA Today, the Financial Times, Associated Press, the Wall Street Journal, In-Style magazine, Selling Power, and Business Week.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A 'Must Have' book for women in male-dominated corporations, August 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Casual Power:: How to Power Up Your Nonverbal Communication & Dress Down for Success (Hardcover)

For women, most of what department stores carry is "failure clothing"-learn how to spot it and how to avoid it. First read John T. Molloy's original "Women's Dress for Success" from the 1970's-the scientific research gives the essential understanding that clothing and colors have on other's psyches. John gives the psychology behind the color and style and Sherry will show you how to put "current classics" together in a cost effective "Capsule Wardrobe". Both teach you how to "cross shop"-go to the most expensive store in town and look at, feel, try on (but don't buy) a skirt suit. Then go to the cheapest and do the same-it's fun even for someone who really hates to shop.

As a female scientist for a proclaimed "business casual" large male-dominated corporation, I decided to try a little "experiment" on my coworkers about 3 months ago (poor buggers didn't know they were lab rats). I wore the color combinations Molloy suggests and the current classics Maysonave shows in Casual Power. I was both angry and delighted. I was angry that nothing has really changed much in 30 years-my male coworkers can dress like man-children (short-sleeved plaid shirts and rumply dockers) while I'm treated equivalently or better only when wearing a skirt suit with the right color combinations (2 colors, solids, high contrast). I'm also delighted that this really works! The change in the way I'm treated and the way I feel in my clothes works in harmony to command more respect, confidence and opportunity in the workplace.

Formerly a devout garage-sale junkie I am now a "no more 'McSly'" convert with a streamlined "capsule" wardrobe. Imagine compliments like "wow" and "great job" and "I'd like you on this project" and "I need your opinion on this". John showed me how to avoid "failure clothing" (butterfly barrettes, sailboats, flowers, rounded collars, mustard or lavender suits) and Sherry showed me how to turn 3 suits, a few shirts, a few pieces of jewelry, 2 pr. of shoes and 3 scarves into a great wardrobe.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best in its Field, September 11, 2000

By 

Adele B. Riepe - See all my reviews

This review is from: Casual Power:: How to Power Up Your Nonverbal Communication & Dress Down for Success (Hardcover)

I am an image consultant. I give seminars and workshops for corporations on the importance of appearance and corporate protocol in the business world. One of my major seminars deals with the problem of looking like a professional in a dressed-down world. Sherry's book is the best I have ever read on the subject. In fact, it is so good that I am using it in all my seminars as a textbook. And I have given it as a gift to all my private clients as well. The book is clear, crisp and utterly professional. It has wonderful illustrations and clear explanations for the psychology behind color and style. And it gives excellent guidelines for dressing well at every level of business dressing whether dot.com casual or more traditional and conservative. I couldn't recommend it more highly, except to say I wish I had written it myself. Adele Riepe, Image Solutions, New York

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The standard for attire in the Internet economy, August 14, 2000

By 

Chad Gibbons (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Casual Power:: How to Power Up Your Nonverbal Communication & Dress Down for Success (Hardcover)

Sherry's book is enjoyable, informative and timely. It was much needed in an age where many companies are struggling with the definition of casual attire in their workplace. I've recommended this book very highly to several of my colleages who have founded Internet or dot-com startups and have to deal with blue jeans and torn tee-shirts, even in the front office. In an industry where even the slightest competitive advantage can translate into a several million-dollar contract, the power of personal presentation is ever-so important and Sherry Maysonave provides readers with several formulas for success. It was a quick read which was essential for the millions out there like me who have 70-80 hour work weeks. Her examples of "what not-to-do" were extremely informative as were all of the psychological details behind each approach, especially for those who may "overlook" the impact that even slight changes to their attire can have. Highly recommended. Must read for employees wanting to increase and solidify their personal personna - all HR managers worldwide should be distributing to their new employees!!