Welcome everybody! Today’s @MNMOmag Twitterview guest is @christinasandok of @StyleArchitects. Expect design & style Tweets!

Christina:    Thanks for having me!

Lets start from the beginning. Where did you grow up, and what were some of your interests early on?

Christina:    I grew up in rural MN…with a pony and your typical small town upbringing.

My grandmother was an entrepreneur – she inspired me daily!

And my grandfather was a jeweler so my love for design started at a young age.

My weekends were spent playing dress up…baking with my Mom…harassing my brother…building forts in our backyard

Neat! So were you creating and designing things when you were young? Like your bedroom and outfits?

Christina:    Absolutely. I love change so there was always a design project in the works…my world was a live Pinterest board! :)

So what was your journey from HS to starting @StyleArchitects. You’ve got 5 Tweets! :)

Christina:    After HS I attended college at UST. My degree was in Mass Comm + Journalism with a minor in Psych.

During my Sr. year I accepted a job @Target in Corp Media Center as a producer producing PR reels.

Post-Target, I launched beauty/apparel/wellness lines for @shopnbc.

After a few years in the world of fashion, I decided to leave and work for a children’s non-profit – @CHeartLink

Then a couple years in b2b marketing and 4+ years as a magazine style & beauty editor. I loved that job!

Two years ago I took the plunge and started @StyleArchitects – a creative lifestyle services agency.

So explain what kind of projects that @StyleArchitects does, and how have you gotten into working with magazines?

Christina:    I am lucky to have an amazing team @StyleArchitects: http://style-architects.com/about/  #mnmotv (cc: @FaithBrue @RanoshaC @CarlynMcClure)

We have wardrobe styling & event planning teams. We LOVE photo shoots – lots of creative pow wows @StyleArchitects

Each month we team up with @MNMOstyle on a makeover candidate (cc: @FaithBrue). We love our collaborations!

Sounds like a great place to work at! When you’re not @StyleArchitects, what kinds of things do you enjoy doing?

Christina:    On the weekends @Craigsandok and I head up to our lake cabin. We cook, drink wine and do cannon balls off our dock.

When we stay in the city we LOVE kicking off our Saturdays @Patisserie46 on our way to the farmers market.

Sounds like fun! :) Last point, what’s one bit of style advice you’d give to people looking for help?

Christina:    Be true to yourself – only follow trends that you truly love and that fit your lifestyle.

And follow the @StyleArchitects blog for weekly style inspiration! http://style-architects.com/blog/

Joel:    That’s pretty clear I’d say. Thank you for your time and Tweets today.  Keep up the good work that you do!

Christina:    A huge thanks to you and @MNMOmag for having me! It was fun :)

Hello everyone! Today’s Twitterview is with the #DavannisWithJoel winner, @RubyMadisonLLC. Lets get this going and get on our way!

Latrenda:    Yay I’m excited to start!

So share a little bit about your self Latrenda. Where did you grow up and what kinds of things interested you?

Latrenda:    I grew up in MPLS until 8th grade then I moved to Eagan when I was in High school. I ran track and was a varsity comp

Cheerleader I started modeling in high school as well

I always had to be involved with something I never really liked sitting at home. Sports was my way of staying active.

Did modeling come easy for you, and when did you decide that you wanted to make it a career for yourself?

Latrenda:    Modeling came easily to me because I loved fashion and wearing all the fun clothes; that made me excited to do it!

i decided I wanted to pursue modeling full time after high school I realized how much I loved it and decided to focus..

after college I had time to pursue it more and my love of fashion and modeling grew as I became more involved

What did you focus on in college, and when did you start your own company?

Latrenda:    I studied Marketing Communications at UWRF and I started my company in February 2011

So what kind of work does you company do, and what kinds of companies do you work with/for?

Latrenda:    I do fashion and image consulting which involves closet makeovers, personal shopping with &4clients for everyday &

and special events. I put on fashion shows and do media work. I work with malls such as @EdenPrairieCtr and …

and Ridgedale center I have worked with @twincities_live And @EdenPrairieCtr on a couple of fashion segments.

I pretty much deal with all things fashion!

What are some of your favorite stores to shop at, and who are some of your favorite designers?

Latrenda:    I enjoy online shopping and shopping in store.I love @shopbop it is an online store & has many great designer options.

I also enjoy shopping at Von Maur @EdenPrairieCtr one of my fave designers is Micheal Kors I love the simple chic of…

of his designs and he makes great watches. I also like Tom Ford.

If you could give one tip for dressing for the FALL season, what would it be?

Latrenda:    Don’t be afraid to wear color! Fall clothing will still be rich in color, however the color palette has changed to…

rich jewel tones such as merlot reds and purple popular for this fall is hunter green.Hunter green is a great…

alternative to wearing black and hunter green looks great on just about everyone.

Joel:    Thanks for your time today Latrenda. Keep up the good work of helping people look their best!

Latrenda:    Thank you Joel! This was a blast. Have a great day!

Welcome @SallyMcGraw and everyone following today’s @MNMOmag Twitterview! Lets learn about Sally and what she’s been up to.

Sally:    Delighted to be here!

Share with us a little bit about your background. Where you grew up, what kinds of things were you interested in?

Sally:    I grew up in Chicago suburbs. Back then I was very studious, but also a big performer: Singing, drama, band …

I loved writing from an early age. At 8, I had a teacher tell me I was talented. From then, pro writing was a goal.

So you new early on what you wanted to do. Where did you go to college and what did you major in? Good student?

Sally:    I went to @binghamtonu in upstate NY. Studied creative writing, which was a BLAST. Terrific program. I had a 3.9 GPA!

@binghamtonu I did learn that I suck at fiction. Ended up doing some journalism courses, which were more my speed.

Good for you! So when did you get into writing, and how did you choose to be a style & body-image writer?

Sally:    I worked as a copy editor and web producer right out of college. But I did some album reviews for http://Amazon.com

It wasn’t until I moved to MN that I wrote seriously. For local free papers. It was frustrating, tho, and I stopped

Around 2005 I kinda gave up. Then a friend suggested I blog about style in 2007, and I launched http://www.alreadypretty.com/

For me, style & body image are married. When I dress in ways that make me feel good, my body image soars. I love that.

And I wanted to share my ideas about the overlap with other women. Many of whom struggle with body image.

Share what you know or have experienced. Awesome! Who do you write for now, and any book news?

Sally:    I contribute fashion features to @StarTribune & posts to @TheFrisky, & continue my work on http://www.alreadypretty.com/

And yes! My first book is now available! Via Amazon: Book

It’s structured as a fun and accessible self-guided makeover. Non-judgmental, reader-friendly, and body-positive!

Is it new content, points from your blog or a combination of both? Were you overwhelmed by working on a book?

Sally:    I’d say that 10% is drawn from the blog, 15% from my work with individual style consult clients, & the rest original.

Working on the book while juggling writing, consulting, and various other work duties was overwhelming. But worth it!

I’ve wanted to publish a book since I was just a kid, and it’s amazing to have achieved that goal.

Oh! We’ll be having a launch party for the book @ArcValueVillage on August 17! More details on the blog soon.

Congratulations! Who would you say is the target audience for your book?

Sally:    Target audience for the book is anyone who feels excluded from traditional style guides.

Or hates being told that there are “right” and “wrong” ways to do style and fashion. The book is customizable.

I hope the book will help women see that they CAN be stylish in unique ways, and no matter their size/shape.

What are 2 simple tips you’d suggest women could apply to gain more confidence in their look?

Sally:    Find out if your body works better with skirts or pants. If you’ve been wearing one, try the other. See how you feel.

Some bodies work naturally with pants, others with skirts. Knowing which flatters your figure is key.

Tip #2 would be learn to accessorize. It takes time and practice, but it’s SO worth it! Accessories add polish.

Nearly all of my style consult clients omit accessories entirely. Until I show them how transformative they can be!

Good suggestions! To close, what can your blog readers expect from the next few posts?

Sally:    Later this week I’ll be talking about wardrobe multi-taskers – ways to use garments and accessories in unexpected ways.

And also the double-edged sword of non-conformism. Benefits to standing our and blending in, sartorially speaking.

Joel:    Good. Well thanks for your time and sharing your book release news! I hope that your launch party goes well.

Sally:    Thanks for a great Twitterview!

Christina Sandok is a specialist in authentic design. Her company, Style Architects, helps companies achieve better branding and presentation of themselves to the public.

She presents a very professional and tailored image, and she aims to share her skills, and those of her team,  with her clients so that they are always putting their best foot forward. He company covers a variety of areas, from personal assistance to assisting entire companies.

Her skills have caught the eyes of many, and so she also has had the opportunity to work with magazines for photo shoots and is also used as a source for sharing her ideas with their readers. How though did she get to be so successful and become so recognized for her skills and abilities?

In part 1 of the Christina Sandok interview, Christina talks about how her early years helped her develop her interest and passion for authentic design. She then finishes in talking about what led her to start Style Architects and what it’s focus is.

In part 2 of the Christina Sandok interview, Christina talks about her company, Style Architects, and what kinds of things that they offer to businesses. She answers some style questions and shares some of her personal favorites.

In part 3 of her interview, Christina Sandok talks about staring her business, Style Architects, where you might be surprised to find her shopping and then ends with giving a tour of her new office space.

Carly Aplin is a host and producer for The CW Twin Cities. She got her start doing the news, but has branched out to interviewing celebrities and style news. She has lots of energy and enjoys working in front of the camera. Where did she come from and what are some of her passions in life. Learn more about Carly by watching her 2-part interview. In part 1 of her interview with Joel Carlson, Carly Aplin shares where she grew up, her education and some of her earlier jobs before working at The CW Twin Cities. Her experience in interviewing some of the Minnesota Vikings players and what her responsibilities are at The CW Twin Cities.

In part 2 of Carly’s interview she talks about her passion for shoes, people she’s been able to interview, her thoughts on designing fashions and what she like to do outside of work.

Laura Schara group up with a Dad who is well known for his outdoor activities. Her Dad has had his own television series for years, documenting his outdoor abilities and also showing others how enjoy the outdoors themselves. So how would someone growing up in that kind of environment, become so heavily involved with the fashion world? How does she also incorporate and balance that “world” with her outdoor and sports work for television? Find out how Laura juggles all of her interests and has made a successful career of it. In Part 1 of her interview, she talks about her dad, how she got started in television and talks about how she got her start in the fashion world.

In Part 2 of the interview with Laura Schara, she talks about her experience working with designers to get Glamourama organized, her experience in getting to work with stylists like Rachel Zoe and Clinton Kelly and then ends by sharing what she like to do with her very limited free time.

In Part 3 of her interview, Laura Schara talks about some of her favorite vacation spots to visit, her feelings on Great White sharks and then gives some fashion tips for women for the new season. Laura ends with talking about her experience using Social Media.

Katie Dohman is the Lifestyle Editor for Minnesota Monthly magazine. She does a lot of writing about what the latest styles in fashion are, the best places to shop for that fashion and also helps people look their best. How though did she get into the fashion/lifestyle world? What does she think of the local boutique scene in the Twin Cities? Those questions and more will be answered in Part 1 of a 3-part interview with Katie.

In Part 2, Katie Dohman answers if Minnesota is a trend setter when it comes to fashion, shares what people should consider when wanting to dress comfortably and shares some trends for men’s fashion.

In Part 3, Katie talks about the biggest problem people generally have when picking clothes for themselves, what stores to look forward to in 2012 and her thoughts on thrift store shopping.