“When I see women walk through the door, I see facets of myself in them and all I can think is ‘Yay! You came to the right place!’”.
As Judy waits for her daughter to be suited, she sees women walking through the doors who remind her of herself: women who have gone through hard times and need a hand up and some encouraging words.
As a survivor of sexual and physical abuse, Judy developed severe PTSD and was considered too high risk for employment, forcing her to go on disability. “It was hard,” shares Judy, who had been working since she was 11. Judy also struggled with obesity, which caused physical problems including diabetes.
A decade later, Judy’s mental health stabilized, and she underwent gastric bypass surgery to help with her physical health. Judy was determined to go back to work, but she realized that after not working for so long she no longer owned any business professional clothing and with the surgery, she no longer had any clothing that fit her. A week (yes, a week!) after her surgery she scheduled an appointment with Dress for Success Triangle NC.
More than a Suit
“I was treated with such respect and compassion” shares Judy, who says it was hard to come by before her surgery. Before she was unable to work, Judy had been purchasing men’s suits and tailoring them to wear to work. “My coach knew my weight was going to be a journey and worked with me to size me correctly.” Her image coach even paired secondary outfits two sizes smaller for Judy for when she reached her weight loss goal. Her coach helped to get her out of her comfort zone and into professional clothing that she felt good wearing. She left with all the clothes she needed for her next interview and for the coming months of continued weight loss. “I swear the seamstress who made a pair of the pants I left with made them with me in mind because they fit so perfectly,” says Judy, adding that she wore them until the seams popped from wear!
Judy also met with a career coach who showed her how she could hook job recruiters with her resume. With her second application, she got a callback and has been with the same company since 2016. Judy works as a Data Collections Specialist and loves her job.
“Crawling out of a snake pit can seem insurmountable to do,” says Judy, “but that’s why you have to reach out for help. Dress for Success Triangle can motivate you and make you feel beautiful and appreciated. We must lift each other up.” Judy continues to lift up other women, including her daughter, by sharing about Dress for Success Triangle and how the agency can help women in all situations.
Read more about career and image coaching here.