Dress for Success Austin

Happy 📚 Which book are you reading today? Do you have a favorite genre? Don't forget! We always have a wide selection of books at the boutique in our Little Free Library.

DFSA Supporter Summer McAfee shares: "The little free library is my favorite spot in the Dress for Success Austin office. It was my friend's first time visiting your office, and I helped her find a book on finding your focus. She left with a smile and a little encouragement. Thank you, DFSA team and volunteers. "

Here a few fast facts:
📕 Paper was invented in China (First Century A.D.)
📗 The Gutenberg Bible, one of the earliest-known books, is printed with a printing press in Europe (1455)
📘 The first novel in the Harry Potter series is released and goes on to sell over 500 million books, making it the best-selling series of all time by a single author (1997)

We recently rearranged the entry way of our boutique and are loving this new layout made possible by wonderful volunteers!

Happy Labor Day to all the workers and women who provide for their families, themselves, and others while contributing to society and inspiring future generations to follow their career aspirations.

It's - a day created to promote heart health awareness - and a nod to a staple item in every women's closet. As it happens, our Little Black Dress Soirée (LBD) is quickly approaching on Thursday, October 17 from 6pm to 9pm at Junior League of Austin's Community Impact Center. We will be celebrating 21 years of DFSA and 11 years of LBD. Enjoy a live auction, silent auction, cocktails, seated dinner, special Impact Program, and live music from local musician Tameca Jones.

Tickets: https://hellofund.io/bidapp/index.php?slug=lbds2024

Ahead of the weekend, let’s take a look at our impact for August! 🗓️ We are ramping up for Success Starter next month with preparations underway for our next Veterans Event in November ✨

Join us for an event hosted by B.D.F.O. Lifestyle and Konquer Aesthetix on Saturday, September 21 at Riches Art gallery for a one-of-a-kind event designed to empower women to reach the highest version of themselves.

An evening filled with fun + inspiration including:
• Topo Chico Sip & Shop
• Keynote: The Essence of Confidence
• Panel Discussion: The Impact of Fashion on Confidence
• Network & Shop
• Fashion Show: Confidence on the Runway

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/access-granted-confidence-unlocked-tickets-986036169727?aff=oddtdtcreator

Congrats to all!

ABJ: Women in Business Awards 2024 - Austin Business Journal This is one of ABJ's longest-running events, and it’s one of the most fruitful for making meaningful connections and identifying current and future leaders of our economy.

Earlier this week, Mia had the honor of accompanying DFSA Board Member & CapMetro CEO Dottie Watkins as she accepted her winning recognition at Austin Business Journal’s Women in Business Awards 🏆✨

Well deserved & congrats from the DFSA family Dottie!

Thank you to Amanda Deer who continuously donates these beautiful, dainty boxed pieces to our organization for women to have the perfect touch of shine for interviews ✨

When we asked our DFSA board members to choose a topic that resonated with them, Dubravka selected Women’s Equality Day (observed annually on August 26) and shares below her thoughts on today's significance in history:

"I originally chose to speak on Women’s Equality Day because of my own experiences as a woman working in the largely male-dominated field of insurance. I wanted to share my thoughts about what worked and didn’t work for me. When I selected the topic a few months ago, I had no idea that as I write this we would be witnessing history unfold in the U.S. presidential race. How timely this topic has proven to be with the nomination of the first African-American woman to lead the presidential ticket for a major American political party! It feels like so much has changed in my lifetime and yet so much work remains."

“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” - Madaleine Albright

🔗❤️ Read more on our blog: https://www.dressforsuccessaustin.org/blog/womens-equality-day-dubravka
Thank you Dubravka!

Simona is motivated to make a difference as a nursing professional:

Simona initially heard about Dress for Success Austin while in school to become a medical assistant a few years ago. Her instructor mentioned how DFSA provides professional attire, career coaching and other support to women. At the time, her finances were limited due to the demands of her accelerated nursing program so the timing of this resource was helpful as she worked her way to being an RN and LVN.

Read more on our blog: https://www.dressforsuccessaustin.org/blog/d8jnsrpt8qwiow8s7amt26br7h62af
📸 Headshot taken at DFSA

Thank you to volunteer groups Adecco Staffing, USA & Maxwell Locke & Ritter LLP for helping us with tasks around the boutique today and this past week! What a difference it makes in keeping our space clean and organized for appointments ahead.

Our now has bookmarks! We already handed our first ones out today; we love seeing clients grabbing a new read to start their week. These bookmarks are perfect for booking appointments on the go with a snapshot view of our programs.

featuring our 9:30am FOX 7 segment for those who missed it!

Dress for Success helping empower women Tierra Neubaum gets details on Dress for Success as it continues to help empower women to achieve economic independence by providing tools, a network of supports, and professional attire.

Thank you to Tierra Neubaum on FOX 7 for having DFSA on FOX 7 Austin this morning. They are running another segment in the 5pm hour in case you missed us. Thank you to our client Roya and Circle of Impact member Allison for joining Mia and sharing your experience. What a way to spend our Wednesday! ✨

Hang out with us this morning on FOX 7 Austin with Tierra Neubaum on FOX 7 and Executive Director Mia Johns to chat about all the things going on at DFSA! Our next live segments are at 8:45am and 9:35am ✨

Last month's Community Connect was a success and we're already counting down the days to our next one on Wednesday, August 28 from 9am to 10am at DFSA HQ. Learn more about us, connect with other community organizations, and share about the services your organization offers. Plus, enjoy coffee and donuts on us! ☕ 🍩

RSVP: https://share.hsforms.com/1TUI3RAoLRHebgiqbX_x20wqdau0

Our thank you lunch for Summer 2024 Interns was today and we sure do get lucky with the best group of gals each semester! We couldn’t ask for a more dedicated bunch and so appreciate all the work they do in all parts of DFSA ✨ Thanks ladies!

We are starting August on a good note with these exciting opportunities including a series of live interviews with FOX 7's Tierra Neubaum on Wednesday 8/14! We're also counting down the days to our Team Meet & Greet at Toast & Tour next Thursday. Pass this along or tag a friend to join and we'll see you soon ✨

RSVP: https://linktr.ee/dressforsuccessatx

Britny was working for a tech company before a series of medical issues led to job loss. This setback was due to a diagnosis she received that impacted her mental health and performance. Over the past two years, Britny has worked diligently to learn about her mental health to thrive in her next role.

Fast forward to today, Britny has a much better understanding on ways to maintain a healthy mindset despite past challenges. Recently, she came to DFSA for a professional styling appointment, career coaching session and a new headshot to refresh her professional profile and get back to applying to jobs.

Read more about Britny in our newest blog post: https://www.dressforsuccessaustin.org/blog/britny-overcomes-mental-health-struggles-to-seek-new-career

Juanita is an awesome client with a powerful story! She's a student + mompreneur who studies psychology at Huston-Tillotson University while launching her business BUKidz, a beauty service that specializes in natural, textured hair care and educational courses. Talk about supermom!

You won't want to miss Juanita speaking at this month's Toast & Tour on Thursday 8/15 (6-7:30pm) alongside volunteer Liz Bronson. What is Toast & Tour you ask? Join us every month for wine and cheese while hearing from a client & volunteer duo. It's a one-stop destination for learning about all things DFSA and we promise to leave the best first impression!

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dress-for-success-austin-toast-tour-tickets-404114727027
More about Juanita: https://www.dressforsuccessaustin.org/blog/juanita-is-making-her-dreams-a-reality-from-student-to-mompreneur

Phew! Just like that we are already in August so here is a recap of our impact for July, an exciting month because we launched applications for the first-ever Success Starter program in partnership with Dress for Success Worldwide 🥳

Success Starter was developed for aspiring female entrepreneurs who want to gain skills to start a business via a 12-week mentorship & training program. We love that this is a new opportunity for women (and mompreneurs) to follow their dreams and set sail on making their big idea a reality! 🛳️ ⭐️

Shop sustainably. Make an impact. It's that simple! We ensure all donated items are processed in the most earth-friendly way possible. When our boutique is at capacity, you still help fund our programs! We have a curated collection of items on Poshmark and Depop that are pre-loved, but in excellent condition for your wardrobe or capsule collection!

Our interns are hard at work getting these items up for sale and out to your door in a timely manner (thank you ladies!) but the best part... this directly funds our programs and allows us to expand and grow.

✨ Poshmark: https://bit.ly/3YvFtrY
✨ Depop: https://www.depop.com/impact_vintage/

Did you know? We offer headshot appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays, rain or shine! These quick sessions take less than 5 minutes and are a great way to update your LinkedIn as you are actively applying to jobs or adding a new role to your profile!

We love hearing about your latest career milestone and are excited to offer this to women in our community: https://www.dressforsuccessaustin.org/appointments

Sylvia started volunteering at DFSA in February 2023, always inspired by non-profit work that supports economic security. It’s what initially connected her passion to our mission — helping others “not just survive, but thrive. All people, but especially women!”

Most recently, she’s served as an HR liaison during the onboarding process of our six new staff members. Making our team of nine the biggest one yet, might we add ✨

Read more, including what inspires her to make such a tremendous impact, in our blog today!

Let’s just say Executive Director Mia and Director of Development Laurie had the best time last night at an event hosted by NXP Semiconductors centered around empowering innovation with Austin women in Semi & STEM 💚🧪