• “It’s so important to connect with other female entrepreneurs and learn from each other. You may have the technical or creative skills but it’s your business skills that will sustain you.”

You won’t catch Joanne Blake with her elbows on the table.  At least not during a business lunch. An etiquette and image consultant, Joanne has been operating Style for Success in Edmonton since 1995 and has clients ranging from lawyers to labourers. Considered a pioneer in this industry, she provides corporate training to clients in etiquette, table manners, networking, business dress and social skills.

Human behaviour has always fascinated Joanne. “You always wonder why certain people are so successful – it’s because of their interpersonal skills,” she said. “Some people are naturally born with these skills, but other people have to work at it. Many people don’t realize their behaviour or dress can have a negative impact on their business relationships.”

Joanne has a fashion background but wasn’t always a courtesy connoisseur. “When I was younger and first entered the business world, I wondered what fork to use and what to say in certain circumstances. I figured other people must struggle with this too,” she said. “Business is all about relationships and the way you present yourself is so important in relationship building.”

Many of Joanne’s early business relationships were formed during peer mentoring circles at AWE. During a six month program, where members decided the topics of discussion each month, she developed a network with women at various stages of their careers. “AWE is such a strong resource. I learned from other women’s successes and heard tips from them on how they were managing their businesses. Like how to market on a limited budget!”

Joanne has spoken at AWE sessions in the past and hopes to mentor more women in the future. “It’s so important to connect with other female entrepreneurs and learn from each other,” she said. “You may have the technical or creative skills but it’s your business skills that will sustain you.”

No doubt Joanne Blake is sustaining her success. She and her partner have rolled out a dining etiquette DVD, with plans for more in the works. She’s training other image consultants, and acts as a mentor to other trainers. Soon she’ll travel to Beijing, where learning and understanding North American etiquette is more in demand than ever as dinner invitations are extended across the globe.  

“Everybody’s human, but some people lack confidence in their abilities. I work to bring out the qualities that will help people improve their business relationships.”