Style for Life

Guiness world record attempt for the most number of consecutive ultra marathons - interview with Shannon-Leigh Litt ultra runner

Today we’re bringing you one of our most popular episodes of 2025, a listener favourite we’re re-releasing for Boxing Day while we take a short break.I was so privileged to interview my beautiful friend Shannon-Leigh Litt who is in the middle of attempting to break the Guiness world record for the most number of consecutive ultra marathons run - this is over 51kms per day.  Today she completed ultra 382 - the current record is 200.  
Listen for some super heated inspiration from this incredible athlete and human.  
Thank you Shannon and best of luck with your amazing journey.  

How to pack light when you always overpack

Today we’re bringing you one of our most popular episodes of 2025, a listener favourite we’re re-releasing while we take a short break.In this episode, Stephanie shares her journey of packing light for an extended holiday.
She discusses her strategies for choosing the right bags, selecting essential clothing, and organising her items using packing cells.
Stephanie talks about the importance of comfort in footwear and shares her go-to travel snacks. She also covers toiletries and personal care items, and concludes with a checklist for her carry-on essentials, all while aiming to travel efficiently and avoid overpacking.
For resources and information around accountability coaching and personal styling, check out: https://www.brightred.co.nz/ For info on the cotopaxi bag, check out: https://www.cotopaxi.co.nz/

How to navigate Christmas indulgence, have a good time and feel great afterwards

Right on Christmas time, we spend weeks celebrating the end of our year.  This involves many celebrations, parties and get-togethers that almost always revolve around food and alcohol.  It’s a great thing to connect with others in this way, with food and often alcohol being a social lubricant and a common enjoyment.  Sometimes these celebrations and events do not provide options that support your health outcome, which can lead to feeling bloated,  unwell and sometimes regretful.  
 
The top 10 tips that Stephanie discusses are below:  
 
 Ask yourself is this s 10/10 for me? 
Have I pre planned how I am going to show up to this event?  
How am I treating alcohol? 
Am I bringing a plate or checking the menu first? 
Can we make the function an ‘active’ on so the focus is on the event not drinking and eating 
Are we practising mindful eating rather than mindless snacking while talking to someone.  
If things get out of hand can we get back on track the next day and nourish our bodies? 
Are we practising gratitude? 
What’s happening with water?  
Are we connecting with people not just food. 
 
Feels free to reach out if you hold celebrations have got a little off track and you need some help to get back into focus.  
https://www.brightred.co.nz/accountability-coaching
 
A huge thank you to Clare Maxfield at Image Innovators for her continued and generous support of the podcast.   
 
https://imageinnovators.com/

How to manage Christmas burnout

In this episode, Stephanie explores the causes and management strategies for dealing with Christmas burnout.  
 
Christmas burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by the stress of the holiday season, which can be triggered by financial pressures, family expectations, and packed schedules. Signs include fatigue, irritability, sleep problems, a loss of joy, and feeling overwhelmed. This often occurs in the lead-up to Christmas.  
 
She identifies that Christmas burnout can be caused by any of the following:  
 
 Financial pressure
Family expectations 
A packed schedule 
Comparison 
Perfectionism
 
She also discusses some suggestions to manage it, including managing self-care, amongst others.  Tune in to learn more.  
 
Thank you to Image Innovators for their sponsorship of Style for Life.  
 
https://imageinnovators.com/
 
Thank you so much for listening.  
 
https://www.brightred.co.nz/

What is style personality and does it really matter?

Many aspects of fashion styling have seen a resurgence over the past few years  - colour analysis being the big one! Such a great service!  The other service that has risen in popularity is exploring your clothing style personality.   This is a service I have offered my clients for 20 years and I thought it may be useful to unpack it on the podcast this week so you understand the relevance and intention of discovering this fun fact about yourself.  
 
I offer an online quiz that helps you work out where you sit.  This is super useful when you are shopping or even working out how you want to show up in the world.  The 7 clothing style personalities covered are: 
 Classic
Creative
Dramatic
Elegant
Feminine 
Natural 
Sexy 
 
Have a listen and learn how it all works and maybe you can work out which one sounds like you?   IF you want to know for sure check out the link today to discover who you are… 
 
https://brightred.myprivatestylist.com/your-style-expression/
 
If you want to know even more then check out my website for all styling options.  
 
https://www.brightred.co.nz/
 
A massive thank you to our great premium who sponsor Image Innovators who offer all things style.  
 
https://imageinnovators.com/
 
Until next week… 
 

Feeling the empty next syndrome

This week, Steph explores empty nest syndrome and shares her experiences.  She also discusses the challenges and positives of the children leaving home.  
 
The challenges traversed are.  
 
Identity crisis, as your purpose has changed 
Anxiety and worry about your children away from home 
Loss of control of your children’s day-to-day life 
Regret and guilt about your parenting choices and behaviours.  
Financial implications of supporting a child outside the home
Role transformation to a supportive guide rather than a parent 
Unrecognised grief from others who have not experienced this or who do not share it 
Changed social interactions as your children’s friends and their parents are often no longer in your realm.  
 
Positives of Empty Nest Syndrome 
Rediscover and pursue personal interests
Focus on career and preprofessional development 
More time for self-care and mental well-being.
A sense of accomplishment in seeing their children become successful, independent adults. 
Deeper marital  / partner satisfaction
New parent-child dynamic to a more mature, supportive friendship based on mutual respect and shared experiences.
Stronger social connections with old and new friends 
Time to spend with your aging parents  
This week, we are really excited to have a premium sponsor, Image Innovators Australia, on board.  Please check out this link to see what they offer.  I am proud to be partnering with them to offer Fashion Stylist Training heading into 2026.  
 
https://imageinnovators.com/

To print or not to print - all you ever wanted know about wearing prints.

In this episode, Steph unpacks all there is to know about wearing prints.  She explains the difference between. Plain and printed fabric and discusses the different types of prints in 5 broad categories:  
Floral 
Geometric 
Abstract 
Animal print
Ethnic print 
 
She discusses the reasons why people may choose not to wear a print and gives some encouragement to think outside the box when it comes to print.   
 
She also explains how print can stretch and grow your wardrobe and give you plenty of options to choose from  - it also takes the thinking out of dressing when you pair it with other solid colours. 
 
So many tips and tricks in this podcast for everyone.
 
https://www.brightred.co.nz/colour-analysis-consultation
 

How to choose and style an outfit for the races

This week Steph takes a deep dive into her wardrobe to show you how to put together an outfit for Race day.  Whether you are attending for fun with a group of friends,  wanting to enter the best dressed or going with a bent for the horses there are certain things that make a race day outfit work well.
 
Start with one element and work the rest of your outfit around it.  In this episode Steph shares how she started with a Zambesi dress when she won Addington Cup Days Fashion in the Field in 2006.  She then styled the hat, shoes, jacket and all accessories to work with the dress. 
 
Alternatively she explains how you can start with a hat or fascinator and then work your outfit to fit with the vibe..  Aligning colours and shapes makes your outfit look cohesive – so if your clothing has circles in the fabric emulating this in your accessories and footwear gives a ‘styled’ look. 
 
If you want advice for racewear or any style advice links are below. 
 
Brightred.co.nz

Navigating Emotional Responses in Conflict

In this episode, Stephanie explores the concept of amygdala hijack, a term used to describe the emotional responses that occur during conflict or escalation.
 
She identifies three primary responses: fight, flight, and freeze, and emphasises the importance of recognising which response one is experiencing in order to manage emotions effectively during challenging conversations.
 
For resources and information around accountability coaching and personal styling, check out: https://www.brightred.co.nz/

2025’s Spring Summer Fashion Trends Unveiled

In this episode, Stephanie walks us through the latest spring-summer fashion trends, providing insights into various styles, colours, and combinations.
 
She emphasises the importance of personal style over trends and showcases items from her own wardrobe to illustrate key points.
 
The conversation covers a range of topics, including nightie dresses, tank tops, athleisure, plaid, utility styles, and masculine suits, concluding with a recap of the trends discussed.
 
Watch it on YouTube to see the examples as Steph walks us through them.
 
For resources and information around accountability coaching and personal styling, check out: https://www.brightred.co.nz/