It’s January. Magical, mysterious January when all things are possible, where life and love and living can become an art form instead of something we do just to get through the cold days. My cousin-in-law from Brazil, Vera (pronounced Vaaaarrrra), was in town over the holidays and introduced me to a Brazilian New Year’s Eve ceremony that I want to share with you because it was so fresh and titillating. Just because New Year’s Eve is over doesn’t mean you can’t do a version of this ceremony on your own, wherever you are, to get a jolt of fresh.

GET FRESH
First thing you do is put on all-white from head-to-toe, including underwear. I don’t have a white bra so I came as close as I could, which was nude-colored. I was told this was to signify peace in the world and the newness and freshness of the coming year. Then you write a private note to yourself listing the things you want to rid yourself of... for example, nail biting, smoking, bad attitude, over-dating, being too much of a pleaser, etc. Next, you get lots of flowers: white (again, signifying peace), red for love and yellow for gold and riches. Take these flowers to the beach, ocean, river or creek (any body of moving water will do) and perform the ritual in the following order. First, find a stone and wrap your private note to yourself around it (on biodegradable paper, of course) and toss it as far as you can into the body of water. The goddess of the ocean, Iemanja, is supposed to catch them and take them away from you. The next step is to get in the water to cleanse yourself – unless you live anywhere North of the equator as I do and then you do what I did. I rolled my pants up, waded in about three inches, rubbed the water up my arms and splashed it lightly over my torso, head and face, which signifies cleansing. It was brisk and cold and rejuvenating. While holding the flowers, take a deep cleansing breath and concentrate on what you want to send out into the world. If you’re holding red roses, you are throwing love into the world; if you’re holding the white flowers, you are sending out peace, and so on. Then you begin tossing handfuls and armfuls of flowers into the ocean or river. I, being an over-protective mama bear, took the petals off of the stem for fear that a dolphin or shark would eat the flowers whole and get a thorn in the throat. I know! But this is how I think… imagine being me and having these thoughts all day long? I pulled all the petals off of the stem and threw them into the ocean. The entire experience was stunning, beautiful, gorgeous and inspiring… an extraordinary way to end one year and begin another.

GET NEW
We have all fantasized from time to time about what it would be like to transform ourselves in the blink of an eye to become a new, uber fabulous version of ourselves. Here are a couple of fun ways to start moving down the path to a physical metamorphosis. Let’s start simply and experiment with your hairstyle everyday for one week. Try slicking it back with gel or olive oil, teasing it up for a bouffant ‘50s feel, pulling it into a ponytail or splitting it down the back for pigtails. Which new “style” makes you feel most different? Which gets noticed the most by your friends, acquaintances or co-workers? Now, let’s switch to make-up. Let your mood dictate the feel of your day… if you’re feeling cocky, make a bold, bright statement with red lipstick. If you’re feeling wild and crazy, how about some vivid purple eye shadow with sparkles? If you’ve been getting French manicures for the last five years, try something new… whether it’s red, blue or a pale mauve nail polish, looking down at a different color will remind you how great it is to actually have options. Let loose and take yourself out of the “safe box” of your norm.

SAY YES
Reinventing yourself doesn’t always have to be about your style or how you look. You can be whatever you believe you can be. There is nothing holding you back. Nothing. Open your eyes and heart and try saying “yes” to every opportunity that comes your way this month. If it is not the “perfect” opportunity, still say “yes” just to see what happens. It may be as huge as saying “yes” to a new career opportunity or to a new hobby or interest that a friend invites you to join. It can be about saying “yes” to that volunteer work you’ve been thinking about for the last couple of years or to joining a women’s organization that comes your way. There is no more waiting for the “perfect opportunity” because it just may not exist. We sometimes wait for the perfect man, the perfect job, the perfect hairstyle, the perfect time. Forget waiting around for anything… the time is now. The word is “yes”. You’re asked out on a date by a guy you just know isn’t for you. Old you says, “No, thank you” and you go home, cook mac and cheese and plop yourself down on your couch in front of the TV. New you says, “Yes, I’d love to. Let’s do something crazy, wild and fun”, and take him to your favorite restaurant or club. Maybe something romantic won’t ever come of it but you moved forward. You made a new friend. You had fun and connected to the world. Saying “yes” doesn’t nail you into a corner; it gives you wings to fly, make choices and soar.

The most important fresh start is to love who you are and how you are. Accept yourself and your own unique beauty. Take time to pamper yourself with rituals, whether it’s giving yourself a manicure or face massage, taking a long thoughtful walk or spending a day in sheer reflection. These practices are important to the way you feel and result in an inner peace, which translates to radiance on the outside. If you’ve done the ‘S’ even once, you know what I am talking about. Taking care of yourself and luxuriating in your life is the best way to inject a little magic into your day and reinvigorate your life as a whole. Make it a resolution, a surefire way to guarantee a happy New Year for each and every one of you magnificent, gorgeous women!

Scarlet Red, Gentle Ivory, Brilliant Black, Sunset Dapple Grey, Vivid Violet, Tantalizing Teal, Orgasmic Orange and Shimmering Silver. With the New Year here and, since we women are the “mothers of reinvention”, it’s the perfect time to reinvent your look by adding a shot of vibrant color into your wardrobe, makeup and life to stir things up. It can be as simple as bringing some vivid shades into your eyeshadow scheme, adding in a skin brightener or wearing some bold red lipstick. Wear big, luminous earrings that you wouldn’t usually wear, multi-colored bangles or maybe some opaque colored tights (with the whole '80s thing back in style). If you are feeling festive, even if it’s the middle of the day, there’s something fun and exciting about adding some glittery eye shadow or lip gloss into the mix. If you’re feeling low energy and the cold winter is getting to you, there’s nothing like a bright yellow cardigan to inject a little summer into your day. If you don’t have a lot of colorful playthings in your existing wardrobe, then now’s the perfect time – with all the end-of-the-year, post-holiday sales happening, you can be sure to find something fun at a low cost. Try “reinventing” every day for a week and revel in the new spring in your step that you’ll have! It will be absolutely priceless!

It’s January and the world is still recovering from all the good cheer. Don’t give in to the post-holiday lag…. give yourself a little secret something to spice up your day. Sometimes even the smallest of things can stimulate and recharge our spirit beyond imagination. A fun and easy thing to do is to wear a pair of your favorite heels (mine are bright red stilettos) all day long just for the hell of it. Rock those babies as you perform your normal everyday functions and activities… wear them to work, around the house as you do laundry and dishes, to the grocery story, dry cleaners… wherever you need to go or be. If you’re snowbound, stick your heels into your purse and put them on in the parking garage of your destination. If your destination is outside and slushy, wear them in the car to drive and switch into your snow boots as you make your way into the cold. Just the sheer act of wearing some high heels will make you feel powerful and racy; a force to be reckoned with. It’s like an injection of brave fearlessness and sexy femininity all in one. Even if noone ever sees these pillars of fire on your feet, you will know they are there and the effect will be invigorating, intimate and sexy… just for you! Let me know how it goes (I love all the wild stories I get from you after reading the Global each month). Knock it out.

To browse our stiletto collection, click here.

Kathleen Kaufman
Director of Teacher Training

Director of Teacher Training and Development Kathleen Kaufman possesses a warm, soothing teaching style that, coupled with her impeccable S Factor technique, makes for an incredible class experience. Raised in Foster City, California, Kathleen started taking ballet when she was a child and developed a serious passion for movement. She took ballet, jazz and tap during high school, and performed in musical theater. She was on pointe by age 15 and continued her study of ballet for more than 10 years.

Kathleen attended UC Irvine, where she received a B.F.A. in Dance. This course of study allowed her to take a wide range of dance classes, including modern, jazz, tap, flamenco and character dance. Upon graduation, she moved to Los Angeles, where she worked for a financial planner. During a vacation at Club Med, she discovered a new passion after trying the flying trapeze. When she returned, she trained with a former trapeze artist who booked her into a The Royal Family Circus, where she performed single trapeze. In addition, she performed in local musical theater and modern dance companies.

A friend of Kathleen’s told her about Sheila Kelley’s S Factor and, together, they signed up for an Intro. During the class, Sheila talked about how the ‘S’ was all about women reclaiming this movement, which was taken away over 2000 years ago – a point that really hit home for Kathleen. After seeing the demo at the end of the Intro, she was hooked and signed up for class. She loved that, unlike in the ballet world with which she was so familiar, with Sheila Kelley's S Factor, there is no right or wrong. “As long as you’re not going to hurt yourself, it’s not wrong and it’s beautiful,” says Kathleen. “I love that your movement never has to be perfect. It’s actually more perfect when it’s not perfect. It gives me a chance to play and have fun and it’s truly liberating.”

At the time Kathleen learned about Sheila Kelley’s S Factor, she was in a phase of soul-searching and self-discovery. She was teaching beginning ballet to adults at West Los Angeles College, which helped her recognize her strong talent for instruction. Through her own personal journey, Kathleen realized she wanted to help people own their power and beauty and found that S Factor was the perfect venue for doing just that. “I love that this movement enables you to access your own power and beauty,” she says. “Sheila Kelley’s S Factor allows you to be courageous, vulnerable and more beautiful than you know yourself to be on a daily basis. I knew that I had to help other women gain access to that.” Kathleen also enjoys the fact that her role as Director of Teacher Training and Development is helping her exponentially spread this movement across the country and the world.

Kathleen currently lives in Santa Monica with her Siamese cat, Frankie. She loves to read, travel and spend time with her two-year-old niece, Sally.

Sheila, I am no doubt one of the older students in the S Factor NY group but, somehow, I don't feel it!! I am now at Level 4 and one of "Alex's Girls" as we call ourselves. Alex has taken me on quite a journey, along with my classmates, and now I am going to places I have never been (and I am not talking about the R Bar on the Bowery where one can go and swing on a pole, which is just an added bonus). I have always been into working out, running marathons, dancing and doing the gym thing but Sheila Kelley’s S Factor allows me to really let go. When I am in class, I don't think about anything else - work, problems, or any stress that may have come my way during the week. I must admit, I often get frustrated when I can't do a pole trick like some of the younger women in my class, but Alex is always there to encourage me on my journey.

Sheila, I am a breast cancer survivor and, even though I came through the experience (surgery, chemo, radiation) like a champ eight years ago, I was left uncomfortable about my body. I had a wonderful surgeon who did a wonderful job and I think most of my shyness about my body came from myself and not with how I actually looked. To see me today in my bra and boy shorts, dancing around in front of other women, you would never think I had any inhibitions whatsoever. I have told many of my friends in my age group (over 50 but don't tell anyone) about Sheila Kelley’s S Factor -- they are all fascinated by my stories and I know will come around sometime soon. I was recently at my college/sorority reunion in Miami and told many people there about my S Factor experience and the women gave me the title of the only woman who has LOST weight since graduating from college!

Carol Watts

Employment Opportunity

Sheila Kelley’s S Factor is seeking a talented, dedicated Retail Manager to work in our Los Angeles corporate office.  This individual will manage the buying, merchandising, inventory management and product development of our growing women’s lifestyle product line.  The ideal candidate will have an entrepreneurial spirit, excellent leadership skills, and is able to thrive in a fast-paced environment.  The candidate must be a self-starter, detail-oriented, have strong organizational skills, and possess a minimum of six years experience in women’s retail apparel (product development, purchasing, and inventory management).  We also require this candidate to have a strong working knowledge of the entire Microsoft Office Suite and be able to quickly learn how to work with POS software modules to develop sell-through, inventory management and turnover reports, etc., as well as the ability to develop and implement reporting to support buying, merchandising, and inventory decisions.  This position has outstanding potential for growth and advancement.  If you are interested in this position, please forward your resume and salary requirement to hr@sfactor.com.