About Brenda Kinsel

Brenda Kinsel, an image consultant and author, is the owner of Inside Out—A Style and Wardrobe Consulting Company based in the San Francisco Bay Area where she has been matching people's clothes to their personalities, passions and lifestyles since 1985. Education has always been at the heart of her professional style. Whether she's in the dressing room with a client, writing an article about fashion, authoring books on style, or training other image consultants, her aim is to entertain but educate at the same time. She views the ordinary act of getting dressed as an extraordinary opportunity for personal expression.

It's been her secret desire all along that her books, starting with 40 Over 40; 40 Things Every Woman Over 40 Needs to Know About Getting Dressed (Wildcat Canyon Press, 1999) and through to her fifth and most recent book, Brenda Kinsel's Fashion Makeover: 30 Days to Diva Style! (Chronicle Books 2007) would educate the public about image consulting, make the services of image consultants more accessible to the public, and at the same time, be read by someone who said to herself, "I want to be an image consultant!" That people have found their life's calling through her books has been one of her greatest joys.

Brenda's first bit of advice to anyone getting into the field is to get as much training as possible and to become a member of the Association of Image Consultants International (www.aici.org). A frequent trainer at annual conferences, Brenda's classes draw newcomers as well as seasoned consultants.

Brenda has served two terms on the International Board of AICI. As well, she's a past-president of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of AICI. In 2000 she was honored with the organization's prestigious "IMMIE Award" (Image Makers Merit of Industry Excellence) for her achievements in the image industry.

Brenda is the fashion columnist for the Pacific Sun newspaper. Her tips and expertise have been featured in magazines such as In Style, Real Simple and Tara, Sweden's leading magazine for women over 40. She's been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, the Chicago Tribune, the Pittsburgh-Gazette and much more.

Brenda has appeared nationally on radio and television, most notably on The Oprah Winfrey Show and on NPR. She makes a weekly appearance on the ABC Radio Network, syndicated nationally, on a segment called the Weekly Wardrobe Workshop.

Brenda is a sought after speaker who has given presentations across the United States. Smart, funny, and inspirational, she champions a woman's right to express herself beautifully at any size, age or income level. With her upbeat style and up-to-the-minute fashion savvy, she brings to audiences the professionalism and experience of an expert with the warmth and wisdom of the mother we wish we all had. She has presented programs at women’s events and organizations as well as exclusive boutiques and large retail stores including Nordstrom, Macy’s, Coldwater Creek and Marshall Fields.

Brenda graduated from the University of North Dakota with a degree in education. Continuing her passion for knowledge, she now shares her expertise in the profession of image consulting by educating, training and coaching others who share the same passion for this industry.