Jodie
“My younger self probably wouldn’t listen to anything I told her, haha!! But I would tell her that it’s okay to make mistakes and not know the answers.”
Jodie is cheerful, driven, and always looking to uplift others. After being told at the start of her career in dentistry that women had no place there, she fought hard to prove herself and led a successful practice for many years. This early experience showed her the importance of supporting and encouraging others, especially women; these are values that make up the fabric of her blog, Jodie’s Touch of Style. On this platform, she provides fashion advice, as well as mixes and matches outfits for women of all ages and sizes. While inspiring and instilling confidence in women through this medium, she also proves that clothing can be a mode of self-expression and empowerment at any age. Meet Jodie. This is her story.
K: Please introduce yourself!
J: Hi!! My name is Jodie Filogomo and I am a 55 year old woman living in Sun City, Arizona (which is a retirement community). While you see me online as a fashion influencer and sharing both my mother, Charlotte and friend, Lesley as part of that journey; that part of my life is a 180 from my education and career. When I was 10 years old, I decided I wanted to be a dentist. And with grit and determination, that's what I did. My specialty was cosmetic dentistry which is a gift to give people their confidence back with a wonderful smile. In a way, that is no different than inspiring all ages of women to have fun with their style and throw out the fashion rules of old.
My dental career flourished when my husband came to be my manager yet it was also overwhelming to me. Therefore, we researched about bringing on an associate until we found that most associateships fail. And the last thing I wanted was more work. So we put a plan in place to sell it and that came to fruition 8 years ago.
After selling the practice I envisioned being a personal shopper. If shopping could be an Olympic sport, I'm sure I'd have at least one gold medal in it!! However, my husband suggested I start a fashion blog and with that I grabbed my mother and stepmother (who both lived within 5 miles of us in Littleton, Colorado) and came up with the idea that it's never too late to look great.
I always think it's beneficial to see outfits of different ages and sizes for women, so that was the advantage of having the three of us on the blog.
My husband and I decided to move to Arizona 2 years ago and my mother came down with us. My friend who lives down here came on board as our 3rd model, so now we have an 83 year old, 71 year old and 55 year old showcasing fabulous style.
Hobbies wise, I love to knit. I started about 25 years ago, and my mom would joke that I had an obsession with needles. I still knit almost daily and one of my friends calls me the Knitting Ninja!! Saturday's on Instagram is usually the day I showcase one of my knitted pieces!! They aren't always perfect, but they are definitely original!
K: Describe yourself in your own words
J: I am a people person although more in a one on one setting. I'm truly more of an introvert, but I LOVE hearing people's stories and fixing problems. My husband calls me little, cute and stubborn (just like one of our kitties). It's only because of him that I appreciate my body and have learned to stop criticizing it at every turn. Especially with menopause under my belt. My style has changed just like my profession did. I used to be much more conservative and a rule follower when it came to clothing. Now? Now I love to change it up and try all different kinds of clothes and combinations.
K: What is your favourite thing about yourself?
J: My favorite thing is my mind. I feel like I'm a great Nancy Drew detective especially when it comes to health and style. Plus I always like to look at both sides of an issue.
K: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
J: I remember being in college and researching the career of dentistry. One summer, I thought it would be beneficial to work in a dental office, so I sent out over 50 letters to dentists in the area. I had an interview with one, who told me in no uncertain terms that dentistry wasn't for girls and I should give up that dream. Of course I was taken aback. I grew up with a mother who told me I could do anything that I wanted. Yet I didn't know how to stand up for myself, so I left the interview downtrodden and upset. I cried to my mom on the phone that night. And you know, she even sent him a letter expressing her disappointment in his actions. I didn't know she had done that until years later, and it warms my heart to think about it even now.
Needless to say, being told "no" is sometimes the biggest motivator to do something, and I went on to prove him wrong.
I don't hold any grudge against him, as I suspect he had a hard day in the office before my interview. Who hasn't had a terrible work day where you warn others of going into the profession?? I know I've had a few. But I'm certainly glad I didn't listen to him, as my dental career was very rewarding and gave me a lot of self confidence.
K: What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
J: My younger self probably wouldn't listen to anything I told her, haha!! But I would tell her that it's okay to make mistakes and not know the answers. As a younger woman, I tended to be a perfectionist and would be very embarrassed when I made a mistake. It's still not the easiest thing but my word of the year a couple years back was "Grace" and that has helped me immensely.
K: What does being a woman mean to you?
J: I feel like I could answer this so many ways. But I'm going to give a little levity to the interview by saying, being a woman gives me so much variety in my clothing options. Especially shoes. When my husband and I go shoe shopping for guys shoes, I always feel so sorry for the miniscule assortment he has from which to choose!!
K: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to her if she were here now?
J: Of course my mother, Charlotte, has been a huge inspiration (which is one reason I love having her on my blog). She's not only given me the mindset that I could do with my life what I wanted, but also been my biggest cheerleader. It doesn't hurt that I've also learned so much from her style wise. She is a professional seamstress and has passed on loads of wonderful tips and tricks to the fashion part of the blog!!