Today we’d like to introduce you to SUNA KABADAYI.
Hi SUNA, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Looking back, I think I have always been curious about people.
As a little girl, I would watch how people entered a room. Some spoke very little, yet everyone listened. Others worked just as hard but stayed invisible. I wanted to understand why.
That curiosity became my career.
For more than twenty years, I worked in personal branding, executive presence, and image consulting. I had the privilege of coaching CEOs, executives, entrepreneurs, television personalities, and public figures. Watching people transform never stopped amazing me. The biggest lesson was simple. Success alone does not make you visible. The way you show up does.
Then life surprised me.
I moved from Turkey to San Diego as a single mother. I left behind everything I had built and started again from zero. Suddenly, I was not the expert with the network. I was the woman introducing herself one more time.
That experience changed me.
It made me understand what so many accomplished women feel. They have the experience. They have the talent. They have the results. Yet they still wonder why they are overlooked, underestimated, or not fully seen.
Today, that is the heart of my work.
I help accomplished women align their style, presence, and personal brand with who they already are. Not to create a new identity, but to reveal the one that has been there all along.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all.
Like many entrepreneurs, I have had moments when I questioned myself. But the biggest challenge was not building a business. It was building a life from the beginning.
Moving from Turkey to San Diego meant leaving behind a successful career, a strong professional network, and a name people already knew. Suddenly, I was introducing myself to people who had never heard of me.
At the same time, I was raising my daughter and learning to balance motherhood with entrepreneurship. There were days when I questioned whether starting over was the right decision.
Looking back, I am grateful for that season.
It reminded me what it feels like to be the new person in the room. It taught me that confidence is not something you have once and keep forever. It is something you choose again and again.
That experience also changed my business. Today, I understand my clients on a much deeper level because I have lived many of the same fears they face. Reinventing yourself takes courage. Becoming visible takes practice. I know both are possible because I have had to do them myself.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I help accomplished women become visible. In other words I help them close the gap between who they are on the inside and who the world sees on the outside.
Many people think I work with clothes. I smile when they say that because clothes are only one part of what I do.
I have spent twenty years helping people succeed on the world’s biggest stages. I have coached people before television interviews, board meetings, keynote speeches, and career defining moments. Those experiences taught me something important.
Visibility looks different on every stage, but the challenge is often the same. People want to be seen for who they truly are. They want to inspire trust before they say a word.
That is why my work brings together personal branding, executive presence, communication, behavior, and style. I do not believe confidence begins in your closet. I believe it begins with knowing who you are. Everything else should reflect that.
Three years ago, my work became more focused. And I work primarily with accomplished women who are stepping into a new chapter of their lives or careers. Many have spent years building successful careers while putting themselves last. They know they are capable, but they no longer feel fully connected to the woman they see in the mirror.
The greatest compliment I receive is not, “You made me look beautiful.”
It is, “I finally feel like myself again.”
That is what I am most proud of.
What sets me apart is that I have seen visibility from every angle. I have worked behind the scenes with public figures whose image is seen by millions. I have coached leaders whose decisions shape organizations. I have also rebuilt my own life and business in a new country.
Those experiences remind me that visibility is never about becoming someone else.
It is about having the courage to become more of yourself.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
When I moved to San Diego, I had to build my network from the beginning.
It reminded me that networking is not about collecting business cards. It is about building genuine relationships.
The best opportunities in my career have never come from walking into a room and asking, “What can you do for me?” They came from being curious, listening, adding value, and staying in touch long after the first conversation.
The same is true when looking for a mentor.
Don’t look for someone who has the biggest following. Look for someone whose values match yours. Someone who asks thoughtful questions, challenges you, and genuinely wants to see you grow.
I also believe mentorship is a two way relationship. Even if you are just starting out, you always have something to offer. Sometimes it is a fresh perspective. Sometimes it is your time, your support, or simply your gratitude.
One piece of advice I always share is this.
Don’t wait until you need something to build relationships.
Reach out. Celebrate other people’s success. Stay connected. Be generous. People remember how you make them feel.
Looking back, I can honestly say that every meaningful opportunity in my life started with a conversation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sunastyledit.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunakabadayi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kabadayisuna
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunakabadayi/
