Mena Garcia on How to Make a Lasting First Impression

Mena Garcia is a renowned image consultant whose three pro tips can help you make the best first impression.

Be honest

It’s easier to keep up with the truth than a lie. It’s a moral code most of us have grown up with but one we tend to forget and doubt as we age. And that’s a problem. You see, individuality is a by-product of honesty, and honesty doesn’t just mean being weak, naïve, stupid, gullible, or aggressive and arrogant because you happen to feel that way on a particular day. It’s about knowing how you feel, assessing its source, and dealing with it, if it’s coloring your worldview with negativity, or acknowledging it if the source of your mood is altogether upbeat and motivated.

Honesty is a tool that can be as powerful or as weak as the consciousness of the one wielding it. It helps you stand out because it helps you see the world, resolve its conflicts, and untangle its complexities in a way that only you can. While one can always look up to and learn from one’s role models, it’s best to depend on one’s own interpretive abilities to deal with the world. In short, your honesty will set you apart as it’ll give you the power of vision only you can have.

Be interesting

Being interesting is not the same thing as being an expert, although it doesn’t hurt. To be interesting, one must do, know, and learn interesting things. It’s good advice but people don’t often take it all the way in. Many end up thinking of it as creating an inventory of quirky facts, crazy ritual stories, or some such. But the truth is, you can be truly interested in things that attract your attention in one way or another.

You can be interested in sports, in fashion, in food, in films, or what have you. As your interest and, hence, knowledge in these subjects grow, you’ll start to see it reflect in your conversations, the way you look at things, and more. If you don't impose, you can expect people to ride your wave.

Be curious

A curious person often engages others in a way that makes others feel empowered. People find genuinely curious people endearing. The authenticity of your curiosity will reveal a lot about you and create an impression you can sustain with ease.

To make the first impression last, one must put to test the rules Mena Garcia has shared and see their efficacy in real life.