Earning her place as respected authority on the etiquette trade through her self-driven research, Lifestyle and Etiquette Expert Elaine Swann has been touted as today’s hip, savvy etiquette advisor, as evidenced by her regular appearances as a special correspondent on San Diego’s NBC 7/39 “News in the Morning,” her Web site, syndicated column and etiquette-inspired products.
Nick-named “The Etiquette Lady,” Elaine shares up-to-the minute tools and practical tips from a contemporary perspective, presenting workshops, seminars and one-on-one sessions with private clients. Elaine’s clients include schools, civic and non-profit organizations, as well as corporate businesses. Her passion lies in helping individuals empower themselves by developing sharp social skills that transcend into chic everyday style.
Born of Panamanian decent, Elaine is third in a family of five siblings. Elaine developed a love for everything etiquette early in life when her mother gave her the responsibility to set the table for dinner each night. Her dreams were further realized when her mother enrolled her in charm school, and later when she learned the formal teachings of etiquette through her participation in beauty pageants starting in her senior year of high school. The natural next step for Elaine was to move to New York City to pursue a career in modeling.
While living in New York, Elaine first stretched her entrepreneur wings by starting E.P. Models, a model management company that represented petite models, many whom landed principle roles in music videos. Elaine later returned to California, where she continued to develop as a creative leader, obtaining a cosmetology license, opening a full-service beauty salon called Bronzed Images, and becoming a freelance creative art director for Today’s Black Woman Magazine and writer for Word Up Magazine.
Elaine began her career in etiquette instruction when a sorority, aware of her strong pageant and modeling background, asked her to work with the girls for their annual debutante ball. The sorority continued to invite Elaine back, and each year she developed a more advanced program. After years of volunteering, a middle school principal hired Elaine to develop an after-school etiquette program for students. She immediately recognized that this would become her lifelong career motivation and began to grow her mini-empire from then on.
In 2005, Elaine auditioned for the “Martha Stewart Apprentice” in San Diego, where she was plucked from the line of several hundred prospects and interviewed on-air by an NBC reporter. After the brief interview, she was complimented by two news anchors and invited to return to do a segment about etiquette. As excited as she was about the prospect, Elaine had to put the offer on hold because she was called back by “Apprentice” producers for several more interviews. After stopping short of the top 16, Elaine refused to allow her disappointment to get the best of her. Instead, she chalked up the experience as a necessary part of her journey. Elaine followed up on NBC San Diego’s offer, and today she has become a familiar face as a regularly featured guest on the channel.
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