Stand Out (NAPO (National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals))

We've all heard the phrase “Just go with your gut.” But this is often easier said than done. So what exactly is intuition, and how we can make the right decision as entrepreneurs or in our personal life using this subconscious phenomenon? Intuition expert and author of two books, Fail Fast, Succeed Faster, and Gut! What it is. How to trust it. How to use it, Sunil Godse joins us today from London Ontario to break down intuition and how we can begin to tune into it both personally and professionally. Sunil is an entrepreneur who has grown several business ventures that have collectively earned over $20 million in revenues before moving on to become a management consultant helping others find success in their businesses. After realizing that the reason why most businesses fail to create a trusted brand is that they ignore their intuition, he developed a process called Intuitive Branding, which helps businesses leverage the power of intuition and, as the title of his podcast says plainly, "Crush Your Competition In Under 14 Seconds.” As can be seen, by previous clients such as Citibank, SAP, Rogers Wireless, and Western Digital, his advice simply works. Today we cover the four types of intuition (and how each of us has one that is the strongest), why intuitive functioning is like driving a car, and some science behind how our brains and bodies accumulate and communicate this “Gut feeling”. You'll hear some fascinating case studies as well as honest, personal, and tragic reflections on those recognizable moments where we aren't taking our internal signals seriously. With a wealth of information on both personal intuition and corporate intuition, this episode provides key tools and information for literally everyone to better their lives. It's time to listen to your gut and tune in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Sunil and our topic for today: intuition. [00:00:42]
• Why his book is called Gut! [00:03:29]
• Talking about how omens can be positive or negative. [00:05:33]
• A story of how someone found their unique signal telling them something's off. [00:06:21]
• Why intuitive functioning is like driving a car. [00:06:58]
• A case study to explain the four types of intuition. [00:07:28]
• Clare shares a personal experience of taking a long time to listen to her internal signals. [00:15:31]
• How Sunil got into this area and the science behind it. [00:16:44]
• Reflections on feeling the pressure of societal norms and expectations. [00:19:09]
• Sunil shares a tragic story of a time that he didn't follow his intuition. [00:21:04]
• Defining intuition according to individual belief systems. [00:22:12]
• Some exact timing on when our intuition kicks in. [00:23:20]
• How we all have one of the four types of intuition that is stronger than the other three. [00:24:50]
• How we can tune into intuition and embed it into our daily lives. [00:25:49]
• Using your intuition when working as an organizer and going into people's homes. [00:27:33]
• Understanding micro-expressions and some of the training Sunil does. [00:29:12]
• Talking about how to listen to the signals when it comes to relationships.[00:30:25]
• Diving into intuitive drivers that relate to our values and our sense of purpose. [00:33:42]
• How the power of stepping into authentic expression brings huge expansion to your life. [00:35:12]
• Sunil talks about decluttering your life of people who don't support your joy. [00:35:55]
• A call to get in contact and let Sunil know what resonated with you! [00:38:00]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Sunil Godse

Sunil Godse: “Crush Your Competition In Under 14 Seconds” Podcast Series

Sunil Godse on LinkedIn

Sunil Godse on Twitter

Intuitive Branding on Facebook

Intuitive Branding on Instagram

Intuitive Branding 101 on YouTube

Intuitive Branding on TikTok

Fail Fast. Succeed Faster

Gut!

Vinh Jang: International Keynote Speaker

When The Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

In today’s episode, you will learn a whole lot about the organizing niche for individuals who have ADHD, starting with an overview of the disorder and how it impacts day-to-day functioning. An expert in this field, certified organizer coach Cindy Jobs is here to introduce listeners to the specific challenges that come along with helping clients who are neurodiverse to better structure and set up their lives for success.

On today’s episode we are joined Megan Spears of Disorder 2 Order and she is here to talk about the somewhat difficult topic of staying organized in a major health crisis.

Ever feel like you can't keep up? As a solo-business owner, certified business and life coach, and single mom of two teen boys, NAPO member Carol Williams understands the feeling of being pulled in many directions. Through her coaching, she helps business owners with ADHD become more productive and profitable so that they may live playfully and powerfully, both in business and in life. In this episode, Carol shares a bit about her journey into coaching, including how to decide which coaching program to adopt and why. You’ll also hear about Carol's methods when it comes to co-creating with her clients, listening to what is not being said, and living into the possibilities that are already there, as well as some of her tips for getting started when you don’t know where to start and the value of free services and networking. Tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Carol shares a bit about her background and her journey into coaching. [00:02:50]
• The process of letting go, once she stepped fully into becoming a coach. [00:05:26]
• How to decide where to study and which coaching program to adopt. [00:07:45]
• Why, when her life was shaken up, Carol didn’t default to the tried and true path. [00:08:45]
• Find out why Carol became a certified coach in the first place. [00:11:04]
• Having a mentor versus a coach and Carol’s experience of having both. [00:13:37]
• Carol and Clare discuss the concept of co-creating solutions with their clients. [00:15:31]
• Carol’s definition of good coaching: learning to listen to what is not being said. [00:17:20]
• Hear about Carol’s belief that the essence of coaching, regardless of its purpose, is a process of un-peeling. [00:18:12]
• Why Carol says her job is about living into the possibilities that are always there. [00:19:47]
• What about Carol’s process works and some of her tips for getting started. [00:24:47]
• From borrowing an audience to serving and nurturing them: advice for getting started when you don’t know where to start. [00:28:53]
• Her Wisdom Warriors Group is an opportunity for people to sample her services. [00:31:54]
• How networking and speaking have helped Carol attract her ideal clients. [00:34:43]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Carol Williams on Twitter

Carol Williams on LinkedIn

Carol Williams on Facebook

Carol Williams on YouTube

Carol Williams Email

Efficient Productivity Systems

Wisdom Warriors

The Alter Ego Effect

Leonie Dawson

Eric Levenhagen is a CPA and owner of Prowise Financial Coaching.

Eric’s mission is to empower entrepreneurial abundance. To that end he leads small business owners through a proven process to drive permanent profits into their business, minimize their personal income taxes and maximize their after-tax wealth.

Early on in his career, Eric identified that most of the financial services industry is broken and not built to get entrepreneurs the best results. Outside of the office, Eric enjoys spending time with his wife and kids. His hobbies include reading, following college and professional football, and music.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The difference between tax preparation and tax strategy
• How forward thinking can help you prepare for the next tax cycle
• Avoiding letting the new tax laws just “happen” to you
• The tools you may be using already to get proactive about tax savings, and some tools to be aware of
• Advantages of different types of corporate entity designations – should you be a sole proprietorship, LLC, S-Corp?
• How to find tax specialists with the experience and training to help you be proactive in your tax strategy
• Tax law changes that effect what is and is not deductible as a business expense
• Understanding changes to both corporate and personal taxes and considerations for each category
• Tax ramification differences between having employees and subcontractors

The Golden Nuggets:

“As entrepreneurs, we go to school, we get training, we have a set of skills and a ton of passion – but nobody really teaches us about how to handle the money.” – Eric Levenhagen

“We help you answer the question, ‘How do I pay as little as I can in personal income tax legally and ethically, and how do I use the information from tax professionals to make my business better, to run it better?’” – Eric Levenhagen

“What a tax strategist does is to help you in doing some forward thinking: where is your business going, where do you want to take it in the coming year, in the next three to five years? A tax strategist asks those questions and helps you plan accordingly.” – Eric Levenhagen

“You can let the new tax law happen to you, or you can introduce one or two strategies that are right for you, and optimize these new laws to make a big difference in savings.” – Eric Levenhagen

“Why did you decide to designate your business as an S-Corporation? The answer is not ‘because my tax person said that is the best thing.’ The answer is, ‘to minimize your self-employment tax.’” – Eric Levenhagen

“I get a lot of questions about how the new tax law might effect the actual operation of a business, or decisions an owner might make. Really the effect on day-to-day operation will be very limited.” Eric Levenhagen

“Before you throw up your hands and say, ‘this is all too confusing,” understand - with the new tax law, a future-looking solopreneur or small business can potentially see a tax savings of between $5,000 and $10,000 by working with a proactive tax professional.” – Eric Levenhagen

“You can respect the power of the IRS, but you don’t have to fear them. There are perfectly legal strategies you can take advantage of to save on taxes without raising any red flags with the IRS.” – Eric Levenhagen

“You just need to make sure that if you decide it’s better to, say, have contractors instead of employees, make sure that your working relationship with them is set up so the IRS will recognize that same working relationship.” – Eric Levenhagen

Whether you’re interested in re-organizing and renovations or you just love a good reality TV show, you’ve likely followed many of the TV shows about organizing since the early 2000’s, from Neat with Hellen Buttigeig in Canada to Mission Organization, Clean Sweep, and Enough Already, which featured today’s guest, Australian-born Peter Walsh. In this episode, you'll hear all about the staggering amount of clutter that the average Australian has in their home and how the pandemic has influenced people to declutter and restore their homes, with Space Invaders at the forefront of helping them to declutter and restore their homes. We touch on the role of overwhelm in preventing people from making a change, and why Peter chooses to talk about a different family situation with a different type of clutter on each episode. Peter tells us about the underlying themes that run through clutter: trauma, abuse, and isolation, and why organizers must deal with them in order to help people declutter. Next, we explore how clutter tells the story of your life and why he believes that the role of an organizer is spiritual. He shares his policy to honor emotional treasure, offer people options when it comes to financial treasure, and the tension that exists between design and organization in every show. We get real about the discrepancy between what is presented on TV and online and what is possible for you, before taking a moment to celebrate television’s role in inspiring an increasingly sophisticated audience. Peter delves into his 20 years of experience and how this has enabled him to complete so much in just two days, as well as telling a powerful story about an experience he had with Oprah, which highlights that, at heart, we are all the same. We hope you join us to benefit from Peter’s wealth of knowledge and experience today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Peter’s journey, starting with Clean Sweep, and now with Space Invaders. [00:02:48]
• The staggering amount of clutter that the average Australian has in their home. [00:03:26]
• How the pandemic has influenced people to declutter and restore their homes. [00:04:07]
• The role of Space Invaders in helping people to declutter, renovate, and upcycle. [0:04:13]
• The feeling of being overwhelmed that stops people and how to overcome this. [00:05:25]
• Why every episode focuses on different family situations and types of clutter. [00:05:46]
• The underlying themes that run through clutter: trauma, abuse, and isolation. [00:06:35]
• Why you must deal with the underlying issues in order to help people declutter. [00:07:03]
• Peter’s role guiding clients through a process of dealing with their things. [00:08:20]
• How your clutter tells the story of your life. [00:08:34]
• The shared root between ‘organic’ and ‘organizer’ and the implications this holds. [00:10:01]
• Why Peter believes that organizers are agents of the spiritual. [00:10:42]
• Finding the treasures in your home as an important part of downsizing. [00:13:34]
• His policy to honor emotional treasure and offer options for financial treasure. [00:15:56]
• Lucas’s role in hunting for treasure while Peter tries to get rid of clutter. [00:17:49]
• The tension that exists between design and organization in every show. [00:18:47]
• The discrepancy between what is on TV and online and what is possible for you. [00:20:21]
• The role of television in inspiring today’s sophisticated audience. [00:20:30]
• Why Peter enjoys being an executive producer on Space Invaders. [00:23:01]
• How Peter’s 20 years of experience have set him up to achieve a lot in two days. [00:27:03]
• Peter’s favorite story, while Oprah was renovating her house. [00:28:39]
• Why the stuff we own has power, and that we are all the same, at heart. [00:29:00]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Peter Walsh on Twitter — https://twitter.com/PeterWalsh

Peter Walsh on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/PeterWalsh/

Peter Walsh on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/peterwalshorganizer/

Peter Walsh on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7pBDyC68uihwKtEpjaZOrw

Peter Walsh Design — https://peterwalshdesign.com/

Space Invaders — https://9now.nine.com.au/the-block/space-invaders

Let it Go: Downsizing Your Way to a Happier Life  — https://www.amazon.com/Let-Go-Downsizing-Richer-Happier/dp/059313589X

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

NAPO Podcast — https://napopodcast.com

NAPO star June Carter is an entrepreneur, professional organizer and house stager. She is also founder of Corporate Interior Solutions and Get Your Stuff Together Solutions. June is here today to talk about her belief that it’s never too late to transition into the career of your dreams in organizing and productivity, house staging, or any other subset of organizing.

If the legal aspect of starting or growing your business has you intimidated, lost or overwhelmed, we have got the expert for you. From legal documents to the ins and outs of everyday business, today's expert has us covered. With a background as an attorney, mediator and trainer of entrepreneurs, Lisa Montanaro is a sought after business expert.

She is the owner of Lisa Montanaro Global Enterprises, the umbrella organization under which she offers productivity consulting, success coaching, business strategizing and speaking to individuals and organizations. Lisa is an inaugural certified professional organizer and a member of the Golden Circle of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• Transitioning from another career into professional organizing
• Pros and cons of subcontracting under established organizers when you are just starting out
• Great PR starts with believing in what you do, then letting media and other influencers know about it.
• How to grow a speaking and productivity coaching business
• Tips on getting your name out there when you move to a new area
• How raising your profile begets more opportunities to raise your profile
• Understanding different kinds of legal business entities and which one is right for you
• How to protect both yourself and your client in a business relationship
• “Let go to grow.” Why delegating and outsourcing tasks is a path to exponential growth in your business

We talk about Anna's upbringing and how this connects to her work now and from there we start to look at the characteristics of each generation and how they are connected through families and organizations. Anna shares some of the defining attributes and recognizable features of each generation and how picking up on these cues can help us with clients. We also discuss complex spaces that might serve many different needs and expectations, misunderstandings and landmines with inter-generational communication and some of the trends we see in today's landscape.

On this episode, we chat with disaster preparedness expert, Lisa Witzleben of Unclutter Me, who highlights the seven basic steps to be 100% prepared for almost anything that can come our way, including having cash available, keeping the most important documentation in a safe spot and making sure that you are able to take care of your pets should you need to vacate your home.

In today’s digital day and age, we have forgotten about the benefits of using paper. We turn to our shiny little screens to take photos, notes, and store records. Joining us today on the Stand Out podcast is long-time NAPO member, Julie Bestry. Julie is a professional organizer who dazzles people with her wonderful blogs. Today, we discuss what she is noticing about the shift in our relationship to paper over the last few years, the Cornell note-taking method, haptics, and the beauty of cursive. We also discuss Julie’s hybrid system when it comes to note-taking, planning, and recording, and look at the importance of finding a system that works for you. Finally, Julie tells us why she is known as the ‘paper doll.’ To hear all this and more, tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to today’s guest, Julie Bestry.
• What Julie is noticing about how our relationship to paper has shifted over the past few years.
• Discussing the Cornell note-taking method.
• Julie explains what haptic is.
• How writing was a thing of beauty in the past.
• The beauty of being able to read and write cursive.
• The importance of finding a system that works for you; digital, paper, or hybrid.
• Why Julie is called paper doll.
• Julie’s passion for words and stationary.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Julie Bestry — https://juliebestry.com/

Julie Bestry on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliebestry/

Julie Bestry on Twitter —https://twitter.com/ProfOrganizer?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Julie’s Blog — https://juliebestry.com/blog-page/

Evernote — https://evernote.com/

Waze — https://www.waze.com/en-GB/live-map/

TripTicks on Amazon — https://www.amazon.com/Tripticks-British-Literature-Ann-Quin/dp/1564783189

Mint — https://za.mintgroup.net/

Target — https://www.target.com/

The Cornell note-taking method — https://www.umfk.edu/student-success/academic-support/notes/

Remarkable — https://remarkable.com/

TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/

American Scripture — https://www.amazon.com/American-Scripture-Making-Declaration-Independence/dp/0679779086

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

NAPO Stand Out on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlLAQMWs4Ek&list=PLMWVypTlTZSmLTi8pmCASPyIXvnaFkbCr

Itoya — https://itoya.com/

WH Smith — https://www.whsmith.co.uk/

Clare Kumar — https://clarekumar.com/

Clare Kumar on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarekumar/recent-activity/posts/

Clare Kumar on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/clarekumar/?hl=en

James Lott Jr is a television and radio show host, podcaster, author, actor, life coach and organizer who is here to tell us just how important social media is for anyone who is in the organizing space. Regardless of your personality, it is vital for you to start putting yourself out there and to use these channels to let people know who you are and to introduce and remind them about your product.

On today’s episode, we are joined by Michelle Prince, author of bestselling book, Winning in Life Now, renowned motivational speaker, and owner of a publishing company which helps authors get the kickstart they need to be able to tell their story. She shares with us her journey and how the path to get where you want to be may not always be straight, but if you walk on it with intent and purpose, you will reach where you were meant to.

December marks the start of a very important event in NAPO’s calendar: Go Month. Here to tell us more is none other than NAPO president, Amy Tokos. Along with being a certified professional organizer, she is the owner of Freshly Organized and a productivity expert whose work has been featured in major publications. Tune in to hear how Amy stumbled upon NAPO, how it became pivotal to her development, and the story of how she came to be president. We also talk about the amazing opportunities that come with being a product exhibitor at NAPO, why you should join a virtual chapter, and how volunteering can help you to find what works for you. Amy shares why she wishes she had gone to conference sooner, and what she would have done differently when she first got involved, before sharing her tips on getting the most out of conference. Go Month is one of the best ways for newcomers to get involved at NAPO. Tune in to hear what you’ll get out of it, why you should join us, and how to get involved!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Her tips on getting the most out of conference, and choosing a roommate. [00:23:06]
• How Go Month is one of the best ways for a newcomer to get involved at NAPO. [00:26:04]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Amy Tokos on LinkedIn
Amy Tokos on Twitter
Crystal Washington
Happy Space Podcast Facebook Group

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

You know you are an expert organizer or productivity specialist, but does the world know? Blogging in 2018 is still a great way to tell people who you are, how you can help, and your unique point of view as an expert. Maybe you started a blog a few years ago and have let it slide down the priority list. Maybe you’ve been thinking about it and just don’t know how to get started.

On this episode, Sarah talks with Brittany Bailey of prettyhandygirl.com about how to start and maintain a blog or any content creation platform. Brittany started blogging nearly 10 years ago, and has built up a great reputation in the DIY space. She specializes in “how-to” posts that walk people step-by-step through simple to complex home improvement project. She does all of this with the message (about blogging and DIY) “You can do it!”

Brittany is a licensed general contractor, artist, graphic designer, web designer, photographer and lover of doing everything herself.

Through her renovation projects, blogging, and social media posts, Brittany is all about breaking down the stereotype that women aren’t handy.

What You Will Learn in this Episode:

• Understanding simple publishing tools like WordPress
• When to hire someone to help with your content
• How to become a contributor or add contributors to your blog
• Using Pinterest to your best advantage
• Setting up a content calendar
• Why there is plenty of room for more content
• How and why to treat your content creation like a business
• How to be confident in your POV even as you are starting out

The past two years have reshaped the way we communicate with each other, and today we’re going to be tackling the hyper-relevant topic of Zoom Doom! Our principal point of connection these days is through a screen and many of us are simply exhausted by it. The phenomenon of virtual communication isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and joining us today to dissect the causes and provide solutions for the dreaded Zoom fatigue is communication expert, Lauren Sergy. Lauren has recently published a new book, Unmute!: How to Master Virtual Meetings and Reclaim Your Sanity, and today she shares her findings with us, as well as some astute advice for navigating the world through your webcam. In this episode, we delve into how we should be showing up in a virtual space and how to manage our energy so that we can show up for others and maintain connections. We find out how we can use the medium to its full potential, acknowledge its distinctions, and ensure that it is approached with intentionality and inclusivity.

Lauren comments on the emotional nimbleness required to read the virtual room, and gives us a succinct, straightforward answer to the great question of our age: cameras on or cameras off? Tune in for some great tips on how to breed consistency, prioritize your viewer, and generally ensure a painless virtual interaction!  

Key Points From This Episode:

• What Zoom fatigue is, what causes it, and what to do about it! [00:03:39]
• The importance of eye-to-eye contact in our culture, and the lack thereof on Zoom. [00:06:39]
• How to make intentional eye contact easier via virtual communication. [00:08:26]
• The difficulty for those with introverted temperaments! [00:10:23]
• The issue of physical orientation when one uses multiple monitors. [00:11:10]
• How to protect your energy to maintain connection in virtual interactions. [00:12:57]
• The tendency to be too static in a virtual communication environment. [00:14:33]
• When to look to camera and when to observe in different contexts. [00:16:20]
• The value of the virtual communication medium! [00:19:36]
• The distinct nature of the medium and how to facilitate intentionality and inclusivity. [00:19:59]
• How we shrink our facial expressions on camera and why we should dial it up. [00:24:37]
• Why virtual interactions require emotional nimbleness. [00:26:29]
• Cameras on or cameras off? How to optimize the experience for everyone. [00:27:02]
• How to accommodate neurodiversity and ensure consistent communication. [00:33:53]
• The importance of showing up and following in-person etiquette! [00:36:09]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Lauren Sergy

Lauren Sergy on LinkedIn

Lauren Sergy on Twitter

Lauren Sergy on Facebook

Lauren Sergy on YouTube

The Handy Communication Answer Book

Unmute!: How to Master Virtual Meetings and Reclaim Your Sanity

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

NAPO on Instagram

Clare Kumar on LinkedIn

As we spend more time indoors, our spaces are under more pressure than ever. And while modern parents are more likely to spend time with their kids, we still feel guilty about how well we support our children. Today we speak with organization, productivity, and time management expert Julie Morganstern about how we can overcome our guilt and create homes where parents and children can thrive. We open our conversation by discussing why now is such a critical time for the organization industry. We then dive into Julie’s parenting time management strategies as captured in her book, Time to Parent. After exploring the need for her book, Julie answers the pressing question; how much time and attention do kids need to feel loved? As many parents often neglect self-care, Julie also shares insights on how you can look after yourself. She touches on the power of routine when maintaining relationships and your well-being before unpacking her model for nurturing the self and the family. Throughout this episode, Julie leverages years of research, presenting a clear view on how you can be the best parent and businessperson possible. Tune in for more on making the time to parent.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s guest, organization and time management expert Julie Morgenstern. [00:00:30]
• Exploring massive shifts within the organization productivity industry. [00:02:38]
• Creating structure within homes that weren’t designed to fit pandemic living. [00:05:34]
• Hear what inspired Julie to write Time to Parent. [00:06:55]
• Reflecting on how universally felt guilt is among parents. [00:08:26]
• Why the current generation of parents often neglects self-care. [00:10:27]
• Answering the question: how much time and attention do kids need to feel loved? [00:13:08]
• The importance of routine to maintaining connections and mental well-being. [00:17:13]
• Why you should add short ‘pulses of rest’ to your routine. [00:20:47]
• How moments of self-care can make you better at your job. [00:24:44]
• Julie talks about the models she created for caring for yourself and your children. [00:26:56]
• Why relating is such a crucial step in all relationships. [00:32:43]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

Julia Morgenstern — https://www.juliemorgenstern.com

Julia Morgenstern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliemorgenstern/

Julia Morgenstern on Twitter — https://twitter.com/JulieMorgenstrn

Time to Parent — https://www.juliemorgenstern.com/time-to-parent

Oprah — https://www.oprah.com/

Today Show — https://www.today.com/

Fresh Air — https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/

Melissa Milkie — https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/sociology/people/melissa-milkie

‘Pandemic-Proof Your Habits’ — https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/28/sunday-review/pandemic-habits-routine-brain.html

Chefsache Initiative — https://initiative-chefsache.de/en/initiative-chefsache/

Dr. Karl Friston — https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/profile?upi=KJFRI52

University College London — https://www.ucl.ac.uk/

The Power of Rest on Amazon — https://www.amazon.com/Power-Rest-Sleep-Enough-30-Day/dp/0061862762

Dr. Regina Lark is the founder and owner of A Clear Path: Professional Organizing and Productivity. Dr. Lark earned a Ph.D. in U.S. Women’s History from the University of Southern California then worked with the UCLA Women’s Studies program. In 2008 she left higher education to start A Clear Path. Regina is a Certified Professional Organizer (CPO) and a Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization (CPO-CD). She is a graduate of the Organizer Coach Foundation Training Program, serves as the Member Director of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), and is a member of the National Speakers’ Association.

Regina specializes in working with chronic disorganization, ADHD, and hoarding, and is a relocation expert, helping families upsize or downsize from one home to the next. She is a speaker and trainer on issues ranging from hoarding, time management and productivity, women’s leadership, and the power of positive thinking.

In 2017, Dr. Lark released the 3rd edition of first book, Psychic Debris, Crowded Closets: The Relationship between the Stuff in your Head and What's Under your Bed. She is also the author of Before the Big O: Professional Organizers Talk about Life Before Organizing. Regina was named one of Top 10 Organizers in Los Angeles by CBS/KCAL Channel 2, and was also awarded NAPO-LA’s Most Innovative Organizer.

For fun, she writes goofy songs about clutter.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• If you ask to reorganize your friend’s kitchen, that’s when you know
• How there are so many ways to specialize – how organization is needed in every aspect of life
• Opportunities in helping aging adults with organization
• How to come back from bad experiences, learn lessons and move on
• Getting rid of “psychic debris” and keeping your mindset geared for success
• Why getting things done is better than getting them perfect
• The importance of continuous learning to hone your craft and reach for new opportunities
• How to work with clients with chronic disorganization
• Overcoming the “twin evils” of perfectionism and procrastination

Engaging with potential customers and sharing your expertise on social media is smart business. As a productivity and organization professional, you want to showcase your work, and be an active part of that online community of people who share your interests and appreciate what you do. For many, including our guest Samantha Pregenzer, Instagram is a natural fit for showcasing organization projects and sharing tips and demonstrating your expertise. She currently has 450,000 Instagram followers, so she has a lot to teach us about best practices and building your brand through social media.

Samantha is the founder of Simply Organized. She is a residential professional organizer, Evernote community leader, blogger, keynote speaker, Better Homes and Garden style maker for 2016 and 2017 and has been featured in Family Circle magazine, Redbook magazine, Oprah.com, Huffington Post, Good Housekeeping, Buzzfeed and Apartment Therapy.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• How to use Instagram to gain credibility in the industry
• Why listening is such an important part of the job of a professional organizer
• Managing your social media presence probably means focusing on one or two platforms
• Why a visual medium like Instagram might call for an investment in some photography training
• How to embrace that quirky thing you’ve become known for, like taking pictures of the contents of a refrigerator
• Tips for getting brands to notice you on Instagram
• Great tips on upping your hashtag game
• Best practices for permissions and reposting photos on social media
• How being yourself on social media can be a great asset to your brand

We’re all familiar with the phrase, “Good enough is good enough,” but today’s guest is here to share some wisdom around why good enough isn’t just good enough, it’s perfect. KC Davis is a therapist, author (of How to Keep House While Drowning, which we highly recommend), and mother of two, who also recently became a TikTok sensation for her open and honest accounts of her home life during the pandemic and her approach to dealing with a messy household. Struggling with postpartum depression during nationwide lockdowns, KC came to the life-altering realization that not folding her kids’ clothes didn’t make her a bad mother and that it’s unrealistic to expect a lived-in home to look fit for the cover of a magazine. She has since come up with practical strategies to help people concurrently look after their mental health and their home environment, which she shares with us today. Sometimes we get too caught up in society’s expectations of us and we forget what’s really important; so if you’re needing some perspective, you’ve come to the right place!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s guest, KC Davis. [00:01:51].
• KC’s accidental journey to becoming internet-famous, and how it has changed her life and continues to change the lives of many others. [00:03:06].
• The mindset shift required to make dealing with a messy house more manageable. [00:08:07].
• How KC’s relationship with the phrase “do your best” has evolved over time. [00:10:11].
• KC explains the concept of moral neutrality, and how it can be applied to so many areas of our lives. [00:15:15].
• Why embracing imperfection is the key to living a full and happy life. [00:17:54].
• A household task that KC struggled with when she had postpartum depression, and the ‘adaptive imperfection’ solution she came up with to manage it. [00:19:55].
• The three layers of function that KC has developed as a way to help people manage their household tasks. [00:26:14].
• An explanation of KC’s 9 square matrix for setting priorities. [00:28:27].

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Struggle Care — https://www.strugglecare.com/

How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis — https://www.amazon.com/Keep-House-While-Drowning

KC Davis on TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@domesticblisters

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

NAPO Podcast — napopodcast.com

We are joined by Christine Stone of Neatly Organized! Our main topic for today is client interaction and the most important things to bring to these relationships. Christine believes strongly in honesty, confidence, and experience as pillars that make for healthy interactions through potentially difficult waters.

As organizing and productivity professionals, communication is intricately tied into every part of our lives, whether we are speaking to clients, creating content online, or presenting and speaking at live events. So the sooner we can improve our communication skills and be the best at delivering our message, the better for everyone! Leveling up in this way will immediately lead to getting more work, and the work being more impactful, so we are very happy to welcome leadership communication expert Hope Timberlake, to share her wisdom on this vital subject! Hope is a speaker, trainer, and author, whose new book, Speak Up, Dammit will be available for purchase in October of 2021. Hope is dedicated to elevating the voices of women and the underrepresented in leadership, and her passion for persuasive messaging, relationship building, and executive presence, is empowering and hugely inspiring! In our chat today, Hope talks about sharing facts not favors, stating the bottom line on top, embracing the pause, and building confidence in your abilities. She runs through many helpful concepts and thought-provoking observations, and listeners can expect to come away with a renewed sense of agency for all of their future communications. So for all that and more, listen in with us today, on Stand Out!

Key Points From This Episode:

• [00:02:47] The story behind Hope's book title and her main inspiration to write it.
• [00:05:08] First steps for developing your message to best reach an audience.
• [00:08:27] Important conversations in today's evolving professional landscape.
• [00:13:16] Hope's central concept of stating the bottom line on top, always.
• [00:18:02] Inclusivity and opening up the conversation to a broader range of minds.
• [00:19:53] Mistakes made with regards to listening; avoiding the fear of silence, and embracing the pause.
• [00:23:02] The power of ending statements with clarity instead of uncertainty.
• [00:25:20] Avoiding filler phrases and words, where these come from, and what to do about them.
• [00:31:46] A powerful exercise to create a stronger connection to pausing and emphasizing.
• [00:34:14] Hope's call to action for all of our listeners to record and listen to yourself!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

Hope Timberlake — https://www.hopetimberlake.com/

Speak Up, Dammit! — https://www.audible.com/pd/How-to-Speak-up-Dammit-with-Hope-Timberlake-Podcast/B094N472NK 

Hope Timberlake on Twitter — https://twitter.com/hopetimber

Hope Timberlake on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRrghmzpA9J1bCDhl-R2fOg

NAPO on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfgICVg2b-bKSVmzoDKMrdg

In this episode, Brittany Dixon of Brittany and Co. tells us all about her ordinary super powers in the arts of simplifying, organizing and Trello.

High sensitivity is a trait that affects one in five people in the general population, but today’s expert guest agrees that there seems to be a much higher prevalence of this in the organizing and productivity community as well as the coaching community. Joining us today is Melody Wilding, a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), thought leader, coach, professor of human behavior, and the author of Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions for Success at Work. She’s been listed as Business Insider’s most innovative coach and has written for publications such as Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal, O Magazine, and many other high-profile publications. Tuning in you’ll hear about the traits that define highly sensitive people, the percentage of people who fall into this category, and how these personality traits can create challenges for us while also being our superpower. Melody breaks down some of the common challenges we face, such as “the honor roll hangover,” and explains how we can harness our emotions to have them work for us and not against us, along with some practical exercises to try. For some fascinating insight into the minds of highly sensitive people that may help you achieve success at work, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Claire’s suspicion that there are more highly sensitive people in the organizing, productivity, and coaching communities. [00:00:42]
• An introduction to today’s guest, Melody Wilding, and her impressive career. [00:01:39]
• Why Melody agrees that high sensitivity is more prevalent in organizing and coaching professions. [00:03:14]
• Insight into the percentage of people who are highly sensitive. [00:04:13]
• The SEED model Claire uses to differentiate highly sensitive people from others. [00:06:07]
• The STRIVE model Melody uses to describe the personality traits common among high-achieving highly sensitive people. [00:07:56]
• What Melody means by the 'honor roll hangover' and the trifecta of common qualities found in sensitive strivers. [00:11:47]
• How we can harness emotions and have them work for us, not against us. [00:13:02]
• How to protect yourself from the emotional exhaustion that may come with challenging clients and the Four Feelings Test. [00:14:32]
• How to show up in your business in a way that you feel good about. [00:18:53]
• Why highly sensitive people tend to disconnect themselves from their intuition. [00:20:55]
• Benefit from your strong inner drive while overcoming the tendency to do too much. [00:23:23]
• The value of rest in today’s corporate climate, particularly for sensitive strivers. [00:26:31]
• Exercises to help you get back in touch with your ‘sensitive striver sixth sense’. [00:29:03]
• Melody’s final thoughts on sensitivity as a strength and superpower. [00:31:15]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Melody Wilding — https://melodywilding.com/ 

Melody Wilding on Twitter — https://twitter.com/melodywilding

Trust Yourself — https://www.amazon.com/Trust-Yourself-Overthinking-Channel-Emotions/dp/1797201964

Fierce Self-Compassion — https://www.amazon.com/Fierce-Self-Compassion-Harness-Kindness-Thrive/dp/006299106X

Stand Out — napopodcast.com 

Stand Out on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfgICVg2b-bKSVmzoDKMrdg

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

Conference Chair for NAPO 2020, Wendy Buglio, a Certified Professional Organizer (CPO) with a background in advertising, shares the direct impact that attending these yearly events has had on her business and career. She also tells us more about the NAPO 2020 theme, schedule, the four different tracks attendees can follow, and the unique educational, certification, coaching, and networking opportunities that will be available to attendees

Jaime shares with why larger goals need to be broken up into smaller actionable steps and she gives a ton of advice about outsourcing, hiring the right contractors and building both the strategy and culture of your organization.

Today we are welcoming Laurie Malloy, owner of Simple Spaces. She’s not only a professional organizer, relocation specialist, and home stager but she’s also an associate certified coach and provides coaching services to her clients both one-on-one and via group coaching.

Learn more at napo.net

Do you ever feel like your life has been something of a crooked path? It is safe to say we have all been there. My guest is very familiar with curves in the road, and she has learned how to navigate them well. Her latest life turn is as a career and life coach.

In this episode, my guest Allison Task and I discuss the power of believing that dreams can come true. Allison has made a career out of guiding people through their thought processes and into the answers they already know. She likes to say, “You have answers, I have questions.” Those questions have served her and her clients well.

Allison Task is a career and life coach who has helped hundreds of people transform their lives. By actively pursuing meaningful personal and career goals, Allison’s clients have changed careers, launched companies, retired early, moved their families across the country — and around the world.

Prior to coaching, Allison was an on-camera cooking host, cookbook author, and marketing executive. She was the host of Yahoo’s Blue Ribbon Hunter, Lifetime’s Cook Yourself Thin and TLC’s Home Made Simple.

Allison has a degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University, a coaching certificate and Master’s Degree from New York University, and a culinary degree from the Institute of Culinary Education. Her latest book is Personal (R)evolution: How To Be Happy, Change Your Life, and Do That Thing You’ve Always Wanted To Do.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• How working in a dreams-come-true environment can have a huge impact on your attitude and how you approach challenges and opportunity
• Why asking a life coach about ROI is an important and legitimate question
• How coaching is about helping people process what they already know
• Why hiring different coaches for different decisions or challenges can be the smart move
• How, why and when to break up with a coach
• The difference between a life coach, a career coach, and a therapist
• Why, if you are not at baseline mentally, you need a therapist before you need a coach
• How life coaching looks beyond career, as important as career is, to satisfaction with your whole life

Bestselling author Gretchen Rubin gets our collective mission to help people clear clutter, be more productive and live happier lives, so she’s the ultimate guest.

Shawndra Holmberg, CPO-CD, is the owner of Dhucks. She signs her emails with the title: Primary Instigator of Productivity & Organization for Writers, Creatives, & Dreamers. Holmberg understands the challenges and triumphs of being a writer. Her fourth book, 31 Small Steps to Organize for Emergencies, was just published in February. Shawndra has been in business for 12 years and has lately turned her passion to guiding, mentoring, and coaching fellow writers with a new business, HYH Book Coach. She’ll inspire you to share your message and get your book(s) into the hands of readers everywhere

On her journey to becoming an organizing & productivity consultant, author, and book coach, Shawndra Holmberg tackled jobs as varied as bioterrorism preparedness planner for the Hawaii State Department of Health on the Big Island, coordinated environmental and safety training on Johnston Atoll (approximately 850 miles southwest of Hawaii), and handled health and safety issues for a year at the South Pole station, Antarctica, with temperatures ranging from a balmy -7 °F to a chilling -112 °F.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• There are many great reasons to write a book – and why you can definitely do it
• Why marketing your business is not a sprint – keep up the activities because they will pay off in the long run
• The vital importance of adapting your business for economic upturns and downturns
• Overcoming anxiety around networking
• How to repurpose existing content to grow your audience
• There’s not just one format for sharing your words – use books, blogs, vlogs, newsletters – whatever works for you
• How to adapt to the always changing world of self-publishing
• Editing is organizing for words.
• Why it’s important to set smaller, doable goals.

Many of us work with individuals on organizing in the home. Maybe you’ve thought about working on a larger scale – with an individual or department in a big company. And maybe that feels a bit overwhelming! It definitely does not have to. Guest Heather Cocozza worked in the corporate setting for several years before starting out as a productivity and organizing professional. She started out working in homes – like many of us – but has found a nice niche in assisting corporate clients. And there’s no reason you can’t enter this space as well.

Heather Cocozza is the owner of Cocozza Organizing & Design, LLC which serves business and residential clients. She has been organizing for 12 years, and her clients include large establishments such as the Smithsonian Institution and National Institute of Health (NIH). She is a Certified Professional Organizer® (CPO®) and a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Cocozza has participated in the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) in numerous capacities, from teaching to D.C. area chapter president.

Prior to entering the organizing industry, Cocozza worked at IBM / PricewaterhouseCoopers as an ERP project manager on financial system integration projects for 13 years. She managed teams of up to 40 people. In 2005, she left the life of a road warrior, traveling full-time, and became an entrepreneur with the launch of Cocozza Organizing & Design, LLC in 2006.

Through her paid and volunteer work, Cocozza strives to enrich the work and personal lives of the members of her community, citizens living and working in the nation’s capital, and colleagues that participate in the larger, global world.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• How to expand your business to serve corporate clients
• Multiple ways our guest found NAPO to be a resource and a springboard for her career
• The role of strategic partnerships in business development
• How to leverage small corporate jobs into larger scale work
• The many benefits of project management certification
• Why volunteering to lead a group is a perfect way to start in project management
• How becoming a Certified Professional Organizer can be a great first step toward project management certification
• How to think bigger and dream bigger when it comes to your own business goals
• The reason listening for client pain points is the best way to prepare a work proposal
• How to scale your business up or down depending on the scale work at any given time

After years of struggling with clutter, today’s guest realized something that would change her life forever; she didn’t organize in the traditional way. Cassandra Aarssen discovered that there are, in fact, four different organizing styles. Once she knew her style, Cassandra (or Cass, as she is affectionately known) was finally able to design a system that worked for her and stay organized for good! She’s now on a mission to spread the Clutterbug Organizing Philosophy and help other families who struggle with disorganization and clutter. You may have seen her hosting Hot Mess House on HGTV, although she also offers free education and ideas through her YouTube videos, podcasts, and her amazing online Facebook support group. In today’s episode, she shares why she believes that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for organization, and the four different organizing types that Cass calls Clutterbugs; Ladybug, Bee, Cricket, and Butterfly. We also discuss how differing organizing styles can co-exist under the same roof, and how you can encourage your children to develop their own relationships with things. Cass gives advice for listeners who are considering a less organized approach, and so much more! Tune in today to find out how Cass has been able to help millions of families transform their lives through organization and how you can do the same!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Cass shares her personal struggle with clutter that drove her to start Clutterbugs [00:02:26].
• Why a particular organizing system works for one person and not another [00:04:30].
• Your guide to understanding different organizing styles [00:06:04].
• Where you can take the Clutterbug Quiz and why you should answer honestly [00:09:38].
• Why Cass believes that self-confidence is half the battle when it comes to clutter [00:10:37].
• Breaking down the four Clutterbug styles: Butterfly, Bee, Ladybug, and Cricket [00:11:00].
• What’s on the horizon for Cass, including product development for each style [00:14:16].
• The trap that she sees professional organizers fall into with their clients [00:15:55].
• How differing organizing styles can live together under the same roof [00:18:05].
• How you can encourage your children to discover their relationship with things [00:26:17].
• Insight into Hot Mess House and the principles that Cass brought to the show [00:27:20].
• Her advice for listeners: it’s okay to take a less organized approach! [00:32:20]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Cassandra Aarssen on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandra-aarssen-5bbba22b/

Cassandra Aarssen on Twitter — https://twitter.com/Clutterbug_Me

Clutterbug — https://clutterbug.me/

Clutterbug on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/clutterbug_me/

Clutterbug on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/clutterbug.me/

Clutterbug on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/user/OrganizedClutterbug

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

Effortless productivity might sound like a big contradiction. But that’s how our guest, Rachel Henke, has learned to function, and she wants to share the art of effortless productivity, of being present – of living fearlessly.

Rachel Henke is the founder of Living Fearlessly, a best-selling author, Certified Transformative Coach and speaker. Breaking free of the 9-5 job world upon relocating to a sleepy village in the UK, Rachel started her first business in 2003 working from the breakfast bar around her two young daughters.

Rachel shares a transformative understanding of the mind which shows how we’re already fully equipped to be fearless. After 30 years of self-improvement, she has finally found the secret of a happy, productive life.

Combined with her extensive business and transformative coaching expertise, she’s able to guide her clients and readers to be more productive and achieve their dreams and goals without stress.

Rachel is the author of Living Fearlessly and The Living Fearlessly Guide To Productivity.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• Why working on your mindset is a waste of time
• How achievement doesn’t need to cause stress and anxiety
• How achievement is actually hampered by stress and anxiety
• Why “effortless productivity” is not a contradiction in terms
• What to do with our racing minds
• How to unlock more creativity
• Why ticking off the next thing on our to-do list does not buy happiness
• Being present actually makes you more productive
• The difference between thinking about doing something and doing something

Resources:

• Free gift: www.livingfearlessly.co.uk/napo

There is no one way to be a productivity and organization professional. The opportunities and potential niche markets in the field are vast. Standolyn Robertson has found her niche in residential organizing. Funny and engaging, she shares in our 20th podcast episode of Stand Out how education, certification as a CPO®, volunteering and connecting with peers has been invaluable in helping her find her way, and encouraging others to find their unique fit.

Standolyn Robertson is an organizing expert, speaker and writer. She founded her business, Things in Place in the year 2000. She has been featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Women's Day, USA Today, the Boston Globe, CBS, Boston, NPR, and the Emmy-nominated show, Hoarders.

What You’ll Learn on this Episode:

• The value of attending conferences with industry peers
• How volunteering on boards and committees opens doors and develops relationships
• Why understanding your expenses and not just your gross revenue is so important
• The importance of doing the work that inspires you rather than conforming to someone else’s standard of success.
• How to get paid for your wisdom, not just your hands-on work
• The value of becoming a Certified Professional Organizer (CPO®)
• How to manage and exceed client expectations
• Using the question, “What are you going to do about that?” to get unstuck from indecision
• How to value your own talents and interests and avoid imposter syndrome
• Why having employees, sub-contractors, or working on your own doesn’t have to be a one-and-done decision

Living as a celiac or sufferer from severe allergy-based food avoidance is burdensome, and being organized is an essential part of coping. Today’s guest is Susan Bailey, and she is a certified AllerCoach, meaning she helps allergy families manage by becoming more prepared and organized. Susan speaks about her experiences as a celiac and how that feeds into the work she does as an AllerCoach. She gets into the services she offers through her company, Cygnet Organizing, from recipe design to meal planning and kitchen compartmentalization. Susan also speaks about what it is like to occupy such a specific niche in the business.

Today we warmly welcome Jenna Redfield, founder of the wildly successful Twin Cities Collective, onto the show. Jenna shares some of the insights she has gained along the way to being the social media strategist, online community leader, and Facebook group administrator extraordinaire that she is. 

John Hunt is the senior manager of digital marketing content and e-commerce for Smead Manufacturing. Mr. Hunt has over 25-years of experience in both traditional and non-traditional media including digital strategy content creation and new product development.

He also is the host of Keeping You Organized, the weekly webcast that often features NAPO organizers and is now in its fifth season. Produced by Smead a leader in office filing products and records management systems for over 100 years that has had a long term relationship with NAPO. Through Hunt’s leadership, Smead focuses on creating solutions-based content creation that builds goodwill with professional organizer and productivity consultant communities.

John is going to help us understand how organizers and productivity consultants can take this model and apply it to their own businesses.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• How to build on marketing assets you already have
• Ways in which NAPO partners with companies large and small
• The benefits of strong relationships between service providers and product providers
• The importance of developing your unique selling proposition – your niche and what makes you stand out
• Using seminars to add value and capture prospects already expressing an interest in your service
• Steps in nurturing a sales relationship from initial inquiry, to gathering contact, to soft touches and offering things of value, to sale
• How selling starts with proving to people you can deliver, not just telling them
• Why “I want to promote my (fill in the blank)!” is not the best sales pitch to get in front of an audience.
• Staying ahead of the transition from a paper to a digital world

Today, we are joined by friend and special guest, Annette Adamska, founder of Back Up Your Life and Back Up Your Business, to talk about the ins and outs of backing up

People can be frustrating. You can even frustrate yourself when you try to do things you’re not good at and it comes back to bite you. Knowing and understanding ourselves better and understanding our clients will only enhance our business, and ease up on our frustration levels!

In our 19th episode of Stand Out: Growing Your Organizing and Productivity Business, host Sarah Karakaian talks with guest Jessica Butts about understanding personality types, strengths, weaknesses, and how to use this information to make your business stronger.

Jessica is all about motivating, educating, and inspiring people to live their life in the front seat, using their innate abilities. Jessica was once living a life that was chosen for her instead of a life she had chosen for herself. She was working in corporate human resources, totally uninspired when a life changing event in her marriage finally got her to take control of her life and go back to graduate school and pursue her dreams of becoming a therapist.

She now teaches corporate workshops, conducts keynote speeches around the country, and is the author of two amazing books: Live Your Life from the Front Seat, and Don’t Do Stuff You Suck At.Want to know more about your personality and what makes you tick? You’re invited to use Jessica’s assessment tool here: https://jessicabutts.com/front-seat-life-personality-assessment/

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• How to implement systems, structure, and singular focus into your practice
• Getting to the point where your side hustle can be your main thing
• Understanding who you are and then being in relationship with people who are different from you
• How to get back to the essential person we were before we started believing other people’s stories about us
• What it means to be in the driver’s seat, to be the co-pilot, and how to shut up your drunk uncle in the back seat
• How the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator can help you understand yourself and your clients better
• The importance of understanding who your ideal clients are and how to best serve them
• How to set up a 90 Day Focus sheet

Sara is joined by professional productivity and organizing coach, Aimee Olson to talk about minimalism.

Time is one of those resources that you can’t get back once you use it. Helping our clients with productivity is great, but what about our own productivity? Running a business can feel like running in circles sometimes.

On our 22nd episode of Stand Out: Growing Your Organizing and Productivity Business, host Sarah Karakaian talks with guest Amy Tokos. Amy has a background in Lean Engineering, which she has translated very nicely into helping people lead what she calls “lean living” – which is not a diet plan! It does take into account the preciousness of time in all that we do.

Amy Tokos is the owner of Freshly Organized. Her mission is to help others make their lives more streamlined and organized. Amy’s background is in engineering. Her work focused on making manufacturing processes simpler and more efficient, also known as lean manufacturing.

Her lean thinking maximizes time and space. Because of this background and her passion for time management, Amy helps clients be more strategic instead of reactive. She believes in time blocking. She’s also a fan of focus, not multitasking.

What You Will Learn in this Episode:

• Aligning your work with your values, lifestyle, and priorities
• Strategic decision-making around time management
• The wide variety of resources available to better understand productivity
• The value of family meetings
• Understanding your monetary value as an expert, and billing accordingly.
• Time blocking dos and don’ts – and permission to make exceptions
• The power of connecting with influencers as word-of-mouth endorsement of your work
• Learning to say “yes” or “no” based on your priorities and the money or time ROI
• How to monitor the time you spend on technology

On today’s episode, we are joined by Theresa Rose for an engaging conversation on mindfulness practice both professionally and personally. She shares with us her journey from corporate America to where she is now, combining speaking and mindfulness practices. 

This is an extra special episode of Stand Out, and one that none of our listeners will want to miss! Today we have the past Director of NAPO and organizing and productivity pioneer, Harold Taylor on the show, to share some of the wealth of wisdom he has accumulated after 45 years in the business! Harold is now in his 80s, but has not let this slow him down, and continues to work, publishing books and leading an extremely rich and exciting life. In our conversation, we get to cover the basics with Harold, talking about personal productivity and building a system that suits our unique needs, before we get into some of the more specialized areas in which our guest has worked. We talk about the many books he has written and published, the use of humor in his presentations, the evolution of distractions, and much more. As you will see, Harold has an amazing ability to synthesize and communicate ideas, so to catch it all from this generous and important member of our community, tune in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• [00:03:32] The ever-present experiences Harold Taylor has dealt with throughout his career.
• [00:06:26] How Harold has depicted disorganization in his presentations.
• [00:08:48] Blocking out the necessary interruptions; taking responsibility for your own time!
• [00:11:24] What actually happens when we allow ourselves to get distracted.
• [00:13:19] The inclusion of humor in Harold's presentations, and the idea of high-risk speaking!
• [00:15:02] The importance of focusing on a specific niche and area of your subject.
• [00:19:29] Developing a system that suits your unique needs and habits.
• [00:22:40] The range of work that Harold still does; seminars, writing, and more.
• [00:24:45] What keeps Harold interested and motivated at this stage of his life and career!
• [00:27:06] The different writing projects that led up to Harold publishing books.
• [00:34:35] Harold's approach to new technologies and leveraging this power.
• [00:39:51] The recent book that Harold wrote on the subject of how to develop character.
• [00:40:45] Comments on the malleability of personality; how environment and attitude impact us.  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

Taylor in Time — https://www.taylorintime.com/

Making Time Work for You — https://www.amazon.com/Making-Time-Work-Harold-Taylor/dp/0968367003

Harold Taylor on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/haroldtaylortimemanagement/

Harold Taylor on Twitter — https://twitter.com/haroldtaylor

Harold Taylor on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/time4all

Youtube — https://www.youtube.com/user/taylorintime

Bookboon — https://bookboon.com/

Golden — https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Power-Silence-World-Noise/dp/B09CSFPLWK

Video of Harold

Shep Hyken — https://hyken.com/

Carol Burnett — https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000993/

Mary Tyler Moore — https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001546/

The Administrator's Guide to Personal Productivity — https://www.amazon.ca/Administrators-Guide-Personal-Productivity-Management/dp/1883001013

Exactly What to Say — https://www.amazon.com/Exactly-What-Say-Influence-Impact-ebook/dp/B073SF65ZZ

Humber College — https://www.humber.ca/

NAPO on YouTbe — https://www.youtube.com/c/NAPONet

Clare Kumar — https://pro.napo.net/directory/clare-kumar

Teachers are often under an enormous amount of pressure, and certain things in the classroom get pushed aside. One of these skills is organization. Tiffany Blassingame is the founder of Simple Organization, which looks to help busy adults and their families develop organized solutions for homework and school. As a parent, finding the balance between progressing toward your own goals and stewarding your children to theirs is not an easy task, and this is where Tiffany comes in. She has also been a member of NAPO for over five years and is a founding member of the National Association of Black Professional Organizers. In today's episode, Tiffany talks about the value of teaching students organizational skills. While these may not be innate, they can be cultivated in a supportive way to ensure that  the students’ time at school and in life generally is more enjoyable. We hear about some of the strategies she uses to help students and their families, what sessions with her typically look like, along with what Tiffany finds most rewarding about her work. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why students need additional help when it comes to organizing. [00:03:16]
• The balance between imparting skills and helping children too much. [00:05:06]
• Three things Tiffany focuses on when helping students get organized. [00:07:33]
• How to help students manage their energy. [00:13:57]
• The link between project management and managing your energy. [00:15:32]
• Tiffany's approach to talking with families about sleep. [00:16:24]
• How Tiffany helps families develop an organizational system. [00:19:52]
• The typical timeline that Tiffany's projects typically last. [00:22:34]
• What a session with Tiffany would usually look like. [00:24:18]
• Hear what Tiffany finds most rewarding about her job. [00:25:38]
• How Tiffany helps students with cognitive challenges through her work. [00:27:15]
• Student organizers work with students; they do not do things for [00:29:29]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Tiffany Blassingame — https://www.linkedin.com/in/tblassingame/

Tiffany Blassingame on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/twblass

Simple Organization — https://www.simpleorganization.org

National Association of Black Professional Organizers — https://nabpo.org/

Smart but Scattered — https://www.amazon.com/Smart-but-Scattered-Revolutionary-Executive/dp/1593854455

Smart But Scattered — https://www.smartbutscatteredkids.com/

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

NAPO Podcast — https://napopodcast.com

Today Leslie speaks about how she applied the skills she learned in helping her own son to become the absolute best in what still remains a very niche market. Leslie gets into how and why she keeps coaching while having so much on her plate and constantly traveling.

Joshua Zerkel, CPO® is Head of Global Community, Asana, the easiest way for teams to track their work and get results. He is responsible for growing and engaging the Asana community around the world. For over a decade, he has focused his career on helping people and businesses get more organized and increase their productivity.

Before joining Asana, Josh was Evernote’s Director of Global Customer Education and Community. He is the author of the books Evernote @ Work and Integrate: Evernote. Joshua has been featured in Bloomberg BusinessWeek, National Public Radio, CBS News, ABC News, the San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner, Online Organizing, among many others. He’s also an inaugural Certified Professional Organizer® and is a two-term past president of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, San Francisco Bay Area chapter.

Although he doesn’t consider himself freakishly organized, Josh does admit to spending some of his free time alphabetizing his comic books.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• Organizing for project management in corporate settings
• If you are wondering if there is a market for your services as an organizer and productivity consultant – there is
• How to capitalize on who you are, what you’ve done and where you’ve been to bring your unique skills to bear for your clients
• The crucial importance of professional development in staying sharp in your field and areas in which you specialize
• Using time blocking as a strategy to stay on top of the multiple aspects of running a business
• How tech tools can help your own business as well as your clients
• Enhancing your business and network by becoming a brand ambassador
• Presenting companies with metrics, what you can bring to them, and what you expect as a brand ambassador
• Seizing opportunities for work while keeping entrepreneurial ventures going at the same time
• Tools for managing information and workflow

You may not have used it, but by now you’ve probably heard of TikTok, the newest social media platform to infiltrate the lives of millions of people across the world. Our guest today, Leslie Hatch Gail, is currently pursuing a PhD in psychology, while running her own business and a TikTok account which has become a sensation with 127 000 followers! She joins us on today’s show to share where her love for TikTok originated, and what has sustained this fond feeling towards the platform. If you aren’t sure where the benefits of TikTok lie in a professional sense, this dynamic woman makes that very clear in this episode! We dive into Leslie’s very first “accidental” post which went viral; the types of videos that she posts; life lessons that she has learnt through TikTok; the importance of having a thick skin when creating public content, and how she plans to utilize her TikTok status in the future. “Ready, Fire, Aim,” is her TikTok bio, and we would all do well to take a page out of Leslie’s book!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Clare’s first experience using TikTok and how she has progressed since then. [00:01:44]
• How Leslie was drawn into the world of TikTok, and why she quickly got hooked. [00:04:07]
• Why Leslie prefers watching TikTok to watching Netflix. [00:06:00]
• The appeal that TikTok offers Leslie as a place to creating her own content. [00:07:01]
• One of the unique features of TikTok and how this benefits content creators on the platform. [00:08:57]
• What the majority of Leslie’s TikTok content consists of. [00:10:00]
• How to find Leslie on all social platforms. [00:11:29]
• Leslie’s “accidental” first TikTok post, and the response she received. [00:12:54]
• Followers and likes that Leslie has on her TikTok account [Hint: These are big numbers!] [00:15:16]
• The PhD that Leslie is pursuing, her plans for her business, and how TikTok relates to these elements of her life. [00:16:19]
• Ways Leslie uses TikTok to benefit her professionally, and her plans for the future. [00:18:56]
• Demographic representation of Leslie’s follower base. [00:23:20]
• Different titles that Leslie uses for her different video styles. [00:26:50]
• Leslie explains her “Ready, Fire, Aim” strategy and the nature of viral videos. [00:28:20]
• How the style of comments change as the volume of comments reaches a particular threshold. [00:30:32]
• Connection and the sense of community that is fostered through social media platforms, and personal stories from Clare and Leslie which highlight this. [00:31:29]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Declare Order — https://www.declareorder.com/

Declare Order on TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@declareorder?lang=en

Declare Order on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/declareorder/

Declare Order on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/pg/declareorder/photos/

Leslie Hatch Gail on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-hatch-gail-m-ed-79a66240

Tik Tok — https://www.tiktok.com/en

The Home Edit — https://www.thehomeedit.com/the-show/

Apartment Therapy — https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

Leslie Josel — https://www.orderoochaos.com/

Target — https://www.target.com/

Hollister — https://www.hollisterco.com/shop/wd

Dancing with the Stars — https://abc.com/shows/dancing-with-the-stars

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy — https://www.nbc.com/queer-eye-for-the-straight-guy

Carson Kressley — https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1390215/

NAPO University — https://www.pathlms.com/napo

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

NAPO on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/c/NAPONet/

NAPO on Twitter —https://twitter.com/NAPOnatl

NAPO on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/napo_natl/?hl=en

NAPO on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/NAPONatl/

NAPO on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/company/naponational

Over the last few decades, the organizing industry has progressed in almost indescribable ways and our guest today, Dorothy Breininger, has witnessed many of these changes, having built an amazing career along the way. Dorothy joins us on the show today to talk about this wonderful journey that she has been on, what got her started, and her thoughts on the current landscape of organizing. She has some truly inspiring messages for all of our listeners around working with your circumstance, staying generous, and how curiosity and volunteering can serve you and your business in positive and unexpected ways. In our chat, Dorothy reflects on her first connection with NAPO, and how she went about building her business before we talk about the organizing community and the explosion of the industry that we have seen more recently. We also get into the appearances that Dorothy has made across many popular TV shows and how she learned to bring her authentic self to her brand. This is a truly unmissable episode, so join us to get it all!

Key Points From This Episode:

• [00:01:27] Looking back at Dorothy's history in the world of organizing up to this point.
• [00:06:15] Memories of connecting with NAPO and what the organizing profession looked like at the start of Dorothy's career.
• [00:08:34] Building her own business and the resources that helped Dorothy expand.
• [00:13:08] The need for community and how Dorothy learned to collaborate and share with others.
• [00:14:49] Dorothy's reflections on the last few years, and the current moment in the industry.
• [00:16:49] How the different skills are opening up new avenues in the industry.
• [00:19:33] Current challenges in the organizing industry and Dorothy's positive spin on things!
• [00:22:20] Cultural perceptions of organizing and the progress that has been made in awareness.
• [00:23:18] Escaping the shame and the normalization of the common needs for assistance.
• [00:25:12] Considerations around the environment and the move to more minimal materialism.
• [00:27:28] Dorothy's personal practice of eliminating unnecessary possessions.
• [00:28:13] The spirit of performance and fun; how Dorothy has built her career on TV.
• [00:30:12] Closing remarks from Dorothy and her message to the organizing community!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

Dorothy Breininger — https://www.dorothytheorganizer.com/

Dorothy Breininger on Twitter — https://twitter.com/DORTHYtheORGNZR

The Cancer Concierge — http://thecancerconcierge.org/

Hoarders — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1497563/

Wall Street Journal — https://www.wsj.com/

Forbes — https://www.forbes.com/

O Magazine — https://www.oprah.com/app/o-magazine.html

Today Show — https://www.today.com/

Dr. Phil Show — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0329824/

The View — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123366/

The Doctors — https://www.thedoctorstv.com/

UCLA — https://www.ucla.edu/

LA County Hoarding Task Force — http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dmh/216946_Guidebookforonline.pdf

LA Times — https://www.latimes.com/

Marie Kondo — https://konmari.com/

Spark Joy — https://www.amazon.com/Spark-Joy-Illustrated-Organizing-Changing/dp/1607749726

Cass Aarssen's Clutterbug — https://clutterbug.me/

Hot Mess House — https://www.hgtv.com/shows/hot-mess-house

Elon Musk — https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elon-Musk

Clare Kumar — https://clarekumar.com/

Anne Blumer, founder of Solutions for You, speaker, author and CPO, is here today to talk to us about leveraging your work in organizing and productivity into multiple revenue streams and how this can help your business in so many ways.

Being an industry leader means tackling current events and embracing inclusivity and diversity within our profession. But it’s difficult to know what this means and what change should look like. To answer these questions, we’ve brought in three movers and shakers for a discussion on diversity. Today's guests Tanisha Porter, Cindy Levitt, and Mackenzie Scott, dive into what diversity means, how different generations see racial issues, what it means to create companies based in allyship, and the importance of listening and learning from others

Professionals in our field work with a very diverse range of clients, and for today’s episode, we have brought in Kathleen Crombie, a counseling psychologist who has extensive experience working with neurodiverse populations. This work experience, combined with the fact that Kathleen is a gifted person herself, make her the perfect candidate for giving advice to anyone who works with gifted or highly sensitive people, which she does today in abundance. Kathleen explains the differences between these two groups, as well as the importance of not using these labels as a judgement, but rather as a way of understanding someone who may be different to yourself. Our conversation also covers the joys and challenges of working with gifted or highly sensitive people, and the value in having self-awareness. Being gifted can often be more of a curse than a gift, and it is up to us to meet our clients where they are at, and make them feel as comfortable and accepted as possible.

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to today’s guest, Kathleen Crombie, and her extensive educational and professional background working with neurodivergent clients. [00:02:12]
• Common characteristics of highly sensitive people (HSP). [00:05:09]
• Similarities and differences between HSP’s and gifted people. [00:09:35]
• Why being gifted can be more of a curse than a gift in certain settings. [00:12:45]
• How Kathleen discovered that she is gifted. [00:14:03]
• Kathleen shares more characteristics of gifted people. [00:16:14]
• The importance of focusing on working with people’s strengths, not just on fixing their deficits. [00:21:08]
• What it means when someone is referred to as twice exceptional. [00:21:46]
• Labels should not be a form of judgement, but rather a form of care. [00:22:52]
• Why Kathleen chooses to disclose her personal struggles to her patients, even though her training discouraged it. [00:25:58]
• Practical advice from Kathleen for people who are working with gifted or highly sensitive clients. [00:27:12]
• Claire explains how the Brain in Hand app is useful for gifted and highly sensitive people. [00:32:19]
• The value in having self-awareness as a professional dealing with other people. [00:34:19]
• Questions to ask your clients which can help you put yourself in their shoes. [00:34:54]
• Why Kathleen and Claire will usually meet with clients outside of the cluttered rooms that they are going to work on. [00:39:10]
• Joys and challenges that Kathleen experiences working with gifted and highly sensitive people. [00:40:56]
• Never stop learning. [00:46:15]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

In Order To Organize — https://www.inorderto-organize.com/

Kathleen Crombie Email Address — InOrderToOrganize@me.com

Kathleen Crombie on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/inordertoorganize/

Kathleen Crombie on Twitter — https://www.pinterest.com/kathleencrombie/

Brain in Hand — https://braininhand.co.uk/

Happy Space Pod — https://www.facebook.com/groups/happyspacepod/

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

NAPO Podcast — https://napopodcast.com

We are joined by a mover and shaker, Nacho Eguiarte, who shares his experiences from the Mexican organizing industry. He gives us some insights into how he has grown his business in this burgeoning market and how anyone in similar circumstances can do the same. He also stresses the importance of continued education, rather than simply relying on what you know.

The onslaught of coronavirus has affected businesses and entrepreneurs all over the world, with professional organizers being no exception. In today’s episode, we get a chance to speak with Kathy Vines, a brilliant mind in the organizing space who has been ahead of the curve as far as offering virtual consultations for some time already. Kathy is a Certified Professional Organizer, the owner of Clever Girl Organizing, and she has also written a book called Living with Less. Our conversation with Kathy begins with some tips from her about how to know whether offering a virtual service fits into your business model or client in the first place.

Sometimes skills are invisible to their owners. It takes someone saying to us, “Wow! You’re really good at that,” before we realize that not everyone can do what we can do.

In this episode of Stand Out: Growing Your Organizing and Productivity Business, host Sarah Karakaian talks with Jan Lehman. Jan found out early in her career that not everyone has the same level of problem-solving skills. She puts those skills to work and encourages others in the field of productivity consulting to embrace these skills and take them to the bank.

Your ability to see where workflow can improve, the tools you have developed and learned to maximize your time and help clients maximize theirs – that amounts to some golden opportunities. In this episode, Jan shares her best ideas on growing a productivity consultancy.

Jan is an executive coach, productivity consultant and speaker. She is the founder and CEO of CTC Productivity. CTC is a Twin Cities-based, woman-owned and operated business. With over 20 years of corporate consulting experience, Jan is not just an expert in the field of productivity, she personally understands the unique challenges of leading a busy professional life. With three young children and a company to run, Jan gets the importance of maintaining a work-life balance.

The roots of Jan’s business acumen and people-first attitude can be traced back to her formal education. She earned a business degree in Operations and Systems Management with a minor in Psychology from Indiana University Kelley School of Business. CTC is the perfect forum for her to blend her people skills and productivity expertise.

What You Will Learn in this Episode:

• Why the ROI for business productivity consultants is generally larger than the personal productivity side
• Why your problem-solving skills as a productivity specialist are so valuable
• How to look for and encourage employee skills and interests beyond the job description
• What you need to know to run a corporate productivity business
• How connecting with people in a NAPO special interest group (SIG) can get you asking and answering the right questions to solve problems and gain knowledge
• Why online communities like SIGs are such a great source of information, referrals and comradery
• How to capitalize on opportunities to advise on productivity challenges, as well as opportunities to implement changes for greater productivity
• Why productivity consultants are uniquely qualified to run their own businesses

In today's episode Brian Lassiter, President of Performance Excellence Network, talks about about helping businesses improve their processes and improve their productivity and efficiency.

Today we are welcoming Sandy A. Lane to the show to talk to us about strengths coaching and maximizing your potential. She has a host of helpful tips and tricks to help you get started on your journey of growth!

Learn more at napo.net

Have you got a voice inside your head, telling you that you’re not right for the job; you don’t have the skills; somebody else would do far better, and that you’re terrible at this? Today we sit with Denise R. Jacobs who tells us why this voice is real and more importantly, why it’s wrong about you. As a speaker, author, and creativity evangelist who speaks at conferences and consults with companies around the world, we open the show by exploring Denise’s professional background. We then chat about the inspirations behind her new book Banish Your Inner Critic. Denise explains that she was in a constant battle with a critical voice in her head, which told her she was a fraud and too inexperienced to write with authority. Stay tuned, and you’ll hear how that all changed for her, and how Denise managed to come to grips with negative self-talk. Deeper into the episode, we discuss the importance of creativity, what true genius is, and how successful companies are often the most creative, irrespective of their line of work. Together, we also discover the value of the inner critic, understand where it comes from, and why it’s impossible to rid it from your mind forever. Throughout the episode, Denise walks us through science-backed exercises designed to ease anxiety and tame your inner critic. These are techniques that you can do on your own, every day, and with ease. Be sure to tune in with us for this insightful and reassuring episode.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s guest, Denise R. Jacobs.
• Hear about Denise’s inspiration for writing Banish Your Inner Critic.
• How Denise grappled with self-doubt while writing her first book.
• What led Denise to realize that she was capable of more than she gave herself credit for.
• When Denise decided that she really wanted to be teaching people.
• Denise tells us why creativity is so important.
• How creativity can help companies solve problems.
• Where the inner critic came from and why it can be useful.
• How your inner critic lives in a part of your brain responsible for implicit memory.
• Exercises you can do to get in touch with your inner critic and understand it.
• Find out how the pandemic should be approached from a mental health point of view.
• Denise gives us a practical lesson on how to manage anxiety.
• Hear about how you can use something called a ‘swipe file.’
• How Denise’s techniques are backed by science.
• Why the goal isn’t to completely rid yourself of your inner critic.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

Denise Jacobs — https://denisejacobs.com/

Denise Jacobs on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/deniserjacobs/

Denise Jacobs on Twitter — https://twitter.com/denisejacobs

Brené Brown — https://brenebrown.com/

The Creative Dose — https://thecreativedose.com/

Banish Your Inner Critic on Amazon — https://www.amazon.com/Banish-Your-Inner-Critic-Self-Doubt/dp/1633534715

Creativity Revolution on Amazon — https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Revolution-Reinvent-Creative-Prosper-ebook/dp/B00D7MQ2PU

Rawk The Web — https://rawktheweb.com/

CSS Detective Guide on Amazon — https://www.amazon.com/CSS-Detective-Guide-solving-mysteries/dp/0321683943

Liz Jenkins has a knack not just for organizing other people’s stuff, but putting the time and effort into organizing her own business for sustained growth.

Jenkins is a certified professional organizer, and started her business A Fresh Space in 2005 in Franklin, Tennessee. Yes, she was a solopreneur at the time.

Over the last 13 years, Liz has grown her business into a successful 12-person company, focusing on residential organizing, move management and business consulting. They have recently added a handyman division. Her National Association of Productivity and Organizing professionals contributions include chairing the 2015 NAPO conference in L.A, speaking at several NAPO conferences including the Ask The Organizer panel and a breakout session, nearly every board position in NAPO Nashville, and is currently the chair of the special interest groups.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• Insights on growing your business from solopreneur to multi-person company
• How staffing frees you up to improve processes AND gets jobs done faster – happy you, happy client
• Factoring in profit from employee labor as well as project costs
• Growing a business means doing what you do well and learning to delegate the rest
• Why trying something, making mistakes and learning is far superior to standing still
• Facing and addressing those things in your business that scare you
• Tips on managing and offering perks for part-time employees
• Why it’s ok to post pricing so potential clients know what they are getting into
• How to avoid spinning your wheels on things that don’t increase customer satisfaction or the bottom line

As we find ourselves in an uncertain and unknown climate, businesses are having to rethink how they operate and move forward. This clearly applies to the organizing industry too and today we have an amazing guest with us to talk about how your business can not only survive the crisis but more forward and adapt to the different opportunities it presents. Mark LeBlanc's main message is one of consistency and focus; he believes that through a steadfast, yet adaptable approach to your offers and sales you can grow in the best way, crisis or no crisis

Here at NAPO we are all incredibly excited because it is nearly time for our upcoming conference. This will be our first in-person conference in three years and it is happening from the 27th to the 30th of April at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel. This will be the second NAPO conference organized by Melynda Weiland, and today she joins us on the show to tell us everything we need to know about it. Melynda is the Owner of Order to Everything, an organization business that NAPO has been an integral part of. In our conversation, Melynda talks about how this year's conference theme “Educate, Elevate, Celebrate”, will play out in the learning paths, networking opportunities, and speaking events in the schedule. We hear more about some of the guest speakers from outside of NAPO that have been invited and the value they will be providing in their talks. Melynda gets into the five learning tracks and how they are geared toward NAPO members at all experience levels. She also speaks about the benefits of in-person gatherings, weighs in on COVID safety precautions, and shares resources for those who have additional questions about the upcoming event. If you are curious about the NAPO community this is a great opportunity to listen in because Melynda is going to give us a sterling understanding of what will be on offer at the conference.

Do you have questions about NAPO 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland?  Please contact our NAPO Conference Program Chair, Ann Zanon via email at Ann@a2zorganizingsolutions.com or by phone at 203-858-0475.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Where and when the conference will happen and how to find it online. [00:03:04]
• The theme for the conference: “Educate, Elevate, Celebrate”! [00:04:29]
• Celebrating an in-person gathering, member achievements, and more. [00:04:39]
• Educating ourselves by sharing skills and building a bigger network. [00:05:28]
• Elevation through a new education track, fresh content, and more. [00:07:08]
• The five education tracks around organization and productivity with tiers for all skill levels. [00:08:03]
• ‘Organization Strategies’, ‘Productivity Innovations’, ‘Mind and Behavior’, ‘Entrepreneurial Skills and Mindset’, and ‘Technology for the Future’. [00:08:34]
• The outside speakers who will attend and what makes them interesting. [00:10:45]
• Why NAPO chose Crystal Washington to be the keynote speaker. [00:11:36]
• COVID considerations and how the organizers are making the conference safe. [00:15:13]
• How people can find out more about the conference and get their questions answered. [00:18:17]
• Craving authentic connection and why this conference will be special. [00:21:42]
• Why the Baltimore location will add an extra layer of value to the conference. [00:23:40]
• How the conference will be especially beneficial to new NAPO members. [00:27:32]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Melynda Weiland on LinkedIn

Melynda Weiland on Facebook

Melynda Weiland Email

Order to Everything

Order to Everything on Instagram

Order to Everything on Pinterest

Order to Everything on Facebook

Lisa Woodruff

Cass the Clutterbug

Crystal Washington

NAPO Conference

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

Today we talk about the critical role of organizing in caregiving. Joining us for this discussion is Amelia Pleasant Kennedy, a NAPO member and an experienced professional organizer and life coach who runs a company called A Pleasant Solution. Amelia explains how she began her journey into the world of caregiving when her mother could no longer care for herself and how being a professional organizer uniquely prepared her for this role. She shares her story with us about how she first realized her mother needed additional care, how she broached the conversation with her brother, and how together they broached the conversation with their mom. Tuning in you’ll hear how Amelia overcame the emotional challenges of this journey by compartmentalizing, the importance of caring for yourself in a process like this, and some of the unexpected joys that Amelia got out of this experience. To hear Amelia’s advice and encouragement to anyone who may find themselves in a similar situation, or may be serving a client who is going through this process, as well as tips on how to marry compassion with the practical, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The story of how Amelia became a caregiver. [00:03:18]
• How Amelia’s organizing expertise prepared her for caregiving. [00:04:57]
• Amelia explains how she navigated family conversations about her mother’s need for more care. [00:06:38]
• Advice to anyone who has to approach a conversation about care, and the importance of marrying compassion with practicality. [00:08:53]
• How Amelia has overcome the emotional challenges by compartmentalizing. [00:11:24]
• How Amelia’s mother’s home reflected the state of her mental disorganization. [00:12:40]
• Clues that an elder parent may need extra care or assisted living. [00:14:11]
• Some of the unexpected joys that came out of this experience for Amelia. [00:17:31]
• Amelia’s advice to anyone in the organizing profession who may find themselves in a similar situation. [00:20:26].
• Words of encouragement for anyone who may be on a similar journey. [00:23:21]
• The importance of caring for yourself while you care for others. [00:24:55]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Amelia Pleasant Kennedy — https://www.linkedin.com/in/ameliapleasantkennedy/

A Pleasant Solution —  https://www.apleasantsolution.com/

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

NAPO Podcast — napopodcast.com

Joining us today on Stand Out is Jennifer Stewart. who has been empowering her clients to understand their computers and technology tools since 2011. Jennifer shares her own journey transitioning from a corporate job to becoming an organizer and the process she went through to discover exactly which area she wanted to focus on. She also tells us more generally what a digital organizer does, why there is so much potential in this industry and practical tips for keeping up to date with the latest technology.

Interior design and space specialist Tricia Sinon Murray is not only an expert on the subject of Tiny Houses, but she also happens to live in a tiny home with her two children. We open our conversation by chatting about why people are moving into tiny homes. As tiny homes require an extreme economy of space, Tricia reflects on the importance of understanding her client’s lifestyle needs when designing their homes

Joining us in conversation today is Ron Friedman, social psychologist, former academic, speaker, and author. He is here to share wisdom from his latest book, Decoding Greatness, where he draws on his research into pattern recognition, skills acquisition, and creative genius, to discuss insights about high-performing athletes, musicians, chefs, and business leaders. Tune in to hear Ron's thoughts on the purpose of collecting, his opinion on productivity programs, and how he feels about marketing his writing. Ron talks about the fallacy that commercial success reflects the quality of your work and why we believe it, as well as why the pandemic has hampered our collective creative growth. We touch on the debate around whether we should all return to the office or not, and Ron reveals some of the secrets behind his writing process. He also tells us why Don Draper’s “derivative with a twist” is the sweet spot of creativity, and shares who he considers to be his greatest influences. Find out what he hopes the book will give readers: plenty of practical tools, and an opportunity to demystify the great works that have inspired them. Join us today to hear all this and more.

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to today’s guest, social psychologist, academic, and author, Ron Friedman. [00:00:29]
• Ron shares what forms part of his collector landscape: books and stories. [00:03:10]
• The purpose of collecting which is to look for insights beyond the surface. [00:04:11]
• Some of the productivity programs that are gaining traction like Mem and Notion. [00:07:15]
• What it is like for Ron to revisit his book during podcast interviews. [00:09:20]
• How Ron feels about the marketing piece of being an author: he would rather not! [00:10:38]
• The fallacy that commercial success is equal to quality work and why we fall for it. [00:12:24]
• Economic uncertainty and anxiety as factors that have limited creative growth during the pandemic. [00:13:15]
• What Ron thinks about the debate around whether we should return to the office. [00:15:15]
• Ron’s writing process and how he illustrates ideas with stories. [00:18:00]
• Why derivative with a twist is the ideal sweet spot. [00:18:40]
• One of the arguments in the book: you should have license to experience broadly. [00:20:35]
• Pliio, the folding tool product that Clare designed which never took off. [00:23:05]
• Who he considers his greatest influences as a writer and creative. [00:25:15]
• Deconstructing TEDtalks according to Ron. [00:29:18]
• His hope for the book: to give you practical tools and demystify the great works that have inspired you. [00:30:02]
• Where you can find out more about the book and purchase it with a free course. [00:30:54]
• An invitation to reach out and give us feedback so that we can improve our podcast. [00:33:14]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ron Friedman

Ron Friedman on Twitter

Decoding Greatness

The Best Place to Work

Notion

Mem

Pliio

Happy Space Podcast Facebook Group

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is more important than ever following the recent global events that have thrust it into the spotlight, and dedicated employees at all levels are initiating efforts for their companies to be more DEI focused. Today’s guest is Barbara Polk, a DEI thought leader and facilitator with more than 25 years experience in human resources, operations leadership, and board governance. She is Founder and Consultant at Amplify People Advisors, a global C-suite executive with a Fortune 500 company, and holds multiple Board of Director positions. Barbara believes that organizations that proactively put policies in place to create safe and respectful interactions promote environments will improve productivity, engagement, retention, and ultimately financial performance. Tuning in, you’ll hear why DEI must not just be a moral imperative, but a business imperative, how talking about DEI can make you a better leader, colleague, and peer, and how to uncover your unconscious biases, as well as Barbara’a predictions for the future of these important conversations. Tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why paying attention to and taking action on DEI is important to your business. [00:03:13]
• Barbara explains why these conversations have come into the spotlight now. [00:05:23]
• The concept of allyship and the importance of making these issues relatable. [00:08:20]
• Learn how talking about DEI can inform you to be a better leader, peer, colleague. [00:11:51]
• What diversity and awareness actually mean: you truly see people and have compassion for their experiences. [00:13:48]
• How to uncover your unconscious biases; take the Harvard Implicit Bias Test. [00:16:13]
• Barbara explains the real function of biases and why it’s important to self-educate. [00:18:37]
• Some of the different strategies for addressing the unconscious biases of others. [00:21:04]
• Why it is important to lean into discomfort sometimes; don’t be driven by fear! [00:24:00]
• Barbara’s advice for asking someone what they meant by an offensive comment. [00:25:28]
• Why this is not about being “politically correct”:s it’s about being mindful of what you say if you care and diversity, equity, and inclusion. [00:26:25]
• Barbara’s predictions for the future of DEI includes years or decades of continuing this conversation. [00:28:03]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Barbara Polk on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarapolk/

Barbara Polk Email — bpolk@amplifypeopleadvisors.com

Amplify People Advisors — https://www.amplifypeopleadvisors.com/

Harvard Implicit Bias Test — https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

Wordslut — https://www.amazon.com/Wordslut-Feminist-Taking-English-Language/dp/006286887X

How to Be an Inclusive Leader — https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Inclusive-Leader-Belonging/dp/1523085177

‘Blind Spots: Overcome stereotypes’ — https://youtu.be/6_yIevcJCPc

‘Blind Spots: Challenge assumptions’ — https://youtu.be/BFcjfqmVah8

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

NAPO on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/c/NAPONet/

If you haven’t already heard of John Jantsch, he is a marketing consultant, speaker, and the author of several bestselling books, including The Referral Engine and Duct Tape Marketing. Of course, John has endless wisdom to offer on marketing, but what listeners hear more about in today’s episode is his latest book, The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur. This new guide offers overworked and harried entrepreneurs – and anyone who thinks like one – a much-needed framework for tapping into the wisdom that is most relevant to entrepreneurial life. Arranged in a calendar format, it is filled with 366 inspirational meditations that contain the thoughts and writings of notable American authors, and features readings of transcendentalist literature and others. Tune in to find out about the decisions John made in writing and producing the book, his time in the mountains and how nature inspires him, and why he believes the self-reliant entrepreneur is a gift to society and a force for good. Hear more about his favorite authors, where the theme of self-reliance came from, and the importance of ritual and routine, all in today’s episode of Stand Out!

Key Points From This Episode:

• John shares some decisions he made in the production of the book, like the ribbon. [0:02:55]
• Why John chose to include the writings of classic American authors and how they relate to entrepreneurialism today. [0:05:42]
• Entrepreneurs and the connection with nature that John mentions in the book. [0:09:07]
• How John divides his time between the city and the mountains and how nature inspires him. [0:11:21]
• Learn why John believes the self-reliant entrepreneur is a gift to society and a force for good. [0:14:34]
• Diversity as a gift in itself to organizations because of the opportunities and culture it affords. [0:15:24]
• Where the book’s sections – planning, discovering, evolving, and growing – come from and why John uses the seasons as a metaphor. [0:16:35]
• Hear more about the theme of self-reliance (and the essay of that name by R.W. Emerson). [0:19:05]
• If self-reliance means self-trust, John shares how he believes entrepreneurs can learn to better listen to their intuition. [0:21:01]
• Listen in as John reads an excerpt from his book, titled ‘To the morning’. [0:23:05]
• John shares parts of his morning ritual – which starts most days at 5:00 AM [0:25:59]
•  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

John Jantsch on Twitter – https://twitter.com/ducttape

John Jantsch on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ducttapemarketing/

John Jantsch on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ducttapemarketing/

Duct Tape Marketing – https://ducttapemarketing.com/

Duct Tape Marketing – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595554653/jantschcomm-20

The Referral Engine – https://www.amazon.com/The-Referral-Engine-John-Jantsch-audiobook/dp/B003NYOBTQ/

The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur – https://www.amazon.com/Self-Reliant-Entrepreneur-Daily-Meditations-Business/dp/1119579775

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer – https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Tom-Sawyer-Mark-Twain/dp/1503215679

The Artist’s Way – https://www.amazon.com/Artists-Way-25th-Anniversary/dp/0143129252

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

Get ready to change your definition of swagger, and to be inspired to do the work to find your own! Our guest today is Leslie Ehm; creative director, training guru, author of Swagger, and an all-round love-filled badass. As you’ll hear in more detail in this episode, finding your swagger is all about stepping into your authentic self and living your truth. Swagger looks different for everyone and leaves no room for judgement. It is a common occurrence for human beings to feel fragmented and experience an inability to be themselves; this is largely due to a few “blockers” which Leslie describes for us. Fortunately, there is a way to overcome these, and Leslie is just the right person to teach us all how. We explore the three main driving forces behind swagger, why you shouldn’t be afraid of asking for a do-over, the value that lies in F bombs, and the importance of knowing when you should apologize and when you absolutely should not. If you’re ready to experience the magic that comes with finding your swagger, this is a great place to start!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Swagger, as defined by Leslie. [00:03:35]
• Who Leslie’s swagger icon is, and why. [00:05:24]
• Where Leslie’s ideas intersect with Todd Herman’s (author of The Alter Ego Effect) and where they diverge. [00:08:14]
• Fragmentation that many people experience, and how Leslie has learned to overcome this. [00:09:24]
• Clare explains how she has evolved as an entrepreneur over the years. [00:10:43]
• Magic that happens when you start speaking your truth and stepping into your authentic self. [00:12:02]
• Blockers that Leslie has identified which prevent us from fully being ourselves. [00:16:40]
• Leslie’s motivation for writing [00:18:16]
• Why Leslie is an advocate for F bombs and other swear words. [00:19:37]
• The importance of being non-judgmental; everyone has a different kind of swagger. [00:22:10]
• Situations in which you should apologize and those in which you shouldn’t. [00:23:47]
• Understanding intention, truth and self-belief (the three drivers of swagger) and an example of how to manifest these in the right way. [00:29:55]
• Everybody makes mistakes; don’t be afraid of asking for a do-over. [00:34:36]
• The importance of figuring out if you click with someone before doing business with them. [00:36:18]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Swagger — https://www.leslieehm.com/book/

Combustion — https://combustionco.com/

The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman — https://alteregoeffect.com/

Google — https://www.google.com/

The Walt Disney Company — https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/

PepsiCo — https://www.pepsico.com/

TD Bank — https://www.td.com/us/en/personal-banking/

Uber — https://www.uber.com

HBO — https://www.hbo.com/

Brené Brown — https://brenebrown.com/

Oprah Winfrey — https://www.oprah.com/app/the-oprah-winfrey-show.html

Lady Gaga — https://www.forbes.com/profile/lady-gaga/

Beyoncé — https://www.beyonce.com/

Ru Paul Charles — https://rupaul.com/

Ru Paul’s Drag Race — http://www.vh1.com/shows/rupauls-drag-race

The Four Tendencies Quiz by Gretchen Rubin — https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/

Michael Bungay Stanier — https://www.mbs.works/about/

NAPO University — https://www.pathlms.com/napo

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

NAPO on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/c/NAPONet/

NAPO on Twitter —https://twitter.com/NAPOnatl

NAPO on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/napo_natl/?hl=en

NAPO on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/NAPONatl/

NAPO on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/company/naponational

Positive psychology is a one that has a positive orientation, with a focus on wellbeing, contentment, excitement, cheerfulness, the pursuit of happiness, and meaning in life. Today’s guest is Jennifer Card, a board member of the Canadian Positive Psychology Association and an Executive Leadership and Wellbeing Coach, who believes that a leader’s greatest asset is their mind. In this episode, she explores why the awareness and integration of a positive psychology mindset will benefit you and your business, and why spending more time on psychological self-care is critical for leaders who face complex challenges. Stay tuned!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Jennifer shares her definition of positive psychology. [00:02:47]
• Practical tips to manage your wellbeing at work: cooperators appreciative inquiry. [00:04:56]
• We talk about boundaries and knowing where your line in the sand is. [00:07:04]
• Jennifer discusses the best ways for boundary setting; illuminating our blind spots.[00:09:14]
• The importance of taking that self-reflective moment.[00:09:40]
• How reframing your activities can impact your energy. [00:11:36]
• Jennifer shares the difference between mindfulness and mindlessness. [00:12:42]
• Her guidance for self-reflection practices: gratitude journaling and asset labeling. [00:16:09]
• How looking for the negative is a protective mechanism in our brains; but we can change it! [00:21:05]
• Why stress isn’t all bad and why we should learn to divvy up between threatening and non-threatening stress. [00:23:17]
• Building support and the role it plays in being resilient. [00:24:37]
• Why remaining curious and staying in a state of humble inquiry is so important. [00:27:57]
• Reconciling with a good approach to sustain a healthy mindset moving forward. [00:29:00]
• Jennifer shares the different types of mindsets, including fixed and growth mindsets. [00:29:37]
• Psychological self-care: taking care of your mind, body, and spirit. [00:32:20]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jennifer Signe Card on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-card-878219139/Jennifer Signe Card Email — jennifereqhq@gmail.com

EQ @ HQ Consulting — https://eqhqconsulting.com/

Flourish — https://www.amazon.ca/Flourish-Visionary-Understanding-Happiness-Well-being/dp/1439190763/

Learned Optimism — https://www.amazon.ca/Learned-Optimism-Change-Your-Mind/dp/1400078393/

Flow — https://www.amazon.ca/Flow-Psychology-Experience-Mihaly-Csikszentmihalyi/dp/0061339202/

Mindset — https://www.amazon.ca/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322/

When the Body Says No — https://www.amazon.ca/When-Body-Says-No-Hidden/dp/0676973124/

Man’s Search for Meaning — https://www.amazon.ca/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/0807014273/

Whatever Arises, Love That — https://www.amazon.ca/Whatever-Arises-Love-That-Revolution/dp/1622035305/

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

Is selling an activity that is a “necessary evil” in your business? It doesn’t have to be that way. Today we have an expert who knows that selling is not about arm twisting, but about helping people solve problems – and that’s what your organizing and productivity business is all about, right? Guest David Fisher puts your fears to rest about selling, about networking, and presenting yourself as a professional out there in real life and online.

David J.P. Fisher (also known as D. Fish) is a speaker, coach, and author of 7 books, including Hyper-Connected Selling. Building on 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur and sales professional, he combines nuanced strategy and real-world tactics to help professionals become more effective, efficient, and happy.

David’s goal is to help them understand the new landscape of Hyper-Connected Selling, where social media, networking, and old-school sales and communication skills are the key to providing value and staying relevant. He lives in Evanston, IL – next to a huge cemetery which helps him appreciate the value of every day.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• What it means to do hyper-connected selling
• How selling has evolved
• If selling has negative connotations, you’re doing it wrong
• Why building genuine trust is the heart of the sales process
• How to shift from selling as overcoming objections to helping someone find a solution
• How to become a Sales Sherpa
• Making a move from information provider to information translator, so people can make the best buying decision
• Why it’s ok to NOT be the solution to a client’s problem
• How to network when you hate networking events
• How to audit your professional online presence to put your best foot forward

‘Brain-based conditions’ is a catchall phrase that encompasses a broad set of conditions that impact cognition, emotion, socialization, or behavior. Here to shed light on the phenomenon and how organizers can best work with those who might fall within the definition is Debbie Stanley. Debbie has been a self-employed organizational consultant since 1997. She has degrees in journalism, industrial and organizational psychology, and mental health counseling and enjoys translating the eye-glazing rhetoric of her scholarly education into concepts that make sense in everyday life. In this episode, we talk about what brain-based conditions typically are and the importance of reframing people’s struggles. Organizers can get clients to understand how their perceived weaknesses are, in fact, strengths, removing much of the shame and stigma people may be feeling. We talk about what it means to be sensitive and how to create shared spaces where everyone feels their needs are met. There will always be a range of sensitivities and sensory experiences, which is why organizers – who are trained to anticipate needs – can be so helpful. Working with those who have brain-based conditions should not be taken lightly. As organizers, we are not clinical professionals, which is why, as Debbie highlights, it is vital to learn as much as you can to be sensitive and ensure the outcomes

In this episode, we’re once again niching down and exploring the world of photo organizing! After managing a photography business for 20 years, Bonnie Hillman Shay started her own photo organizing business. She is a certified photo organizer who helps her clients manage, edit, backup and print their most treasured memories, whether in print or digital format.

Online video expert Brighton West has honed his skills not just in video production, but in the best ways to leverage various online video platforms and formats.

Brighton started out behind the camera, making narrative and documentary videos. He soon learned that being on camera was more influential, beneficial and profitable than being behind it. So he overcame his on camera jitters and now helps his clients turn the camera on themselves. Brighton has built his business by creating YouTube tutorials about using YouTube in business. Through his channel, he's positioned himself as the expert for coaches, authors and speakers who want to grow their global audience with YouTube.

Brighton works with clients around the world, handling the technical and strategic side of online video and teaching them to record their own. His team then edits, uploads and optimizes the videos, then gets them ready for promotion, to position the coach as an expert in their niche.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• Why video should be a key part of your marketing strategy
• How to step out from behind the camera – and shine in front of the camera
• Playing the long game with video content, rather than looking for overnight results
• How to capitalize on Youtube as a major search engine
• Working with live video on Facebook – and getting more exposure than a recorded and uploaded video
• Different video strategies for different platforms, like using LinkedIn native video (recorded right on LinkedIn) for better exposure than uploading from Youtube
• How to give away content to build relationship, and consolidate/add value to create content for sale
• Finding success through video content by attracting clients who are eager to work with you
• How, with only $75 worth of gear, you’ll be set for a solid start in video production
• Smart ways to leverage advertising to build your audience

As work-from-home has become the new normal, we’ve replaced in-person talking with online meetings, often resulting in unenergetic presentations and garbled messaging. Today we speak with body language expert Alison Henderson about proven strategies that will improve how you communicate online. After exploring changes to how we communicate, Alison shares her insights into why standing out as an excellent Zoom communicator will be key in business for the foreseeable future. We then chat about what you can do to make virtual meetings feel dynamic and similar to the face-to-face experience. From when you should turn off your camera and how you can convey authenticity, Alison shares her top tips and best practices for online speaking and listening. On the topic of body language, Alison discusses the signals you should look out for before highlighting what women can do to own the online space. You’ll hear Alison’s actionable steps on becoming a better speaker and building trust during online meetings. You’ll also learn about the secrets of the shoulders and simple steps to being a more engaging presence. Virtual meetings present their own challenges. Tune in for more on how you can overcome them.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s guest, communication and body language expert Alison Henderson.
• Exploring communication differences in the pandemic and pre-pandemic world.
• How face-to-face interactions and events are increasingly going virtual.
• Creating an online space that’s energetic and facilitates communication.
• Alison shares her top tips for online speaking.
• Sitting versus standing while communicating online.
• When you should turn off your camera during a meeting.
• Insights into how you can be a better and more engaged online listener.
• The best ways to position yourself to make the most of your body language.
• How women can own the online communication space.
• Secrets of the shoulders; how our shoulders can give away our decision-making process.
• The power of using the word ‘which’ when deciding between options.
• Why body language should be read in light of many factors.
• Alison gives listeners actionable steps to become a better online communicator.
• Advice on when to look into the camera and how to build trust in a meeting.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Alison Henderson on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/movingimage/

Alison Henderson on Twitter — https://twitter.com/moveobservation

Alison Henderson on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9MhyoH6dVu-mofncAz7XmA

Alison Henderson on Facebook — https://web.facebook.com/movingimageconsulting

Alison Henderson on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/alison_bodylanguage_henderson/

Alison’s Courses — https://bodylanguage101.thinkific.com

Moving Image Consulting — https://movingimageconsulting.com/

Closing the Distance in Distance Learning on Amazon — https://www.amazon.ca/Closing-Distance-Learning-Teachers-Communication-ebook/dp/B08FQ275RG

The Labanarium — https://www.labanarium.com/

College of DuPage — https://www.cod.edu/

Reckless Ensemble Theatre — https://www.labanarium.com/contribution/reckless-ensemble-theatre/

Mark Bowden — https://truthplane.com/home/people/mark-bowden/

Zoom — https://zoom.us/

Many of us in the professional organizing community have had to think about alternative income streams as we can no longer go into people’s homes or visit corporate clients. Leveraging virtual operations is a great way to boost your revenue, and in today’s episode, we will be talking about webinars. Our guest, Leslie Josel, is an ADHD-student and parenting coach and an award-winning entrepreneur, having founded Order Out of Chaos, an organization whose mission is to help parents guide their children to success in learning and life. She is also an award-winning author, creator of the renowned Academic Planner: A Tool for Time Management, and an internationally-acclaimed speaker. In this show, Leslie walks us through how she built her prolific webinar business, which she started six years ago. We dive right in, hearing about the small steps she took to start. Leslie highlights the importance of being generous with your content, having an abundance mentality, and giving things away for free. Rather than using a sales funnel approach, Leslie is upfront and transparent about the costs her clients will incur. She talks about why she has chosen to operate her business in this way rather than continually trying to upsell. From there, we learn how she builds her community and why she always asks them questions. As we wrap up, we talk about the power of affiliates, why webinars offer more wiggle room than courses, and the power of generosity. Leslie has built her business with integrity and a spirit of giving, and we know you will learn as much from her as we did!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Hear more about Leslie’s business and her decision to go virtual six years ago. [00:03:06]
• The value of starting small; Leslie’s first webinar only had five people! [00:03:53]
• How Leslie used her webinars alongside building her email list. [00:05:09]
• Why Leslie recommends doing your first webinars for free. [00:06:16]
• While it was not Leslie’s intention to build a webinar empire, she quickly saw the power of it. [00:07:31]
• The role of consistency when producing webinars and how often Leslie does them. [00:08:25]
• How Leslie’s ‘anti-funnel’ strategy differs from others in the space. [00:09:53]
• Why Leslie does free webinars in August and March each year. [00:11:11]
• The platform Leslie runs her webinars on and the level of interactivity she maintains. [00:12:58]
• The value in asking your community questions. [00:14:10]
• Why it is helpful to bring guest experts into your webinars, especially as you grow. [00:14:50]
• Insights into Leslie’s Facebook group and what she does to nurture it. [00:15:51]
• How having a video component for all content has helped Leslie bring in customers. [00:17:46]
• Why Leslie decided to have people watch recorded webinars through her site only. [00:19:52]
• Don't be afraid to launch an affiliate program and announce it to NAPO members. [00:21:59]
• You can repurpose content you’ve already produced to generate multiple streams of income. [00:23:45]
• The role that Leslie’s team has played in getting her to where she is today. [00:25:08]
• How the academic planners tipped the scale of Leslie’s business. [00:26:29]
• The flexibility that comes with doing webinars rather than courses. [00:27:39]
• Why it is important to cap webinar attendance. [00:30:08]
• How Leslie and her team approach planning. [00:30:56]
• You have to know your community and what they want from you. [00:34:23]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Order Out of Chaos — https://www.orderoochaos.com/

Leslie Josel on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-josel-adhd-student-parent-coach/

Leslie Josel on Twitter — https://twitter.com/orderoochaos

Leslie Josel on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/orderoutofchaos

Leslie Josel on Pinterest — https://pinterest.com/orderoochaos/_shop/

Leslie Josel Email — leslie@orderoochaos.com
Leslie Joel Phone Number — 914.262.5714

ADDitude Magazine — https://www.additudemag.com/

Clubhouse — https://www.joinclubhouse.com/

Brendon Burchard — https://brendon.com/

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

Our guest on today’s show is entrepreneur and official KonMari certified consultant, Michele Vig. In 2017, Michele decided to lead her life with her heart rather than her head and left corporate America to start her own company, Neat Little Nest. Today, we learn more about Michele’s entrepreneurial journey; why she decided to become a KonMari consultant, what that has meant for her business, and how you can become one too.

We’re all stretched a little thin – we see it in our clients and we see it in ourselves. As a productivity and organization professional, adding virtual assistant services could just be a natural next step. Maybe you are wondering if taking your own business to the next level means outsourcing some business tasks. Hiring a virtual assistant just might be a game changer for you.

Guest Molly Rose Speed is the creator of the Academy for Virtual Assistants. After years as a corporate accountant cubicle dweller, Molly Rose decided to live out her mission to live a life owning her time and her unique service to the world. By helping passionate, mission driven entrepreneurs implement their ideas online through flawless tech execution, she has not only freed herself but the hundreds of entrepreneurs she's automated and streamlined. Through The Academy for Virtual Assistants, she trains others on starting successful virtual support businesses.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• How to find trustworthy virtual administrative professionals
• The flexibility of being a virtual assistant – your clients can be literally anywhere
• How to hone your skills at Academy for Virtual Assistants
• Virtual assistant fee structures
• Scaling a virtual assistant business by outsourcing tasks
• How to add virtual assistant to services you offer
• The importance of a confidentiality agreement when serving as a virtual assistant
• Why working on retainer is a win-win for both you and the client
• Why trust is a big factor in virtual assistant work
• How to up your game to market yourself as a premium virtual assistant

Today’s guests are declutterers and organizers by profession, and they’ve recently become masters of marketing too! Ingrid Jansen and Lesley Spellman are the founders of The Declutter Hub, which started out as an online course and has broadened its scope to multiple courses, a membership, a Facebook group with a very engaged online community, and a podcast. Because of the safe and lighthearted space that Ingrid and Lesley have created, their business experienced huge growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their growth can also be attributed to the fact that they have figured out how to work with the Facebook algorithm and use it to drive up engagement on their platforms, and they share some of their top tips in today’s episode. You’ll also hear about the challenges they have experienced along their journey, and the things that make it all worth it. There’s never a dull moment with these two so be sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Where the idea of The Declutter Hub originated. [00:03:54]
• The ethos that The Declutter Hub Facebook group is built upon. [00:04:51]
• Growth that The Declutter Hub experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. [00:06:28]
• Why Lesley and Ingrid feel it is important that people know who is in charge of The Declutter Hub. [00:07:07]
• Evolution of The Declutter Hub Facebook group from its humble beginnings. [00:10:48]
• Areas of their business which Ingrid and Lesley outsource some help for. [00:12:58]
• How members uphold the integrity of the Facebook group. [00:14:05]
• How Lesley and Ingrid have reframed their mistakes. [00:17:17]
• An example of one of the crazier things that Ingrid and Lesley have posted on their Facebook page, and how these drive up engagement. [00:18:20]
• The balance between planned and spontaneous content on The Declutter Hub Facebook group. [00:21:25]
• Challenges that come with running a Facebook group. [00:24:04]
• What Ingrid and Lesley wish they had started doing earlier in terms of their Facebook group. [00:25:49]
• A strategy that Lesley and Ingrid used which resulted in a lot of growth. [00:27:43]
• Why Ingrid and Lesley have chosen to link all the businesses and their personal profiles together. [00:30:30]
• Lesley shares the biggest challenge that they have experienced with The Declutter Hub. [00:32:32]
• Ingrid shares what she is most proud of about The Declutter Hub. [00:33:30]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

The Declutter Hub — https://declutterhub.com/

The Declutter Hub on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/declutterhub/

The Declutter Hub Podcast — https://declutterhub.com/the-podcast/

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

NAPO Podcast — https://napopodcast.com

As organizers and productivity professionals, we are uniquely positioned to help our clients prepare for inevitable challenges. But how can we best go about it, and what are some of the key challenges? To better understand this, along with how to help clients prepare for the unexpected, NAPO member and professional organizer, today’s guest is Lisa Witzleben. Lisa spent over 13 years working in logistics and worked alongside the State of Alaska, Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management as a logistics planner. She holds a Master’s of Science in Global Supply Chain Management and became a solopreneur in 2015, running Unclutter Me to assist clients in leading a simpler life through an intentional process of decluttering then organizing. Listen in as Lisa explains what stops people from preparing for known and unknown risks and what she does to help people face the unknown, create a plan, and act on it, all while providing support and fostering a sense of safety. Lisa also has some key tips for getting your own preparation plans in order, starting with a “go folder”, which she describes in detail. Both business owners and individuals can learn a lot from this episode, so make sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Lisa starts by asserting our ability to take control of situations, both known and unknown. [00:03:06]
• The one thing that stops people from preparing for known risks, says Lisa, is fear. [00:04:42]
• What business owners can do to help people in positions of fear and overwhelm. [00:08:09]
• The importance of starting the conversation around support and organization with clients. [00:03:06]
• Lisa explains why no one necessarily wants to talk about preparedness. [00:10:33]
• An example of how Lisa uses to start this conversation with her clients, and how she works with them, step-by-step. [00:12:46]
• Letting her clients know she can help them face the unknown, create a plan, and act on it. [00:14:06]
• How Lisa creates urgency about acting while also fostering a sense of safety by being direct. [00:18:22]
• While not specific, Lisa has a rough list of the unknowns that must be prepared for – from minor healthcare issues to natural disasters. [00:21:22]
• Why holding her clients accountable is another crucial part of the process. [00:24:28]
• The starting point Lisa suggests is creating a “go folder”, and she explains it in depth. [00:26:39]
• Digital versus physical, and why Lisa highly recommends having physical copies. [00:28:43]
• What COOP means, and why business owners should be aware of it in preparing for their own unknowns. [00:31:44]
• Conversations to have with your employees about these unknowns, large or small. [00:34:23]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Lisa Witzleben on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-witzleben-365843113/

Lisa Witzleben on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/unclutterme/

Lisa Witzleben on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC27CRMY70IXgVUvKfBokjPw

Unclutter Me by Lisa Witzleben – https://lisawitzleben.com/

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

Emotional labor as Regina Lark describes it is the unseen, unnoticed, unwaged, unwritten, and unanticipated work women do at home. Gender inequity is an age-old issue that women still bear the brunt of and Regina joins us today to break down why it is that we are dumped with the job of homemaking, regardless of how our brains are hardwired, and why we feel such a deep sense of shame if we can’t stay on top of the mess! With a doctorate in women’s history and years of experience as a professional organizer, Regina has married her expertise to write Emotional Labor: Why a Woman’s Work Is Never Done and What To Do About It. In our conversation, we learn how Regina’s male and female clients tend to have a different relationship with mess and how same-sex relationships differ from heterosexual relationships in terms of emotional labor. We discuss wages for housework campaigns and homemaking strikes over the course of history, and how the delegation model in the modern home needs to change! Tune in to find out how strategically stopping your household tasks can work to enforce equity in the home and discover a neat tip to measure labor equity and prove what your work is worth!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Regina Lark and the important work she does in the world! [00:00:33]
• How her Ph.D. in women’s history and experience as a professional organizer prompted her to write Emotional Labor. [00:03:59]
• How ADHD was only diagnosed in men and the impact on ADHD women. [00:08:06]
• Regina’s profound definition of emotional labor and how she landed on it. [00:09:29]
• The different relationships Regina’s male and female clients have with mess. [00:13:22]
• What a professional organizer’s responsibility to the client involves. [00:14:04]
• Who Judith Kolberg is and how she helped Regina in the book-writing process. [00:16:14]
• How the household delegation model needs to change and why. [00:17:31]
• Clare shares how she strategically stopped doing household tasks to enforce equity in her home. [00:18:51]
• How to measure equity in the home and prove what your work is worth! [00:22:12]
• What wages for housework campaigns are and where and when they started. [00:23:53]
• The women’s strike from homemaking and sex in Iceland and the resultant gender equity there today. [00:24:35]
• How same-sex and heterosexual relationships differ in terms of emotional labor. [00:26:45]
• Anticipating changes with the emotional labor lifecycle. [00:28:50]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Regina Lark on LinkedIn

Regina Lark on Twitter

Regina Lark on Facebook

Regina Lark on Youtube

Emotional Labor

Breaking Down Patriarchy Podcast

Judith Kolberg

Tend

Clare Kumar

NAPO

In today’s society, we often put so much value on busyness that it forces us to neglect ourselves. We find ourselves trying to earn our places in the world through doing, and the more we do the more is expected of us. Our guest today, Katie McDonald, understands this too well. After early success as a high-performance corporate executive, followed by the intense responsibilities of motherhood, chronic self-neglect led her to the depths of overwhelm, depression, and illness. This is what led her on a journey to become a self-care strategist and inspired her to establish b.nourished, a holistic coaching program for executives. By viewing self-care as a key to success rather than an obstacle, Katie has curated proven practices through decades of self-study, speaking, and concierge coaching engagements. Katie and b.nourished are a testament to how, with intentionality and mindfulness, peace-of-mind and productivity can actually go hand in hand. In this show, Katie explains why self-care is a smart, effective business strategy, and it doesn’t have to come at the cost of productivity. She speaks about how slowing down is a powerful tool for getting things done and why self-neglect is actually selfish in a world that needs us at our best. Tuning in you’ll hear what “revenge bedtime procrastination” is and why we do it, the difference between being self-involved and self-evolved, and why the first assignment Katie gives her clients is to sit in silence and have a cup of tea.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Clare’s personal revelation of the importance of self-care through her own auto-immune disease. [00:01:10]
• Katie describes her own experience from being a high-powered executive to coaching executives to help them integrate well-being with productivity. [00:03:53]
• Thoughts on what is wrong with our culture that we overvalue busyness and neglect ourselves. [00:05:53]
• How and why people are terrified of having nothing to do and being alone in their own thoughts. [00:06:40]
• Why the first assignment Katie gives her clients is to sit in silence and have a cup of tea. [00:08:08]
• Katie explains that we need to repair the relationships we have with ourselves. [00:09:46]
• Why people are good at saying yes, and bad at saying no, and until the basics are in place, the answer to everything else should be no. [00:10:36]
• The importance of asking ourselves “What do I need?” and staying quiet long enough to hear the answer. [00:12:40]
• How Katie works with clients to figure out what they need and comes up with a plan, as motivation is not enough. [00:16:24]
• What “revenge bedtime procrastination” is and why we do it. [00:21:54]
• The importance of checking in with your future self, or “paying yourself forward”. [00:22:51]
• The implications of context and adjusting one’s self-care routine for the specific season or situation. [00:28:04]
• The importance of knowing what you want or who you want to be so your life is intentional and not just reactive. [00:30:01]
• The difference between being self-involved and self-evolved: self-awareness is not just a birthright, it’s also a responsibility. [00:32:17]
• Your duty to stop being a doormat and set other people free to do the same. [00:35:07]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

b.nourished — https://bnourished.com/

b.nourished on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/bnourished/

b.nourished on Twitter — https://twitter.com/bnourished

b.nourished on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/bnourished

b.nourished on Instagram —https://www.instagram.com/_bnourished/

b.nourished on Pinterest — https://www.pinterest.com/lotuslight/bnourished/

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

NAPO Podcast — https://napopodcast.com

Kristien Bertilson, the brains behind Queen B Organizing, shares her thoughts on the responsibility of running a company and being in charge of so many salaries and gives us all-round inspiring advice in the realm of doing things in a way that suits you as well as your employees

Today on the podcast we are chatting with Amy Vance of Eco Modern Concierge to see how this professional organizer is preparing for the new year and making adjustments to her business for continued success.

Learn more at napo.net

When you are self-employed, so much of your business and professional life seem to become intertwined. While many experts offer business advice or self-help, there is very little guidance out there on how to integrate these aspects, and other parts of your life, into a life that you love. Today’s guest is Jeffrey Shaw, speaker, small business coach, and author of The Self-Employed Life: Business and Personal Development Strategies That Create Sustainable Success. He explains that, in business, the only thing you can control is the environment that you set up for the results that you want. He offers a lot of practical advice that integrates business and marketing strategies, with spirituality, gratitude, and personal development. Tuning in, you’ll hear about the self-employed ecosystem, the importance of trusting in something bigger than yourself in business, and the concept of hug marketing. Discover helpful tools like a ‘What’s going right?’ journal, the practice of space switching, and other tips to help you best help people you’re meant to serve. Tune in today for a discussion rich in helpful takeaways!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Claire explains that what’s been missing is really a lot of guidance as to how to be self-employed and how to create that business and life that you love. [00:01:32]
• An introduction to Jeffrey Shaw and his history as an entrepreneur. [00:02:07]
• Jeffery talks about the concept of the ‘self-employed ecosystem’ and the role of trust within it. [00:04:34]
• The importance of trusting in something bigger than yourself. [00:08:002]
• Thoughts on not being attached to an outcome. [00:09:10]
• How to accept the limits of what you can and can’t control in self-employment. [00:12:30]
• What a ‘What’s going right?’ journal is, and how it can help you. [00:13:17]
• Why you should acknowledge your efforts and not just your achievements. [00:17:43]
• Clare and Jeffrey discuss external validation from other people’s perceptions. [00:20:46]
• What space switching is and how it can fuel your energy and focus during the day. [00:24:03]
• Jeffrey talks about the concept of hug marketing as an alternative to funnel marketing. [00:30:34]
• Hear why Jeffrey suggests you “ditch the niche.” [00:27:41]
• The importance of dropping further into who you are so that the people you’re meant to serve can find you. [00:41:21]
• Why Jeffrey wrote The Self-Employed Life and the importance of integrating the personal and business aspects of your life when self-employed. [00:43:49].

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 Jeffrey Shaw — https://www.jeffreyshaw.com/

Jeffrey Shaw Email — info@jeffreyshaw.com 

Jeffrey Shaw on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyshawauthor/

Jeffrey Shaw on Twitter — https://twitter.com/jeffreyshaw1

Jeffrey Shaw on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/jeff.shaw.12

Jeffrey Shaw on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/jeffreyshaw/

Jeffrey Shaw on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQAwdXD-6XV9XZlUgqDs47w

Jeffery Shaw TED Talk — https://www.ted.com/talks/jeffrey_shaw_the_validation_paradox_finding_your_best_through_others  

LINGO — https://www.amazon.com/LINGO-Discover-Customers-Language-Irresistible-ebook/dp/B0784YW4D5/

The Self-Employed Life — https://www.amazon.com/Self-Employed-Life-Development-Strategies-Sustainable/dp/1774580047/

The Self-Employed Life Podcast — https://www.jeffreyshaw.com/podcast 

Black Sheep — https://www.amazon.com/Black-Sheep-Extraordinary-Awe-Inspiring-Undiscovered/dp/1989603440

WeWork — https://www.wework.com/

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

NAPO Podcast — https://napopodcast.com

NAPO, Inc on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfgICVg2b-bKSVmzoDKMrdg

Mridu Parikh shares a bunch of valuable strategies that she uses to increase her value, credibility, and visibility to make sure that corporations and associations keep on engaging in her services. We talk to Mridu about website curation, consistent content creation, and her routine outward marketing strategies. Mridu shares her advice for dealing with rejection, tailoring pitches, and a whole lot more. 

We all know the feeling of setting goals and intentions, only to find that we were unable to reach them because we became distracted by something else. What you may not know is that there are specific mechanisms which cause us to become distracted, and there are practical tools we can utilize to help us overcome them (these are not just life-hacks, they really work). Nir Eyal, after a profound moment in which his daughter showed him how easily distracted he was, went on a journey of discovery which culminated in his second book, Indistractable. In the pursuit of indistractability, the importance of planning cannot be overstated, but Nir stresses that we need to move away from to-do lists and plan in a way that allows us to live in alignment with our values. In today’s episode, Nir also explains the three other steps in the process of shedding our distractibility, and how we can learn to harness our psychological powers in order to live our most fulfilling lives.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Hear about the profoundly impactful moment with his daughter which inspired Nir to write Indistractable. [00:02:59]
• How our tendency to live in a distracted state negatively impacts our entire lives. [00:06:00]
• Definitions of distraction and (its opposite) traction. [00:07:48]
• How sometimes, even things that feel productive are actually distractions, and why this type of distraction is so dangerous. [00:09:23]
• The healthy way to make use of technology. And no, you don’t have to give up social media! [00:10:49]
• Internal triggers versus external triggers, and which ones lead to more distracting actions. [00:11:10]
• Step one to becoming indistractable. [00:12:26]
• Why it’s better to tell yourself, “Not yet,” rather than, “No”; the 10-minute rule. [00:13:55]
• What it means to surf the urge, and the type of dialog you should have with yourself during this time. [00:17:00]
• How planning your day on a time-focused basis differs from running your life on a to-do list; and which one will help you become indistractable. [00:19:46]
• Psychological reactance; an explanation of our inherent tendency to rebel against being told what to do. [00:23:50]
• Ways that we can change our mindset around planning our time. [00:25:03]
• What it really means to be an indistractable person. [00:28:47]
• A practical example of how to hack back external triggers (many more of which can be found in Nir’s book). [00:30:05]
• How Nir defines values, and how planning will help you live in accordance with your values. [00:32:30]
• Reasons that, on average, people take three times longer to finish a task than they had planned. [00:34:07]
• Pacts as the last line of defense against distraction. [00:36:01]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Hooked by Nir Eyal

Indistractable by Nir Eyal

Focusmate

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

NAPO Podcast — https://napopodcast.com

Today, we are diving into some of the productivity-related challenges that businesses face with Nathan Austin, author, international speaker, coach, and small business and community advocate.  In this episode, we learn about the communication and collaboration hurdles that all companies face.

Today we get an inside peek into the world of masterminds from a real expert. Aaron Walker is a vastly successful entrepreneur and someone who attributes a lot of his success to the masterminds he has attended. He makes some strong arguments for community and how isolation can lead to the death of your dreams. We also talk about accountability, networks and the formats that masterminds groups can take for optimum results.

Today we are so lucky to welcome productivity consultant, Debbie Rosemont, to the show to talk about her journey as a business owner, the important transitions she has made, and why adjusting your company to suit your needs and goals can be one of the most powerful tools for success! In our chat, we get into some thoughts on finding fulfillment, facing fears, dealing with leads, and building the right kind of business. Debbie started her company, Simply Placed, almost 20 years ago, and since then has used specific moments of her life as the compass for deciding the next direction to head in. Our guest has a strong commitment to community, and we also talk a little about referrals and the benefits of a network of like-minded professionals. So to hear all about this inspiring business and its fabulous owner, be sure to join us for another great episode of Stand Out!

Key Points From This Episode:

• [00:01:42] A little bit about Debbie, her background, and her company Simply Placed.
• [00:03:32] Clarifying the work that Simply Placed does, and their evolution over time.
• [00:05:20] The part-time model that inspired Debbie's business and the pivots they have made.
• [00:07:59] The need to redefine success and realign goals constantly.
• [00:09:14] Increasing impact and revenue; the important variables for these goals.
• [00:11:59] How Debbie approaches the idea of fulfillment and its relation to the growth of her business.
• [00:13:05] Escaping the negative impacts of hustle culture and our conditioning.
• [00:15:08] The power of saying no and opening up more space through focus.
• [00:18:02] The lessons and signals that we can use to evolve our business.
• [00:19:40] How Debbie deals with leads and her approach to referrals.
• [00:21:35] Debbie's advice for listeners looking to make a shift and wondering where to start.
• [00:23:30] The constant process of refinement of a business; how excitement translates into success!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

Debbie Rosemont on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbierosemontsimplyplaced

Simply Placed — https://www.itssimplyplaced.com/

Today we have two wonderful guests on the show to share their thoughts and experiences in our ongoing discussion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI. Janine Sarna-Jones is a certified professional organizer and certified move manager, and has a history with NAPO stretching back 20 years! Todd Allan started his work in organizing focusing on residential projects but has graduated to the digital space, applying his love of technology to help clients deal with digital clutter, specializing in Google Workspace and Evernote. In today's chat, we spend some time unpacking the personal and professional realms to diversity, equity, and inclusion, talking about awareness, alignment, action. Our guests highlight the power of noticing, share some ideas about speaking up and how to go about this, the role of the ally, and much more! This conversation fully embodies the nuanced nature of the subject, and the need for personalized choices, a strong stance, and most importantly, necessary change in the world around us. So to hear it all from Clare, Todd, and Janine, be sure to listen in today on Stand Out!

Key Points From This Episode:

• [00:04:54] Opening thoughts from our guests on the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• [00:11:56] Janine's upbringing in East Palo Alto and experiences of otherness.
• [00:16:27] The idea of masking and how Todd's early years impacted his later life.
• [00:21:04] Balancing genuine curiosity with sensitivity to the offense that can be caused.
• [00:25:48] The kinds of questions that might make people uncomfortable in certain circumstances.
• [00:32:44] An approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion that focuses on overcoming hurdles.
• [00:36:39] Thoughts on the continual journey of learning, compassion, and questioning.
• [00:38:02] The work of allies and some simple steps towards better awareness and action.
• [00:43:48] Todd's story of a homophobic joke, speaking out, and the positive results.
• [00:47:17] Applying the lessons of diversity, equity, and inclusion to the organizing profession.
• [00:51:37] Reflecting on the DEI initiatives at NAPO and the work that is still to be done!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

Todd Allan on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-allan

Strctured Space — https://structuredspace.net/

Janine Sarna-Jones on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsarnajones

Organize Me Inc. — https://organizeme-inc.com/

Evernote — https://evernote.com/

NASMM — https://www.nasmm.org/

NABPO — https://nabpo.org/

The Painted Bird — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18452.The_Painted_Bird

Clare Kumar on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarekumar/?originalSubdomain=ca

Today on Stand Out we welcome the inspiring Emily Parks, professional productivity and organizing tech consultant and the founder of Organize for Success. Emily shares her personal journey and how she got into the industry, joined NAPO, her public speaking gigs and the current services she offers clients.

Today’s show we welcome newbie, Mary Jo Contello. After working in the corporate world for almost 20 years, MJ decided to leave an entire career behind to start her own business, Organized by MJ. In this episode, we really dissect MJ’s journey in her first years of being a professional organizer and recognizing that still being in those beginning stages is okay.

Learn more at napo.net

In this episode, we're sitting down with Carol Kaemmerer,  a nationally recognized speaker, coach, corporate trainer specializing in personal branding and LinkedIn for executives, and author of the book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive.  Here, Carol shows us how we can use keywords, video, logos, and the LinkedIn headline to make our profiles truly shine. 

In today’s episode, we are joined by Jocelyn Kenner to talk about working with seniors and downsizing. There is not as much information on organizing for seniors as there is for other markets, so it is important to do research and understand the ways that senior clients are different from others. Jocelyn shares some of the challenges she has faced working with seniors and how she has to had to shift her thinking slightly to still achieve success.

“When you think about it, our day starts and it ends in our closet.” These are the words of today’s guest Naeemah Ford Goldson, who joins us as we delve into the world of closets! Naeemah is a NAPO member, the proud owner of Restore Order Professional Organizing, and the host of her own podcast Organize Me! Radio. She's also a member of the ICD and the founder of NABPO which is the National Association of Black Professional Organizers, a non-profit that seeks to empower BIPOC Professional Organizers. Naeemah joins us to help us get a current take on what's hot in the land of closets! She explains why closets are so important, why they should be customized, and how our individual sizes and shapes affect the way we should design them. We discuss how putting things away affects the design of the closet, why it’s so important for the hamper to be convenient and functional, and how to design a closet for two people with different organizing styles. To discover valuable tips for organizing professionals who are looking for closet solutions for their clients, and what is currently trending in design finishes and colors, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Naeemah Ford Goldson’s thoughts on why closets should be customized. [00:02:52].
• How our sizes and shapes affect the way we design closets. [00:04:42].
• Other things to consider when customizing closet space. [00:05:53].
• Why you should edit your closet content before you do inventory. [00:07:40].
• How putting things away affects the design of the closet. [00:09:25].
• The importance of the hamper being convenient and functional. [00:10:50].
• Tips on how to design a closet for two people with different organizing styles.[00:11:50].
• Naeemah’s favorite thing to use in a closet: a valet rod. [00:13:06].
• Tips for organizing professionals looking for closet solutions for their clients [00:14:27].
• Whether or not you should factor kickbacks into your fee. [00:15:14].
• How Naeemah goes about designing a closet using graphing paper. [00:19:09].
• Insight into what is currently trending in design finishes and colors. [00:22:19].
• One of Naeemah’s favorite closet organizing products: the shelf divider. [00:24:49].

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Restore Order — https://restoreordernow.com/

Naeemah Ford Goldson on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/naeemah-ford-goldson

Institute for Challenging Disorganization — https://icdorg.memberclicks.net/

National Association of Black Professional Organizers — https://nabpo.org/

Organize Me! Radio — https://restoreordernow.com/organize-me-radio

Restore Order on Twitter — https://twitter.com/RestoreOrder

Restore Order on Facebook — https://facebook.com/RestoreOrderNow/

Restore Order on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/restore_order_now/

Restore Order with Naeemah on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/user/RestoreOrderNow

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

NAPO Podcast — napopodcast.com

Every day, we are gaining more expertise as organizers and productivity specialists. And we would not be in this business if we didn’t have a passion for it. Well, that’s all you need to add a whole new revenue stream into your business! That’s right, you could become a paid public speaker. That idea might be a little scary for some of us, but it doesn’t have to be.

On this episode of Stand Out, Sarah talks with guest David Newman about tons of marketing tips, and then they get down to the business of public speaking; how to get started, what to charge, how to stay sharp as a speaker. So if the idea of adding thousands of dollars to your monthly revenue sounds interesting, check out this episode.

David Newman is the author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Do It! Marketing: 77 Instant-Action Ideas to Boost Sales, Maximize Profits and Crush Your Competition.

David works with executives and entrepreneurs who want to position themselves as thought-leaders and generate MORE leads, BETTER prospects and BIGGER sales.

David’s background overlaps three key areas. First, David has worked inside organizations as the client; he has also worked as a speaker and consultant himself for Fortune 500 companies; and finally, he’s helped over 500 speakers, authors, consultants, and experts raise their game and deliver their highest value.

What You Will Learn in this Episode:

• The difference between lead generating and paid speaking
• How to really hit your targets with the equation: price x quantity = total
• Why you can’t let a client’s budget dictate your fee
• The dynamic speaker compared with the magnetic speaker
• The art of “one-to-many” prospecting
• How to find speaking gigs
• The key question that turns speaking into clients
• How to price yourself as a professional speaker, not an amateur
• How to make it simple for people to know that you are a speaker
• Why participating in your Toastmasters chapter is like going to the gym

Diversity, inclusion, and representation are essential in any field. Unfortunately, most of our institutions still have a long way to go in addressing this. It’s unsurprising that in response to this type of exclusion, whether intentional or not, people of color and other minorities have often formed support groups and alternative organizations where they can find much-needed solidarity and understanding. Today on the show we talk with Carolyn Rogers, an electrical and software engineer and organizer, and one of the six founders of Ebony & Orderly as well as the National Association of Black Professional Organizers (NABPO). We discuss the many positive elements of NAPO, its unfortunate lack of diversity, and some of the steps they’re taking to rectify this. Carolyn reflects on how gravitating towards people who look like us is part of human nature and the important role that human connection has played in her career as an organizer. She describes how NABPO was formed out of a desire to serve a broader community, why NABPO is all about inclusivity, and how anyone can get involved. We also take a closer look at how intimate and personal being an organizer can be and why trust between a client and organizer is essential. To learn more about NABPO, building community, diversity, inclusion, and much more, make sure you tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing the National Association of Black Professional Organizers (NABPO) and today’s guest Carolyn Rogers [00:00:33].
• The group Ebony & Orderly and how it inspired the formation of NABPO [00:03:06].
• How NABPO first started gaining clients and hosting conferences. [00:05:30]
• The importance of helping people see the benefits of getting organized. [00:06:14].
• The figures that have brought awareness to organizing as a career and a service. [00:07:18].
• How the COVID-19 pandemic has created a demand for organizational services. [00:09:14].
• The current state of Ebony & Orderly and how its members are supporting each other's individual journeys. [00:10:18].
• How human connections have helped Carolyn move forward in organizing. [00:13:56].
• How the formation of NABPO came about. [00:16:26].
• Some of the diversity challenges of NAPO. [00:16:52].
• The sense of belonging that comes from being in environments that contain diversity when you’re a person of color. [00:19:02].
• How minorities support each other in different industries, like engineering. [00:20:59].
• The shifts and pushback we’ve noticed from people when it comes to inclusivity. [00:22:54]
• Some of the shifts that have taken place in advertising and representing diversity. [00:25:50]
• The benefits that have come out of NABPO and Ebony & Orderly for the communities that they serve. [00:27:10]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ebony & Orderly — https://ebonyandorderly.com/

National Association of Black Professional Organizers (NABPO) — https://nabpo.org/

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

This conversation weaves together our love of organizing and helping clients with the idea of  better understanding how to motivate and inspire clients who may not be excited about this particular prospect. Our guest today is Gretchen Rubin, she is the author of several New York Times bestsellers, Outer Order, Inner Calm, Better Than Before, The Happiness Project, Happier at Home, and The Four Tendencies. Gretchen has insight, not only into getting organized, or as she calls it, 'creating inner order and outer calm', but also has deeply explored motivation, personal preferences, and tendencies for ways of showing up. Gretchen delights in enormous readership of her blog and books which have sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide in more than 30 languages. She has made frequent TV appearances and is in high-demand as a speaker. She’s also a CBS News contributor and on her weekly podcast, you can get direct access to Gretchen’s wisdom! Today we will be exploring both Outer Order, Inner Calm, and The Four Tendencies, so make sure to tune in for an amazing conversation with a super special guest!

Key Points From This Episode:

• [0:04:35] Gretchen describes the concept of each of The Four Tendencies: upholder, questioner, obliger, rebel
• [00:05:39] The difference between inner and outer expectations.
• [00:05:56] Upholders: their motto is, “Discipline is my freedom.|
• [00:06:05] Questioners: their motto is, “I’ll comply if you convince me why.”
• [00:06:25] Obliger: their motto is, “You can count on me and I’m counting on you to count on me.”
• [00:08:07] Rebel: their motto is, “You can’t make me and neither can I.”
• [00:08:40] How to keep in mind tendencies when you are working with clients or customers.
• [00:09:50] The thing about rebels and their partnerships; factors to keep in mind!
• [00:13:08] We discuss the amount that outer order contributes to inner calm.
• [00:14:40] Hobby organizers, inspired organizers, reluctant organizers, and wishful organizers.
• [00:17:02] We talk about the highly sensitive person, and catering to them out of love.
• [00:21:00] Is it your problem to solve? How to navigate different personalities.
• [00:24:07] It’s not about throwing everything out, but rather the clutter that’s getting in the way of what’s important to you.
• [00:25:09] What’s piquing Gretchen’s interest these days; My Don’t Break the Chain Tracker.
• [00:27:43] More on Gretchen's Know Yourself Better Journal!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

NAPO — http://napo.net/join

Gretchen Rubin — https://gretchenrubin.com/

Gretchen Rubin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenrubin/

Gretchen Rubin on Twitter — https://twitter.com/gretchenrubin

Gretchen Rubin on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/GretchenRubin

Gretchen Rubin on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/gretchenrubin/

Outer Order, Inner Calm — https://gretchenrubin.com/books/outer-order-inner-calm/about-the-book

The Four Tendencies — https://gretchenrubin.com/books/the-four-tendencies/intro/

The Quiz — quiz.gretchenrubin.com

Happier with Gretchen Rubin — https://gretchenrubin.com/podcasts/

My Don’t Break the Chain Tracker — https://the-happiness-project.com/products/dont-break-the-chain-habit-tracker

Know Yourself Better — https://the-happiness-project.com/products/know-yourself-better-journal

In this episode, we are featuring Melissa Belliard, a professional organizer at Living Peace in Arlington, Massachusetts, and a member of NAPO New England, a holistic organizers special interest group.  She shares some of the ways that she uses her own intuition, what that might look like, and how you can tap into your own intuition in a way that will improve your personal and professional life.

Conference Chair for NAPO 2020, Wendy Buglio, a Certified Professional Organizer (CPO) with a background in advertising, shares the direct impact that attending these yearly events has had on her business and career. She also tells us more about the NAPO 2020 theme, schedule, the four different tracks attendees can follow, and the unique educational, certification, coaching, and networking opportunities that will be available to attendees

The world of tech can feel overwhelming, with endless resources available and many ongoing changes arising. On today’s episode we speak with Kim Osner, owner of Need Another You, a virtual, organizing and productivity company based in Washington, DC. She shares some golden tips for organizing and automating your tech life to support and organize your life, rather than being a hindrance to your productivity. We start off the episode with an introduction to our guest and she tells us why she considers herself to be a ‘tech extrovert’. We go on to talk a bit about Clubhouse, the new kid on the social media block. Next, Kim offers us a pearl of wisdom: most technological glitches can be resolved by changing a setting. She touches on the coin shortage during the COVID19 pandemic and tells us why it is beneficial to stick with one host when you are securing domains. We talk about marketing automation as a home base and Kim shares with us her preferred method of organizing content. She gives us some insight into the ile system she currently uses and tells us about the four inboxes that support this. Next up, we talk about the two parts of a tech audit and Kim emphasizes the value of setting reminders in your calendar. We talk about Clubhouse and TikTok and Kim stresses the importance of not just giving up your time to anyone who wants it. Tune in today for some stellar practical insights on making technology work for you. We hope you join us!

Key Points From This Episode:

• A bit about Kim’s background and why she considers herself to be a ‘tech extrovert’ [00:00:30].
• Kim’s tips on how to get comfortable using Clubhouse, the new kid on the social media block. [00:03:36].
• Why you should ask yourself: what part do I want to take on? [00:06:22].
• How most technological problems can be solved by changing a setting [00:09:37].
• Why there was a coin shortage during the COVID19 pandemic [00:11:45].
• Why it is beneficial to stick with one host when you are choosing a domain [00:13:44].
• How to find the domain that suits you and why this comes down to preference [00:17:23].
• Your marketing automation method as your ‘home base’ [00:17:30].
• Kim’s preferred method of organizing content [00:25:06].
• How Kim developed the file system she currently uses with four inboxes [00:27:31].
• The two parts of a tech audit: what you download and what you subscribe to [00:29:15].
• The value of setting reminders in your calendar [00:31:34].
• Thoughts on Clubhouse and TikTok [00:35:47].
• Why you don’t have to give up your time to any random person who wants it [00:38:12].

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Kim Oser on Twitter
• Need Another You on LinkedIn
• Need Another You on Facebook
• Need Another You on Instagram
• Need Another You on YouTube
• Happy Space Podcast Facebook Group
• NAPO