Stand Out

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]

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 Tif

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 intro

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

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

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,

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 busi

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 yo

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 F

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 a

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

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 t

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 becomin

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 lev

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 get

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,

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

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

‘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 sensitivit

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