Do what you LOVE - find your Passion and WORK is replaced by a PURPOSE!

Do what you Love . . . Don’t just Work as a Means to an End

I was listening to a radio show the other day and they were talking about jobs and how people should not whine about having to work – it’s a means to an ends. . . 

There was a caller that kept changing jobs because she was unhappy with her workmates, they annoyed her, they were not intelligent enough, she got bored, or whatever other reasons she tossed out there – she was not happy at her work.  I just kept thinking, “She is in the wrong industry.”  If someone is that unhappy in their job that they keep looking for “it” somewhere else – and job hops, and hates going to work – they need to do something else. 

I kept thinking to myself:  “They need to find their passion.”

However the advice from the radio people was, “Suck it up.”  They actually said for working, “We do what we have to in order to have the life we want.” 

In other words a job is just a paycheck and working is part of what we all HAVE to do in order to pay bills and have a life that we hopefully enjoy.  It does not really matter if you really like it or enjoy the people you work with . . . you do it because you have to in order to live the life you want.

WRONG.  Anyone else find something wrong with that advice?

Settling for a job just to pay bills – is a miserable existence.  I know many people do it and I also know for many in this economy having any job is a blessing . . . but I just feel sad for those people.

Finding a passion is the key to happiness in the work world.  I think high school counselors should be helping kids discover their passions – whatever it is – and steer that child into an industry they will enjoy – not just figure out what jobs pay the best and steer that kid into an industry they will hate.

Why did I have a physician in one of my recent ASP® Training classes?  She has a full-fledged career as a Doctor – M.D. – and yet wants to be a Home Stager.  This person was so full of life and creative energy – her field (oncology) was stifling that in her – and dealing with death and dying was just not fueling her passion.  She was good at it – but she wanted something more.

Realizing there is an industry that pays well and will fuel that creativity opened the door of opportunity for her . . . I expect her to be very successful and much happier as a professional Home Stager!

Follow your Passion!  Then work is not drudgery or just a means to an end . . . it is something you look forward to every day! 

You know how some people just get through the week and then live for the weekend?  I live for Staging!  I get so excited when I get to work with a client and help them get their house ready for sale!

But in order to follow your Passion, you have to know what your Passion is.  It might be working with kids, or gardening, or writing or health and fitness, or old cars, or any number of things. . . There are careers for all those fields – they may not pay the same as you are making now – or maybe they will pay more – but what I have found is that I would easily give up $$$ in order to be HAPPY in what I am doing daily and be motivated to be the best in that field that I can be!

I thought about all this and realized how lucky I am to have found Home Staging.  I had a passion for creative things – decorating, painting, remodeling houses, and found this industry.  It is my work – and yet it is not a means to an ends only.  It’s not just a way to provide income to my family so we can do what we love.  It is my passion!

My motto is, “I do what I love so I can live the life I love.”

I love Staging.  In fact all the Stagers I know love Staging.  We did it for free for much of our lives for crying out loud!  Finding there was an industry that would actually pay me for my creative energy and ideas is the icing on the cake.  Knowing I am helping other people (one of my passions), using my creativity and talent (another of my passions) and earning great income (a great benefit of the industry – and OK a passion as who does not want to be paid well?) is the proverbial trifecta of working for me!

So if you are reading this and are doing what you love, say a little prayer of thanks as you truly are blessed.  If you know someone that is unhappy in what they are doing – ask them, “What you are really passionate about?”

It’s never too late to re-invent yourself.

Age is just a number and I’d rather go out of this life doing what I love than suffer in silence or never discover and use my true passion.

Being Guido - How to Get Control of Your Money Flow - by Jennie Norris, ASPM, IAHSP-Premier, BTS, REO, SRS - Owner, Sensational Home Staging

Being Guido 

How to Get Control of Your Money Flow

Most people have seen those movies – the gangster flick where the bad guy named Guido talks with a thick Brooklyn or Italian accent and roughs up some other character as part of the plot.  No one likes Guido.  I bet Guido does not even like being Guido.

Yet so many Staging business colleagues put themselves in that role of the enforcer, collector - well, Guido.   The good news is there are ways to get away from being in that role.

Back before merchant accounts were part of our business process, I would invoice clients for payment and then wait expectantly for a check to be mailed to me or left for me to pick up.  I am sure they meant well and had every intention of paying me on time and in full, but then some unexpected bill came up or they forgot they had to pay for some other thing – and my invoice went to the bottom of the stack.  It was not just sellers – it was also Realtors.  Paying for the Staging services was not a priority to them – but to me it was my only source of income and was a priority for me to support my family.  Staging is not a hobby to me – it is a full-fledged business and so I had to find a way to ensure others understood that fact.

Let’s face it – to a client, paying for Staging services does not seem quite as important as paying for a house payment or other pressing bills.  Hounding people for payment took the joy and focus off what Staging is about – making properties more marketable, making sellers and Realtors happy, and ultimately earning money in my business.

With how far we have come with many different options for processing credit or debit cards for payments I am left scratching my head when I hear colleagues complain about not getting paid.  It is so easy to avoid being Guido.  Set up a merchant account.  

Require clients to provide you with a valid credit or debit card number.  Process that payment at the onset of the next billing cycle and before a third party rental company may collect from you.  If that card is declined when you go to process it, there is no Staging that takes place.  If you process it for ongoing rental and the card declines, you pick up your stuff.   Period.  No leaving things in place believing that the check is on its way.  My experience is when a client has poor intentions and is going to default on paying, they will do it when you give them an easy way to make it happen.  When you take control of the money processing, these people cannot get away with not paying.

Leaving inventory in place with no client payment means you end up in the hole financially with little recourse.  Colleagues that have not been paid and are not in charge of their business money flow talk about having to put liens on the property or go to small claims court.  Both options create a negative situation that takes our focus off being productive.  They can also take a long time to be resolved.

Bottom line – Stop being Guido.  Don’t accept checks for large projects and/or for those projects that have repeat inventory payments.  Period.  No matter how nice a client is, or how good their intentions are, we leave ourselves open for being taken advantage of by not having professional standards that are communicated and enforced up front.  Someone that wants to only pay by check can provide a debit card – it is the same thing as the funds are pulled from the bank account.

I put away my Guido hat years ago – as soon as merchant accounts became available to me.  I gladly pay the processing fees that are far, far less than the cost of my time to hunt people down and hound them for payment.  I typical Staging project merchant fees are nominal compared to the thousands of dollars of my time and energy spent dealing with non-payment clients, not to mention the sleepless nights wondering how I am going to cover other bills I have to pay.  Just because a client has not paid is not a good reason for lack of payment to a vendor or service provider I owe.

There are numerous options for merchant accounts from your bank, credit union, online resources, and so forth.  You want to check the various terms and fees from the providers to ensure there are not hidden costs and negotiate low processing fees. 

So, in the words of Guido, “Fuhgetaboutit” – get a merchant account and enter the world of easy money processing.  No more waiting on others – we are in control of our money flow.   It is so easy, makes sense for a business owner that plans on growing, owning and operating a successful, thriving and profitable Staging business for years to come.

The Staging Iceberg

The Staging Iceberg

by Jennie Norris, ASPM, IAHSP-Premier, SRS, BTS, REO

Owner, Sensational Home Staging

Denver Region's Premier Home Staging Resource

     An iceberg is a beautiful sight resting in the water.  It looks like a floating hill or mountain of ice and what we know about icebergs is they can be lethal underneath because 90% of their mass is actually underwater.  That mass was strong enough to sink the Titanic and can cause incredible damage to those that do not steer clear of them.  I think the iceberg is a perfect analogy for a business where what our clients and the public see is the pretty and polished part, and what they don’t see is the churning mass  that lies beneath the surface that keeps the top afloat. 

 

     When people hear that I own and operate a successful Staging business or see one of my marketing brand items that lets them know what I do, what I usually hear is, “What you do looks like so much fun!   I just love decorating!”  

 

If only it were that simple. 

 

     When we are skilled at what we do, we end up making it seem easy because we have learned how to run a business successfully and show the smooth outcome to the public. 

     I have had clients think they have overpaid for Staging because the end result looks fabulous and they figure it took no time at all to achieve the finished outcome.  The television programs that promote Staging could not possible show the actual work that is part of every successful Staging business – there is simply not enough time.  Overall the media has been a blessing and a curse to Stagers.  They give exposure to the service of Staging but do not show the reality of what is entailed.  A Stager that is “featured” on one of these shows gets a microsecond of exposure, maybe a few words of dialogue, possibly show them hauling stuff out of a truck, but rarely show the back story of how they got to the point of the installation.

     I get calls all the time from people that want to do what I do – to “be a Stager.” They have no clue what it entails outside of us making a house look better before it comes on the market.  They see the finished product and hear about the success and statistics that support Staging.  They might even hear that Staging pays well and think it is easy money.  I don’t discourage people and yet I know that they have no clue all that goes into being successful.  Wanting it is not enough.  Working hard every day and being committed with an attitude of perseverance is what it takes.

    
     What they see is just the tip of the iceberg.  Are we making it look too easy?  Should we show more of the churning chaos that is happening underneath and sink a ship or two from time to time?

   What they don’t see or know about is all the people that have started a business and failed or quit because turns out it was hard work.  Client don't just fall into our laps.  They don’t see the hours of education to learn about our industry. They don’t see the many hours of unpaid work we put in to get that first client and continual unpaid hours we put in to ensure we get new clients.  They don’t see the physically demanding part where you haul items into or out of a house – and your hair is so sweaty you can wring it out.  They don’t feel the sore muscles and backs we have after a long day.  They don’t experience the many miles of driving back and forth across town to get to appointments or secure inventory. 

    They don’t see the mental gymnastics we go through to coordinate multiple projects and many moving parts.  They don’t hear the many conversations we have with Realtors or sellers that don’t believe Staging will help and some tell us more kindly than others.  They don’t see the various personalities we deal with and have to please as we go through the process with our clients.  They don’t know the hours put towards branding and marketing a business just to get that first opportunity and the volume of hours we put towards maintaining and nurturing client relationships.

     They also don’t see the "predators" out there – sharks that want to take our business or other aspects of the industry that are out of our control – such as the real estate market and the economy that both can have a huge impact on our success.

     Of course everyone would like to do what I do and earn the income I earn.  I have been at this 13 years and have learned along the way from mistakes that can only come from being in the trenches.  At the end of the day when an assistant bails on me and just decides not to show up to destage a house, guess who has to go to the house and pull all the items out, loading bins and art and schlepping to the Staging rig?  Me, that’s who.  At the end of the day, it is MY business and “the buck stops here” applies to any Staging business owner working to be successful. 

     If the project does not go as planned and a client is unhappy, it is not the worker-bee that gets reprimanded.  It is the company owner.  Accepting responsibility and being able to handle tough situations separates the wannabes from the successful Stagers in this industry.  When the going gets tough I cannot – I will not - pack up my tent and go home.  This is my livelihood and I have to make it work because I support my family with this business.  And because I love what I do.  And because I would not choose to go back to my old life of working a 9-5 job.  The hours, the sore muscles, cranky clients and other chaos that might occur are worth it to me because I love Staging.   I also love the transformations I am part of whether it is the physical house or the mindset of a client.

      Just like icebergs are constantly growing and changing under water, we too have to change and adapt to the market and industry expectations.  Being able to remain viable while also being competitive is an art and science.  Finding other niches for income that take advantage of our creativity and talent is always happening and being able to keep a lookout and be forward focused on the horizon for new opportunities is our goal.

     I don’t believe that the public will ever really fully understand what goes on beneath the surface of my business and I don’t need to them to know every aspect. I educate them about what I do and my processes to help them achieve their goals and keep the back details private as they really don’t need to know all of that.  They just need to know I am able to help them and they are in capable hands.   Only when someone enters the waters of owning and operating a Staging business will they truly have full appreciation for all that goes on to make our clients properties look fabulous and help them achieve higher success.  And then they will finally have the appreciation for successful Stagers in business all over the world. 

______________________________________________________________________________

Jennie Norris is the Owner of Sensational Home Staging serving the greater Denver region.  Since 2002 she has helped over 3,000 properties look their best before coming on the market.  She is one of only a few hundred Accredited Staging Professional Master Stagers in the world and provides her leadership and mentoring to colleagues worldwide. (303)717-7918   www.SensationalHome.com

No Gimmicks – Just Staging - We are not a ME TOO industry

No Gimmicks – Just Staging - We are not a ME TOO industry

I was watching “What Women Want” recently - great movie from Mel Gibson’s heyday – and one of the slogans he and Helen Hunt come up with for Nike was, “No Games. Just Sports.” It got me thinking. With Staging – there are so many “sister” industries sticking a toe into what we do that I am concerned that the public may not be fully aware of what is really needed to sell their house.

Do we really want to be a “ME TOO” industry where

anyone can claim to be a specialist in Home Staging?

What industries am I talking about?
1. Decorating

2. Interior Design

3. Feng Shui

4. Professional Organizing

I have respect for people that are trained in these areas but they are not professional Home Stagers.

To me someone that is a professional has training and knowledge about the industry they serve – Real Estate – and knows where the lines are drawn between these stand-alone industries. This is not to say that someone that has a business in the areas above can’t Stage – I just believe wholeheartedly that they need to get educated about what Staging principles are so that they are providing true Staging – not applying the principles of their specialty industry without understanding what the goals are for Staging a house – because that does not serve the client in the best way and the outcome is not going to be what the client wants or deserves.

And they are NOT the same as Home Staging.

Just because they THINK they know what to do – does not mean they do – and I have seen enough “staged” houses by non-professional "stagers" to know it is becoming a major issue for our industry. If we don’t address it now – our industry will be watered down, we will lose money to these “ME TOO” people, and the purity of Staging will be lost.

Let’s take a look at how they differ from pure Home Staging.

Home Staging:

Definition:

a) Home staging is the act of preparing a private residence for sale in the real estate marketplace, regardless of location or condition. It is using the seller’s timeframe and budget to prepare their house for sale so it appeals to the most buyers, sells faster and at the best price.

The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, thereby selling a property more swiftly and for more money. Staging techniques focus on improving a property's appeal by transforming it into a welcoming, attractive product that anyone might want. Staging involves depersonalizing a home to make it a house that any buyer can envision themselves living in, and create a broad buyer appeal. It is also a method for protecting the Seller and their family as their house is being marketed to the mass public. The house can still have warmth and pizzazz with things that add color but the goal is to sell the house.

Now, as you read these definitions below – ask yourself, “Do any of the definitions (found online) say the words, ‘real estate’ or ‘prepare a house for sale’??”

1. Decorating:

Definition:

a)Make (something) look more attractive by adding ornament to it.

b).Provide (a room or building) with a color scheme, paint, wallpaper, etc.

Decorating is the service of dressing up a home – it is all about personalizing the home for the people that live there. When selecting paint colors or decorative treatments there is no thought to a buyer and what they would like to see in the home because these people are not selling. So, when a Decorator sticks a toe into Staging their focus is naturally going to be on the “stuff” versus the space.

2. Interior Design

Definition:

a)The art or process of designing the interior decoration of a room or building.

interior design - the trade of planning the layout and furnishings of an architectural interior that may include architectural layout, lighting, painting and furnishing a home or commercial building.

b) the branch of architecture dealing with the selection and organization of furnishings for an architectural interior

Interior Design is also about personalizing the interior of a home or building. Interior design is a multi-faceted profession in which creative and technical solutions are applied within a structure to achieve a built interior environment. These solutions are functional, enhance the quality of life and culture of the occupants and are aesthetically attractive.

3. Feng Shui

Definition:

a) (in Chinese thought) A system of laws considered to govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy (qi).

b) The Chinese art or practice of positioning objects, especially graves, buildings, and furniture, based on a belief in patterns of yin and yang and the flow of chi that have positive and negative effects.

According to feng shui websites by feng shui practitioners, The aim of feng shui is to create a living and working (and dying — feng shui is for graveyards, too) environment in harmony with nature and the flow of energy.

4. Professional Organizing

Definition:

a) Professional organizing is an industry that has been developed in order to help individuals and businesses design systems and processes using organizing principles and through transferring skills.

Professional organizers aim to help individuals and businesses take control of their surroundings, their time, their paper, and their systems for life. Professional organizers help redirect paradigms into more useful cross-applications that ensure properly co-sustainable futures for their clients' spaces and processes.

The definitions for ALL the sister industries are found online. Did you read the words, “REAL ESTATE, SELL A HOUSE, PREPARE HOUSE FOR SALE, OR SELLERS” IN ANY OF THE DEFINITIONS?

NO. Hmmmm.

How did this happen?

Well HGTV is in part to blame for the blurring of the lines between Home Staging and the sister industries. When you have shows called, “Design to Sell” and have an interior designer floating around the episodes doling out Staging advice – and in reality is remodeling the house and adding design elements – not Staging – it creates confusion within the industry and with the public.

Then I believe Professional Home Stagers that are successful are responsible too. Let me explain. Even though the industry was created in 1972, the late 90’s saw the birth of the launch of professional Stagers setting up businesses to serve Realtors and Sellers for the first time. Back then we were considered “the ugly stepchild” of the design world.

It has taken 12 years of professional Home Staging business owners educating the public and real estate industry about Home Staging to get where we are today. I believe that when the MONEY and SUCCESS part of Staging became known (because Staging can be lucrative) – these other industries realized that what WE do is a necessary part of Selling a house – and it is an industry that does not require a “mad money” mentality where a homeowner will only pay for it IF they have some extra money laying around, like the sister industries.

And they wanted a piece.

Because Staging increases the sellability of a house – Sellers realize it is mandatory and more than that, Realtors realize that it is now a mandatory part of Selling any house. Not only that, but Realtors that incorporate Staging as part of their business practices and listing services are more successful, and will be repeat clients for a professional Stager – versus the other industries that have to constantly be creating new clientele.

How do we “fix” this?

We all need to be sharing what Staging IS and what it is NOT – it is NOT decorating, interior design, feng shui or professional organizing. Staging is a service used in the Real Estate Industry – to prepare a house for sale. Period.

Can someone that is skilled in a sister industry also Stage – yes – BUT they need to understand that they are not using the same principles and the goals are not the same as their primary service area. I also believe they NEED TO GET TRAINING OR EDUCATION in Home Staging - whatever form that takes. The reverse is true too – I know many Home Stagers that are also talented in the sister industries. Usually they market that sister service as an off-shoot of what they do, and they have a background and education in that field.

Now before you get all fired up – if you are in one of the sister industries – I acknowledge that there are talented people in those industries that DO a great job with Staging – BUT those people understand the differences in the industries – and have been able to apply their talent and creativity to Staging – not try to make Staging fit design, decorating, feng shui or organizing.

Do you feel the way I do that it is disrespectful to those of us that invested a lot of time, dollars, and passion into our STAGING businesses to be LUMPED together with those that have done NONE of that?

The fact is any of us COULD market ourselves as a Feng Shui person, a Professional Organizer, or Decorator – because NONE of those industries are regulated. Anyone can set up shop in those fields.

I don’t do that – because I RESPECT those industries and the people serving them – and I UNDERSTAND that they are different than what I do – in process and goals. My passion is for Staging – I love what I do and the process behind it.

On behalf of all the talented Home Stagers serving the real estate industry, I respectfully ask for the SAME CONSIDERATION.

When I do a Staging to Live that is a home makeover I draw the line at where I know I am not qualified to help them – and bring in a re-designer, decorator, organizer, or design person to take over. I have NEVER been brought in to a project any of these sister industries are working on – with a homeowner that is selling – they just take the business. To me, that is wrong and does not show respect for professional Home Stagers everywhere.

My focus though will be on REALTORS and SELLERS – to make sure they know that those other industries are NOT Staging and should not be confused with what Home Staging is.  Hire the right person - the best person for the project - that knows what to do - and they will get the results they want.

Who’s with me?