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.

Are You In Control of Your Business & Clients?

Are You in Control of Your Business & Clients?

 

By Jennie Norris, ASPM®, IAHSP-Premier®, ASP-SRS®, ASP-REO®, Owner, Sensational Home Staging

 

Someone once wisely taught me that we are in a people business and since we deal with people we cannot control what they do, think, or say.  Thanks, Barb Schwarz, for that valuable life and business lesson I learned back in 2002.  That principle has served me well over the years as I have grown a Home Staging business serving sellers, Realtors, builders and investors.  Even though we cannot control other people we can control our process, practices, and how we educate our clients, ultimately remaining in professional control of our business.

 

Have you ever had a seller of a vacant house tell you they don’t like your Staging or the items you used to prepare their house for sale?  I call this client “The Controller.”  Have you ever had a seller of an occupied house tell you they are not going to do what you recommend?  This client is “The Resistor.”   Any Stager that has been in business has definitely encountered both of these types of sellers.  They don’t like change.  They also are not thinking about the selling process in the right framework.  A house has to appeal to the BUYER – not the seller.

 

I met a couple selling their vacant house and as I toured the house to take photos, the wife wanted to know what type of furniture I was going to use, the colors, placement, and style (The Controller).  When I shared that I don’t work that way, I don’t solidify the plan until I am hired and make selections based on what I know works for their house based on their budget and be Staged for the target buyer, I am not sure she “got it.”  A seller that fancies themselves to be a “designer or decorator” and who wants control of the “look” is going to find themselves either paying much more than necessary for “staging” or be disappointed at the “look” because the Staging is not to their decorating taste.  I am reluctant to work with The Controller who does not relinquish the control because they never totally back off and will find something that “has to change” so they feel they are in control.  Personally, I don’t have the time or desire to work with that client.

 

I had an older couple decide they were not willing to do much of the Staging Consultation recommendations.  It surprises me when I hear this because when I left their house they were on board and had already started making piles of things that were going to be packed.  For them it is about change being hard and the physical aspect of having to pack and remove things.  This type of seller (The Resistor) can be brought around by letting them know they have help whether you as the Stager do the hands-on or their family members and friends are engaged to help.  Physical limitations are much easier to overcome than mental or emotional ones.

 

When we encounter these Sellers it might be hard to identify them up front and they don’t reveal themselves until after the Staging is completed.  So the goal then becomes bring up the concern BEFORE they do – by educating them how you work and reminding them of the goal of the Staging.   It all boils down to education.  When we fail to do this, and engage with these clients, we end up frustrated and spend time fixing what is broken when all we had to do was handle concerns and educate them up front – and decide if we want to engage them as our client.  We do have choices. 

 

The fact is, for both The Controller and The Resistor, they do not have to like what is done in their house.  Since they are not the buyer, the Staging is not being done for THEM – it is being done for the unknown buyer who we have not met.  We do not know anything about the buyer except they have money to invest in a property and are looking in that neighborhood.  We know nothing about their background, age, race, faith, family status, work status, or education.  A seller has to understand that even though they might be paying for the Staging it does not mean they have input on what is done and it does mean they have to trust us as the 3^rd Party expert.  It’s all about trust and establishing our professional leadership at the onset of the relationship.

 

By engaging in educational dialogue up front, it will help identify The Controller and The Resistor and allow us to make choices.   For me, if The Controller does not allow me to be in charge of my process, then I am walking away.  I  am not going to be relegated to criticism, requests to swap things out or make changes when I know the house is properly and appropriately Staged for the target buyer.  Not getting the business is the best thing that can happen in that situation because I know it will save me time and frustration.  My peace of mind and happiness for what I do for my clients is priceless to me.  If The Resistor fights me on every recommended change, then I have to ask myself, “Do I really want a client that will not listen to what I know is best for their property?”  When The Resistor shows up I am not going to put them in a head-lock and force them to implement recommendations.  They still have free will and a choice.  When I have done my part in educating them about WHY implementing the recommendations is important that is all I can ask of myself.

 

Engaging with people is always a learning experience.  When things don’t go as planned the key is not to beat ourselves up over what went “wrong.”  Instead, praise yourself for what went well, identify what did not go so well, and then make a change in a business practice, policy or dialogue with future clients so that we get the results we want and have a smooth process.  

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For help getting your house Staged to sell in the greater Denver region, call Sensational Home Staging – Jennie Norris at 303-717-7918 or 888-93-STAGE.  Over 2,700 houses Staged since 2002.  www.SensationalHome.com

Tranformation of Occupied House - Dallas ASP Course - April 2013. "It's not about the money - it's about Creativity"

Check out the latest ASP Staging Course from Stagedhomes.com - Before & After Transformation using only what the homeowner had combined with our students' creativity and ideas! Every room is made more sellable with Staging!

Staging With Your Family - How to Make it Work

Staging with Your Family - How to Make it Work

By Jennie Norris, ASPM, IAHSP-Premier, ASP-SRS, ASP-SRS

Owner, Sensational Home Staging

Denver Region's Premier Home Staging Resource

Building a Home Staging business is not easy. It takes perseverance and hard work, dedication and long hours. Toss the added challenge of having a family – and you have the question of “How do I make this all work?” How do you roll your roles as spouse, parent and business owner together without losing it?

When I started Staging 10 years ago, my 4 children (3 boys and a girl – the oldest) were 3 to 8 years old. I was also homeschooling them (did that for 5 years). No I am not nuts but love my children and that was the path we chose at that time. When it became necessary for me to once again contribute to our family income, I was determined to not go back into the corporate world where I would leave my children in child care and deliberately found a profession that not only used my creative talents, but was flexible as well. It was not easy to start a business with a 3, 4 ½, 6 ½ and 8 year old!

So I compromised and made it work. In the early years of my business, I did not go to client appointments in the day time. I had to get consultations done in the evening, and would Stage nights and weekends as needed. When I started getting more and more demands for daytime appointments, I added a team member whose kids were older so she was available in the daytime – and she handled those appointments. Stagers on my team will remember midnight completions of vacant Stagings, and zooming to a Starbucks that was about to close with warnings from us on the phone to stop cleaning their machines because we were going to make it in time! I did what it took to make it work. I was able to build a business around my family, I did sacrifice some time with them, and thankfully I have a husband who was supportive from the beginning, and would do child-duty at night when I had an appointment. And I am grateful Staging is flexible and being able to build a team of Stagers helped offload projects that I could not personally handle.

In the beginning my children could not help out much in the business because they were too young. They could help with administrative things like marketing pieces, organizing papers, and stuffing envelopes. You want to find ways to involve your children in your business so that they gain an appreciation for what you do, and eventually can grow into a business partner. You see there are ways to involve your family that are advantageous for you and them – because you can pay a family member any wage you determine for them to help you in your business. A child can earn over $5,000 tax free as your employee and the benefit is this money can then be used by them to purchase things they need such as clothes, school supplies, entertainment – things you would be paying for anyway – but now they are a legitimate tax write off for you. So I found ways to involve my family.

Our daughter (18) helps with the creative side of things in a Staging acting as an assistant on projects where I need help. She has also helped with marketing campaigns on occasion. My boys have grown up to become my labor. Our oldest son is now nearly 6 feet tall, weighs 190 pounds, and at 17 years old is proving himself to be strong, reliable, and did I mention strong? I will sometimes include some of his football buddies when I have a Staging that has bulky items to move around. These boys are polite, hard working, and happy to work for $20 and a pizza. Our two younger boys (13 ½ and almost 15) provide a labor resource for getting items from the vehicles into a house, helping to pack, load, and organize. I remember when our 2nd son proudly exclaimed, “Look Mom! I can carry this area rug all by myself!” The rug was longer than he was tall but he was carrying it and doing a great job! Our youngest son is a whiz at packing a truck, maximizing the space potential in ways that would challenge any Tetrix enthusiast!

My husband has always been available as needed – he has helped schlep inventory, he has driven vehicles, he has helped de-Stage when I was flying solo and my crew were not available. Most of all he has helped open doors for relationships because he is such as great networker and spokesperson for my company. He says the things I am too embarrassed to say because it sounds like I am bragging. He has a full-time demanding job in the high-tech industry, and yet loves the real estate industry and truly understands how I fit within the industry to help serve Realtors and sellers. I know if I did not have his support, and that of my children I would not still be Staging because it would be too challenging to have to prove my value repeatedly to my family and demonstrate that I have a legitimate business.

When I started both my Staging companies, I built from the ground up from scratch. We did not know any Realtors or have any sort of network for referrals in both the cities where we lived. That is the hardest way to build a business – cold – and yet that is how I have had to do it both times. Having the encouragement of family has been key.

Not all of my extended family “got” what I did in the beginning and therefore were not the most supportive. I believe they thought it was a hobby, fad or trend that I would move past and not a legitimate business. Staging was not that well known where they lived so my starting a Home Staging business was probably odd to them. When I started bringing in big dollars that is when my parents’ eyes opened. I have had family members sell and not contact me for help – and that’s OK. They may never totally appreciate what I have done in the past 10 years as a business owner, mentor, trainer, author, and entrepreneur, but my family and I know and that’s all that matters.

And my sisters and brothers in the trenches in the industry know because they are right there with me each day working to increase their business, to be successful, to represent our industry, and to help others achieve their goals along the way. I cannot think of a better role model for my children than a person that uses their God-given talents to develop a business that helps others. The fact that it is a great industry and lucrative is a double bonus. My Staging family that extends all over the world has become a huge avenue of support, encouragement and friendship and I would not be able to do this without them!

Home Staging Accreditation - BOSTON & Northern VA/DC REGIONS - JANUARY 2012

The Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) Course from Stagedhomes.com (www.Stagedhomes.com) - the industry leader in Home Staging Training - is coming to BOSTON - JAN 17-19 AND NORTHERN VA/DC JAN 31-FEB 2, 2012.

This class is being offered for both Realtors and Home Stagers that would like to earn both a professional Accreditation and Designation for Home Staging. An ACCREDITATION is the highest form of Training in the Staging industry!

Realtors attend the first 2 days and learn about Home Staging as a listing and marketing tool, as well as things they can do to help their own clients prepare their houses for sale. They become members of the International Association of Home Staging Professioanls (IAHSP) - the only professional association that serves only Home Stagers and the Home Staging industry, and has standards of membership that begin with education. No other association has educational standards prior to joining - this sets IAHSP apart with our standards of quality, ethics and excellence. For over 12 years IAHSP has set the standards of excellence in the real estate and Staging industry and no other group has the longevity, integrity and history that IAHSP provides.

Realtors licensed in Virginia receive 8 Continuing Education credits for this class.

Professional Stagers attend for 3 days and learn about the real estate industry and how to work with Sellers and Realtors for business, as well as how to establish, manage, market and maintain a successful Home Staging business. They become members of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP) the only professional association founded in education and excellence standards, for the Home Staging industry.

ASP graduates also receive access to the Staging University, the largest online resource for Home Staging success and is a private resource available only to ASP graduates.

This class is taught in a LIVE classroom setting with a Trainer that has actual success and knowledge related to Home Staging and real estate. All questions are answered and you have ongoing support from a real person that cares about your success after you graduate. The hours you receive are the equivalent of a college semester course with 24 hours of Stager education and 16 hours of Realtor education.

Only Stagedhomes.com has over 12 years of training history, and is based in nearly 40 years of experience by the Creator of Home Staging, Barb Schwarz.

If you would like to become trained as a professional Home Stager, enroll now to receive the only legitimate Accreditation available for Home Staging in a live classroom forum. An Accreditation is the HIGHEST form of training in the Home Staging industry.

If you are a Military Spouse - you can enroll in this course under the MyCAA Program. Click here to find out more: http://www.stagedhomes.com/public/MyCAA.php

Go to www.Stagedhomes.com for information including a course comparison spreadsheet that will give you an entire summary of the most imporant things to consider when getting training, and how our ASP Course stacks up to others that are offered. https://www.stagedhomes.com/PDF/COURSE%20COMPARISON%20SPREADSHEET-SHC%20ONLY.pdf

to Register for BOSTON: http://www.stagedhomes.com/training/registration/massachusetts/reading/?id=58

to Register for HERNDON, VA: http://www.stagedhomes.com/training/registration/virginia/herndon/?id=69

If you have any questions you can contact Stagedhomes.com at 800-392-7161 Save $$ off your tuition as an ASP Home Stager or ASP Real Estate Agent by using code "HOLIDAYSALE" when registering.

Jennie Norris, ASP Master, IAHSP, Owner & Principal Stager, Sensational Home Staging serving the Greater Denver region

•International Staging Expert, Blogger, and Media Personality
•Member of International Assoc of Home Staging Professionals since 2003
•Why Trust Your House or Listing to Anyone Else?
•Over 2,700 Houses Staged and Thousands of Satisfied Realtor and Seller Clients
•303-717-7918 or 888-93-STAGE

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

Do what you Love . . . Don’t just Work as a Means to an End
by Jennie Norris, ASPM, IAHSP - Owner, Sensational Home Staging


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.

"Your Job Sounds so Fun!" - The Reality of a Home Staging Career

If I have heard that once, I have heard it 100 times."Your job sounds so fun!" and to be fair, I suppose from the outside looking in, it DOES seem like a "fun job." Most recently as I was boarding a plane the flight attendant spied my carry on that promotes my Staging business and exclaimed how fun my job must be . . .


What the public sees is the transformation of a house - room by room - where we use creativity and skill to enhance what the public sees when buying a house. What they don't see is all the work and planning that went in to that successful transformation.

Seems that most people believe that Home Staging is a "fun" job . . . probably ranking up there with Genie, magician, dolphin trainer, or some other "job" where a person appears to get to do something others perceive is lots of fun but don't really understand all the work behind the result. I haven't asked, but I think they believe that we just move a bunch of decor around and diddle with fabric or bedding, and tossing pillows is the most labor intensive thing we do.

To most, they probably figure we have an army of "workers" at our disposal, like those people on TV - that work for free, and make magic happen with their saws, lumber, and materials they just pull out of their magic trucks or vans. If there are Stagers that do this, it is a very, very small percentage. Most of us are the ones doing the work, moving the stuff, and lifting the furniture.

What they don't realize is that although Home Staging is "fun" it is also a lot of work. Home Staging itself is very physical too, or it can be. Home Stagers sweat. Home Stagers strain. Home Stagers can even stress out.

The reality of Staging is that it is not glamorous and the "fun" is not about the ease of what we do, but about the reward of a job well done. Most professional Home Stagers I know that actually work a business, and don't just preach about it, are in the trenches getting sweaty and schlepping stuff from point A to house B.

The days when I Stage, I show up in my "uniform" which is comfortable shorts and a tank top, sandals or tennis shoes, and my hair up in a clip. To be brutally honest, on days when I wake up and know I am Staging a vacant house, I don't bother with makeup, except maybe some lipstick, and - shocker here - don't even bother to style or comb my hair. Why bother - I am going to sweat - and I am not going to see a client so vanity goes out the window. I just stick my hair up in a scrunchy or hair clip - and off I go to "work." Where I live, the temps can reach over 110 degrees in the summer, and just loading up for a Staging project brings a workout. We don't "perspire." We sweat.

In the winter, we bundle up and deal with the cold temps and freezing weather - and hope that our projects "beat the rain" or other bad weather, but we've Staged during near hurricane winds, and with fog so thick we can hardly see to drive. God bless those Stagers that deal with hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, sleet, and any other weather related challenges. Like the mailman, come rain, wind, snow or shine, the show must go on!

I have been physically injured numerous times from Staging. I have broken toes, injured my foot, pulled muscles, gotten bruises, cut myself, gotten tennis-elbow from lifting furniture, and had a bungee cord snap back in my face, splitting my lip open. In that case, the show went on, and we Staged a house because we needed to get it done, with my lip bleeding for 9 hours. Good news is it was my lip - a few inches higher and it would have taken out my eye. I have had sore back, legs, arms and neck from Staging - and over the years have gotten smarter about how much physical labor I personally do, opting to hire movers and manual labor help whenever the budget allows. There are "tools" we can use to help minimize some of the physical strain - furniture lifters, movers, and such, but the bottom line is that we cannot escape the physical nature of Staging. Even if we are just pulling inventory and loading our truck, that is physical.

Home Staging is fun because we are helping others, we do get to see the transformation of a space happen relatively quickly, and we get the reward of accomplishment when the house sells faster than expected - compared to the marketed un-staged competition. But it's not "fun" in the sense that it's easy to do.

Working with clients and providing Staging reports is not physical, but it is mental. We may not sweat while preparing the Staging report (unless the homeowner does not have their air conditioning on), but the mental side of coming up with a plan of action on the spot, and then having the ability to convey that plan with compassion and kindness to a Seller that may or may not be ready to hear the suggestions, or be excited about moving, can be a challenge and be somewhat stressful. The emotional aspect is something we have to be prepared for each time we work with a client. We never know what response they are going to have to our plan, and much of the time we act in the role of compassionate counselor, encouraging them to make changes that will ultimately benefit them the most in the sale of their property.

The longer we engage in business, the more confidence we get, and the better prepared we feel going in to work with a client, but I don't believe we ever fully get over that feeling of pressure to perform Staging magic, using what a Seller has or bringing in some "WOW" factor, with the hopes that everything will turn out great. We have a vision, we work to carry that out to the best of our ability, factoring in what the seller has to work with, any limitations we may have, the necessary timeframe, and budget.

My last Staging report was done late one afternoon, and the next day we showed up to do hands-on Staging to finish it off, with the clock ticking from a Realtor that wanted to get the house on the MLS - ASAP! Of course, the Realtor was thrilled and the seller got a real kick out of seeing how we used her things, combined with some basic inventory - to get her house show ready. She even said, "You were not like those people on TV - you treated me very kindly and I appreciate that." Working with pressure is not something every person can handle, and yet professional Stagers do it every day.

My greatest satisfaction comes not just from seeing a room come together with my ideas that transfer from mind to reality, but from the reaction of a client that cannot believe how nice their house looks, and from a Realtor who is thrilled at a tranformation of their listing. And it comes from a part of me that feels great joy at using my talent and creativity in a way that helps someone else.

Ultimately, when I finish a Staging project, there is a part of me that just wants to high-five someone, or do a celebration dance. As I have shared with colleagues - having a "theme song" is important and keeping the actual Staging fun - by sharing it with other professional ASP Stagers is what make it fun for me as well. As I learned from my mentor, Barb Schwarz, "having a party with myself" is half the fun of Staging - and that happens when I do something unexpected with Staging, when my creativity comes out and we use something in a new way, or make something out of "nothing" in order to achieve a goal. I love that feeling.

However, the "work" behind Staging never ends. Any successful Stager will tell you that getting the business is always on our minds. We are managers, marketers, and workers. Besides the physical labor that leaves us sweaty and tired, there is the constant marketing that has to occur. We can never just sit back and "wait" for business but must constantly find ways to reach our target audience with our message of how we can help them achieve their goals of selling faster and at the best price.

As a markets change, we have to change our strategy for getting business, so we are also adjusting to economic trends that impact our business. Any successful Home Stager will attest to the reality behind reinvention, and carving out market niches to stay viable.

Yes, our "job is fun" but it is also a lot of work - mentally and physically. We have to have endurance to make it through the tougher times, we have to have optimism to keep our hope alive when the going gets tough, and we have to rejuvenate our creative spirit by continuing to find new ways to test our skills and transform houses and spaces that truly need our Staging touch.

So those of you out there looking from the outside at Home Staging - and believe it is one of those "fun" jobs - what it is really is a passion that we have turned into a career. Despite the physical, mental and even emotional work it takes, we love it because it feeds a part of our soul or spirit that nothing else meets.

THAT is the real "fun" behind Home Staging.