Why Paper Still Matters
Stand Out
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,...
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Prolific Productivity Pioneer Reveals Secrets of Success
Stand Out
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,...
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Community-Inspired Collaboration
Stand Out
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...
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How to Stop Overthinking and Trust Yourself
Stand Out
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...
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The Critical Role of Organizing in Caregiving - Amelia Pleasant Kennedy
Stand Out
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...
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Good Enough is Perfect - KC Davis (EP.98)
Stand Out
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...
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Closet Design Magic - Naeemah Ford Goldson (EP.97)
Stand Out
“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...
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Discover Your Organizing Style (EP.96)
Stand Out
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...
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Organizing Industry Trends in 2022
Stand Out
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...
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Unmute - Painless Virtual Communication
Stand 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...
info_outlineTeachers 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