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,...
info_outline
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,...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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_outlineJoining 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:
Happy Space Podcast Facebook Group