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January/February
2009 Volume
16, Issue 2
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| NAPO Los Angeles |
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Mission Statement: NAPO-LA is an
organization dedicated to bringing Southern California area organizers
together through networking, education, professional growth, industry
updates, support and public awareness.
NAPO-Los Angeles
PMB 134, 10573 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Phone 213-486-4477
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Who's Who
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Board of Directors
Mini Board Minutes
November
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Debbie Gilster to moderate the
NAPO-LA Leadership Forum, Monday January 19th.
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NAPO-LA
membership currently 132 members and 13 Associate members.
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Updated
and completed Policy & Procedure Manual has been sent out to
NAPO National.
Coordinators &
Committee Chairs
Database/Directory
Heidi Chianta
Educational
Development Committee
Jean Furuya
Golden Circle
Ann Gambrell
Greeter
Coordinator
Christie
Gelsomino
Greeters:
Jennifer
Birner
Carol Hogg
Donna Rosman
Sasha Escandon
Marisa Nakhi
Historian
Christie
Gelsomino
Cindy Duffy
Meeting
Assistant
Toni Scharff
NAPO
in the Schools
Deborah
Kawashima
New Member Orientation
Jean
Furuya, Ann Gambrell
Online
Ambassador
Photographer
Sara Getzkin
Website Coordinator
Webmasters
Heidi Chianta, Claire Flannery, Carol
Hogg, Katherine Macey, Kathryn Masci
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| Volunteers |
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Volunteers of the Month
February: Fay Wolf
March: Sara Getzkin
April: Abbey Keusch
July -
Committee of the Month: Neighborhood
Groups
August: Heidi Chianta
September: Gus Gougas
Volunteers of the
Year
2007 Volunteer:
Cary
Brazeman
2006 Co-Volunteers:
Kristine
Oller and Claire Flannery
2005 Volunteer:
Deborah
Kawashima
2004 Co-Volunteers:
Dee Saar and
Laurie Clark
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| Membership |
Chapter Meeting
Attendance
November
Members:
58
Visitors: 5
Total: 63
NAPO National Membership
Annual Dues:
$200 - Active Member*
$150 - Associate-Branch
$250 - Associate-Local
$550 -
Associate-Corporate
$20 - New Member
One-Time Processing Fee
*Provisional
member dues are $180 plus a one-time $20 processing fee. You are an
active member* if you have completed your provisional membership year,
or are a new NAPO member with more than one year of professional
organizing experiece.
NAPO National dues can be paid
online.
Proof of paid dues is required at time of joining NAPO-LA. NAPO
National submits its renewal notices directly to members on their
anniversary dates. NAPO-LA annual membership dues are renewed each
September. You can also join NAPO-LA online.
NAPO-LA Chapter Membership
Regular Members:
Dues are prorated quarterly by 25%.
$100 - Level 1
Yearly dues and Website Listing in the "Find an Organizer" section of
our website.
$165 - Level 2
Yearly dues, all meeting fees (with discount) and Website Listing in
the "Find an Organizer" section of our website.
(This Membership option is only available from October 1 through
December 31.)
$80 - Level 3
Same as Level 1, but for members who live 50 miles from the West Side
or from ZIP Code 90064.
$25 - One-Time New Member
Processing Fee
$25 -
Lapsed Member Processing Fee
Associate Members:
Dues are prorated quarterly and are
reduced by 25% each quarter.
$175 -
Branch Associate Member -
operates as a local branch or regional office of a Corporate Associate
Member
$300 -
Local Associate Member - a
locally-based, self-operating retailer, supplier, designer, or
independent sales representative engaged primarily in the manufacture,
distribution, and/or sales of organizational equipment, supplies, or
organizing-industry related services.
NOTE: All members are required
to sign a Code of Ethics as part of their membership.
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| Associate Members |
Custom Closets
310-516-7000 x224
Office Organization Products
Email Barb Schmit
714-328-7973
Versatile Storage Products
Email May Lee
949-261-5888
Custom Garage Systems
Email Jaime Dietenhofer
310-205-3590
Mas Moving Services
626-810-9200
Mold Remediation & Products
818-262-5048
Moving & Storage
818-321-1905
Photo
Scanning Services
Email Anderson Schoenrock
888.333.2808
Onsite or
Offsite Storage
Email Peter Given
818-365-3408
South
Bay Closet Lady
Custom Closet Design
310-699-4240
Extreme Cleaning Services
Division of
Crime Scene
Ster-Clean
LLC
Email Tammy Chalmers
888-577-7206
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| The Los Angeles Organizer |
The Los Angeles
Organizer
Newsletter Staff
Proofreaders:
Claire Flannery
Sheila McCurdy
Toni Scharff
The Los Angeles
Organizer is published bi-monthly (January, March, May, July,
September, November). The newsletter is e-mailed to NAPO-LA members,
NAPO national board members, NAPO chapter presidents, and is available
to the public on our website. All contents are copyrighted. All
rights reserved.
Submission
Guidelines
Articles: NAPO-LA members are
encouraged to contribute to this newsletter. Articles are not to
exceed 500 words in length. Submissions must be received by our
editor no later than the 15th of the month preceding the month of
publication. You may send your article as a Microsoft Word file
attachment or directly in the body of the e-mail. If you would
like to include a photo, this may be sent as a .jpg attachment, 72 dpi,
with your article. All article topics and content must be
approved by our editor.
Editor: Jennifer Birner - editor@napola.org
Advertising:
If you are interested in advertising with The Los Angeles Organizer,
please contact our assistant editor. All ads must be received by
the 20th of the month preceding the month of publication. There
are two types of ads available.
- Web site Link:
This is a small ad, located in the left side column of the
newsletter. The ad can be your logo, a photo, or a small
message. The ad contains a link to your web site. (When
someone clicks on it, they will be taken to your site.) Please
submit in .jpg format, 72 dpi, 125 pixels w x 100 h.
Price: $25 NAPO-LA Members, $35 Non
NAPO-LA Members
- Full Ad: This is a large
block located at the end of our newsletter. This ad can provide
details about your company or service, along with a logo and/or
photo. See current newsletter for examples. Please submit
ad copy (100 words max) in a Word document or body of an email, and no
more than one logo and one photo in
.jpg format, 72 dpi.
Price: $35 NAPO-LA Members, $45 Non NAPO-LA
Members
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NAPO-LA
CALENDAR
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January
19 Board
Meeting, 2:45pm
19 New Member Orientation
19 Chapter Meeting - Leadership Forum
30 Los
Angeles Organizing Awards
31 Los Angeles Organizing Oceanside Brunch
February
2 Inland Empire, Neighborhood Group
23 Board
Meeting, 2:45pm
23 Chapter Meeting, 6:15pm
28 EDC Workshop: "Organizers Toolbox"
March
8 Ventura County, Neighborhood Group
9 San Diego Organizing Expo
10 CD
Support Group, 6pm
14 South
Bay, Neighborhood Group
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Los Angeles Organizing Awards
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Friday, January 30th 2009!
Our
chapter's Special Events Task Force Team is hard at work finishing up
last minute details for the 2009 Los Angeles Organizing Awards. This
exciting event is our chapter's contribution to "Get Organized Month."
The Los Angeles Organizing Awards recognize the best in the
professional organizing industry: professional organizers who set the
standard for home and business productivity, and those products and
services that help consumers and businesses organize anything and
everything.
Don't miss this electrifying red carpet event. The night will begin
with a gala reception, followed by dinner and the awards ceremony. All
will take place at the sleek and sophisticated Luxe Hotel in Bel
Air.
For all the
details visit the Los Angeles Organizing Awards home page at the link
below.
Organizing Awards
The Fun Doesn't Stop Friday
Night!
Join
us for An Oceanside Brunch on Saturday
The 2009
Los Angeles Organizing Awards gala weekend will continue on Saturday,
January 31, with a special Oceanside Brunch to be held at Bubba Gump
Shrimp Co. on the world-famous Santa Monica Pier from 12pm -
2pm. Co-presented by Golden Circle of NAPO-Los Angeles, the Brunch
will be a celebration for 80-100 friends. Everyone is invited to
attend. Bring a guest, bring your spouse, but be sure to bring yourself
as we conclude the festivities surrounding the 2009 Organizing Awards.
NAPO-National's "Get Organized Month" will get a nod as well!
All the details are again on the Awards home page, just click on the
link above.
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NAPO-LA
Chapter Meetings
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By: Leslie Haber
Director
of Professional Development
Upcoming Chapter Meetings
January 19th
(note the change in meeting date!)
It's time for our NAPO-LA Annual
Leadership Forum. The topic this year will be Leadership Qualities,
Become the Person Others Want to Follow, which will be taught by Debbie
Gilster of the Center for Growth & Productivity. Debbie asks,
"Would you follow you? An interesting question that many of us
have never asked ourselves. All great leaders have character qualities
that activate and empower their leadership ability, in any situation.
The key to transforming yourself from someone who understands
leadership to a person who successfully leads in the real world, is
having these indispensable character qualities from the inside out."
This special workshop, a benefit of membership and available to the
public for a fee, will teach you to be a more effective leader.
Click here for details and to register
February 23
Mark your calendars for February's chapter
meeting, where we will explore the psychology surrounding the
compulsive shopper. Our own Lynne Gilberg will offer us insights and
answers concerning this very prevalent phenomenon shared by so many of
our clients - and many of us as well!
"Kudos" to our
November Speaker
I extend warm thanks to our November
speaker, Cynthia Lester, who shared her film, "My Mother's Garden," and
followed up with a candid question and answer period. We were
enlightened and touched by this award winning film, and are so grateful
to Cynthia for joining us and providing insight from her perspective as
the adult child of a hoarder. We wish Cynthia continued success in
bringing us moving and honest stories such as this.
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Annual
Conference 2009!
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Mark your calendars for the 2009 NAPO
National Annual Conference and
Organizing Expo
April 29th-May 2nd, 2009
To learn more about the Annual Conference, please visit the conference
section of NAPO's Web site, where you will
find a copy of the conference brochure and relevant hotel
information.
NAPO National Talent Show in Orlando!
The NAPO National Talent Show
Committee is hard at work planning for the 2nd annual show at
conference in Orlando Florida on April 29th. This year's show should be
bigger and better, with attendance expected at 400, featuring the
talents of your colleagues from across the nation. Tickets are $50
and include a wide variety of dessert items, coffee, teas and one drink
ticket.
Important
Dates -
- January - Conference registration and
Talent Show ticket sales begin
- March 1st - Application deadline for
acts
- March 20th - Notification if your act
is accepted
- April 2nd - Entry fee deadline
- April 29th - Dress rehearsal: 5 PM
- April 29th - The Talent Show: 8 -
11 PM
In addition
to acts, the Talent Show committee is accepting volunteers to
be stagehands, ushers, judge attendant, and sound coordinator.
You'll be required to attend dress rehearsal and volunteer orientation
as well as arrive early before the theater doors open. The committee is
preparing a web page with application details and job
descriptions. For more information!
Pictured above is Emcee Shawn Kershaw rehearsing at the 2008
Talent Show.
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Volunteer
Of The Month
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September 2008
Name:
Gus Gougas
Business
Name: OrganizeIT!
Where
do you do business?
Greater Los
Angeles area
How did you get into organizing as a
profession?
I have
always been a very organized person: My wife says "anal retentive." I
have also always been a very handy person in the home, fixing various
things around the house. After I spent 23 years in corporate America I
decided to retire from that world and start anew. I researched many
different companies and industries. A former business colleague of mine
bought a garage organization franchise and asked me to come out and see
his business. After I saw his operation, I was hooked. However, instead
of buying a franchise, I decided to start my own company from scratch.
And OrganizIT! was formed shortly there after.
When did you start your business?
May of
2006
How did you come to join NAPO and/or
NAPO-LA?
A business
colleague recommended it.
What has been your experience
volunteering in NAPO-LA, the benefits of volunteering?
NAPO is a
great organization with a good group of people. I participate in a
number of networking groups for business; however, nothing compares to
NAPO. There is a great synergy with my company and organizers; my
company builds the organization infrastructure and an organizer can
then come in and assist the clients organize their garages and leverage
all the organizational products we installed in the garage. It's a
perfect marriage.
What are your
main organizing interests?
Primarily
Garage Organization, but we also do closets, pantries, laundry rooms,
utility rooms, etc.
Anything else
we should know about you?
I am
married to Jennifer and have two kids, Anastasia and Nicholas. And, no
I am not a decedent of the Russian czar family. I am presently
active in my community and on the Board of North Valley YMCA, the Board
of Castlebay Elementary School, P.A.T.H., a member of the North Valley
Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Santa Clarity Valley Chamber of
Commerce and the Porter Valley Country Club Business Alliance. I am
also active in the AYSO youth soccer program as a volunteer and was
recently awarded coach of the year. I also hold a Real Estate Sales
Agent license in the state of California.
November 2008
Name: Carol Hogg
Business
Name: Organize Now
Where
do you do business?
I am based
in Agoura Hills and do business between Encino and Oxnard.
How
did you get into organizing as a
profession?
I began organizing as a profession
when I realized what I had been doing
and was passionate for all my life was actually
a profession. My background includes 25 years
of office
management for Financial Advisors, Real Estate Executives, Business
Managers and CPA's. I organize friends and family
for fun and run my own household efficiently as a full time
working mom. I have a strong bookkeeping background as well.
When did you
start your business?
I started
my business in 2005 and joined NAPO and NAPO LA at that time.
What
has been your experience volunteering in NAPO-LA, the benefits of
volunteering?
Immediately
after joining NAPO-LA, the secretary position became open and I
volunteered. I was able to meet fellow organizers in a more
intimate setting and learn more from them. Once the term was up, I
decided to do behind the scenes volunteering due to my growing
workload. I produced labels for mailings for the Organizing Expo
along with greeting at the monthly meetings and served as secretary for
our NAPO Ventura Neighborhood group. I headed up a service project
for a local family with hoarding issues for our group as well.
What
are your main organizing interests, areas of organizing?
My main
organizing interests are organizing home offices, families, time
management, and organizing events. In 2009 I am launching a new part of
my business which I feel will really tap into my strengths, which is
Estate Administration. I am looking to network with Estate and Trust
Attorneys and individuals that have lost a loved one and are left
responsible for handling the estate. I have extensive knowledge and
experience to gather the necessary documents and create a schedule of
assets, maintain the necessary records for tax purposes, inventory and
organize the contents of the home, obtain values of assets, assist with
the distribution of & coordinate the sale of assets, manage
incoming mail & coordinate bill payments and work closely with and
assist legal counsel and other professionals with the administrative
duties required. I pride myself on being a great listener; calming and
very understanding, which will provide a peace of mind to the loved one
left to carry out these responsibilities.
Have you volunteered yet to help out NAPO-LA in some way? Then you,
too, could be voted "Volunteer of the Month" or even "Volunteer of the
Year."
And when you are, it will be your turn to
share your
story, so that all of us in NAPO-LA will get to know you just a little bit
better.
To find out about volunteer opportunities,
contact Abbey Keusch.
Email: volunteer@napola.org
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NAPO
LA Members
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Sheila
McCurdy's book The Floor is
Not an Option has won another award, this time in the "How To"
category with the DIY Convention for the New England Book
Festival. She was also interviewed for the Daily Bulletin Newspaper in
the Inland Empire and was featured in the Inland Living section on
November 1st and November 12th, and in the City News section on
November 14th. Woman's Day Magazine also interviewed her in October for
a feature to run in January on how to stop clutter before it starts.
Welcome Our
Newest Member
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San
Diego Organizing Expo
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NAPO
San Diego is pleased to invite you to the 2009 San Diego Organizing
Expo!
Chris McKenry, Diana Jillie, and John Trosko at the 2007
Expo.
Date:
Monday, March 9, 2009
Time: 6:00 - 8:30pm
Place: The Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, 4126 Executive
Drive, La Jolla CA
Invitations have gone out to over 100 companies representing the best
organizing products and services, including Esselte, Stacks and Stacks,
Organized Greetings, Clutter No More, and 1-800-Got-Junk. Join us for
fun and valuable information. There will be tips and demos on
organizing the home and office, raffle prizes and refreshments. This
event is open to the public. Admission is $5.00.
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Golden
Circle
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Letting Go Primer
By Dolores
Kaytes
"Knowledge is learning something every
day. Wisdom is letting go of something every
day." Zen Proverb
In one of her presentations, Julie Morgenstern tells the
audience that what led her to becoming an organizer was her frustration
that her own lack of organization was negatively impacting her life.
She made a decision to change and set about letting go of old habits
and creating new ways to have more order in her life and ended up with
a new career.
Letting go became a theme for me even before I became an organizer. A
close relative was diagnosed with an addiction to prescription
medication. The family was told that in order to help him, we had to
let go of him and change our destructive enabling behavior.
Whether it is letting go of ideas, things or people, the process can be
emotionally charged, and filled with uncertainty..."But I might need
it, someday!" Most of us have met and overcome life challenges and have
probably experienced the disturbing feelings letting go elicits. The
fact that we have "walked in their shoes" augments our value to clients
as their organizing partners. The experience gained from a similar
journey married with the innate skills and talents of being able to
bring order to chaos is a winning combination.
How can we help?
1. Accommodate individual differences. Ease into it, weeding out the
obvious items to be discarded so the client can experience the
satisfaction of seeing an empty shelf, drawer, desktop. If the client
shows the tolerance for more aggressive purging, follow his or
her lead.
2. Empathize with how stressful and anxiety filled the action of
discarding an item can be, yet be firm and move the process along. It
is critical not to judge or condemn the inability to break the
emotional attachment to possessions.
3. Set Boundaries. Encourage these clients to: end the indiscriminate
collecting of things; avoid mindlessly taking every handout at the
mall, an event, a business function; put limits on non-essential
purchases and subscriptions to periodicals; resist the bargains. Two
for $5 (really $2.50 each) is a marketing ploy.
4. Revisit. Pack up objects and set them out of the way in a closet,
garage, storage area. After six months, revisit them and you will find
the emotional attachment has been removed or diminished substantially
and they can be discarded.
5. Assess readiness and willingness. If after trying many alternative
practices, your efforts are continually met with objections and
resistance, be willing to accept the things you cannot change and let
go of the client. He or she may need help beyond the scope of a
professional organizer.
"Some people believe that holding on and hanging in there are signs of
great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more
strength to know when to LET GO and then DO IT." Ann Landers
Copyright © 2008 Dolores Kaytes
Tips
1. Keep a
zipper lock bag in the front of your sock drawer for stray sox, with
out partners. When the match turns up, you will know where to find it's
mate, instead of digging through the entire drawer.
--Fay Wolf, New Order, fay@neworderorganizing.com
2. Type a "check off list" of all your grocery items instead of always
writing new lists. Once done, they can be printed and edited over and
over.
About the TIPS Program:
NAPO-LA's TIPS Program is managed by the chapter's Golden Circle
members. Ann Gambrell is the chair and invites all chapter members to
submit their organizing tips via email or on index cards that will be
available at the monthly chapter meetings for deposit into the
"Organizing Tips" box.
TIPS are requested in two categories: "Tips from
Pros" are organizing tips for clients/the public."Tips
of the Trade" are tips for organizers to use in their businesses.When submitting TIPS, you are invited (optional) to include
your name, business name and contact information. This will serve to
promote you when the client/public TIPS are posted on the NAPO-LA
website's home page.
Email your TIPS to: goldencircle@napola.org
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CD
Support Group
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By
Jean Furuya
If you are working consistently and on an on-going basis with
chronically disorganized clients, you are invited to participate in an
informal support group.
Next
Meeting
Tuesday, March
10th, from 6-8:30pm. Limited to 12 attendees.
Topic for
discussion: Compulsive Shopping
A simple
pot luck is planned.
Time will
also be spent sharing our individual issues.
We will continue to work on "Resources: How can we help the indigent
hoarders?" Please bring resources to share.
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Educational Development Committee
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Organizer's Toolbox - Products, Gadgets, & Resources
February 28, 2009
Speaker: Tanya Whitford, CPO®
It is not enough to just be a good organizer. You must also keep on top
of the latest products and resources that will work for your clients.
In this workshop, you will learn just which products are unique and
will meet your clients' needs and which ones are a waste of time and
money.
This is a fun and interactive three-part workshop.
- Part 1--25 products that have stood the test
of time and passed Tanya's standards for usefulness in her ten years as
a Professional Organizer.
- Part 2-- demonstration of gadgets and
software programs that can be the solution to your clients' problems as
well as additional revenue streams for you.
- Part 3--resources for your clients, from
donating out-of-the-ordinary items to recycling things you did not even
know could be recycled.
This is a
must-attend workshop for new and veteran organizers alike. Attendees
will take away an increased knowledge of products and resources that
will make them even more valuable to their clients. The handouts and
the product samples alone will be worth the price of admission. Not
only will this workshop be a lot of fun, but it will be one of the most
informative and useful ones you could ever hope to attend!
(Bonus Offer: Attendees are also invited to bring in one of their
favorite products for the exciting "Show & Tell" portion of the
workshop)
Tanya Whitford, CPO® has been a NAPO-LA member for ten years. Her
passion for products, gadgets, software and resources has made her a
tremendous asset to her clients and resulted in thousands of dollars in
extra revenue for her business. She has received rave reviews for her
product workshops in the past.
For details on this event, click here!
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(advertisement)
Award
Winning Designs for Organization
 
Get It Together LA's designs feature custom
construction to satisfy your organizing requirements and exceed your
discerning taste.
Closets
Silver Closets
Butler Pantries
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Call
323-525-0678 today.
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President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Director of Administration
Director of Communications &
Technology
Director of Membership
Director of Marketing
Director of
Professional Development
Immediate Past President
JennyYang
