March 4, 2025 • 49 mins
James Lott Jr continues the tradition of chatting with the Presidents of NAPO (napo.net).Karen Baker is the owner of SOHO Productivity Solutions. Started in 2011 in Houston, SOHO Productivity marries modern digital tools with time-tested organizing principles to create custom productivity systems that truly work. With a decade of experience in sports operations and media relations, she brings a strategic mindset that focuses on improving the synergy between people and technology. Karen's diverse academic background—a sociology degree from Duke, a JD from the University of Houston Law Center, and a master's in sports management from the University of San Francisco—fuels her unique, multidisciplinary approach. Karen is a member of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO) and the National Association of Black Professional Organizers (NABPO). Her leadership shines through her roles with NAPO, having served as the President of the NAPO Houston chapter, and she is set to become the NAPO National President in May 2025.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello, it is Tuesday, March fourth. I can't believe it
myself either, twenty twenty five. This is the sso or
James Lot Junior. I am James On Jenior, super Organizer.
It's my tenth season of doing this show. My god,
ten seasons. Can't believe it. And we're doing one of
my traditions that I always have on the show. I
believe she's number eight of my tradition is to have
(00:24):
the president of the Premiere Organizing Productivity Association, which is
NAPO on my show. Let me look at that a second.
So she is the owner of SOHO pro Activity Solutions
we can see on here, of course, and so she's
been in business for I'm trying to count there, fourteen years.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
We're going on seventeen seventeen.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
I'm so, I can't count, okay, seventeen years. But also
she's a smart person too. She is yeah, only gets
to organize you get you all together. But also she
as a sociology degree from Duke you know that school,
that little school, Duke, and a jd. Folks Okay from
the University of Houston Law Center. Hello, and a master's
(01:11):
in sports management from the University of sfet my peaks
like me. We get we get our education everywhere. So
that just says to me how diverse she is, just
even her education and how she brings brings that to
her job into her life. And she is starting in May,
will be the new president of NAPO, the National Association
(01:34):
of Productivity Organizers. I'm very excited about that. And she's
also part of our one of our favorite groups, the
n Association of Black Professional Organizers. What's about that little bit? Two?
Help me welcome this, Karen.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Thank you for having me. I'm so excited.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I'm was Karen. How are you.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I'm good. I'm good.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Good now. I always do my thanks and gratitude first.
I believe you should always give thanks. And she living
in grad too what he can. Sometimes it's a little
hard here in La. We had the fires in January.
I had a flood here this month. But I'm still.
I got a house. Still, I got a house.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
I got you that.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
But today is my grandson, Trenton's birthday. He turned four
years old.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Oh my goodness, and I he is.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
The cutest little baby on earth. I just talked to
my daughter this morning. I can't bear with them because
I'm actually dealing with a roof situation at my house.
I can't even go visit them and be there for
his birthday, my living graduate of him being born. He
was born my grandmother, Alicia's birthday. So happy heavenly birthday
to Miss Alicia. I live gratuated for her because one
(02:38):
of the things I remember is when I had my
wisdom teeth pulled, I had to stay at her house.
She took care of me while I was in pain.
One thing about her, but happy heavenly birthday to her,
too older younger. I'm part of the Sandwich generation. I
have grandchildren, I have children, I have elderly parents all
the same time, and a living graduated of all of
them while they're here and while I'm still here. Anything
(02:59):
would give that to you yourself, Karen.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Well, I always give, always give gratitudes to my mother,
Like you know, I would not be here physically, I
would not be the person that I am, the experiences
that I've been privileged to have without her, and you
know the hard work that she did. You know, I
(03:24):
know what her life was like, you know, growing up
black woman in the South.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
You know, then she got married, had me and my brother.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Then she got divorced and she was a single mom,
Like she went through it, and you know, you're reading
sort of my academic achievements. You know, none of that's
possible without my mother and the things that she did
and how much she supported me and all of that.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
And as we're recording this, it is black the Black
historym of the tale of the end of it. So
we go shout out to your mom.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
What's your mom's name, Velma, Belma Baker, Baul Bella Baker.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
That's right. We salute you and all other black women
who worked hard raising children and instealing great values in them.
When did you, Karen realize kind of the magnitude of
her life, Like I realized my parents were humans once
I became a parent and I was an adult. I
(04:23):
didn't get it so much as a kid and a teenager.
Once I left home out in the world, I would
say my mid twenties, so late ten, I kind of
noticed they we went through some stuff, they were they
were okay. When did you guys realize your mom was
that super special?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Mine was a lot earlier.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
I'm going to say probably seventh or eighth grade.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
That was when.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Basically I took some tests at my you know, local
public elementary school, and they decided that, know, okay, her
test scores are really good, here's some you know, other
opportunities for her. And I got the chance to go
to one of the best schools in not only you know,
(05:12):
Houston where I'm from, but really it's one of the
best schools in the country, one of the best college
prep schools in the country. And all that she did
to sort of hold my hand through that process. I mean,
I'm what, you know, twelve maybe at that point, and
dealing with you know, leaving my father and and all
(05:35):
of that. Like she was really going through it, but
she was always there for me, like.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Having the front row.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Seat to all of that and still seeing her show
up for me.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
That's good as it. I caught it later, now I
get it. I think I was so busy dealing with
all my own stuff that was going on. Which kids
and parents do you all the time. That's very cool
you kind of you saw what she was doing and
recognized it early. Okay, she's sacrificing a lot, doing a
lot for us, and I should appreciate that absolutely.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
And it's motivational. Yeah, like you know, she's giving up
all that I better, you know, get it right.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Well, it's very cool because I know mother's and daughters.
I have two daughters. That can be a tenuous relationship,
but I always say, at some point, you guys come
back together. Mother. You guys just do I mean, you
need your mother. I was like, yeah, well I need
my mother too, but you need your mother. Mother.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
They need their mothers absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
And they're They're great examples of how to how to live.
So I'm sure she's very proud of you. I'm sure
Misma is very proud of you. You made some accomplidence.
But I want to ask you because I a person
like you. My my resume's for is varied. I've done
different careers for you. How why is your so very
i'd I know why mine is kind of but I
(07:02):
mean because yours really it it jumps around. It's all
great stuff.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
You know, It's like my journey it was it was
very moment to moment, like I would have a plan,
but then I would pivot.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
And I think, you know a lot of people are like.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Oh my god, you were so brave to you know,
change or you know you're dealing with sort of the
peer pressure of you've made a decision and to stick
with it.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
So, you know, I went to college.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I started out thinking I wanted to be a doctor,
that was it. And then I ran into you know,
freshman chemistry.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
I was like maybe not.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
So then it was like, okay, you know you had
to pick a major, you know, by like your sophomore year.
What am I interested in? Sociology? Right, Like the study
of society and US as groups?
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Right?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
That fascinated me. Still was great and enjoyed it a lot.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
And you know, you get to you know, your senior
year graduation, Oh what are we going to do now?
And first I have the idea of like, oh, I'm
gonna do like that gap.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Year thing, right, I'm gonna take some time off.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
And then I was like, yeah, if I take some
time off, I'm just gonna sit on a couch, like
I need to do something.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
So what's my next step?
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Law school was sort of my bill the gap because
I decided that that education was applicable across you know,
any kind of of you know, endeavor I decided to do.
So I still wasn't sure what I wanted to do,
but I figured law school would come in handy for
(08:44):
that and then while I was in law school, it.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Was like, you know what I really like sports. You know,
maybe I'm gonna take my law degree into sports.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
So did that, got my master's in sports management, worked
in professional sports for about a decade.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Loved that, but back then it was a little tougher
for a woman, and so.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
I, you know, decided, Okay, I need to do something else.
And that's how I fell into organizing.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Go get into that, because that's again we come from
a time where now you can do this, but when
we were kids, there's no I mean organizer. I grew up,
there was no there was no that was a profession
until the eighties when it became wing. Those those those
ladies got together, but we didn't grow up. I'll be
I won't be an organizer. I don't be a specialist.
That they just weren't even there was nothing. I'll be
(09:39):
a life coach. Those things weren't even invented yet. And
I think, like most of us, and I've done over
five hundred shows of the show in ten years, we've
all kind of fell into it. I feel like everybody
came into it from somewhere else. I'm waiting for the day,
but I think. I mean, I I get one, I
got one person out of college, n' change of this.
But the rest we've all fallen into it. But I
(10:01):
know as we go forward, these new generations have seen
as an organizers. So but back to the other stuff,
I know how that is same here. I tried certain
things with it. I wanted to be a nurse. I
was a nurse first, so I went to school for nursing,
was a nurse for ten years and hated sick people.
So that's an helped right, Your nurse doesn't help anything.
(10:25):
I was like, okay, I gotta change my profession. That's one.
That's one of that starts there. Now, when it came
to this organizing, how did you first even know it
was a profession or something you could do to make money.
So I'm very curious how you found out.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
So I would say my first exposure to organizing was
I actually worked a part time job at the container
store while I study for the bar.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Saem oh my god, okay, great, okay.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
So that was really like, you know, I was like, Okay,
it's a retail job.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
And then I was like, oh, it's like an organizing thing.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
And you know, I got a lot of training, you
know as a you know employee there, and I was like, okay,
that that's a thing now At the time, since like
I said, I was studying for the bar. After I
passed the bar was when I started working in sports.
And it wasn't until after I you know, ran my
(11:29):
course in that industry that you know, I came back
to organizing like okay, what do I have skills and
what what can I do?
Speaker 2 (11:37):
I was like, you know, I did enjoy my time
working there.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
I learned a lot you know that was on the list,
you know, like start doing a little research.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
That's how I came across NAPO and I was like,
this is a thing. This is awesome.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
You know, pulls from like everything that I've done previously,
Like this is perfect.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
That's everybody. That's the one thing if you if you're
I know, I have people who watch in the industry.
If I don't have folks you watch you or not industry.
If you're thinking about it, I'm sure part of whatever
your life experience is out there will come in handy
in this business. It really does. And I'm glad you
said that. It's a key thing is that you know
I did I did everything from insurance to retail, food service, nursing,
(12:22):
all kind of you know, all kinds of stuff, but
it all actually works in the favor of this job. Yep. Yeah,
from all of that, and for you sociology, yes obviously,
all yes, obviously, I mean everything you've done to you.
I mean it's all you know, management of people, management
of safe spaces, all kind of stuff, you know, all
(12:45):
you know, all that stuff. I mean, you know that's
makes sense, so continuous. So I've know anybody who work
in the container starm It's kind of funny. You're the
first guest I've had.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Actually work It's great pace.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Yes, I've been in there many times, anytimes. So okay,
before we get into the organistic part, were you always
a person that was pretty organized yourself?
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I'm gonna say no on that. I am a person who.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Likes for things to be easy and hates to make
the same mistake twice, and so organizing helps with both
of those, right, If things are in the right place,
it makes everything go better. When things don't go well,
I am very big on okay, how can I make
(13:40):
that go better or easier in the future, And it's
usually some form of you know, organizing, how do I
put it in place?
Speaker 1 (13:48):
You know?
Speaker 3 (13:48):
That just makes the whole process easier. So yeah, no,
it's not natural, but it's more for me. It's more
of being a problem solver.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Now that must worked for you. And when you are
certain clients, could you say I can relate? Right?
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Absolutely?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Yeah, So I'm sure it helps with certain people you
work with.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Doesn't Oh yeah, it helps I think too with a
lot of clients feel like they're somehow lacking something.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Right and they're worried about the judgment.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
And it's like, oh no, no, you know, my my
desk gets messy too. Except I get to the point
where I'm like, okay, now it's starting to affect me.
It's time for it to get back in order. And
that's easier to do, you know when you have a
general sort of organizing system, right, but oh yeah, like
if I have a particularly rough week, it looks like
(14:39):
a hurricane hit my desk and that's okay, Like it was.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
A rough week.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Who it is? She's right here, you're saying. I'm like,
you're speaking my language. I think you know they think
organizers mean judgment, perfection. These are words I don't like
at all perfection. No, we're just saying we have things
in place, so things go out of place, they go
back to place. I mean, like that kind of what
you just said. We have systems in place, so we
(15:06):
need to clean it up. We can. And they always
say the joke is that organized are the laziest people.
That's I would agree with that. I would agree with that.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
A lot of my systems come out of the fact
that I am lazy and want to make things as
simple as possible.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Me too, I'm like, oh, I think I got other
things you do, but yeah, but no, it's it's very
and I'm telling you, I say it's all the time
of the show. Seriously, being organized is a wonderful thing.
I mean it really, it really is. You may think
right now you're in chaos and it's like organized chaos. No,
it's just chaos. It's not organized chaos. It's chaos. I
(15:45):
don't want to find that that that that that shirt.
It's right there, it's always right there, but it's over
it's over the chair and doesn't look like So it's
like I just tell people, just please try it. It's
like it's somethings it's hard to get together at first,
but like you said, just together or do you do
you have a what is your motto? Or you for
your business? What is your mission?
Speaker 3 (16:06):
I have a motto, you know. I'm all about like
what are your goals?
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Right?
Speaker 3 (16:14):
There are things you want to accomplish in life, and
organizing and productivity are helping you focus on those things
to not get distracted by you know, outside noise, things
that aren't important important and you know, help you get
from from here to there.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
I mean that's kind of what I do. That's why I.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
I work mostly with businesses, small business owners, entrepreneurs. So
I got out of the you know, residential organizing and
into the workplace because I really responded to people who
have sort of these clear goals. Right when you have
a business, it's usually I want my business to survive.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I want to make some money.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Let me help you put some systems in place that
are to help you do those things.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
I like, Okay, good, It is great because I can
talk about it because I love it. I work with
some small business and they call solopreneurs or mom what
we call them. I like it too because it is
a different goal set than working from a home or
working as a home person who's running a house. It's
very different. Some similarities, but very different. What is one
thing that you come across, you can you can mention
(17:23):
you come across working with a lot of small businesses,
like it organized.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
You know, the overwhelm. I think, juggling too many pieces.
And that's really where I feel like my sports background
comes in handy. You know, sports a lot of times,
particularly team sports, it's all about making the pieces work
together right, and so I try to make the various
(17:51):
pieces of your work life work better together, easier to
get you where you.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Want to go. So yeah, that's that's you know, that's
probably it no.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
No sense because folks, when you're on your own if
this is a business, folks, and when you're own business,
you're juggling, you know, all the contracts, all the all
the actual works. Sometimes you may have a small staff,
you're juggling them too, which includes payroll and workman's cop
and and just life and personalities. And then also your
clients have their personality they're going to like you, So
(18:26):
it's a lot to juggle at once. Or you may
have multiple projects and you try even just that a
loan side to get you overwhelmed too, where you're like
this one Monday and Tuesday and this one. It's great
to be busy, folks, trust me, we like we like feasts,
not famine you like. But yeah, that's very true. When
you when you're doing yourself, that's when you you're doing
you're doing everything yourself. Yeah, I mean that's your productivity
(18:47):
with you your name comes in hand me.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
And that's why I like working with with the solopreneurs
because you know, I like to think I help them
in that little space between you first started and you
have a little success and maybe you have that goal
to eventually scale up, but you're struggling with just that
next step, that in between step, right, Like, Okay, now
(19:11):
I have a lot of clients.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Now I have contracts.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
Now I have you know, a bookkeeper or you know
a marketing person, and I.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Don't how do I manage all that? Right that? You know,
that's the part.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
That's where I like to step in and sort of
that middle step, that middle gap.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah. People don't realize and I didn't those either. This
is my first business. I was always work for people.
But I've been in business sixteen years. I'm right behind
you and and one of the things I realized was
it's the next step stop. So when you are feast
dot famine, you had great all these people I'm working,
but there's like things do you fall behind? Thank you've forgotten?
(19:49):
And I've double booked a couple of times by accident,
and I a little things like that. You come up
and you're like, oh, okay, then you're thinking about what
more than this too. I was thinking I want, I
want to get bigger and bigger, but right like I
can't quite get there because I'm still trying to manage
to see of stuff right here. M m hm. Very true.
(20:09):
That's right, that's very very true. Have you I have
to ask this just for for fun. Uh in your
in your seventeen years in business, have you ever had
to fire a client?
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Yes, it wasn't really fire as much as I think
you're gonna be happier with this organizer.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Uh, they're they're better equipped to deal with what you
need than I am. So that that's probably.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
I don't think I've had any that I've had to
out and out say we can't work together anymore, goodbye.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
So, but a lot of people ask you this question.
So that's why to kind of get your take on it,
how I mean, because first you're like, you feel like,
oh my gosh, it's not working out. It's one thing.
When it works out, it's great, but when it doesn't
work out, you're like, oh, is that work it out?
So how did you kind of all the details obviously,
but just kind of how did you walk through that
to be able to make that decision. Then people ask
(21:08):
me that question all the time, so I thought, as
somebody who's been through it, I mean, it's kind of
just like, how did you have the bravery to go?
Speaker 3 (21:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
It's always hard to say no to the money, right, Like, Okay,
they're paying me, do I really want to just turn
that down?
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Because of you know this reason. It doesn't seem that
big this particular client, it was more of a we
got out of scope.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
I was helping him on the technology side of things,
organizing digital files things like that for his business, and
then it morphed into oh, I'm helping him move and uh,
packing clothes and I'm like, this is not what I do. Like,
(21:59):
I mean, I found myself in the closet like folding
shirts and I'm like, isn't this why I got into
doing you know, business productivity, like this is not my thing,
you know, wonderful person loved my client someone I was like,
you know what, I need to hand him off to
someone who enjoys this, who's better at it. I think
(22:25):
part of it too, was feeling like my attitude towards
it was going to affect my relationship with this client,
like I didn't want to be doing this and that's
going to come through. So let me put you with
someone who enjoys doing that aspect of it, and it'll
be better for everyone.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
So very smart. No, I had a situation once where
and so weird how it happens. I want folks where
are in the business keep an eye out because so
you work with somebody who's nice, like I said, they're
nice and they're not. It's harder when they're nice and nice, right, Sure,
if they're rude to me, you're like, yeah, get out,
I'm done. That's easy. No, it's it's not easy when
(23:06):
there are actually really coming to you for help and
they're sweet and you form a bond of some sort
of course as you work with your client, we do
it's it's personally just do then we have we have boundaries,
but it's like still you know. But then all of
a sudden you said you're not paying really paying attention.
And for me it was I was mopping a floor.
(23:29):
I remember, mit mop. I was like what I said
some stronger words, but what am I feeling? Like? Oh
my god? She asked me to do it like for like,
that's not my job. Like I just I finished the
floor and I just walked out, I'm done, I'm going.
And then I had to talk to I was hired
(23:50):
for this person's like mother or whatever, and she was
like again sweet. I talked to her, I said, girl,
is what happened. She's like, oh my god, so that's
not true. We don't pay you that much money to
mop the floor. I go, I know you don't. My
rates aren't from mopping. It's like but the more important
thing was just kind of like because we have we
respect our clients and in some ways used to become
(24:11):
we become friendly with them. Where does we care about
there on some level that you'll fight stuff doing stuff.
All of a sudden, Wait a minute, that wasn't that
you don't pay attention. You have to get to keep
you have to keep the boundaries really clear. And that's
something I've learned or long grub been in business.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
But in the beginning of my problems, yes, yes, yes,
I KNOWW make that referral earlier in the process.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Yes, me too. And and I'm sure like like you,
it's a large chapter. Houston's a large chapter, folks, and
with great people. I know, I mean all my folks
by Jennifer loves and all that, all like great folks
down there, and she just yesterday, I love Houston, And
so there's great people like you see in this business.
(24:53):
We don't see competition. We see camaraderie. We always I
packed alone all the time. People likes here in l A.
And you know, Houston too, was so big, folks. Houston's
the fourth largest city in the US. I did not
notice that big time I went there. There are parts
of LA like I don't go to. So I was like,
let me use somebody who lives over there. I'm sure.
(25:13):
I'm sure Houston the same way, yep.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Absolutely, Like, oh, I do not want to drive all
the way out to you know, clear Lake or you
know wherever.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
I like, yeah, I need to hand that off.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Not a good time in Houston, folks, I had a
good time. And years ago, I want to say, I
want to they sent this in ten years. I actually
did a class at one of your Houston chapters. I
was very impressed by the chapter. I was invited out
and I did a class on media that was my favorite.
Added packed class was from uh got to meet Jerlyn
Thomas there. We had She and I are folks who've
(25:47):
been circling each other out here and then we got
to finally our classes actually were that's we're next to you.
It's the same time. We wanted to go to each
other's class at the same time.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Didn't work.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
You got to work, but we had we had get
to get to meet. We had a great time on there.
But all the ladies, they were wonderful to me. The
great chapter kind of you know, we hear about Beyonce
from Houston East Town. What can you say about Houston.
I'm just kind of curious. I mean, you work there,
you live there. What is it like a general thing
you think we should know about Houston?
Speaker 3 (26:22):
Oh Man, I mean, I feel like Houston is a big,
cosmopolitan city with like a not necessarily a small town feel,
but just a more intimate feel.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
It's it's not. It's not. We're not always talking about
how big we are. We just are right.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
We don't talk about the amount of diversity in our city.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
We just are.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
You know, you go to the store and you know
you're hearing people speak different languages and you know all
that stuff. It's it's it just it is. So it's
very it's very low key. It's very low key, but
it has everything you want in a big city, you know,
the art, seeing, the the business and innovation part, the diversity.
(27:16):
That's what I would say about Houston. But it's just
we're we're pretty laid back here.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
No, it's a big city. And I went to this
was the name of it. This barbecue place, was good,
met the owner, take pictures, had a good time. We
had a good time. It was really good. Now Freddie
works out in the Manchos area, and I got to
go see him and see some friends. That are so
many places, it's huge. I just really had no clue
(27:40):
how big it was. So I was like, so, so
you work in one of the major metropolitan cities in America,
So how do you how do you find business? That's
no question.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
You always asked, really referrals that is like that was
my bread and butter, and you know it's just sort
of a you know, just between us and everybody. I
am a die hard introvert and so the hardest thing
about going into business was the oh, wait, I have
(28:15):
to talk to people to convince them to hire me?
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Yes, how am I going to do that?
Speaker 3 (28:21):
When like talking to people like gives me a little
a little pause, right, And that's where NAPO was so
vital in me building my business. So you know, I
got clients, but more importantly, my colleagues learned what I do,
(28:41):
how I do it, how well I do it, And
you know, just like we were talking about how we
were referring out, my colleagues were referring to me because
what I do, particularly getting into the technology aspect of things.
You know, working in the offices a lot of Houston
organizers and you know NAPO organizers nationwide, we're like, oh,
(29:06):
if it's technology, talk to Karen, that's who you want.
She she'll she'll have it handled right. And so for
a good i don't know, seven years, I'm like ninety
percent of my clients we're coming from NAPO referrals, you know.
So yeah, that's that's how I found clients, and now
my clients refer me in addition to you know, my
(29:28):
NAPO colleagues. But yes, I've gotten better at talking to
people and convincing them time.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
That's so funny. Oh my god, Oh yes, that's not
I mean. I mean I'm sitting extra regcan Telle. So
I've never been shy in my life, so I have
no idea what it's like. So I always I give
reverence the folks. You really are where it doesn't come
easy for you to put yourself out there, especially in
a business setting, like yes, I'm trying to get you,
(29:56):
convince you to hire me. Yes, I got to use
words and phrases and look at.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
You and yeah, tell you back like oh I gotta
call someone on the phone.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Okay, what am I gonna say? Let me get it
all straight, like yeah, it's a constant struggle.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
How good for you know, I'm very impressed. Good for you.
But that leads into because it leads into NAPLE. I
love talking about NAPA on the show, and you know
they they support my show completely. I know they have
their own podcasts which I was on once but then
but we but we actually they we support each other back.
This is a decade and a half long relationship had
with them and all that nice and all the presidents
(30:35):
and you are I say, we're recording this during Black History,
but you are the first African American president coming in
of NAPO.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
Well, I think I'm the second. I think Standale and
Robinson would be the first.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
Oh yeah, Dandeline, that's right, so your second? Okay, yes,
So for me, that makes me very happy just to
see that this month's just when I heard about it,
I was like, oh my god, this kind this is
very nice. But it just goes to show and I say,
I won't say it's publicly. Naples had some issues with
with racistuff in the past, but they actively decided to
work on it and do partnerships and classes and courses
(31:11):
and reaching out and meeting some line. Sometimes I ask
you that I want to give them their props. I've
been very I've been critical of there was something sometimes
to you. So I want to give them the props
to you at the same time and say that this
is wonderful and and this is a wonderful example of
that organizing productivity doesn't have color. That's kind of the point, right,
(31:34):
But what would you be kind of your statement on
just on that part of it. First, I just it
doesn't do color or gender. I think it's just it's organizing,
it's productivity.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
It absolutely is.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
I mean the diversity of I think it was part
of the growth of the organizing industry in terms of
it was such a small niche to start and so
initially I would say fairly homogeneous. As it grew and
people became aware of it, now you're bringing in more people,
(32:08):
different perspectives, you know, different experiences, and so it took
a minute I think for NAPO as an organization to sort.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Of catch up with that.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
Right, it was used to being a certain way, and
now as you're getting more people that have that different perspective,
you've got to make space for those different perspectives.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
So that took a minute.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
I think now NAPO, I am amazed when I go
to conference and you know, we have international attendees, so
you're hearing different languages. You know, we have organizers, we
have productivity people, we have move managers. There's diversity and
sort of our practice, the things that we we.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Are are specialties. I love it all.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
Like I honestly tell people thatversity is one of napo's strengths.
We have a very large umbrella, and there are a
lot of people under that NAPO umbrella these days.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
I agree to agree. I have no no complaints. I
totally agree with that, and I think it's just wonderful.
You now, I know you're not yet you're introverts. Honestly,
NAPLE was good to you because the guys, so goes,
how does what introverts get into the business? And then
you obviously you've done you but not committees and things
of it, and they become president. So how did how
(33:29):
did that happen?
Speaker 3 (33:32):
You know, it's I feel like me getting ready to
be president of NAPO is a testament to the power
of showing up because when I first joined and I
joined NAPO right when I started my business, and you know,
there were chapter meetings that I would actually drive to
the meeting and park in the parking lot and would
(33:54):
see people going in and was too like nervous to
go in. I remember my first conference, it was two
thousand and nine Orlando. I made it through that entire
conference without talking to anyone, Like I showed up. I
went to sessions right, which I enjoyed, and then I
(34:18):
went back.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
To my ropes like that, you know, that's hilarious.
Speaker 3 (34:25):
But what I did do, you know, sort of after
the initial you know, okay, I can't go in and
let me just leave and go home, was I'm just
gonna keep showing up. And I had a NAPO colleague
one day tell me that. You know, She's like, I
know you're an introvert. I know you think like no
(34:47):
one's noticing you when you're hiding in this corner. She
was like, but you've been going to conference for years,
You've been walking around in these spaces.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
And people know who you are.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
That's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
And so that caused me to, you know, see myself
in a different way.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
You know.
Speaker 3 (35:06):
Volunteering was also a way for me to kind of
push my boundaries a little bit doing the work right
what you know, being on a committee, right, there's work
to be done. So that was easy for me being
on the board, push those boundaries a little bit further.
Being asked to run for president push them a lot. Obviously,
(35:30):
I said yes, But it was just I was determined
to show up in some way, shape or form. And
when you show up, it takes the pressure off a
little bit. People feel like they.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
Know you and they come talk to you. So I
did not have to make the initial move. I would
get asked to be on committees.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
I got asked to participate in different projects, and you know,
I was willing to raise my hand and say yes
and do those things.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
So that's how I got from there.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
To hear it's wonderful. My god. That's just there are
a lot of inference out there, and so succeed. You
just show them you can succeed. You just have to.
We have to better, You have to better yourself. You
have to kind of Okay, I can do this, talk
to something, and you're doing it. I'm like good I am.
Which makes you be a conference and you'll see probably yes, oh.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
Yeah, I'm sure you know, be on stage here and there.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
And see I love the stage. I can't get off
of it. No, it's no different. I don't know how
it is. It's a fun to be on stage. It's fun, folks,
it's fun. No, I swear so for you. And this
is this is almost like a rhetorical question, clearly, but
I want to relate it to NAPO. Education is important?
Is it? That's you? So obviously, how has napo's education
(36:55):
side really serves.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
You, you know, well, that commitment to continuing education is like,
that's where NAPO just has my heart all the time.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
You know.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
We tend to come into this industry because we have
sort of natural abilities, right, a certain way of approaching things.
But it's the continuing education and the challenge to always
get better, to deal with the changes in the world,
which you know, affect our clients and affect how we
(37:33):
help them the tools that we have to help them,
and education is such an important part of that getting
exposed to other avenues, other possible solutions, you know. In
addition to getting education from you know, classes that you
can take in APO University, you get education from you
(37:54):
from your colleagues.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
You know.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
Some of the best lessons I've learned have come from
just talking to my colleagues and how they approach a
problem and comparing it to like my current approach, and
what of their approach can I incorporate. So it's just
that challenge of always getting better, always learning, always developing,
(38:18):
you know, it's it's ongoing.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
And will I'll personally attest there are so many wise
and and whise I'll say whise mostly I work with.
There's only a few of us guys in the business,
but I work mostly women in the business some wise,
women that I would would just bet my life on.
(38:41):
In this business and in NAPO. I mean there's so many,
Oh my god, there's so many smart women out there
that I just I shut ups and seriously on this
show in public, at meetings. I've been to conferences, whole thing.
I've gone, I've gone a session. I'm telling you so this.
So if you're an organizer out there thinking about it,
(39:03):
the conferences, those conferences are the bomb dignity. I mean,
he just used regular. Don the kids say that anymore,
but that's right. They did. But seriously, I remember my
first conference was years and years and give me, give
me like a thousand years ago, and I remember just
absorbing the high of being with other organizers. There's this
(39:25):
thing where everyone's there for that reason and you feel
it in the internatural hot Yes, yes, so I can
imagine you're not even talking to people. You probably were
taking it in. It's going, wow, this is amazing, and
you're listening to speakers who have You're like, I never
thought of that before. What you know, Wow, they do
it that way. Like I would sit there just I'm
(39:46):
just like I was in awe that this business is
not just some little hobby for us. You can't wait
for something for us, And there's some real work being done,
I mean mental, physical, psych a logical work being done
in our field.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Right, yes, yes, there's the I mean I still remember
that first conference, like going to the expo and being
in a room where we get excited over like changes
and innovations and file folders. Oh yeah, right, Oh my goodness,
these are these are my people, Oh my gosh, Like
(40:24):
the labels are on top so you can see it
when you pull the draw like oh right, and being
around other people who get.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
That excitement agree and how life changing that can be.
It's like the best part.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
That's so funny. I mean, I which another college was
like there was some upcoming, there was some developments in
labels themselves, like these peel off nicer and they kind
of clear. I'm like, oh my god, I love labels.
You know the label I want, you know? I mean, yeah,
my friends will be like, what are you talking about?
Don't understands this is gonna be life changing. My clients
(41:03):
will love this, Moe, my client will love that and
then as you do right thing, as you do like that.
I always asked us of incoming presidents or president's elector
or presidents, so what is one of your platforms that
you hope to see happen while you're president?
Speaker 2 (41:19):
M platform?
Speaker 3 (41:21):
I mean, honestly, right now, I'm focused on the member experience, right,
the feeling of community.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
And you know, we talked about standalone.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Uh So she was president when I went to my
first conference and you know, the conference where I talked
to no one, and she gave her president's address, and
you know, she told the story about sort of being
meeting her roommate, she was rooming with someone at conference
(41:56):
and sort of feeling that organizer stereotype, the weight of
that stereotype of having everything be perfect right. But she
told it in such a warm and funny way that
it made little introvert Karen feel like, Okay, there's a
place for me here. Like you know this, you know, intelligent,
(42:18):
smart woman is talking about feelings that I know that
I can relate to, And so I think, I guess
it's more of an informal platform. I guess for me,
I want to be able to do that for incoming
members right. I want to be able to provide that
(42:38):
welcome to the industry, that welcome to the association and
make them feel.
Speaker 2 (42:46):
You can do this.
Speaker 3 (42:47):
You know, you're one of us. We're here to support
you on this journey that you've taken. And so yeah,
I just want to improve the community and the feeling
and pass it on. It's done so much for me
and I want to make sure I do it for others.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
Well, that's that's that's that's mean, that's formal. That's important.
That's very important. And I want to say two things. One, yes, standalone.
So I've never had on my show You're Walking in
the show stand and I show. I've never had her
on the show, but I know she's wonderful. I mean,
her reputation proceeds really wonderful, a legend in our business.
But also I do agree there's so many wonderful people
(43:27):
here and are doing amazing work from picture organizing to
you know this over here and that you know, all
kinds of stuff, And I think this is a business
that we should walko people in of all walks of life,
of all ages, of all sizes, of all heights. I mean,
I mean, I'm being kind of funny. But like I
(43:48):
first say, horror stories where they don't hire me because
I'm too short, I don't hire. I'm like, as I do,
you can still, we all can do the work like
it's not prohibitive of anything. Yes, So I'm glad that
that's something.
Speaker 2 (44:00):
I think.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
There's so many I mean, if people are gonna pay
for the department association, you should have a great experience. Yes, absolutely,
that's just that's just number one. That's just number one.
So I think that's a great thing. And I said,
our industry is so oh my god, there's so many
nice people in it who have so much knowledge to
share with you that it's it's it's invaluable. I mean,
(44:23):
oh yeah, I'm glad. It's changing. I've got I've got
the face of the organizer is evolving and changing and
much more inclusive. And everybody's out there doing their thing.
And there's a lot of work to we've done, I mean, America,
a whole lot of work we've done. Yes, in my
own family. God, I mean it's I mean there's a
(44:43):
lot we have a lot of we have a lot
of stuff, and people are busy, and people are running
around and and like you said earlier. No shame, no judgment,
no shame. It happens to everybody, you know. But you know,
our industry is here, it's here to help. When you
found out you elected president, I was always asking us
to presidents, what was your first thought?
Speaker 3 (45:07):
I would say, let's go back to when the nomination
committee reached out to me and was like, hey, would
you think about running for president? And it was absolute shock,
like it had never in a million years crossed my mind.
And so when they say your mind goes blank, like
(45:28):
I now know what that feels like, because I was like, wait, huh,
but you know I said yes.
Speaker 2 (45:38):
And when we had the election and.
Speaker 3 (45:43):
I was president elect, I would say the feeling was
was being humbled. Right, my peers and colleagues are showing
their trust and faith in me, and that's a humbling experience.
They believe in me, They trust me to represent this
(46:08):
organization and to make decisions regarding the future of this organization,
and I take that so seriously. So yeah, I would
say just humbling.
Speaker 2 (46:21):
Overall. The faith that the members haven't me is very humbling.
Speaker 1 (46:29):
What do you think now for outsiders, what is one
thing they should take away from our industry?
Speaker 2 (46:36):
Funny thing.
Speaker 3 (46:37):
You know, we're here to help, right, There's so many
challenges in the world today, and in all of those challenges,
in most of those challenges, I'm sure an organizer or
productivity professional can help you with that. We're here to
help help you get where you want to be, where
(47:00):
you need to be, to help you through those challenges.
You know, health challenges, moving challenges.
Speaker 2 (47:07):
Uh, we're a new parent, we've got a.
Speaker 3 (47:10):
New job, all of those things. There's an organizer or
productivity professional that can help you with that. And we're
excited to help you get where you want to be.
Speaker 1 (47:22):
We are, we are, we love, we love what we do,
and I love I love what I do, and and
I just I just want to stay. I want to
thank you for your time with me, miss President elect
and President of SOHO Punctivity Solutions. Thanks, You're welcome back.
Speaker 2 (47:39):
Thanks keep for having me, Thank you for having me
my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (47:42):
Now's your chance to promote yourself. All about promoting yourself.
So we're going they find you your business so I'll
put a description below of course too, But we're going
they find you.
Speaker 3 (47:52):
They can find me at SOHO Productivitysolutions dot Com. I
am here for your productivity, Concilton. I help people with
their technology decisions, help them organize all of their devices
and files and whatnot, to help them, you know, meet their.
Speaker 2 (48:11):
Goals at work and in their businesses.
Speaker 3 (48:13):
So yep, and I'm on Instagram and Facebook all under
SOHO productivity.
Speaker 2 (48:19):
So you can find me pretty much anywhere.
Speaker 1 (48:21):
Find her find her, folks.
Speaker 3 (48:26):
Right, you got the introvert to promote itself.
Speaker 1 (48:28):
Exactly, so that's my Style'll do it for you, girl.
I'm the post. Everything you do, the show will go
out to a lot of people too, So we're gonna
get you out there also because when the bottom line
is you're a business, that's the bottom lie.
Speaker 2 (48:41):
Right, You gotta make money.
Speaker 1 (48:43):
You gotta make money.
Speaker 2 (48:44):
We we love what we do, but we also have
to you know, pay the rent and and eat.
Speaker 1 (48:50):
Yes, very important, folks. You know you can find me
at super organizer everywhere. That's what I do, That's who
I is. A lot of help dot com is my website.
Everyone out there, take care of yourselves. And again, remember
you know, organizing does a mean perfection, doesn't mean is
mean shame or anything like that. If you want help
(49:10):
or if you wanted her to help, you and you're
afraid to go to her. Maybe you're in for yourself.
Contact me. I would say this all the time and
I will make the introductions so there's no barriers, there's
nothing holding you back. If you would like to have
the help today, and I suggest you want to help today,
you want it. I'm Jameson Jr. I talk to you
next time.
Hello, it is Tuesday, March fourth. I can't believe it
myself either, twenty twenty five. This is the sso or
James Lot Junior. I am James On Jenior, super Organizer.
It's my tenth season of doing this show. My god,
ten seasons. Can't believe it. And we're doing one of
my traditions that I always have on the show. I
believe she's number eight of my tradition is to have
(00:24):
the president of the Premiere Organizing Productivity Association, which is
NAPO on my show. Let me look at that a second.
So she is the owner of SOHO pro Activity Solutions
we can see on here, of course, and so she's
been in business for I'm trying to count there, fourteen years.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
We're going on seventeen seventeen.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
I'm so, I can't count, okay, seventeen years. But also
she's a smart person too. She is yeah, only gets
to organize you get you all together. But also she
as a sociology degree from Duke you know that school,
that little school, Duke, and a jd. Folks Okay from
the University of Houston Law Center. Hello, and a master's
(01:11):
in sports management from the University of sfet my peaks
like me. We get we get our education everywhere. So
that just says to me how diverse she is, just
even her education and how she brings brings that to
her job into her life. And she is starting in May,
will be the new president of NAPO, the National Association
(01:34):
of Productivity Organizers. I'm very excited about that. And she's
also part of our one of our favorite groups, the
n Association of Black Professional Organizers. What's about that little bit? Two?
Help me welcome this, Karen.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Thank you for having me. I'm so excited.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I'm was Karen. How are you.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I'm good. I'm good.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Good now. I always do my thanks and gratitude first.
I believe you should always give thanks. And she living
in grad too what he can. Sometimes it's a little
hard here in La. We had the fires in January.
I had a flood here this month. But I'm still.
I got a house. Still, I got a house.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
I got you that.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
But today is my grandson, Trenton's birthday. He turned four
years old.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Oh my goodness, and I he is.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
The cutest little baby on earth. I just talked to
my daughter this morning. I can't bear with them because
I'm actually dealing with a roof situation at my house.
I can't even go visit them and be there for
his birthday, my living graduate of him being born. He
was born my grandmother, Alicia's birthday. So happy heavenly birthday
to Miss Alicia. I live gratuated for her because one
(02:38):
of the things I remember is when I had my
wisdom teeth pulled, I had to stay at her house.
She took care of me while I was in pain.
One thing about her, but happy heavenly birthday to her,
too older younger. I'm part of the Sandwich generation. I
have grandchildren, I have children, I have elderly parents all
the same time, and a living graduated of all of
them while they're here and while I'm still here. Anything
(02:59):
would give that to you yourself, Karen.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Well, I always give, always give gratitudes to my mother,
Like you know, I would not be here physically, I
would not be the person that I am, the experiences
that I've been privileged to have without her, and you
know the hard work that she did. You know, I
(03:24):
know what her life was like, you know, growing up
black woman in the South.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
You know, then she got married, had me and my brother.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Then she got divorced and she was a single mom,
Like she went through it, and you know, you're reading
sort of my academic achievements. You know, none of that's
possible without my mother and the things that she did
and how much she supported me and all of that.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
And as we're recording this, it is black the Black
historym of the tale of the end of it. So
we go shout out to your mom.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
What's your mom's name, Velma, Belma Baker, Baul Bella Baker.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
That's right. We salute you and all other black women
who worked hard raising children and instealing great values in them.
When did you, Karen realize kind of the magnitude of
her life, Like I realized my parents were humans once
I became a parent and I was an adult. I
(04:23):
didn't get it so much as a kid and a teenager.
Once I left home out in the world, I would
say my mid twenties, so late ten, I kind of
noticed they we went through some stuff, they were they
were okay. When did you guys realize your mom was
that super special?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Mine was a lot earlier.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
I'm going to say probably seventh or eighth grade.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
That was when.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Basically I took some tests at my you know, local
public elementary school, and they decided that, know, okay, her
test scores are really good, here's some you know, other
opportunities for her. And I got the chance to go
to one of the best schools in not only you know,
(05:12):
Houston where I'm from, but really it's one of the
best schools in the country, one of the best college
prep schools in the country. And all that she did
to sort of hold my hand through that process. I mean,
I'm what, you know, twelve maybe at that point, and
dealing with you know, leaving my father and and all
(05:35):
of that. Like she was really going through it, but
she was always there for me, like.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Having the front row.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Seat to all of that and still seeing her show
up for me.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
That's good as it. I caught it later, now I
get it. I think I was so busy dealing with
all my own stuff that was going on. Which kids
and parents do you all the time. That's very cool
you kind of you saw what she was doing and
recognized it early. Okay, she's sacrificing a lot, doing a
lot for us, and I should appreciate that absolutely.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
And it's motivational. Yeah, like you know, she's giving up
all that I better, you know, get it right.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Well, it's very cool because I know mother's and daughters.
I have two daughters. That can be a tenuous relationship,
but I always say, at some point, you guys come
back together. Mother. You guys just do I mean, you
need your mother. I was like, yeah, well I need
my mother too, but you need your mother. Mother.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
They need their mothers absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
And they're They're great examples of how to how to live.
So I'm sure she's very proud of you. I'm sure
Misma is very proud of you. You made some accomplidence.
But I want to ask you because I a person
like you. My my resume's for is varied. I've done
different careers for you. How why is your so very
i'd I know why mine is kind of but I
(07:02):
mean because yours really it it jumps around. It's all
great stuff.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
You know, It's like my journey it was it was
very moment to moment, like I would have a plan,
but then I would pivot.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
And I think, you know a lot of people are like.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Oh my god, you were so brave to you know,
change or you know you're dealing with sort of the
peer pressure of you've made a decision and to stick
with it.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
So, you know, I went to college.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I started out thinking I wanted to be a doctor,
that was it. And then I ran into you know,
freshman chemistry.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
I was like maybe not.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
So then it was like, okay, you know you had
to pick a major, you know, by like your sophomore year.
What am I interested in? Sociology? Right, Like the study
of society and US as groups?
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Right?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
That fascinated me. Still was great and enjoyed it a lot.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
And you know, you get to you know, your senior
year graduation, Oh what are we going to do now?
And first I have the idea of like, oh, I'm
gonna do like that gap.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Year thing, right, I'm gonna take some time off.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
And then I was like, yeah, if I take some
time off, I'm just gonna sit on a couch, like
I need to do something.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
So what's my next step?
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Law school was sort of my bill the gap because
I decided that that education was applicable across you know,
any kind of of you know, endeavor I decided to do.
So I still wasn't sure what I wanted to do,
but I figured law school would come in handy for
(08:44):
that and then while I was in law school, it.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Was like, you know what I really like sports. You know,
maybe I'm gonna take my law degree into sports.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
So did that, got my master's in sports management, worked
in professional sports for about a decade.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Loved that, but back then it was a little tougher
for a woman, and so.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
I, you know, decided, Okay, I need to do something else.
And that's how I fell into organizing.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Go get into that, because that's again we come from
a time where now you can do this, but when
we were kids, there's no I mean organizer. I grew up,
there was no there was no that was a profession
until the eighties when it became wing. Those those those
ladies got together, but we didn't grow up. I'll be
I won't be an organizer. I don't be a specialist.
That they just weren't even there was nothing. I'll be
(09:39):
a life coach. Those things weren't even invented yet. And
I think, like most of us, and I've done over
five hundred shows of the show in ten years, we've
all kind of fell into it. I feel like everybody
came into it from somewhere else. I'm waiting for the day,
but I think. I mean, I I get one, I
got one person out of college, n' change of this.
But the rest we've all fallen into it. But I
(10:01):
know as we go forward, these new generations have seen
as an organizers. So but back to the other stuff,
I know how that is same here. I tried certain
things with it. I wanted to be a nurse. I
was a nurse first, so I went to school for nursing,
was a nurse for ten years and hated sick people.
So that's an helped right, Your nurse doesn't help anything.
(10:25):
I was like, okay, I gotta change my profession. That's one.
That's one of that starts there. Now, when it came
to this organizing, how did you first even know it
was a profession or something you could do to make money.
So I'm very curious how you found out.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
So I would say my first exposure to organizing was
I actually worked a part time job at the container
store while I study for the bar.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Saem oh my god, okay, great, okay.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
So that was really like, you know, I was like, Okay,
it's a retail job.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
And then I was like, oh, it's like an organizing thing.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
And you know, I got a lot of training, you
know as a you know employee there, and I was like, okay,
that that's a thing now At the time, since like
I said, I was studying for the bar. After I
passed the bar was when I started working in sports.
And it wasn't until after I you know, ran my
(11:29):
course in that industry that you know, I came back
to organizing like okay, what do I have skills and
what what can I do?
Speaker 2 (11:37):
I was like, you know, I did enjoy my time
working there.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
I learned a lot you know that was on the list,
you know, like start doing a little research.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
That's how I came across NAPO and I was like,
this is a thing. This is awesome.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
You know, pulls from like everything that I've done previously,
Like this is perfect.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
That's everybody. That's the one thing if you if you're
I know, I have people who watch in the industry.
If I don't have folks you watch you or not industry.
If you're thinking about it, I'm sure part of whatever
your life experience is out there will come in handy
in this business. It really does. And I'm glad you
said that. It's a key thing is that you know
I did I did everything from insurance to retail, food service, nursing,
(12:22):
all kind of you know, all kinds of stuff, but
it all actually works in the favor of this job. Yep. Yeah,
from all of that, and for you sociology, yes obviously,
all yes, obviously, I mean everything you've done to you.
I mean it's all you know, management of people, management
of safe spaces, all kind of stuff, you know, all
(12:45):
you know, all that stuff. I mean, you know that's
makes sense, so continuous. So I've know anybody who work
in the container starm It's kind of funny. You're the
first guest I've had.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Actually work It's great pace.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Yes, I've been in there many times, anytimes. So okay,
before we get into the organistic part, were you always
a person that was pretty organized yourself?
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I'm gonna say no on that. I am a person who.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Likes for things to be easy and hates to make
the same mistake twice, and so organizing helps with both
of those, right, If things are in the right place,
it makes everything go better. When things don't go well,
I am very big on okay, how can I make
(13:40):
that go better or easier in the future, And it's
usually some form of you know, organizing, how do I
put it in place?
Speaker 1 (13:48):
You know?
Speaker 3 (13:48):
That just makes the whole process easier. So yeah, no,
it's not natural, but it's more for me. It's more
of being a problem solver.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Now that must worked for you. And when you are
certain clients, could you say I can relate? Right?
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Absolutely?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Yeah, So I'm sure it helps with certain people you
work with.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Doesn't Oh yeah, it helps I think too with a
lot of clients feel like they're somehow lacking something.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Right and they're worried about the judgment.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
And it's like, oh no, no, you know, my my
desk gets messy too. Except I get to the point
where I'm like, okay, now it's starting to affect me.
It's time for it to get back in order. And
that's easier to do, you know when you have a
general sort of organizing system, right, but oh yeah, like
if I have a particularly rough week, it looks like
(14:39):
a hurricane hit my desk and that's okay, Like it was.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
A rough week.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Who it is? She's right here, you're saying. I'm like,
you're speaking my language. I think you know they think
organizers mean judgment, perfection. These are words I don't like
at all perfection. No, we're just saying we have things
in place, so things go out of place, they go
back to place. I mean, like that kind of what
you just said. We have systems in place, so we
(15:06):
need to clean it up. We can. And they always
say the joke is that organized are the laziest people.
That's I would agree with that. I would agree with that.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
A lot of my systems come out of the fact
that I am lazy and want to make things as
simple as possible.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Me too, I'm like, oh, I think I got other
things you do, but yeah, but no, it's it's very
and I'm telling you, I say it's all the time
of the show. Seriously, being organized is a wonderful thing.
I mean it really, it really is. You may think
right now you're in chaos and it's like organized chaos. No,
it's just chaos. It's not organized chaos. It's chaos. I
(15:45):
don't want to find that that that that that shirt.
It's right there, it's always right there, but it's over
it's over the chair and doesn't look like So it's
like I just tell people, just please try it. It's
like it's somethings it's hard to get together at first,
but like you said, just together or do you do
you have a what is your motto? Or you for
your business? What is your mission?
Speaker 3 (16:06):
I have a motto, you know. I'm all about like
what are your goals?
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Right?
Speaker 3 (16:14):
There are things you want to accomplish in life, and
organizing and productivity are helping you focus on those things
to not get distracted by you know, outside noise, things
that aren't important important and you know, help you get
from from here to there.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
I mean that's kind of what I do. That's why I.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
I work mostly with businesses, small business owners, entrepreneurs. So
I got out of the you know, residential organizing and
into the workplace because I really responded to people who
have sort of these clear goals. Right when you have
a business, it's usually I want my business to survive.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I want to make some money.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Let me help you put some systems in place that
are to help you do those things.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
I like, Okay, good, It is great because I can
talk about it because I love it. I work with
some small business and they call solopreneurs or mom what
we call them. I like it too because it is
a different goal set than working from a home or
working as a home person who's running a house. It's
very different. Some similarities, but very different. What is one
thing that you come across, you can you can mention
(17:23):
you come across working with a lot of small businesses,
like it organized.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
You know, the overwhelm. I think, juggling too many pieces.
And that's really where I feel like my sports background
comes in handy. You know, sports a lot of times,
particularly team sports, it's all about making the pieces work
together right, and so I try to make the various
(17:51):
pieces of your work life work better together, easier to
get you where you.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Want to go. So yeah, that's that's you know, that's
probably it no.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
No sense because folks, when you're on your own if
this is a business, folks, and when you're own business,
you're juggling, you know, all the contracts, all the all
the actual works. Sometimes you may have a small staff,
you're juggling them too, which includes payroll and workman's cop
and and just life and personalities. And then also your
clients have their personality they're going to like you, So
(18:26):
it's a lot to juggle at once. Or you may
have multiple projects and you try even just that a
loan side to get you overwhelmed too, where you're like
this one Monday and Tuesday and this one. It's great
to be busy, folks, trust me, we like we like feasts,
not famine you like. But yeah, that's very true. When
you when you're doing yourself, that's when you you're doing
you're doing everything yourself. Yeah, I mean that's your productivity
(18:47):
with you your name comes in hand me.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
And that's why I like working with with the solopreneurs
because you know, I like to think I help them
in that little space between you first started and you
have a little success and maybe you have that goal
to eventually scale up, but you're struggling with just that
next step, that in between step, right, Like, Okay, now
(19:11):
I have a lot of clients.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Now I have contracts.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
Now I have you know, a bookkeeper or you know
a marketing person, and I.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Don't how do I manage all that? Right that? You know,
that's the part.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
That's where I like to step in and sort of
that middle step, that middle gap.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah. People don't realize and I didn't those either. This
is my first business. I was always work for people.
But I've been in business sixteen years. I'm right behind
you and and one of the things I realized was
it's the next step stop. So when you are feast
dot famine, you had great all these people I'm working,
but there's like things do you fall behind? Thank you've forgotten?
(19:49):
And I've double booked a couple of times by accident,
and I a little things like that. You come up
and you're like, oh, okay, then you're thinking about what
more than this too. I was thinking I want, I
want to get bigger and bigger, but right like I
can't quite get there because I'm still trying to manage
to see of stuff right here. M m hm. Very true.
(20:09):
That's right, that's very very true. Have you I have
to ask this just for for fun. Uh in your
in your seventeen years in business, have you ever had
to fire a client?
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Yes, it wasn't really fire as much as I think
you're gonna be happier with this organizer.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Uh, they're they're better equipped to deal with what you
need than I am. So that that's probably.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
I don't think I've had any that I've had to
out and out say we can't work together anymore, goodbye.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
So, but a lot of people ask you this question.
So that's why to kind of get your take on it,
how I mean, because first you're like, you feel like,
oh my gosh, it's not working out. It's one thing.
When it works out, it's great, but when it doesn't
work out, you're like, oh, is that work it out?
So how did you kind of all the details obviously,
but just kind of how did you walk through that
to be able to make that decision. Then people ask
(21:08):
me that question all the time, so I thought, as
somebody who's been through it, I mean, it's kind of
just like, how did you have the bravery to go?
Speaker 3 (21:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
It's always hard to say no to the money, right, Like, Okay,
they're paying me, do I really want to just turn
that down?
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Because of you know this reason. It doesn't seem that
big this particular client, it was more of a we
got out of scope.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
I was helping him on the technology side of things,
organizing digital files things like that for his business, and
then it morphed into oh, I'm helping him move and uh,
packing clothes and I'm like, this is not what I do. Like,
(21:59):
I mean, I found myself in the closet like folding
shirts and I'm like, isn't this why I got into
doing you know, business productivity, like this is not my thing,
you know, wonderful person loved my client someone I was like,
you know what, I need to hand him off to
someone who enjoys this, who's better at it. I think
(22:25):
part of it too, was feeling like my attitude towards
it was going to affect my relationship with this client,
like I didn't want to be doing this and that's
going to come through. So let me put you with
someone who enjoys doing that aspect of it, and it'll
be better for everyone.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
So very smart. No, I had a situation once where
and so weird how it happens. I want folks where
are in the business keep an eye out because so
you work with somebody who's nice, like I said, they're
nice and they're not. It's harder when they're nice and nice, right, Sure,
if they're rude to me, you're like, yeah, get out,
I'm done. That's easy. No, it's it's not easy when
(23:06):
there are actually really coming to you for help and
they're sweet and you form a bond of some sort
of course as you work with your client, we do
it's it's personally just do then we have we have boundaries,
but it's like still you know. But then all of
a sudden you said you're not paying really paying attention.
And for me it was I was mopping a floor.
(23:29):
I remember, mit mop. I was like what I said
some stronger words, but what am I feeling? Like? Oh
my god? She asked me to do it like for like,
that's not my job. Like I just I finished the
floor and I just walked out, I'm done, I'm going.
And then I had to talk to I was hired
(23:50):
for this person's like mother or whatever, and she was
like again sweet. I talked to her, I said, girl,
is what happened. She's like, oh my god, so that's
not true. We don't pay you that much money to
mop the floor. I go, I know you don't. My
rates aren't from mopping. It's like but the more important
thing was just kind of like because we have we
respect our clients and in some ways used to become
(24:11):
we become friendly with them. Where does we care about
there on some level that you'll fight stuff doing stuff.
All of a sudden, Wait a minute, that wasn't that
you don't pay attention. You have to get to keep
you have to keep the boundaries really clear. And that's
something I've learned or long grub been in business.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
But in the beginning of my problems, yes, yes, yes,
I KNOWW make that referral earlier in the process.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Yes, me too. And and I'm sure like like you,
it's a large chapter. Houston's a large chapter, folks, and
with great people. I know, I mean all my folks
by Jennifer loves and all that, all like great folks
down there, and she just yesterday, I love Houston, And
so there's great people like you see in this business.
(24:53):
We don't see competition. We see camaraderie. We always I
packed alone all the time. People likes here in l A.
And you know, Houston too, was so big, folks. Houston's
the fourth largest city in the US. I did not
notice that big time I went there. There are parts
of LA like I don't go to. So I was like,
let me use somebody who lives over there. I'm sure.
(25:13):
I'm sure Houston the same way, yep.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Absolutely, Like, oh, I do not want to drive all
the way out to you know, clear Lake or you
know wherever.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
I like, yeah, I need to hand that off.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Not a good time in Houston, folks, I had a
good time. And years ago, I want to say, I
want to they sent this in ten years. I actually
did a class at one of your Houston chapters. I
was very impressed by the chapter. I was invited out
and I did a class on media that was my favorite.
Added packed class was from uh got to meet Jerlyn
Thomas there. We had She and I are folks who've
(25:47):
been circling each other out here and then we got
to finally our classes actually were that's we're next to you.
It's the same time. We wanted to go to each
other's class at the same time.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Didn't work.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
You got to work, but we had we had get
to get to meet. We had a great time on there.
But all the ladies, they were wonderful to me. The
great chapter kind of you know, we hear about Beyonce
from Houston East Town. What can you say about Houston.
I'm just kind of curious. I mean, you work there,
you live there. What is it like a general thing
you think we should know about Houston?
Speaker 3 (26:22):
Oh Man, I mean, I feel like Houston is a big,
cosmopolitan city with like a not necessarily a small town feel,
but just a more intimate feel.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
It's it's not. It's not. We're not always talking about
how big we are. We just are right.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
We don't talk about the amount of diversity in our city.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
We just are.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
You know, you go to the store and you know
you're hearing people speak different languages and you know all
that stuff. It's it's it just it is. So it's
very it's very low key. It's very low key, but
it has everything you want in a big city, you know,
the art, seeing, the the business and innovation part, the diversity.
(27:16):
That's what I would say about Houston. But it's just
we're we're pretty laid back here.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
No, it's a big city. And I went to this
was the name of it. This barbecue place, was good,
met the owner, take pictures, had a good time. We
had a good time. It was really good. Now Freddie
works out in the Manchos area, and I got to
go see him and see some friends. That are so
many places, it's huge. I just really had no clue
(27:40):
how big it was. So I was like, so, so
you work in one of the major metropolitan cities in America,
So how do you how do you find business? That's
no question.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
You always asked, really referrals that is like that was
my bread and butter, and you know it's just sort
of a you know, just between us and everybody. I
am a die hard introvert and so the hardest thing
about going into business was the oh, wait, I have
(28:15):
to talk to people to convince them to hire me?
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Yes, how am I going to do that?
Speaker 3 (28:21):
When like talking to people like gives me a little
a little pause, right, And that's where NAPO was so
vital in me building my business. So you know, I
got clients, but more importantly, my colleagues learned what I do,
(28:41):
how I do it, how well I do it, And
you know, just like we were talking about how we
were referring out, my colleagues were referring to me because
what I do, particularly getting into the technology aspect of things.
You know, working in the offices a lot of Houston
organizers and you know NAPO organizers nationwide, we're like, oh,
(29:06):
if it's technology, talk to Karen, that's who you want.
She she'll she'll have it handled right. And so for
a good i don't know, seven years, I'm like ninety
percent of my clients we're coming from NAPO referrals, you know.
So yeah, that's that's how I found clients, and now
my clients refer me in addition to you know, my
(29:28):
NAPO colleagues. But yes, I've gotten better at talking to
people and convincing them time.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
That's so funny. Oh my god, Oh yes, that's not
I mean. I mean I'm sitting extra regcan Telle. So
I've never been shy in my life, so I have
no idea what it's like. So I always I give
reverence the folks. You really are where it doesn't come
easy for you to put yourself out there, especially in
a business setting, like yes, I'm trying to get you,
(29:56):
convince you to hire me. Yes, I got to use
words and phrases and look at.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
You and yeah, tell you back like oh I gotta
call someone on the phone.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Okay, what am I gonna say? Let me get it
all straight, like yeah, it's a constant struggle.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
How good for you know, I'm very impressed. Good for you.
But that leads into because it leads into NAPLE. I
love talking about NAPA on the show, and you know
they they support my show completely. I know they have
their own podcasts which I was on once but then
but we but we actually they we support each other back.
This is a decade and a half long relationship had
with them and all that nice and all the presidents
(30:35):
and you are I say, we're recording this during Black History,
but you are the first African American president coming in
of NAPO.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
Well, I think I'm the second. I think Standale and
Robinson would be the first.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
Oh yeah, Dandeline, that's right, so your second? Okay, yes,
So for me, that makes me very happy just to
see that this month's just when I heard about it,
I was like, oh my god, this kind this is
very nice. But it just goes to show and I say,
I won't say it's publicly. Naples had some issues with
with racistuff in the past, but they actively decided to
work on it and do partnerships and classes and courses
(31:11):
and reaching out and meeting some line. Sometimes I ask
you that I want to give them their props. I've
been very I've been critical of there was something sometimes
to you. So I want to give them the props
to you at the same time and say that this
is wonderful and and this is a wonderful example of
that organizing productivity doesn't have color. That's kind of the point, right,
(31:34):
But what would you be kind of your statement on
just on that part of it. First, I just it
doesn't do color or gender. I think it's just it's organizing,
it's productivity.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
It absolutely is.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
I mean the diversity of I think it was part
of the growth of the organizing industry in terms of
it was such a small niche to start and so
initially I would say fairly homogeneous. As it grew and
people became aware of it, now you're bringing in more people,
(32:08):
different perspectives, you know, different experiences, and so it took
a minute I think for NAPO as an organization to sort.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Of catch up with that.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
Right, it was used to being a certain way, and
now as you're getting more people that have that different perspective,
you've got to make space for those different perspectives.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
So that took a minute.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
I think now NAPO, I am amazed when I go
to conference and you know, we have international attendees, so
you're hearing different languages. You know, we have organizers, we
have productivity people, we have move managers. There's diversity and
sort of our practice, the things that we we.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Are are specialties. I love it all.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
Like I honestly tell people thatversity is one of napo's strengths.
We have a very large umbrella, and there are a
lot of people under that NAPO umbrella these days.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
I agree to agree. I have no no complaints. I
totally agree with that, and I think it's just wonderful.
You now, I know you're not yet you're introverts. Honestly,
NAPLE was good to you because the guys, so goes,
how does what introverts get into the business? And then
you obviously you've done you but not committees and things
of it, and they become president. So how did how
(33:29):
did that happen?
Speaker 3 (33:32):
You know, it's I feel like me getting ready to
be president of NAPO is a testament to the power
of showing up because when I first joined and I
joined NAPO right when I started my business, and you know,
there were chapter meetings that I would actually drive to
the meeting and park in the parking lot and would
(33:54):
see people going in and was too like nervous to
go in. I remember my first conference, it was two
thousand and nine Orlando. I made it through that entire
conference without talking to anyone, Like I showed up. I
went to sessions right, which I enjoyed, and then I
(34:18):
went back.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
To my ropes like that, you know, that's hilarious.
Speaker 3 (34:25):
But what I did do, you know, sort of after
the initial you know, okay, I can't go in and
let me just leave and go home, was I'm just
gonna keep showing up. And I had a NAPO colleague
one day tell me that. You know, She's like, I
know you're an introvert. I know you think like no
(34:47):
one's noticing you when you're hiding in this corner. She
was like, but you've been going to conference for years,
You've been walking around in these spaces.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
And people know who you are.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
That's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
And so that caused me to, you know, see myself
in a different way.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
You know.
Speaker 3 (35:06):
Volunteering was also a way for me to kind of
push my boundaries a little bit doing the work right
what you know, being on a committee, right, there's work
to be done. So that was easy for me being
on the board, push those boundaries a little bit further.
Being asked to run for president push them a lot. Obviously,
(35:30):
I said yes, But it was just I was determined
to show up in some way, shape or form. And
when you show up, it takes the pressure off a
little bit. People feel like they.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
Know you and they come talk to you. So I
did not have to make the initial move. I would
get asked to be on committees.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
I got asked to participate in different projects, and you know,
I was willing to raise my hand and say yes
and do those things.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
So that's how I got from there.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
To hear it's wonderful. My god. That's just there are
a lot of inference out there, and so succeed. You
just show them you can succeed. You just have to.
We have to better, You have to better yourself. You
have to kind of Okay, I can do this, talk
to something, and you're doing it. I'm like good I am.
Which makes you be a conference and you'll see probably yes, oh.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
Yeah, I'm sure you know, be on stage here and there.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
And see I love the stage. I can't get off
of it. No, it's no different. I don't know how
it is. It's a fun to be on stage. It's fun, folks,
it's fun. No, I swear so for you. And this
is this is almost like a rhetorical question, clearly, but
I want to relate it to NAPO. Education is important?
Is it? That's you? So obviously, how has napo's education
(36:55):
side really serves.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
You, you know, well, that commitment to continuing education is like,
that's where NAPO just has my heart all the time.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
You know.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
We tend to come into this industry because we have
sort of natural abilities, right, a certain way of approaching things.
But it's the continuing education and the challenge to always
get better, to deal with the changes in the world,
which you know, affect our clients and affect how we
(37:33):
help them the tools that we have to help them,
and education is such an important part of that getting
exposed to other avenues, other possible solutions, you know. In
addition to getting education from you know, classes that you
can take in APO University, you get education from you
(37:54):
from your colleagues.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
You know.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
Some of the best lessons I've learned have come from
just talking to my colleagues and how they approach a
problem and comparing it to like my current approach, and
what of their approach can I incorporate. So it's just
that challenge of always getting better, always learning, always developing,
(38:18):
you know, it's it's ongoing.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
And will I'll personally attest there are so many wise
and and whise I'll say whise mostly I work with.
There's only a few of us guys in the business,
but I work mostly women in the business some wise,
women that I would would just bet my life on.
(38:41):
In this business and in NAPO. I mean there's so many,
Oh my god, there's so many smart women out there
that I just I shut ups and seriously on this
show in public, at meetings. I've been to conferences, whole thing.
I've gone, I've gone a session. I'm telling you so this.
So if you're an organizer out there thinking about it,
(39:03):
the conferences, those conferences are the bomb dignity. I mean,
he just used regular. Don the kids say that anymore,
but that's right. They did. But seriously, I remember my
first conference was years and years and give me, give
me like a thousand years ago, and I remember just
absorbing the high of being with other organizers. There's this
(39:25):
thing where everyone's there for that reason and you feel
it in the internatural hot Yes, yes, so I can
imagine you're not even talking to people. You probably were
taking it in. It's going, wow, this is amazing, and
you're listening to speakers who have You're like, I never
thought of that before. What you know, Wow, they do
it that way. Like I would sit there just I'm
(39:46):
just like I was in awe that this business is
not just some little hobby for us. You can't wait
for something for us, And there's some real work being done,
I mean mental, physical, psych a logical work being done
in our field.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Right, yes, yes, there's the I mean I still remember
that first conference, like going to the expo and being
in a room where we get excited over like changes
and innovations and file folders. Oh yeah, right, Oh my goodness,
these are these are my people, Oh my gosh, Like
(40:24):
the labels are on top so you can see it
when you pull the draw like oh right, and being
around other people who get.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
That excitement agree and how life changing that can be.
It's like the best part.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
That's so funny. I mean, I which another college was
like there was some upcoming, there was some developments in
labels themselves, like these peel off nicer and they kind
of clear. I'm like, oh my god, I love labels.
You know the label I want, you know? I mean, yeah,
my friends will be like, what are you talking about?
Don't understands this is gonna be life changing. My clients
(41:03):
will love this, Moe, my client will love that and
then as you do right thing, as you do like that.
I always asked us of incoming presidents or president's elector
or presidents, so what is one of your platforms that
you hope to see happen while you're president?
Speaker 2 (41:19):
M platform?
Speaker 3 (41:21):
I mean, honestly, right now, I'm focused on the member experience, right,
the feeling of community.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
And you know, we talked about standalone.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Uh So she was president when I went to my
first conference and you know, the conference where I talked
to no one, and she gave her president's address, and
you know, she told the story about sort of being
meeting her roommate, she was rooming with someone at conference
(41:56):
and sort of feeling that organizer stereotype, the weight of
that stereotype of having everything be perfect right. But she
told it in such a warm and funny way that
it made little introvert Karen feel like, Okay, there's a
place for me here. Like you know this, you know, intelligent,
(42:18):
smart woman is talking about feelings that I know that
I can relate to, And so I think, I guess
it's more of an informal platform. I guess for me,
I want to be able to do that for incoming
members right. I want to be able to provide that
(42:38):
welcome to the industry, that welcome to the association and
make them feel.
Speaker 2 (42:46):
You can do this.
Speaker 3 (42:47):
You know, you're one of us. We're here to support
you on this journey that you've taken. And so yeah,
I just want to improve the community and the feeling
and pass it on. It's done so much for me
and I want to make sure I do it for others.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
Well, that's that's that's that's mean, that's formal. That's important.
That's very important. And I want to say two things. One, yes, standalone.
So I've never had on my show You're Walking in
the show stand and I show. I've never had her
on the show, but I know she's wonderful. I mean,
her reputation proceeds really wonderful, a legend in our business.
But also I do agree there's so many wonderful people
(43:27):
here and are doing amazing work from picture organizing to
you know this over here and that you know, all
kinds of stuff, And I think this is a business
that we should walko people in of all walks of life,
of all ages, of all sizes, of all heights. I mean,
I mean, I'm being kind of funny. But like I
(43:48):
first say, horror stories where they don't hire me because
I'm too short, I don't hire. I'm like, as I do,
you can still, we all can do the work like
it's not prohibitive of anything. Yes, So I'm glad that
that's something.
Speaker 2 (44:00):
I think.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
There's so many I mean, if people are gonna pay
for the department association, you should have a great experience. Yes, absolutely,
that's just that's just number one. That's just number one.
So I think that's a great thing. And I said,
our industry is so oh my god, there's so many
nice people in it who have so much knowledge to
share with you that it's it's it's invaluable. I mean,
(44:23):
oh yeah, I'm glad. It's changing. I've got I've got
the face of the organizer is evolving and changing and
much more inclusive. And everybody's out there doing their thing.
And there's a lot of work to we've done, I mean, America,
a whole lot of work we've done. Yes, in my
own family. God, I mean it's I mean there's a
(44:43):
lot we have a lot of we have a lot
of stuff, and people are busy, and people are running
around and and like you said earlier. No shame, no judgment,
no shame. It happens to everybody, you know. But you know,
our industry is here, it's here to help. When you
found out you elected president, I was always asking us
to presidents, what was your first thought?
Speaker 3 (45:07):
I would say, let's go back to when the nomination
committee reached out to me and was like, hey, would
you think about running for president? And it was absolute shock,
like it had never in a million years crossed my mind.
And so when they say your mind goes blank, like
(45:28):
I now know what that feels like, because I was like, wait, huh,
but you know I said yes.
Speaker 2 (45:38):
And when we had the election and.
Speaker 3 (45:43):
I was president elect, I would say the feeling was
was being humbled. Right, my peers and colleagues are showing
their trust and faith in me, and that's a humbling experience.
They believe in me, They trust me to represent this
(46:08):
organization and to make decisions regarding the future of this organization,
and I take that so seriously. So yeah, I would
say just humbling.
Speaker 2 (46:21):
Overall. The faith that the members haven't me is very humbling.
Speaker 1 (46:29):
What do you think now for outsiders, what is one
thing they should take away from our industry?
Speaker 2 (46:36):
Funny thing.
Speaker 3 (46:37):
You know, we're here to help, right, There's so many
challenges in the world today, and in all of those challenges,
in most of those challenges, I'm sure an organizer or
productivity professional can help you with that. We're here to
help help you get where you want to be, where
(47:00):
you need to be, to help you through those challenges.
You know, health challenges, moving challenges.
Speaker 2 (47:07):
Uh, we're a new parent, we've got a.
Speaker 3 (47:10):
New job, all of those things. There's an organizer or
productivity professional that can help you with that. And we're
excited to help you get where you want to be.
Speaker 1 (47:22):
We are, we are, we love, we love what we do,
and I love I love what I do, and and
I just I just want to stay. I want to
thank you for your time with me, miss President elect
and President of SOHO Punctivity Solutions. Thanks, You're welcome back.
Speaker 2 (47:39):
Thanks keep for having me, Thank you for having me
my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (47:42):
Now's your chance to promote yourself. All about promoting yourself.
So we're going they find you your business so I'll
put a description below of course too, But we're going
they find you.
Speaker 3 (47:52):
They can find me at SOHO Productivitysolutions dot Com. I
am here for your productivity, Concilton. I help people with
their technology decisions, help them organize all of their devices
and files and whatnot, to help them, you know, meet their.
Speaker 2 (48:11):
Goals at work and in their businesses.
Speaker 3 (48:13):
So yep, and I'm on Instagram and Facebook all under
SOHO productivity.
Speaker 2 (48:19):
So you can find me pretty much anywhere.
Speaker 1 (48:21):
Find her find her, folks.
Speaker 3 (48:26):
Right, you got the introvert to promote itself.
Speaker 1 (48:28):
Exactly, so that's my Style'll do it for you, girl.
I'm the post. Everything you do, the show will go
out to a lot of people too, So we're gonna
get you out there also because when the bottom line
is you're a business, that's the bottom lie.
Speaker 2 (48:41):
Right, You gotta make money.
Speaker 1 (48:43):
You gotta make money.
Speaker 2 (48:44):
We we love what we do, but we also have
to you know, pay the rent and and eat.
Speaker 1 (48:50):
Yes, very important, folks. You know you can find me
at super organizer everywhere. That's what I do, That's who
I is. A lot of help dot com is my website.
Everyone out there, take care of yourselves. And again, remember
you know, organizing does a mean perfection, doesn't mean is
mean shame or anything like that. If you want help
(49:10):
or if you wanted her to help, you and you're
afraid to go to her. Maybe you're in for yourself.
Contact me. I would say this all the time and
I will make the introductions so there's no barriers, there's
nothing holding you back. If you would like to have
the help today, and I suggest you want to help today,
you want it. I'm Jameson Jr. I talk to you
next time.
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