National Association of Professional Organizers
Washington, DC

The February NAPO-WDC chapter meeting was held on Monday, February 4, 2013, in Fairfax, VA.  There were 30 members and 7 guests in attendance.

The meeting started with active networking.  Members visited the Corporate Partner Meet and Greet tables hosted by Shelf Genie and 123 Junk and the Ask the Experts table.

Janet Schiesl welcomed everyone.  Kimberly Gleason introduced our 7 guests.

Terri Fischer introduced our Corporate Partners in attendance:

Helen Long from Partners Estate Sales spoke about their full-service estate sale services.  They offer custom solutions to meet clients estate sale needs.  Partners Estate Sales offers complimentary consultations and consignment services.  Contact Helen today to get started!

Educational Program

Pierrette Ashcroft introduced the educational program: Organizing Your Estate for Your Incapacity and Beyond  by Christopher Guest.

Christopher talked about the legs of the estate planning tri-pod: Last Will and Testament, Advanced Medical Directive, and Power of Attorney.  With planning, directions are given to your loved ones and assets are distributed according to your desires.  Without planning, it generally increases the cost to your estate and assets may not go to who you want to receive them.

Important items to consider in estate planning are:

• Keep the documents updated as your life changes.
• Talk with an attorney to determine if a will or trust is the the best option for you and your family.
• Talk with your fiduciary about his/her responsibilities and if they want to fulfill the role.
• Communicate where documents are stored with your fiduciary.
• Your fiduciary should know how to log-in to your on-line accounts for bill pay, photos, music, movies, etc.

Chapter Business Meeting

Current and past chapter board members participated in a leadership forum to discuss the benefits of being a leader in NAPO-WDC

There’s a new book club forming in Virginia, and the first meeting is February 21st.  Contact Amy Mykityshyn for more information.

MARCPO planning is starting soon, and we still need Marketing and Expo chairs.  Contact Andrea Hancock if you are interested in volunteering for a chair position or to be on a committee.

Our door prize winner was Keri Myers.

The next meeting will be March 4, 2013, in Bethesda, MD.

That’s right! The Northern Virginia Book Club is back! All chapter members welcome!

Date: Thursday, February 21, 2013

Time: Soup & salad starting at 6:30pm, Discussion starting at 7pm

Book: “The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less” by Richard Koch

Location: The home of Amy Mykityshyn in McLean

RSVP & Directions: contact Amy at amymyk@verizon.net 0r 703-893-1693

• are not going to call.
•  are not going to read the writing.
• are afraid to take action.
• are too busy to do the work.
• won’t talk about it.
• think they can’t afford it.
• don’t care enough.

Are these your prospects? Do you want to spend your time trying to convert them to clients? Or should you be working on better appreciating the clients you already have? The clients who talk about their experience with you (and refer their friends) are not the people described above. They are not most people.

Look at the list at the top again. Maybe it describes you. Are you doing all you can do to be the best organizer/business owner you can be? Do you take the actions necessary to be considered an expert? It’s a matter of talking the talk and walking the walk. How do you want your clients or even your prospects to think of you? What you expect of yourself should be no less than what you expect of your clients. Make the call, Do the work, Read the writing, Take action!

Monday, February 4, 2013 @ 6:30pm

Kena Shriners

9001 Arlington Boulevard

Fairfax, VA 22031

Organizing Your Estate for Your Incapacity and Beyond: Making It Easy for your Love One’s

Thanks to a combination of factors — the popularity of Mad Men, the recession tightening budgets, the green movement making secondhand more trendy — vintage clothing is seeing a surge of popularity. Websites like Etsy are doing a brisk trade in both wearable mid-century vintage and in older, more fragile antique clothing. Vintage shops in the DC area are selling clothes covering every era from 1880 to 1980, and they’re always looking for new stock.

As professional organizers, NAPO members are in a position to come into contact with large quantities of vintage clothing. When seniors need to downsize to a smaller space, when families clear out attics, when hoarders are ready to part with their treasures, you are likely to see caches of vintage that vintage enthusiasts — and vintage dealers — are looking for. It’s important to know it when you see it, because that makes it easier to find a good home for vintage items.

The easiest line of demarcation for whether something is vintage falls around 1970. Anything older would be perfectly at home in a vintage shop; anything newer probably won’t. And there are a handful of easy ways to tell which side of the line an item of clothing belongs on:

1. Check the seams. If it has raw or pinked seams, it’s probably from before 1970. If it has serged seams, it’s from after. They’re easy to tell apart.

2. Check the zipper. Metal zippers were replaced with nylon towards the end of the 60s. Late 1950s and early 60s clothes tend to have center back zippers; early 50s and 40s have side zips. Clothes from the 20s and 30s usually have snaps and hooks, rather than zips.

3. Check the tags. Fiber content labels were rolled out in the 70s. Older clothes only have marked fiber content if they’re made of something special– silk or cashmere, and some of the early synthetics. They won’t have a percentage breakdown, and they’ll be larger and more ornate than modern tags.

Once you know whether a piece is pre-1970, you can narrow it down to a decade by the style. Look for flared skirts and smart tailoring in the 40s, full skirts and narrow waists in the 50s and early 60s, and and an up-and-down silhouette for the mid-to-late 60s. Depending on how much vintage you have, its quality, and its age, there are a number of options for what to do with it. If you want to get top dollar, your best bet is online sales, but that requires patience and extra work. The most successful Etsy and Ebay sellers take beautiful photos, write detailed listings, and offer excellent customer service, and they have the storage space to hold garments while they wait for them to sell.

If you only have a few pieces of vintage, online is probably your best bet. If you have a large quantity, you’re better off working with a dealer. You won’t get as much money per item, but you’ll get it a lot faster and get the items out of the house right away. And you’ll know that everything is going to end up with new owners, who will wear the pieces and take good care of them.

Holli Mintzer works at Polly Sue’s Vintage in Takoma Park, MD, where she especially likes 1950s day dresses.

The February NAPO-WDC chapter meeting was held on Monday, February 6, 2012, at Kena Shriners in Fairfax, VA.  There were 31 members in attendance, including 1 new member and 7 guests.

Janet Schiesl welcomed everyone.  Maria White introduced our guests. C. Lee Cawley hosted the “Ask the Expert” table tonight and had 5 visitors.

Terri Fischer introduced Corporate Partnerss in attendance including Helen Long and Matthew Quinn with Partners Estate Sales, Linden Coyne with Junk in the Trunk, Joe Johnson with Shelf Genie, Andy Reiman of Modern Image, Ron Goodes from Resale Solutions and Dr. Dale Keenan from B-Thrifty.

Matthew Quinn of Partners Estate Sales spoke about their estate sale and auction house. Quinn Auction House has been in business for 15 years and has partnered with Helen Long for the past 18 months.  They work with other CPs like B-Thrifty and Resale Solutions.  Their target audience is usually an individual like a neighbor not the professional buyer.

Dr. Dale Keenan of B-Thrifty spoke about their business.  They are looking for a second location.

Educational Portion

Pierrette Ashcroft then introduced the evening’s speaker: Margarita Rozenfeld, CEO of Incite International.  Margarita presented her program “Mastermind Groups:  A Key to Your Success.”

She asked the group, “Why someone would join a mastermind group.  What they would get out of it?”  Answers included support, accountability and feedback.  Someone asked:  What is a mastermind group?  Answers included an “informal advisory board” and “friends who will tell you the truth!”  Margarita added her definition:  Any group of people who come together to support each other in a structured environment.

Margarita discussed the structure and group composition of a Mastermind Group.  It’s important to articulate your mission and your objectives and to make sure that all members have compatible goals, energy and commitment.

Margarita also talked about the importance of formally creating a charter.  The charter contains agreements, structure and commitments like expectation for attendance.  The group honors confidentiality, shares and contributes full out, gives and receives in good will, and asks for and helps others get what they need.

She also reviewed a suggested Mastermind format.

Chapter Business Meeting

Janet announced that plans have been made for a NAPO-WDC chapter group photo at the NAPO conference.  She will also have a Google Doc available for all members who are attending conference to put their contact information so everyone can stay in touch during conference.  She will send out specific information on these topics to the chapter.

Cris introduced Katie Mazzocco who led the discussion for the Leadership Forum’s “Ask the Board” panel. Participating past and current board members Nealey Stapleton, Scott Roewer, Andrea Hancock, Judy Parkins and Heather Cocozza.  Each of them shared some of their experiences and benefits of board leadership with the group.

Cris also announced that volunteers are needed for MARCPO 2012.

Alisa Levy gave a recap of our very successful GO Month activity with A Wider Circle.  Thanks to all the chapter members who volunteered their time and service!

Janet reviewed the calendar for the upcoming month.

Our lucky door prize winner was Susan Perez.

The meeting closed after a busy networking session.

The next meeting will be held in Bethesda, MD, at Rock Creek Mansion on March 5, 2012.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Kena Shriners

9001 Arlington Boulevard

Fairfax, VA 2203

Mastermind Groups: A Key To Your Success

“Understand the power of a single action”
- on the back of an REM tour t-shirt

Can a small, single action improve your business? I definitely think so. Consider working these small, positive actions into your daily flow of working with clients. They can make people think differently about the process that they are going through.

Smile – It is a simple action, but it can make such a difference. Smiles are infectious. They spread  happiness to all.

Listen – Everyone wants to be heard. It would be wonderful if your clients always felt that you are listening to them.

Educate – Many people fear change. Engaging your clients in the organizing process will set the stage for success and lead to a happy client.

Say “please” and “thank you” – Two simple phrases that show your clients respect and appreciation.

What are some other positive personal actions that you take to improve your business?

If you’d like to contact our President, you can email her at president@dcorganizers.org.

Facebook is all about exposure. It brings light to what you’re doing, how you’re doing it, who “likes” what you’re doing and so on.  I think of it as free advertising, and I let the world know all of my business news and updates. Below are the top 5 ways this boosts my business.

Get More Clients

Several of my clients “like” my Facebook business page which shows up in their friends’ news feeds. This brings exposure to my business to the friends and family members of my clients with the click of a button. Once on my page, potential clients can see the organizing tips, before and after photos, etc. that I post on the wall and get a feel for who I am and what I do. I’ve gotten a few clients this way, and that’s just one tiny possibility of getting new customers through Facebook!

Bring More Traffic To My Blog/Website

I post teaser links on my business Facebook page on a regular basis. An example of a teaser link would be, “Don’t let them expire! Learn how to effectively organize coupons and gift cards.” The user has to click on the link to read more, and that brings more traffic to my website on a regular basis.

Post Affiliate Links To Products I Recommend

Almost all of the products I recommend are sold through Amazon, so I signed up for the Amazon Associates program. (It’s free and easy, so check it out on Amazon.com!) Once a week, I post an “On Track Product of the Week” with a picture of the item and the affiliate link. This means that if someone clicks on it and orders the product, I get a commission!

Display T-Shirts I Design

I like to design fun t-shirts in my free time (most of them have to do with organizing, of course). After I publish a new design, I showcase it on Facebook with a photo and a link. When someone buys one, I get a commission (through the Zazzle.com affiliate program)!

Spread The Word About My Book

I wrote a book! What better way to get the word out then posting about it on Facebook? I sell it using Amazon, so (again) when someone buys it I get a commission.

Originally from Texas, Nealey Stapleton graduated from American University in Washington, DC, with a B.A. in Graphic Design. Nealey’s passion for organization runs deep and wanting to do it full time, she transformed her inherent talent into a professional service. In 2007, On Track was established.

Nealey has clients of all ages in the DC metro area, runs a content-rich organizing website and has been quoted in The Washington Post Express and Metro DC Home Improvement magazine for her thoughts on organization.

A professional organizer, a member of NAPO for four years, and now a NAPO-WDC board member for 3 years, Nealey absolutely loves being a part of the industry and strives to contribute to its continuing advancement. For more information, visit The-Organizing-Boutique.com and/or Facebook.com/OnTrackOrganizing.