The end of an era!

Today marks the day that I pass the Baton of AAPO to a new President. I have served on the committee of AAPO since it was just a concept. It was a privilege to work with Lisa Baldwin, Lisa Rowley, Lissanne Oliver and Amanda Sarden on the Founding Committee of the Australasian Association of Professional organisers. Since we took on members in February 2006 I have served as Executive Secretary and then 2 terms as President. It has been an exciting time of growth and learning for me. Now I take on the role of Immediate Past President, and hope to develop a Professional Develpment program that will benefit all AAPO members.

So today is really a day I can relax, maybe, as the role has been ably accepted by Angela Esnouf, who has been my fabulous VP for the past 2 terms. Good luck Angela with everything that you experience in the next 12 months. I know you will rock.

As they say, when one door closes another door opens. So I have as of today stepped into the shoes of "President" National Speakers Association NZ Christchurch Chapter. Some may say out of the frying pan into the fire, LOL. Not me I am excited by the challenge.

One of my passions is to see people develop, learn, grown and succeed in their own passions. So having been AAPO President and becoming NSANZ Christchurch President puts me in the place that makes me feel like I am giving a little back.

I want to take this opportunity to say Thank you to all the friends and colleagues I have the honor of knowing from these experience. I am looking forward to continuing to work along side you all in making a difference, one day at a time.

Great Article in the Wall Street Journal

A wonderful Professional Organiser I met in Reno, Monica Ricci, has in her blog today a link to a great article everyone should read to learn more about Professional Organisers. Monica's blog is one of the best blogs by a Professional Organiser doing the rounds and I urge all of you to visit it.
Here is the link to the article she mentions "Helping Clients End Chaos"
Often people just do not "get" what it is a Professional Organiser does and this link will be a great starting point for you to begin to get the picture. Also another great way is to check out the before and after pictures on a Professional Organisers website. Also if you are contemplating hiring a PO, then always ask for references if you are unsure it will be worth the investment. A good PO will always have clients who will give a verbal testimonial if required.
There are many rogues out there, so ensure your PO is a member of one of the Professional Organising Associations in your area (NAPO, AAPO, POC, NSGCD for example) this shows they are serious about their industry and professionalism. Also most association have a Code of Ethics that provides some level of protection for your privacy when you work with a member of the association. If your PO is not a member then ask them "Why not?", you may be surprised at the answer. If they say they did not know there is one, then they have done very little research before setting up their business to not be aware of this, and you would need to question the seriousness of their intention when they commenced trading.
If they think they are "so expert" that they do not need the an association, then they are unlikely to take the industry itself seriously enough to support the growing professionalism of it and are probably so set in their ideas that they are unlikely to listen to your needs, because they feel they already know everything there is to know about Organising. This is so not true, as one of NZ's veteran organisers I learn something new about my Profession everyday whether that be from colleagues or even clients.
If they say they cannot afford the joining fee, then they need to seriously think about whether they are committed to having a PO business, as the support, resources and networking provided by an association will be one of the best investments they make in their business and for their clients.
So go forth and find a PO for you, but do check their credentials, references, and experience. In such a young industry there are many "fake it before you make in PO's" out there that may not have your best interests at heart.
Have a fab Friday.

Organising the Organisers

I am incredibly privileged to be the President of AAPO (Australasian Association of Professional Organisers), with this privilege comes responsibility. Sometimes that is great others it can help me to lose sleep.
You know that feeling when you are juggling to many balls????? Then hoping like heck none get dropped as it is your head they will land on. I feel a little like that today. I have returned from the most inspirational, exciting and uplifting Conference in Reno. (This is a pic of the wonderful Linda Chu, President of POC Professional Organizers of Canada who I shared some laughs with in Reno)
This has meant that I was able to see 20 years into the future.
The Profession of Organising has been alive and well in the US for over 25 years and this was the 20th Conference for NAPO. As an attendee I absorbed some fantastic words of wisdom from many speakers and other PO's alike.
This gave me so much faith and inspiration that here in New Zealand I am doing the right thing. I may be a little ahead of my time, as so many do not understand what it is we do, but I must not give in. As I now that if someone else comes along and starts a PO business in a couple of years time they will get the rewards for the amazing work that is being done now in this pioneering time.
As the President of our local association AAPO, I feel compelled to spend a good deal of my time promoting the industry so that the members of AAPO can grow their business's in an environment that is more accepting of this new industry. Yet some days I have trouble finding the balance between, spending the time promoting the industry as a whole and then others promoting my own business. TOTALLY ORGANISED LIMITED www.totallyorganised.co.nz (yes a small shameless plug).
So how does one organise the organiser, so that this balance can be fair, even and equitable? I am certainly open to suggestions from the floor.
Just a few Saturday evening musing for you to ponder.
Have a fab one.

The Countdown is on...

Well it is four more sleeps (as my kids would say) until I fly to Reno, Nevada for the biggest gathering of Professional Organisers on the Planet. Yes it is the 20th NAPO Conference. I am going with a couple of hats on.
* As the President of AAPO, I will be networking and learning about NAPO and the future relationships of Professional Organising Association in the future. We are building a very exciting Global industry.
* As the Owner and Director of Professional Organising company, Totally Organised Limited. I am really excited about the new contacts, products, systems and ideas I can bring to all our clients.

You are all going to benefit from the journey to NAPO Conference in Reno, as it is all part of my journey to providing the Best and most recognized Professional Organising service in New Zealand.