Earning a living helping people get organized sounds like a fantasy job for many people. But thousands of people (including me) are doing it. Here’s my take on getting started.
Tagged with: becoming a po, icd, napo
I spent the morning at the monthly meeting of the St. Louis chapter of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals. It was so enjoyable and valuable that I decided to re-run an updated version of this post, which I originally wrote in 2016. If you’re a professional organizer and you don’t already belong to your local NAPO chapter, I encourage you to join!
Tagged with: napo, napo st. louis, professional organizer, worth repeating
If you’re considering starting an organizing business (or perhaps you’ve started one in the past couple of years), I urge you to sit down during a quiet moment and think about what you would like your business to look like.
Tagged with: becoming a po, napo
If you’re a professional organizer, I hope you’re lucky enough to live where there’s a local chapter of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals. And if you do live near one, I hope you’ve joined it!
Tagged with: napo, napo st. louis, professional organizer
We were tickled to be invited by the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) to do a virtual presentation for their chapter (and anyone else who wants to buy a ticket) called the Power of Enough…Effort. In this presentation, Shannon and I will be talking about when to know you’ve put enough effort into something.
Tagged with: napo, perfectionism, podcast, shannon wilkinson
The Certified Professional Organizer credential was created by and is governed by the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers® (BCPO®) which was started by NAPO, the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals®. It came about through the hard work of dedicated volunteers who wanted to create a meaningful credential that furthers the mission of advancing the credibility and ethical standards of the organizing industry. BCPO follows the accreditation guidelines set forth by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCAA). It’s the real deal.
Tagged with: becoming a po, cpo, icd, napo
Way back in 2008, I earned the credential Certified Professional Organizer® or CPO®. This credential is conferred by the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers as part of an accredited credentialing program. In order to become a CPO, I had to pass an exam that I studied hard for. In order to sit for the exam, I had to have 1500 paid client hours or 1250 paid client hours and 250 equivalent educational hours. (I had the latter.)
Tagged with: accomplishments, cpo, icd, napo, napo st. louis, professional organizer, professional organizer st. louis
If you’re reading this blog, you may very well be a professional organizer or perhaps an aspiring organizer. That’s why I want you to know about Stand Out the podcast from the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO). Stand Out is produced for professional organizers, but its content would be useful to all sorts of small business owners.
Tagged with: geralin thomas, napo, podcasts, rachel henken
In 2017, NAPO members voted to change the association’s Doing Business As name. The new name is National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals. (The website remains the same, NAPO.net.) A new logo to go with the new name was revealed just a week ago.
Tagged with: napo
If you’re a professional organizer, I hope you’re lucky enough to live where there’s a local chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers. And if you do live near one, I hope you’ve joined it!
Tagged with: napo, napo st. louis, professional organizer
If you’re in St. Louis, I hope you’ll consider coming to a fun event where you can get your organizing questions answered live and in person. Here’s the best part: It costs only $10!
Tagged with: events, napo, napo st. louis, organizing questions
On Friday, I started a one-year term as President of NAPO-St. Louis, our local chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers. I’ve been an active member of the chapter since its inception in 2006. In fact, I was on the first board of directors, serving six years first as Membership Director, then President, then Immediate Past President. I retired from the board in May of 2012, but agreed to return for a term as President when there wasn’t someone else available to step forward.
Tagged with: ease, napo, napo st. louis
The National Association of Professional Organizers is conducting a survey to gauge what the public thinks about organizing and productivity. They’re curious about the general public’s organizing behaviors and attitudes and hope to create a snapshot of how organizing affects the everyday life of Americans.
Tagged with: napo
Later in the week, I’ll be traveling to Nashville, Tennessee, to attend the annual conference of the Institute for Challenging Disorganization. This is one of two organizing conferences I attend in a typical year. This year, I also attended two genealogy conferences.
Tagged with: becoming a po, becoming a professional organizer, conference, icd, napo
I leave in the morning to fly to New Orleans to attend the annual conference of the National Association of Professional Organizers. This is the eighth year in a row I’ve attended this conference and it’s hard for me to imagine missing it.
Tagged with: conference, education, napo
Julie Morgenstern is somewhat of a rock star among professional organizers. She wrote the books, Organizing from the Inside Out
Tagged with: education, julie morgenstern, napo, time management
At the 2011 NAPO conference, I was among the many who shed tears watching the video about Soles4Souls a non-profit group that collects shoes to deliver to shoeless people in Haiti and elsewhere. That year, NAPO honored Soles4Souls with its Organizing Excellence Award, for the incredible organizational effort behind the shoe collection and distribution.
Tagged with: charity, decluttering, napo, napo st. louis
I’m at the national conference of the National Association of Professional Organizers in Baltimore. I am enjoying myself so much, sinking in the knowledge and reveling in the camaraderie of my colleagues and friends. Bliss.
Tagged with: napo, new york times
I admit it. I’m a conference junkie. Since I became an organizer in 2005, I’ve attended every conference of the my two main professional groups, the National Association of Professional Organizers and the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (now Institute for Challenging Disorganization), plus three NAPO regional conferences, the Professional Organizers in Canada conference last year and the Australasian Association of Professional Organisers conference in 2009 (where I spoke).
Tagged with: conference, geralin thomas, napo, scott roewer
Part of me is jealous of people who are starting their organizing businesses now. Of course, the economy isn’t the greatest. But compared to 2005 when I started my business, there are so many resources available, at a reasonable rate, to help people get started.
Tagged with: becoming a po, geralin thomas, napo
There’s little I like better than having fun while learning. And that’s exactly what I’m doing here in San Diego at the NAPO conference.
Tagged with: education, geralin thomas, icd, napo, standolyn robertson
I leave this afternoon to fly to San Diego for the annual conference of the National Association of Professional Organizers. This will be my sixth NAPO conference in a row and, as always, I’m very excited.
Tagged with: conference, education, geralin thomas, margaret lukens, napo
I joined the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), in 2005. It was one of the first things that I did when I decided to start my business.
Tagged with: credentials, napo
I’ve been very busy since I returned from the 2010 NAPO conference and never posted anything here about the conference itself, which was wonderful.
Tagged with: conference, julie bestry, napo
Having just spent four days with professional organizers, who are among the most supportive and helpful groups of people I can think of, I’m pausing to think about how important support is.
Tagged with: declutter happy hour, decluttering, felder rushing, napo, professional organizer, shannon wilkinson, support
I’m leaving this morning for Columbus, Ohio, to attend the annual conference of the National Association of Professional Organizers. This will be my fifth NAPO conference in a row and I’m as excited as ever. There will be hundreds of smart, friendly, interesting organizers there to talk with. There’s an expo of organizing products (be still my heart), there are amazing educational sessions. The chance to see old friends and make new ones.
Tagged with: education, empowerment, friendship, napo
Several years ago, a book called A Perfect Mess was published. I mentioned it on my blog right before it was published. In a nutshell, the book’s premise is that mess is good and that an obsession for order can be detrimental.
Tagged with: anti anticlutter, clutter, napo
2009 was a year of ups and downs for me. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone. As I finish inputting data into Quickbooks for the year, I realize that my revenue is down, which isn’t great. I’m chalking it up to the economy. But so many really great things happened in 2009 that I view it as a year of success and progress.
Tagged with: aapo, accomplishments, accountability, declutter happy hour, napo, napo st. louis, nsgcd, speaking
I don’t know what made me think I’d find time to blog while in Orlando for the 2009 conference of the National Association of Professional Organizers. You’d think by now I’d know that I spend little time in my room there and when I am in my room I’m either chatting or sleeping.
Tagged with: geralin thomas, kathy waddill, lauren halagarda, margaret lukens, mary ann pate, napo, scott roewer, standolyn robertson, twitter, wendy davie
I leave this morning for Orlando to attend the annual conference of the National Association of Professional Organizers. I have to admit that I’m a bit of a conference junkie. I really benefit from the information and energy of a conference full of passionate folks.
Tagged with: geralin thomas, napo, scott roewer, twitter
The website of the National Association of Professional Organizers has undergone a complete overhaul. Thanks to the hard work of Lauren Halagarda and her committee the website is more user-friendly, attractive, and informative. I had the opportunity to help as a tester at the very end of the process. I can only imagine how much work went into the development.
Tagged with: lauren halagarda, napo, websites
It’s not a large article, but to me it’s significant. The Career Journal section of today’s Wall Street Journal features “Professional Organizer” as the career it examines in its Pay Grade column.
Tagged with: napo, press, wall street journal
Peter Walsh, organizer on TLC’s show Clean Sweep, as well as Oprah’s go-to guy for hoarders, gave the keynote address at this year’s annual conference of the National Association of Professional Organizers.
Tagged with: clutter, napo, oprah, organizing playground, peter walsh
After a glorious time at the NAPO conference in Reno (best part: interacting with fabulous organizers, worst part: staying in a hotel and casino full of smoke!), I’m home. I arrived home about midnight on Saturday night.
Tagged with: napo, productivity, time management
Checking in for a quick moment to say how wonderfully fortunate I feel to be at the national NAPO conference here in Reno. I just heard the most wonderful keynote address from Peter Walsh, who totally rocks.
Tagged with: education, empowerment, friendship, geralin thomas, napo, peter walsh
I leave today for Reno, Nevada, to attend the national conference of my professional organization, the National Association of Professional Organizers. This is my third national NAPO conference in as many years and I’m very excited.
Tagged with: napo, oprah, peter walsh, travel
I just returned from six fabulous days of training, education and networking with my colleagues in the organizing profession. I attended the annual conferences of the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization and the National Association of Professional Organizers. I also attended a one-day training workshop for a great filing system called Freedom Filer.
Tagged with: big picture, empowerment, freedom filer, napo, nsgcd