Staging Diva Dispatch November 2012

How I Overcame My Fear

This is not something I've said publicly before, but here goes. I grew up in a very dysfunctional family where I could not take my safety for granted.

Fear and distrust became my default response to many situations.

I mastered hyper-vigilance, which is incredibly draining and difficult to "turn off" even when it's not needed. This is something I've battled with my entire life.

At the same time as being an ever-present shadow, it has probably helped make me an excellent home stager and mentor. I notice every single detail in a room as soon as I enter it, and I'm especially sensitive to the changing moods of my clients.

I share part of my personal journey with you now to show you that I know what it's like to let your past paralyze your future, to be afraid of change, and to feel powerless. But it doesn't have to be that way. You can muster up your courage and take your business and your life to the next level.

It's actually the only way to step out of the dark and into possibility.

It's "easy" to play it safe, dwell in the past, and never venture beyond what's familiar. But, that's also a recipe for waking up at the end of your life and realizing you wasted it.

One day you decide to live differently, scared or not.

No one gives you permission and there may not be anyone in your life who understands. Regardless, you decide to go after what you want and step into your power to make it happen.

Sharing this is actually a lot more scary than floating 3,000 feet over the desert in the basket of a hot air balloon. I did that for my recent birthday, even though I'm afraid of heights.

You see how conquering one fear gives you the confidence to tackle the next?

I've dedicated most of the past decade to teaching and mentoring others. My mission is helping you discover the possibilities in your own life and giving you the tools to get there.

What keeps me inspired is watching what you do with the knowledge I share! That's why I love writing about my students and reading your comments on my blog, Home Staging Business Report.

Nothing but a propane flame, and experienced pilot, to keep us from plunging 3,000 feet back to earth!

My view from our balloon of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona.

> Click here for more about my balloon ride and what it has to do with your staging business. I'd love for you to add your comments.

> Click here for more articles on stepping into your power and building your confidence as a stager.

Home Staging Consultations Offer Simple Solutions

It's tempting to under-value our creative talents because so often the problems are obvious when we enter a room. Don't be fooled. What comes easy to you doesn't come easily to most people. Otherwise there wouldn't be so many ugly homes sitting on the market month after month.

I've probably done close to a thousand home staging consultations by now and very often I'm making the same kinds of recommendations. Things like: what excess furniture to remove, how to rearrange what's left, clutter removal, rearranging artwork, and what accessories to add.

It's not rocket science, but it IS a very valuable service that makes a huge difference in our clients lives. And they're willing to pay you well for it once they understand that value.

Congratulations to Staging Diva Graduate Pamela Roberts of Dwelling in Expression (Ontario/Quebec) on this transformation of an average living room using what the client already had.

living room after staging

This room was messy, cluttered and crowded (like most of the homes you'll see during your home staging consultations). Pamela rearranged the furniture, removing excess pieces. She then added cushions and art to bring a pop of color, and modern lamps. The staged room will be more appealing in listing photos and during showing appointments.

> Get more home staging tips and ideas in the Ultimate Design Guide for Home Stagers

You can learn the staging business success formula I taught Pamela through these products:

Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program

Staging Diva Simple Marketing Plan Companion

Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers

Home Stager's Guide to Twitter

If you're curious whether your ideas match the recommendations I made in 10 of my own clients' homes, make sure to check out this free quiz, "Discover Your Staging Savvy: Do You Have the Eye of a Home Stager?"

Save These November Dates

Times indicated are eastern (NY time). Please adjust for your time zone.

Nov. 14 (8 PM)
5 Simple Secrets to a Home Staging Business: How to Make Money Doing What You Love
(Free Live Teleseminar + Recording)

You'll learn how to avoid following the faulty business formula that most home stagers fall into.

> Sign up here F'REE if you've never taken Staging Diva courses (otherwise you already know these 5 secrets!)

Nov. 15 (7pm)
Staging Diva Dialog
Open to all beginner and established home stagers. You don't need to be our student.

If you could ask me absolutely anything about your home staging business, what would it be?

Ask me questions and get semi-private business coaching in a small group.

You are guaranteed to make back 10 times your small investment in this event if you implement only one idea from our conversation!

> Join us this month + get the recording too!

From Dental Assistant to Home Stager

Staging Diva students come from a variety of previous careers, usually ones that didn't use their creative talents to their fullest, and have no relationship to staging or redesign. In fact, many stagers come from helpling fields like nursing and teaching. We even have a stager who used to be in the US Air Force and another who took my program and started her staging career at age 76!

TIP: Never undervalue your past experience even if you don't see an obvious relationship to your new staging career. You can leverage what you already know, combine it with your creativity and the business skills I give you, to have your own successful staging business.

Congratulations to Staging Diva Graduate Deborah Blicharski of Blue Agave Home Staging (AZ) on making the leap from a 20+ year career in a dentist office to following her passion for home staging and interior redesign.

Notice how many of the talents she honed in a dental office are also directly applicable to home staging! Deborah shares her story:

"I enjoyed helping people have a comfortable experience at the dentist and I took pride in my professionalism, attention to detail and ability to multi-task in a fast-paced office. When my children were in college I wanted a change. I really enjoyed helping people get the treatment they needed, but I was not using any of my creative talents.

My friends and family had told me that I had a talent for decorating and I started exploring where that might fit into my life as a career.

I wanted to be my own boss and have flexible hours while using my decorating talent and I wanted to follow my passion for design. I had watched many shows on HGTV and wondered what it would be like to stage homes for a living.

I explored many options for training and decided on the Staging Diva Business Training Program. Debra Gould was someone who had started her own business in home staging and was a successful entrepreneur. I did not find that in any other program I looked into.

Staging Diva gave me real-life knowledge on how to start my own business and the steps to take. I jumped in with both feet and I've never looked back!

Debra has a way of giving you her experience in how to build a business while motivating and encouraging you at the same time. I'm very happy that I started my own business. I'm doing what I love and getting paid for it too!

The Staging Diva Business Training Program helped me in achieving my goals by making the program easy to follow. Each course builds on the previous one in a very straightforward way. Being a home stager allows me to follow my dream of owning my own business, having flexible hours, and following my passion for design. It's a creative career while helping people at the same time. "

> If you enjoy reading about how others have moved from different careers into home staging, I've written 90 Stager Success Stories to inspire you with the possibilities before you!

Staging Success Spotlight

Congratulations to Staging Diva Graduate Kate Rudd of Studio 180 (AL). She definitely proved home staging works for a recent client. Their Montgomery home had been on the market for a frustrating 8 months before they hired Kate. The property sold to the first person who saw it after her home staging. TIP: If you have a client reluctant to invest in staging, make sure you discuss what it's costing them to keep carrying their home while it's on the market.
Kate writes, "I have a new lease on life after starting this business and I did it without anyone holding my hand through the process. Although I'm exhausted it's been worth it. I own my own business and I LOVE what I do. I have always loved real estate and interior design, and this is the best of both worlds. The personal phone call with Debra was inspiring in so many ways, it also gave me the needed courage and confidence to keep going." > I'd love to share your staging success in an article. Click here to submit your details and I'll take it from there! > TIP: Members of the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers are invited to free private coaching calls with me.