I’d like to share some experiences from a job I had this month. Because it’s share-worthy but also to give you a more intimate look at some of my services.

I spoke with the client on a Friday. We met for a consultation on Sunday.  She had moved into an assisted living facility and her house sold quickly. She now had 5 days to get the house empty. I assessed her needs as the following:

-take her to the house to pick out more belongings (this would take several trips, on different days, in the morning hours)

-call family members to determine their wants/needs and schedule meeting times as well as the storage and delivery of their items

-delegate necessary or personal tasks to said family members

-total clear out of trash

-matching the boxes from the attic to the extensive doll collection

-research sale options

– facilitate communication between car buyer, storage facility, yard maintenance, the new home owner, the family, my team, the client. In situations such as these, it is important that there is clear communication. It is also very important not to burden the client and the clients’ family with stressful or mundane interruptions.

-arrange for total clear out of items not sold

-follow up tasks involved dispersing numerous items to desired people in the client’s life as well as several visits to the client’s new home in the assisted living facility and getting that space more organized

My company was able to meet our budget, costs, & expenses without the client ever having to write a check. My company provided an extensive service, that exceeded simply “clearing out a house.” Because that’s not what it was about. This was a life, not just a property. People should never have to face the stress or threats of having their life be thrown away.

I would love to assist you in times as these.  Better yet, let’s prepare in advance. You spend a lifetime collecting and making a house a home.

 Why rush the final stages?

If you could add hours to your week, would you?

A while back I had a client decline additional services (totaling $75). This saddened me, but not why you’d think. It saddened me because I was witnessing an extremely bright individual who was already overloaded CHOOSE to take on (pretty much) mindless tasks (that I could easily do,  anytime). For no reason.

We get stuck in this “do it all” mentality. I lived that way too… until it made me INSANE. To prove my point, I made a chart. I performed similar tasks and compared it to her performing the tasks. Around the chart had pictures of the things she’ll talk about sometimes- her passions & hopes. Turns out, letting go of the “do it all and do it cheap” mentality, would have given her SIX  hours to do the important things (or do nothing, for a change). That’s 9-12 hours if you count the time it takes to switch from task to task, regain focus, any negative feelings associated with the tasks, or lost productivity. I, very happily, did it in 3.

Sound like a no-brainer? It was. She’s been a client ever since.

I find Onion articles hilarious, though it didn’t appeal to my father’s generally-awesome sense of humor, as discovered over Christmas breakfast (maybe it was the timing?). Anyway, my latest favorite not only had me nodding my head with a chuckle, it gave me a great marketing idea.

“Having a hard time living in the moment? Is your desk/phone/passenger seat overrun with notes to yourself? Is your mind bombarded with thoughts that bring you too much into reality every time you’re trying to relax? Put this number in your phone (205)451-3504, title it what you will- “ToDo4U, back-up, right hand, life-savor, sh*t I don’t want to deal with”.  Next time these things come up, simply text it to that number. I’ll follow up with quotes, scheduling, reminders but on YOUR terms”

See? With ToDo4U around, there’s no reason to continue to dump your baggage on your significant other, your boss, facebook, your dog. You can check out the inspiring post here: ToDo4U via The Onion