Starting Fresh

It’s that time again! What are you ready to take on this year?

This year I decided that I am going to try to write a closet “guide” book of sorts. I learned in a marketing class that the easiest and quickest way to do that is to use blogs as your chapters! So that is my plan and you shall be my first readers!

To make it a little more interesting, I have created a character named Mirranda to tell stories about what she sees people struggling with in their closets all the time and maybe even divulge a few fun secrets from over her many years of observation.

I am sure some of these tips will sound familiar to you…..but we all need reminders now and then to keep us on track!

I look forward to this new adventure and will appreciate any feedback you have!

Let’s get started.  

Chapter 1 Starting Fresh:

You know what I notice? And I’ll bet this applies to you too: people have closets FULL of clothes and they wear the same things all the time. Those poor unworn pieces of clothing get very lonely and insecure. It makes me very sad to see them go unnoticed so I want to share an exercise to bring more attention to them! Will you take the time to play?       

• STEP 1:  Make sure all of hangers the hangers in your closet are facing in the same direction, Then, make sure all the piles of clothing that you have (whether in drawers or on shelves) and neatly folded.

• STEP 2: Once you wear a piece of clothing, turn the hanger backwards or put the folded piece back at the bottom of the pile.

• STEP 3:  Commit to only wearing new things until you have turned all your hangers or rotated all your piles.

Now, I know what will happen along the way.......you will get to a piece and not "feel like" wearing it, or it doesn't "feel right" etc. Take note of those pieces and if it happens more than once...it's time to let it go!

Who's with me on this? It's a pretty easy exercise to play and you can weed through your wardrobe at the same time. 

 Remember: Someone else will probably love to wear whatever you choose to give away!  

The Corner Rules

Many of my clients ask me "How do you use the corners in a closet". Well, in my experience there is only one EFFECTIVE way to use corners but there are many options out there. 

Take a look: 

#1 - The Angled Corner Unit: With that small an opening....how will you ever know what is back there..never mind how you get to it! Once you hang clothes on the rods they will cover the opening even further and will make that access even more difficult!  

#2- Curved or Corner Shelves: Are not terrible when there is no hanging beside them but again, you will have items stuck far back in a corner which will probably never get used.

#3- Curved Rods: You can see for yourself in this photo that they are not a great use of space. Items can not hang the full range of the rod.

#4- The Lazy Susan: This works, sure...but again if you have anything hanging next to it, it will rub and hinder the spin of the shelves. Clothing folded in rectangles do not fit easily on a round shelf. This is a decent solution for shoes or purses.  

#5- Rods in 2 Directions: This is the most common use of corners and it does not work at all. It is physically impossible to hang the length of both rods. The shoulders of the clothing just smashes into each other.

#6- The Spiral Rod: Oh Yeah, this one is cool for sure but it takes up a ton of space. You can actually get more pieces of clothing on a regular rod then on this gadget. 

So what is my corner of choice? The Access Space:

The Access Space makes use of one wall completely and then leaves room for the clothes on the opposite wall to hang properly. When the correct amount of space is allowed, not only can you see the clothing in the corner, but you can easily reach it as well. 

I'm not saying the other ideas are wrong, just that in my 20 plus years o experience, this seems to work the best.

Do you have your favorite? Please share your thoughts!  

4 Steps & 2 Secrets To Custom Designing Your Own Closet

Do you ever look at the beautifully designed closets in all the magazines...and drool just a little? Does your mind go to....... how do they do that or I wish it was affordable? Or quite simply to I WANT ONE?

Well, let me tell you a secret.  All the fluff, cool lighting and fancy gadgets are not what makes  a well designed custom closet.  It makes a pretty closet and a beautiful space but......that doesn't mean it is actually a functional one.  I have seen gorgeous closets, where the rods were placed too low and there was clothing dragging on the floor or some shelves were cut at a cool angle but empty, because nothing could fit on them properly . I have often been unimpressed!   

So what does warrant the title "A well designed custom closet"? Not fancy materials, not pretty pictures and not big name brand companies.  YOU can create your own custom designed plan and build it however YOU want to.  These four steps will tell you how: 

1. TAKE DETAILED MEASUREMENTS:  This first step seems simple enough but it is the most crucial. Imagine designing and ordering your dream closet and having taken a measurement incorrectly.....the pieces won't fit and you will have wasted your money. Take an accurate measurement of the wall(s) that you will be building on. Look for obstructions such as light switches, plugs, vents etc and note where they fall on the walls. Once you have everything measured, draw the space on a piece of graph paper using 1/2" scale (1/2" = 1'). 
2. ASSESS AND ANALYZE YOUR WARDROBE: Yes, this is meant to be as detailed as it sounds! You need to count how many pieces you have, measure how long they hang, as well as how wide and how high items are when they are stored folded.You want to make sure that you do not leave your clothes dragging on the floor or create shelves that will only fit 1 1/2 pairs of shoes instead of 2! Make notes of how much long vs short items you own, how many piles and how many pairs of shoes. Create paper "sections" (for example 3 feet long hanging, 8 piles of sweaters takes 2 feet of space) to match the same scale as your graph paper. 
3. MAKE SURE IT WILL ALL FIT: Remember that mess takes up less space than organization.  If you want to move all of your shoes off the floor, they will take space away from something else! Using your scaled floor plan, and the cut "sections" lay out the space that will be used for each category you noted.  Remember that you can double hang short items or add extra shelves above a rod. If you find that you are quickly running out of space then you will have to come up with compromises or give something up!
4. PROPER PLACEMENT: Once you know what you will be keeping in your new space, make sure that you place the sections where they make the most sense. Go back to the obstructions you measured.  Will you be covering a plug? Will your drawers open? Will you have easy access to the clothing you wear the most? Once you are comfortable with where everything is.......you have YOUR very own custom made closet!

The only thing left to do is order your creation and have someone install it for you!  Easy peasy right?  

Are you thinking "Is she crazy? That's a lot of work! OR I can't do all that"! I know, it can seem overwhelming........well.....I have another secret for you: There are other options!

First, I have created a service which will take the 4 steps out of your hands and put them into mine! All you have to do is fill out some forms, shop and arrange installation. Does that take some of the stress away?

Second, I have created and on line course that will teach you these steps in detail! Imagine, being able to not only create your own custom closet.......but perhaps start a new side business of your own!

I have been doing closet design for so long and I am delighted to help pass the skills onto others!  Feel free to contact me with any questions and I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback in the comments! 

5 Tips for Easy Closet Management

I have spent 20 years designing beautiful and functional custom closets for people. It never fails that when closing a sale many clients will ask me "do you come and put our clothes away too?"   Of course I will if they want me to, but for those who prefer to do it on their own, I  share my 5 Tips for Easy Closet Management.

These tips will not only help you maintain an organized closet (whether custom designed or not) but they will help you keep track of, and make the most of your wardrobe!  It is so easy to forget what we own and then spend money on items we don't really need!

1-  Put out of season clothes away:  Away can mean in a bin under your bed, on the top shelf, in an extra closet or even just towards the back of the closet you are using.  The purpose of this is to keep what you are currently wearing more visible.  

2- Keep "Like with Like":  This goes for items (ie: shirts and pants) and colors.  You want to keep the same colors together so that you can see what you own and avoid buying duplicates. How many of us have at least one too many plain black t-shirts. By keeping "like" items together you can create new and different outfits with the clothing you have.  If you hang things as "outfits" they tend to be worn the same way, with the same pieces all the time.  That is not using your wardrobe to it's full potential.

3- Keep items that can be nicely folded on shelves: First of all, folding anything that is knit will avoid stretching the garment  and prevent hanger marks in the shoulders. I hate it when I look in the mirror and I have these 2 little bumps on my shoulders and I have to  throw that piece in the wash again to re-set it.  Second, what you don't see you won't wear.  This is fact. No one has the time to go searching for a piece of clothing when they are rushing to get dressed in the morning!.

4- Contain things that can't be nicely folded in drawers or baskets:  Drawers are for dumping! That is not to say that a drawer can't be nicely organized - it can.  Drawers should hold underwear, socks, P.J's, bathing suits, workout clothes etc. What you don't want happening in drawers are piles where you wear the first piece, wash it, put it away on top and continue that cycle, thereby not wearing any of the pieces underneath.

5- Once you have worn something turn the hanger backwards in your closet:  I am not sure who first came up with this idea but now it is seen all over social media.  I am adding it here because I am a big fan!  This is a simple way to keep track of what you are actually wearing and at the end of a season you will know what should be given away! If you are not wearing it....someone else will!

I hope that you will at least TRY to implement these tips into your closet organization.  Let me know how it goes...I love a good success story!

  

O.K. So I Have a Closet Design Course.....Now What?

I have to give myself a pat on the back...I kicked ass!  It is amazing how easy it was to write the content of my closet design course!  I am so excited and I want to share it with everyone right now.....but that would be bad business wouldn't it?

And I was right, writing it was the easy part. Now what? Apparently there are certain steps I am supposed to take. An actual LAUNCH I am supposed to do.....that thought totally overwhelms me! I am just so excited that I will be helping others grow their business! SO WHAT DO I DO NEXT?

Thankfully as I have already mentioned I have a wonderful Marketing Coach Cena Block at Sanes Spaces and a group of other coachees that I can turn to for help, advice and guidance. Boy do I pick their brains because when I started hearing words like: Landing Pages, Lead Pages, Canva, Infusionsoft, Any Time Meetings, Google Hangout....I nearly crawled under my covers for an extensive nap.  I know they will help me sort through it all and get down to the nitty gritty. But O.M.G...all of this can drive me to drink!

So, now, I need to concentrate on marketing: through my blog, Facebook, NAPO, and any other venues that I can come up with (Feel free to offer ideas!)  I know that I am a Closet Design Expert but how can I prove that to you? How will you know that what I have to teach you is valuable? How can I reassure you that you CAN do it and you WILL increase your revenue?

One thing I can assure is that my class will be worth every penny! As quoted by my beta tester Amy Rehkemper from Simplify Organizing in The Closet Design Experts Facebook Group:

" Worth every penny, ladies! If any of you have interest in building this skill, you will love Tracey's class. I had the honor of being one of the first to try out her MAGIC Formula and I learned soo much... and had fun in the process. At first, I wasn't sure if I had what it took to do closet designing, but it turns out I do! I credit much of that to Tracey because she did a beautiful job of breaking everything down to the simplest form. 
I am such a fan that I just registered three of my employees to take her class too!"

I am fighting to overcome my fear and procrastination and do the LAUNCH that is expected of me A.S.A.P. but I am in search of new and creative ways to get word out as well!  ANY AND ALL suggestions would be appreciated!    I am so excited to get it to you!

To Cram or to Relax

Do you ever have those times when you are so deep into something you just can't stop? I have been living, eating and breathing this closet design course I am creating. I wake up in the middle of the night asking myself questions and solving problems. I am excited. I am obsessed! I am terrified! And I am almost done!

I can see the finish line and am at the point that I just can't get away from my computer! I am asking my friends and colleagues to read through the modules and edit my sales page. I am shooting videos and having photos edited. I am bombarding the tech support team with questions and generally making everyone nuts! (Although they are too kind to admit it).

So it's holiday time....what do I do? As a workaholic and perfectionist I keep plugging along. Getting the work done.  Cramming in as much computer time as possible each day.  

As a yogi I tell myself to slow down, relax, have some fun.....go away!!  YES! Take a vacation, time off.....you know what that is!!  A change of scenery will do you some good. Get away from all of this.  Don't even bring the computer!

The yogi side has won this battle and it's about time!. I am putting the course away for 2 weeks and going fishing!  I know great things will happen upon my return!

Happy Holidays to you and yours.

Back at you in 2016.

Shout Out with Gratitude!

As I was staring blankly at my computer I asked myself "How did I get here?"  I left my home, my family, friends and a great paying job all to follow my dream to live in a place that I love! Sedona has been worth every moment of sacrifice that is for sure.

I created a business for myself, struggling in a small town but have never been happier.  I have gone to seminars, worked with different coaches and all of them taught me something that I could take away and implement into my business.  But, it wasn't until this last coaching program that I felt I soared!  I went back to the basics of WHY I am doing what I am doing. WHO is it that I am doing it for and HOW I can best serve them.

I was never good at marketing myself.  I am creative spatially but not on the computer (a designer on FIVERR is now my new best friend).  One on one I could tell you what I can do but to write it and SELL myself.....that gave me a stomach ache!  Until now. I am very proud of the strides I have made in my business:  Branding, Packages, Free Offers, After Service Marketing Pieces, Additional Services....and you already know I am working on my Signature System Course (The 5 Part M.A.G.I.C. Formula for Designing the Perfect Closet).

How did I get all that done?  How did I get here?  With the help of Cena Block at Sane Spaces. and her program Biz Marketing Makeover Group.  I worked with a group of other professional organizers sharing the same struggles as me!  The information and support I received was invaluable! I highly recommend it for any small business owner! 

That's all for now! I just wanted to share because I am so grateful!

CHECK IT OUT!  https://iw119.isrefer.com/go/BMMGROUP/tshadley/

From Food Coma to Closet Design Course!

As I rose from my Thanksgiving food coma, I felt satiated and grateful for everything that I have. I am lucky enough to have created an organizing business that makes me a living, and more importantly makes me happy....so I decided it was time to start writing my blog!

Then I thought to myself: You have NO IDEA how to write a blog.......but someone told me to "just write".  This got my mind churning..what do I write about? What can I give back? I have so much knowledge so how do I share it?

A Light bulb went off! I am an EXPERT CLOSET DESIGNER...(my Facebook Group says so!)I can TEACH! Now how do I do that?  If you know me at all....which I hope eventually you all will. if I am one thing it's tenacious. Of course being an organizer I started writing down the steps to making this happen: 

1) Decide Format: For me it will have to be on line (I am terrified of public speaking)

2) Choose Delivery Method: I will have to know what is available out there so that I can create my course within the guidelines.

3) Write Content: Now, this is I expect to be the hard part.but,  I was lucky enough to be trained by California Closets over 2 decades ago, so I have a format burned into my mind.

4) Do the visuals: I will need to have  videos for people to follow, Photos for guidance, printable forms...the more information the better!

5) Then comes marketing:  Well, I scared myself by then, but that's what I have a coach for!

All this to say I am going for it!  I am going to create a course to teach Closet Design. I hope you will join me on my journey and reap the benefits of the outcome!