NAPO Austin Professional Organizer Ryan Lanier of LOVE Your Space Organizing reminisces on her time at the NAPO 2018 Retreat.

I started my biz in Jan 2017, but was not able to go to Conference that year, so it’s been over a year of anticipation for me to finally GET TO GO!!  This year’s “retreat-style” had all the veterans head-scratching and wondering what it could possibly look like?  The Q Center in St. Charles, IL, just outside of big-town Chicago, was indeed in a restful, wooded area, but also had ample facility to host several concurrent conferences. Here are some take-aways...

 

Top 3 things I loved about Conference:

 

#1.  The cafeteria!  The extensive buffet-style food was included, delicious, and catered to ALL dietary needs.  The seating area invited interaction, and I made it a priority to sit down and introduce myself to new people so as to make those connections that are the invaluable part of going to Conference.  You have to push yourself sometimes in order to reap benefits.

 

#2.  The sessions!  Wow.  From the keynote, Jessica Butts, who blew our minds with fascinating research and compelling evidence as to how imperative it is for us to take our clients’ personality types into consideration while working with them, to the session on how multi-taking ACTUALLY makes us stupid by dividing our attention so badly that you’d be more productive while being HIGH than trying to do to “simultaneous” tasks!!!  If you couldn’t go, make time to listen to the sessions.  Again, push yourself to get educated from other NAPO members.

 

#3.  The sisterhood of powerful women!  Unbelievable.  The caliber of strong, motivated, successful entrepreneurs at both elbows is simultaneously intimidating and intensely compelling. As a newbie of less than 1 ½ years in biz, I found the energy of being surrounded by so many levels of business owners to be intoxicating.  The resource that NAPO is, the education it offers, the legitimate business generator that it provides are here for us to access and integrate into our own businesses.  (Oh, and they LOVE to DANCE like no one's watching!!!!)

 

 

The best news of the weekend was that next year it will be in FORT WORTH:  within driving distance for us!  This is a perfect opportunity to GET TO CONFERENCE in 2019 without the added expense of a plane ticket.  So register now in the early-bird window, and pat yourself on the back for deciding to drink the NAPO Kool Aid!  (and register!  Do it now!)

 

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Ryan Lanier

Professional Home Organizer

LOVE Your Space Organizing