Around here we're big fans of reality business shows like The Profit, Restaurant Start Up, Bar Rescue and especially ABC-TV's Shark Tank. Shark Tank features budding entrepreneurs with the chance to "bring their ideas to the sharks in the tank -- five titans of industry who made their own dreams a reality and turned their ideas into lucrative empires."
The contestants try to convince any one of the sharks to invest money in their idea. When more than one of the sharks decide they want a piece of the action, a bidding war can erupt, driving up the price of the investment.
Major Mom - Featured on February 5th:
We're really excited to learn that our colleague and former Air Force Major from Phoenix Angela Cody-Rouget and her company will be featured on Shark Tank this Friday, February 5th. John co-chaired a national leadership committee for the National Associations of Professional Organizers (NAPO) while Angela was the Chapter President of NAPO Colorado, so they worked together for over a year.
“Episode 719” – Veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs try to enlist the Sharks’ investments in their products—will it be a mission accomplished? A former Air Force Major from Phoenix, AZ looks to franchise her personal organization business that can keep Americans’ homes “majorly” de-cluttered. “Shark Tank,” FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5 (9:00--10:01 p.m. EST) on the ABC Television Network."
So how did Angela get on the show? "One of the producers contacted me... and said they were looking for veteran entrepreneurs for their show. Months of contracts, jumping through hoops and lots of stress landed me in LA at Sony Studios where I met five sharks in person as I pitched my business. It was an incredible experience full of many emotions and lots of prayer." According to Angela, she's under a gag order but can say she met with the Sharks for about an hour and the meeting will be compressed into entertainment value.
Questions or Comments?
Do you have questions for Angela, Shark Tank, Reality TV or organizing in general? Let us know here in the comment section or you can tweet us @johntrosko on Twitter. You can also check John out on Instagram (@johntrosko).
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If you're local to Los Angeles, join OrganizingLA founder John Trosko at WeGo! on Saturday, January 9th when NAPO Los Angeles and the City of West Hollywood present a free community event designed to educate and inspire Angelenos to get organized in 2016. John served two terms as chapter president of NAPO-LA.
From decluttering your home or office, aspiring to have a paperless lifestyle or mastering time management to achieve maximum productivity in your day, Los Angeles best professional organizers will give workshops and offer their best tips for getting organized. Ask-the-organizer panels will present attendees with the opportunity to discuss their own challenges and receive advice from the experts, while companies will exhibit products, services, tools and resources to help you get organized and stay organized.
Ask the Organizer Panels:
Ask the Organizer Panel is an opportunity for attendees to hear general organizing advise delivered directly from the experts. Participants include Leslie Haber, Dorothy Breininger, Regina Lark Ph.D, CPO®, Cynthia Smith and John Trosko.
Ask the Organizer Panel with ADHD Specialists includes experts Standolyn Roberts, CPO®, Kim Anker-Paddon, CPO-CD®, COC®, Debra Frank, CPO-CD® and Mishele Vieira, CPO®.
Workshop Experts:
Detail for weGo!
Saturday, January 9, 2016
11:00am-3:00pm
Plummer Park Community Center
7377 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90046
About NAPO Los Angeles:
NAPO-Los Angeles is a non-profit professional organization dedicated to developing, leading and promoting professional organizers and the benefits of better home and business organization. The founding chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers, "The Organizing Authority®," NAPO-LA has provided members with a forum for networking, professional development and raising public awareness since 1985.
Questions or Comments?
Do you have questions about weGo!? Let us know here in the comment section or you can tweet us @johntrosko on Twitter. You can also check John out on Instagram (@johntrosko).
Like this Topic?
Want to learn smart and practical organizing tips for your home, office and life? Save time by signing up for free topic updates and receive them as soon as they're published. Plus, as a gift receive our exclusive Martha Stewart Living Radio recorded radio interview and transcript, chock full of strategies, tips and resources direct from John.
Sprinkles in Beverly Hills eases your late-night cravings with the world's first cupcake ATM. But cupcakes aren't the only things ATMs are dispensing.
Southern California is full of modern-day kiosk conveniences; like the world's first cupcake ATM at Sprinkles in Beverly Hills, CA. Coinstar is another innovative kiosk to turn your coins into a gift card or paper bills, Redbox helps you rent movie and video games and Amazon's Locker organizes online purchase package retrieval. So what else is out there?
The EcoATM
Developed by Outerwall in San Diego, EcoATM is an automated device-recycling kiosk that collects unwanted or used cell phones, tablets and MP3 players for instant cash (also known as a cellphone buy-back or trade-in program).
The machines determine the amount by looking at three things:
Did you know by the end of 2015, there will still be an estimated 422 million idle or inactive mobile devices, and out of those, only 99 million will be recycled. They're hoping to help increase the recycled amount. Here's a cool video on how it works.
If you are the kind of person who has amassed a truckload of electronics, and you want to responsibly turn them in (and make some cash), EcoATM sounds like a convenient, easy and safe way to declutter your office.
Your Turn to Comment
What do you think of the new EcoATM kiosks? Would you ever use them? Do they provide enough value for you? Will Apple's iPhone Buy-Back program crush EcoATM? Let us know here in the comment section or you can tweet us @johntrosko on Twitter. You can also check me out on Instagram (@johntrosko).
Like this Topic?
Want to learn smart and practical organizing tips for your home, office and life? Save time by signing up for free topic updates and receive them as soon as they're published. Plus, as a gift receive our exclusive Martha Stewart Living Radio recorded radio interview and transcript, chock full of strategies, tips and resources direct from John.
From time-to-time we feature reader questions. Here is one which is particularly compelling. Have a question? Subscribe and talk to us.
Dear John and OrganizingLA,
"I have chosen the daunting task of getting my house and my life in order. I feel paralyzed and I don't know where to start. I start and stop and feel frustrated at lack of results. I know to my friends I make life look easy, and I am a fairly successful person in real life. But this is tough! Can you give me some pro-encouragement?"
Patricia from Providence
Dear Patricia,
Here are a few guidelines we suggest to our Los Angeles professional organizing firm clients who are stuck and need some encouragement. This list comes from our 7-8 years in business. Each client is different. We would be doing a disservice to clients if we thought they were one way, or another. Everyone is different.
Encourage yourself:
Need more inspiration? Check out:
10 Commandments of Clutter - if you're more spirtual, with an edge.
The 80/20 Pereto Principal - scientific usage guidelines we wrote about for Perez Hilton's Perezitos.
What encouragement would you have for Patricia?
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Two of our beloved California colleagues will be crossing the Pacific Ocean later this month to team with another colleague in Australia.
They're partnering up to present a mega-one day workshop Six Steps To Your Organised Life. The goal? Help participants banish clutter, permanently!
About:
The full day get and stay organized event is Saturday 22nd October (SYDNEY) and Saturday 29th October (MELBOURNE) and will offer participants best tips, techniques and secrets for organising and de-cluttering.
Event Leaders:
Chantale Bordonaro, Certified Professional Organizer, owner of Simplicity Source and Past President of NAPO-Los Angeles, Chantale will offer downsizing, relocation, moving and unpacking advice (Chantale's is quite the relocation expert).
Joshua Zerkel is a San Francisco-based Certified Professional Organizer and owner of Custom Living Solutions. Joshua's business focuses on home office workers, entrepreneurs, solo service professionals and small businesses. He helps them find easy ways to get control of their paper, space, information, time, technology and work-flow so they can reduce stress and boost their productivity – and their profits. He will be sharing expertise for discovering digital tools and services as well as going paperless.
Lissanne Oliver is a Melbourne, Australian-based professional organiser, author, blogger and media personality having appeared in the TV programs Your Life on the Lawn and Better Homes & Gardens TV. Lissanne will bring her sense to humor to cutting clutter in your home and office and mastering your paper muck.
Event Sponsor:
6 Steps To Your Organised Life is sponsored by Marbig, a leading office supply company in Australia (check out their website, they have incredible products you can't get here in the United States!) Admittance to the workshop is still available on both dates. Click on the links for more information.
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