Category: Community

February 1, 2016

Professional Organizer To Appear on ABC’s Shark Tank in Special Military Show

ABC-TV's Shark Tank will feature a Denver-based Professional Organizing Company appears on February 5th

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.

Angela Cody-Rouget, a Denver and Phoenix-based professional organizer will be appearing on ABC-TV's Shark Tank

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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February 1, 2016

Business Tips, Community, Demystifying the Professional Organizer Experience, Home & Home Office Tips, Organizing Industry News
January 7, 2016

John Speaking at 2016 Los Angeles Get Organized Month Event Saturday January 9th
Join John on Saturday January 9th for weGo! in West Hollywood

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:
- Marcy Melton, Financial Organizing
- Dolores Kaytes, Filing Systems for Home and Office
- Tracy Bowers, Organizing for K-12 Students
- Standolyn Roberts, Organizing Your Kitchen for Heathy Eating
- John Trosko and Leslie Haber – Managing Incoming Mail and Paperwork
- Tanisha Lyons Porter, ABCs & 123 of DIY Decluttering
Detail for weGo!

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.

Enter your Email Address

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January 7, 2016

Business Tips, Community, Demystifying the Professional Organizer Experience, Home & Home Office Tips, Organizing Industry News, Storage – Misc.
February 10, 2012

Be Super Sexy & Pick Your Donation Charity for 2012

Out of the Closet Thrift Stores may be the most famous thrift "chain" store in the World. Not only are their ads pushing items donations super sexy, they even have a Hall of Fame page on their website (celebrities who have donated their unused wares to their cause).

Locations:

The chain includes dozens of well-run locations around its headquarters here in Southern California (Los Angeles), Northern California (San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley) and the State of Florida (Miami, South Beach and Ft. Lauderdale).

Who benefits?

Many of their locations offer confidential, free HIV testing and proceeds benefit AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest specialized provider of cutting-edge medicine and advocacy regardless of ability to pay. That attracts a lot of passionate givers.

Celebs who donate:

Renowned for donations made by today's most popular celebrities and major television and film studio production houses, droppers off of gently used items include Elizabeth Taylor, Ron Howard, Bruce Willis, Ellen Degeneres, Carol Burnett, Richard Gere, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, and Elvira (Mistress of the Dark).

Out of the Closet is one of our favorite charties and we've mentioned them on this blog through case studies and a story about Kate Olsen donating her clothes to the West Hollywood location. They've even been nominated for several Los Angeles Organizing Awards in the "Most Supportive Organizer-Friendly" category.

How to pick a donation charity:

We encourage our organizing clients to pick a thrift store charity for the year, and use that relationship to feel good about their giving. So why not develop an sense of organiziation with heart?

There are a lot of choices for your donations, pick the charity that you identify with for religious, social, or political reasons. Items should be in clean and saleable condition. Depending on individual policies, some items are subject to refusal. If you drop off junk, they may have to throw it away, and your "good deed" becomes an unnecessary expense to the charity management.

Share your charity:

What is your thrift store charity for 2012? Share your charity with your friends. And, why not post a link to their website, below. What tips do you have for thrift store donations?

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.

Enter your Email Address

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February 10, 2012

Celebrity Organization, Community, Recycling, Techniques to Tackle
October 23, 2009

Hold a Professional Clothes Drive

Fall is here. Now may be the perfect time to take a good hard look at your wardrobe.

Why not ditch the pieces that no longer fit, are out of style or just plain not you anymore. Perhaps you have clothes that are new, in perfect condition and you have no intention on wearing them? To make yourself feel good and help others in need, gather some friends, (or better yet) some office colleagues and start a professional clothes drive.

A simple email, collection center, and designated charity will do the trick. We suggest you chose Dress for Success, where women in transition benefit from donated business outfits. if you want to check into some local Los Angeles resources, dive into our 2007 post written for a reader who wanted to lose her 1990's business suits and didn't know how to.

Here are some tips we put together recently for a Professional Clothes Drive for one of the world's largest professional services firms in Downtown Los Angeles:

Clear Out Your Closet:

Let's face it, everyone knows it's hard to let go of clothes that you really like even though you have not worn. Below are three closet-clearing tips from fellow CLARE Foundation volunteer and organization expert, John Trosko of OrganizingLA. John has a few tips up his sleeve to help you clear out the old, to make way for the new, and in the meantime, help make a difference in someone's life:

The 15-Minute Rule:

If you want to make a difference in your closet and don’t have a lot of time, set a time limit and “go shopping” for things that are ready to be donated. But keep your focus on this specific task and don’t allow yourself to be distracted. It helps if you can carefully choose a friend to help you clean out your clothes closet. You’ll want a person who will constructively criticize your taste, but with a sense of humor to make it fun.

Suits That Are No Longer Suit-able:

Nostalgia’s tug is strong— but use this opportunity to clear out the larger key pieces such as men’s suits, ties, dark belts and dress shoes. For women, perhaps you have a dress-for-success ensemble that isn’t suitable for your current work environment—why not donate it along with some sensible low-pumps and simple jewelry? Never donate another person’s clothes, always check with them.

Stop Tripping Down Memory Lane:

3.) Remember, avoid keeping items in your closet as a benchmark of your achievements. Professional Clothes Drive for the Clare Foundation honors needy individuals with basic essentials and you’ll want to donate good, clean, gently-used or new clothing. You’ll feel better knowing your unwanted clothes will benefit others!

If you're putting together a professional clothes drive, feel free to use the tips above, just give us credit. O rcontact us if you'd like to explore something more.

What ideas have you implemented for your clothes donations? Please share them below.

Image above courtesy J Crew and Uncrate.

Related Posts:

Reinvent yourself with Closet Therapy's Barbra Horowitz (9/05)

What do I do with 1990's business suits? (2/07)

Build a connection with a charity (3/06)

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October 23, 2009

Community, Interviews & TV Spots, Organizing Industry News, Recycling
September 25, 2009

Traditional Home’s 20th Anniversary at Pacific Design Center

My colleague Laurie March and I just returned from an amazing day at the Pacific Design Center's Fall Preview.

Sponsored by Traditional Home Magazine, the day featured over 40 design showroom programs, open houses and industry receptions with new and innovative products, style, colors and ideas not only for Los Angeles but for the rest of the country. We met some amazing interior designers like Tobi Fairly Tobi Fairley, Shane Reilly, Madeline Stuart as well as Candace Ord Manroe, Senior Design Editor for Traditional Home and author of Uncluttered: Storage Room by Room, Storage Made Easy and numerous others.

(more…)

September 25, 2009

Community, Demystifying the Professional Organizer Experience, Organizing Industry News
April 23, 2009

Phyllis Morris Showroom Organizes Martini Mixer Benefit Saturday – We’ll Be There

If you're in Los Angeles this weekend why not treat yourself to very organized Martini Mixer at the Phyllis Morris Showroom on Robertson?

Held as a benefit for the West Hollywood Elementary School, we are donating to their silent auction one fabulous in-person four-hour professional organizing session for your desk, office or home. Not only would you be helping a good cause by supporting the school, you'd be getting a personal glimpse of the fabulousness of Phyllis Morris.

About Phyllis Morris, the location of the benefit:

Phyllis Morris reigned for over 40 years as Hollywood's interior designer. Her-over-the-top "bigger is better" baroque style was beloved by Liberace, Elvis Presley, Howard Hughes, Aristotle Onassis, Lana Turnover, Barbra Streisand and Cher through the 1980's. Morris' new showroom on Robertson Boulevard (now run by daughter and talented designer in her own right, Jamie Adler) continues the Morris family tradition of exquisite custom furniture as well and a newly added complementary furniture and accessory line. The Morris design aesthetic includes decorating in silver and 34K white and yellow gold leaf, in mega sizes, such as the $75,000 top selling Grande Venetian bed, nicknamed the N.B.A. bed, because it's a gigantic 9-feet deep (bed is pictured above.)

About West Hollywood Elementary School, the event host:

West Hollywood Elementary School is West Hollywood's only public elementary school and arguably, the most ethnically and socio-economically diverse grade school, public, or private in the entire country. The school "encourages the free flow of diverse ideas and perspectives that inspire innovation and hold that all children, regardless of their economic, ethnic, cultural or linguistic background, will achieve not only academic and social success, but reach their maximum potential while they enjoy being a really great kid." Friends of the school are hosting the benefit.

Hope to see you there.

West Hollywood Elementary School – 2nd Annual Martini Mixer

A sample list of organizations we've donated or supported:

Greystone Estate in Beverly Hills

Covenant House

Southern California Ronald McDonald House Charities

American Cinematheque

Wonderland Avenue School

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April 23, 2009

Community