Staging Success Spotlight on Adam Luttrell

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on February 22, 2010

Congratulations to Staging Diva Graduate Adam Luttrell of Tasmania-based Shift by Design on the third birthday of his staging business! That’s an important milestone when you’re an entrepreneur of any kind.

Adam writes, “It wasn’t until I updated my portfolio from the last five major projects that I realized just how far we have come in the last three years. When you start out you do it because you know you can, but even with that motivation and knowledge behind you it is amazing how much you learn from wonderful mentors such as Debra, peers and simple, old fashioned on the job training. Our designs, layouts and ability to see what will fit in a room has magnified greatly over time. Our photos are better, our presentation is more professional and all this comes over time.”

One of the things I love about what Adam says is that he acknowledges that our staging and decorating skills improve over time.

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Behind the Scenes Look at the Life of a Home Stager

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on February 18, 2010

It was always my dream to run my own business, which I finally did full time just before I turned thirty. Ever since, I’ve always loved reading stories about entrepreneurs. There’s a certain comfort that comes from reading about others in your own field, or one you’re moving into.

That’s one of the reasons I want to gather interesting stories about what life is like as a home stager. I have many of my own quirky client stories and I know many of my readers do too. I’d love to hear your story and it could potentially end up in my new book, which will be published in 2010 and featured on Amazon and elsewhere.

Life as a Home Stager: An Inside Look at What It’s Really Like in the Home Staging Business” is filled with heartwarming, funny and sometimes shocking stories about what it’s really like being a home stager. Inspiring and informative, this book will give you an honest look at what it’s like to work in this exciting and creative industry.

To participate, you might tell us about:

  • a client who was going through a particularly difficult or life-changing event when you staged their home and how you helped them through the process.
  • a tricky staging project and how you rose to the challenge.
  • a client’s strange choice of decor and how you convinced them to change it.
  • a funny mishap or a silly mistake you made while staging a client’s home.
  • how your staging career has affected other aspects of your life.

Staging Diva Graduate Pauline Stevens recently commented on one of my blog posts with this story that could easily be submitted for the book. I’m including it here as an example:

“I worked in criminal law before becoming a professional home stager. I ran my own law office with my husband. But after a number of years, I was hitting the snooze button more and more and when I finally got on the road to work, I had to stop 2 or 3 times to vomit on the side of the road.

I took one year off to get well again (I had lost over 50 pounds, couldn’t hardly eat or sleep) and then started looking at what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I’ve always been passionate about decorating yet I still had the mindset of wanting to really help people. I remembered my grandmother telling me when I was a small child to ‘choose a career that you have passion for, that way you’ll never have to work a single day in your life!’ She was right.

Now, with home staging, I don’t hit the snooze button – I’m up before the clock even rings! I look forward to what I do. Though I haven’t reached the point yet where I’m making as much money as I was in criminal law, I’m darn close. But even if I wasn’t, it wouldn’t matter. I’ve never worked so hard in my life and loved it so much!”

To be part of this exciting new book, you don’t have to be a professional writer. Anything you submit will be edited, you just have to give us the interesting story to start with. If you’re selected, you’ll get a free copy of the book once it’s printed PLUS the bragging rights of saying you’re featured in a published book, adding to your own credibility as a home stager.

Learn how to be part of this new book and get your copy free!

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Staging Diva Directory welcomes Home Staging of Powell

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on February 17, 2010

The Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers welcomes Home Staging of Powell located in Ohio.

Amy Nitzschke, the owner of Home Staging of Powell, is a Graduate of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program and she has purchased a mini listing on the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers.

Amy knows her mini listing will help the search engine optimization of her home staging website and she can also be sure anyone searching the Directory for a home stager in Ohio finds her.

Home Staging of Powell serves the following locations in Ohio: Powell, Dublin, Lewis Center, Worthington, Galena, Columbus, Gahanna, Westerville, Hilliard and Upper Arlington.

Learn more about adding your home staging business to the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers.

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Staging Success Spotlight on Tina Haessler

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on February 16, 2010

Congratulations to Staging Diva Graduate Tina Haessler of Bloom Home Staging & Redesign (ON) on getting two home staging projects from her participation on Twitter. If you’d like to learn how to grow your own business using this free service, check out theHome Stager’s Guide to Twitter.

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Home Staging Portfolio Makeover

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on February 15, 2010

Your home staging portfolio is one of the most important marketing pieces you have as a professional in such a creative industry because it’s a direct reflection of your abilities.

Like any ability, true mastery comes with practice. The longer you are a home stager, the better you get at transforming homes. It’s important that your portfolio reflects the evolution of your talents. Too many stagers put their website or Directory of Home Stagers portfolio together and then never touch it again for years. It’s important to keep your work fresh, to incorporate newer and better project photos, new testimonials and success stories, etc.

8 Must Have Items for your Home Staging Portfolio

  • Your Photo – a quality headshot, not a vacation snapshot
  • Your Company Logo – a professional reflection of your company’s identity
  • Your Personal Profile – a compelling statement of why you’re the person to hire
  • Success Stories – examples of successes you’ve had, even if they’re your own homes to start with
  • Testimonials – specific statements about the difference you made to a client
  • Before and After Photos with Captions – make sure these show true transformations and not just that you can clean off countertops
  • Press Clippings and Home Staging Stories – examples of staging in the media, preferably with you in them, but any stories help build credibility for what you’re selling
  • Contact Information – make it obvious and easy to contact you
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Staging Diva Directory welcomes Staging Matters

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on February 12, 2010

The Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers welcomes Staging Matters located in Texas.

The owner of Staging Matters, Debra Rosser, is a Graduate of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program and she has purchased a full listing on the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers.

Debra knows her full listing will help the search engine optimization of her home staging blog and she can also be sure anyone searching the Directory for a home stager in Texas finds her.

Staging Matters serves the following locations in Texas: Flower Mound, Lewisville, Carrollton, Argyle, Highland Village, Corinth, Justin, Grapevine, Southlake and Coppell

Learn more about adding your home staging business to the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers.

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Staging Success Spotlight on Leah Fritz

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on February 11, 2010

Congratulations to Staging Diva Graduate Leah Fritz of Perfect Place Home Staging (WI) on getting a booth at the One-Stop Home Show. An excellent way to kick off the spring real estate season. It’s been a joy to watch Leah’s business grow in the four years since she took the Staging Diva Program!

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Fitting it all in and making your own luck

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on February 10, 2010

Finding time for everything is hard for all of us, but it’s always interesting to see how some people complain they have no time to get their business going, while others steadily move forward even with kids and a full time job.

I’ve taught home staging and provided business coaching and advice to thousands of home stagers and I can generally spot who will be most successful early on in my dealings with them.

They’re the students who dive into the subject trying to learn all they can, they’re actively engaged during our calls (Business Accelerator Coaching or Staging Diva Dialog), they ask questions, they take action and they keep going even when times are tough.

I’ve also noticed that the most successful stagers tend to be the most organized, which allows them to follow through and jump on opportunities when they come up, and create their own opportunities when they don’t.

For example, some send me news about their businesses so I can write about them, which in turn gets their names on hundreds of websites and builds more business for them. This is a free service I offer to my students yet a relatively small percentage make the time to use it.

Observe whether you’ve been sitting on the sidelines passively, or whether you’ve been actively building your own opportunities. Do you need to adjust your approach to get better results?

> I’ve written more on the subject of making your own luck and welcome your comments, which can be added here.

You’ll already find some interesting comments from other stagers, why not join our discussion?

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Staging Diva Directory welcomes back Moving Home Interiors

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on February 9, 2010

The Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers welcomes back Moving Home Interiors serving areas of Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Kimberly Nuzzaci is a Graduate of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, and she has chosen to renew her full listing on the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers making this her third year advertising with us.

Even though she has a separate home staging website, Kimberly chooses to keep her full listing to be certain anyone searching the Directory for a stager in the areas she serves finds her.

Moving Home Interiors serves the following locations:

Delaware – New Castle County, Newark, Wilmington, Middletown

Pennsylvania – Southern Chester County, Chadds Ford/Kennet Square, Oxford, West Chester

Maryland – Cecil County, Elkton

Learn more about adding your home staging business to the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers.

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Staging Diva Events for February 2010

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on February 8, 2010

Check out what’s happening for home stagers this month. Please remember, times indicated are Eastern (NY time) so you’ll need to adjust for your own time zone.

Ask Staging Diva Live – FREE
Wednesday, February 10 8PM – 9:30PM

If you’ve subscribed to Staging Diva Dispatch in the last 3 months, you’ll get an invitation to join this 90 minute group conference call with home staging expert Debra Gould. Find out what it’s really like to be a home stager, ask your own questions about starting or growing a home staging business and hear an overview of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program .

Sign up right now for this event!

Open Coaching Day with Staging Diva – FREE (by invitation only, $75 value)
Tuesday, February 16 11 AM to 3:30 PM

Staging Diva Quiz Challenge Winners get a 15 minute one-on-one coaching session with Debra Gould.

Staging Diva Graduates get a 15 minute one-on-one laser coaching session with Debra Gould.

Invitations are sent to Staging Diva Directory members.

Staging Diva Dialog (Graduate Members Only)
Thursday, February 18 noon to 1 PM

Staging Diva Dialog

Staging Diva Graduates have a chance to ask Debra Gould questions in a small group on this regular, monthly coaching call.

Here’s what was discussed on the last call:

  • Rules for using press releases
  • How to charge for project management
  • How to get paid by third party suppliers
  • How to create a vignette for your portfolio
  • 3 key benefits of customer follow up
  • ASID, RESA and other associations
  • Dangers of overhead and how to avoid it
  • Faulty assumptions that sideline you
  • Keeping going when “life” gets in the way
  • Managing client expectations
  • 3 important ways to use open house visits

Find out how you can join the February Staging Diva Dialog. Just $47 gets you the live call with Debra Gould to ask your questions!

Staging Diva Accelerator CoachingStaging Diva Accelerator Coaching (Members Only)
Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday by appointment

If you’re interested in business coaching with Debra Gould, schedule an Accelerator Coaching session. It’s not a prerequisite to have taken the Staging Diva Training Program to purchase a session. When you’ve registered, you’ll get special access to Debra Gould’s online calendar to book an appointment at your convenience.

Learn more about how to get Staging Diva Business Accelerator Coaching

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