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Success Stories: See How Others
Exchanged Disorganization for Clarity, Focus, and Financial Gain!
We’ve helped thousands of
clients organize and simplify their lives. Even better, with the results
we deliver, our clients immediately discover two extraordinary benefits:
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The emotional pain caused by the situation completely
evaporates and is
replaced with feelings of buoyancy and freedom. |
| The financial “pain” of their disorganized office and
buried business
opportunities is replaced by clarity, the ability to focus on new
opportunities, and even financial gain! |
Take a moment to review a few of
our clients’ success stories.
No more
frantic “fire drills”: Manufacturing company’s leadership team now has
time to focus on income-generating projects
The
Situation: Somehow this medium-size
manufacturing company was able to produce its products, despite a chaotic
work environment and last-minute “fire drills” to meet deadlines.
The company’s entire leadership team needed to get organized and clear
stacks of paper off their desks. Despite reading multiple books about how
to get organized, the president was spending too much time putting out
fires. Finally, he called From Piles to Smiles™ for help.
The Solution:
Poor time management was at the root of their
fire drills and disorganization. First, we presented a time management
workshop for the leadership team. Next, we worked one-on-one with the
president, vice president, controller, plant manager, and administrative
assistant to implement time-management strategies and set up reliable
filing systems.
We also consulted with the team
to help the entire company change its fire-drill mentality.
| We developed a questionnaire to help the management
team evaluate
issues with plant personnel. |
| Using the results of this questionnaire, we held
one-on-one interviews
with the plant manager, quality coordinator, technical manager, and
maintenance manager. |
| We observed and evaluated the manufacturing process
flow and made recommendations for improvement. |
The Outcome:
The leadership team now has the tools and
knowledge to prioritize activities and schedule tasks. What’s more, they
have the clarity—and time—to recognize and address opportunities and focus
on high-priority, income-generating projects.
The company president shared
these thoughts: “When working with From Piles to Smiles, we uncovered
project ideas, patent and trademark ideas, and client prospects worth
several million dollars that were buried under piles of paper! I no longer
waste time looking for files because I know where to find them in the
system we established. From Piles to Smiles also taught me how to make
decisions about papers when I handle them, so I no longer pile them up on
my desk.”
Contact
us now to create YOUR success story!
Stay-at-home mom
transforms cluttered, frazzled household into an organized, harmonious
home
The
Situation: Julie was overwhelmed by household clutter and
frustrated that she couldn’t get her two children to school on time.
“Every morning is an ordeal,” she said. “We’re always rushing and flinging
things everywhere in a desperate search for shoes, keys, backpacks—you
name it.” Worse, Julie planned to make nutritious lunches for her children
but never had time. Instead, she gave them money to buy lunch, knowing
they might not make healthy choices. When the kids were finally out the
door, she faced a cluttered house. She tripped over piles of toys, books,
clothes, and dishes, yet never found the things she needed. “I felt as
though taking care of the kids and house was my job, and I was failing
miserably at it,” she said.
The
Solution: From Piles to Smiles quickly determined two root
causes. First, many items simply didn’t have a place where they belonged,
so there was no place to put these items. Second, Julie didn’t manage her
time well.
We evaluated each room to
determine how Julie and her family wanted to use the space. Next, we
identified the items that belonged in each room and created a plan to
provide convenient storage for these items. For example, both children
have desks in their rooms but prefer to do their homework at the kitchen
table. We set up a study area in the kitchen so the kids can work
efficiently, store their supplies, and easily clean up. “Now we don’t have
to fight about cleaning off the kitchen table so we can eat dinner,” Julie
said.
We also discussed Julie’s time
management challenges and guided her through time-management training. We
taught her how to prioritize tasks, helped her choose a planner, and
showed her how to use her planner to prepare for each day.
The
Outcome: “From Piles to Smiles did a great job of identifying
the root causes of our disorganization and reorganizing our home to remedy
the situation,” Julie said. “They helped me get each room into shape. They
also helped me develop a plan that has everyone involved in maintaining
our organized home. Now, getting out the door is easy because I have a
plan that helps me prepare for the next day. When the alarm clock goes
off, we’re able to enjoy breakfast together as a family rather than rush
around trying to beat the clock. I’m thrilled with the results. The
atmosphere in our house is much more relaxed. We’re able to enjoy
harmonious time together as a family rather than being distracted and
frustrated by the clutter.”
Contact
us now to create YOUR success story!
Manager with home office
increases efficiency and effectiveness—clearing the way to achieve a
career goal
The
Situation: A regional manager for a disaster preparedness
company, Patrick works at the company’s office three days a week and works
at home two days a week. Sounds like the perfect setup, right? Well, not
for Patrick. His small home office was crammed with personal belongings
and his desk was buried under papers. When he did file something, his
important papers disappeared into the “Bermuda Triangle” of his unreliable
filing system.
Worse, this office situation
impacted his productivity, reputation, and relationships. He ran late for
meetings, he never finished a project early, and he stayed up late to meet deadlines, missing out on family time. He wanted to become a
certified Emergency Preparedness Manager but thought he’d never have time
to pursue this.
The
Solution: We developed a three-prong strategy to help Patrick
form new habits, organize his home office, and stay on track:
| We conducted time-management coaching with Patrick
over the phone. |
| We helped Patrick create a reliable filing system. |
| We helped him create a system to handle incoming
papers. |
The
Outcome: We helped Patrick implement a variety of systems to
increase his productivity and reduce his frustration. These included:
| Creating “time buckets” to work on important,
recurring tasks. |
| Discussing how to use a time-management tool (in this
case, a PDA) to
plan projects and schedule tasks. |
| Helping Patrick schedule tasks according to his peak
energy time to
increase productivity. |
| Sharing innovative ideas to solve his time-management
issues. |
| Showing Patrick how to convert an endless to-do list
into a prioritized action
plan that allows him to exceed his job expectations and complete
projects
before they’re due. |
“Your help to organize my office
and teach me time-management skills has been invaluable,” Patrick said.
“I’m much more efficient and effective now that I have systems and
strategies to help me stay on track. Best of all, I no longer work late to
meet deadlines. I now plan and schedule important tasks, so I can complete
them well before they’re due. Thanks for giving me more time to spend with
my family!”
Postscript:
Patrick has begun the process to become a certified Emergency Preparedness
Manager.
Contact
us now to create YOUR success story!
Family’s relocation to
the Chicago area was fast and “effortless”
The
Situation: Relocation is difficult for anyone. But when
Elizabeth and Sean realized they needed to quickly overcome several
obstacles, they called From Piles to Smiles.
Elizabeth and Sean moved with
their two-year-old son from Washington, D.C. to the Chicago area. It was
essential that they get settled quickly, so they could both start their
new jobs without coming home to a chaotic house. Plus, Elizabeth has
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which would limit her ability to help unpack.
The
Solution: We met with Elizabeth and Sean and discussed their
lifestyle, so we could unpack and place items in logical places. We
clarified and prioritized the rooms they needed to whip into shape first.
In just one day, we tackled
quite a lot. We:
| Unpacked the kitchen so it was 100% ready to use.
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| Set up the master bathroom. |
| Completely unpacked their son’s room. |
| Hung all clothes in the master bedroom closet.
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| Made up all the beds, so the family could have a
restful night’s sleep. |
During the second day, we:
| Unpacked and set up the den. |
| Set up toy bins in the family room. |
| Unpacked the two remaining bathrooms. |
| Put books, DVDs and CDs on shelves in the living room
and family room—organized by category! |
The
Outcome: “With your organizing help, we started on the right
foot,” Elizabeth said. “It was great to have things unpacked and put away
so quickly. And your insight into where to put things so they made sense
for our lifestyle was amazing. Thanks for helping to make our
cross-country move so effortless.”
Contact
us now to create YOUR success story!
Client with special needs
goes from disarray to organized—and completes her doctoral thesis!
The
Situation: Andrea, a 29-year-old doctoral candidate, has ADD
and suffers from panic attacks. She needed to write her doctoral thesis
but found it difficult to prioritize her time and stay focused. On top of
that, her home was in total disarray. Her bedroom floor was carpeted with
papers, clothes, and trash. She felt as though she constantly was
cleaning, but she was simply moving huge piles from place to place.
The
Solution: Andrea’s deadline to submit her doctoral thesis kept
creeping closer. Finally, she called From Piles to Smiles. We gently
discussed why her home was so chaotic and discovered that her inability to
categorize exacerbated her problem.
Working with Andrea, we:
| Cleaned the clutter from her bedroom floor, dresser,
closet, and under the bed. |
| Set up and labeled drawers, bins, and places in her
closet to house items by category (e.g., school supplies, jewelry,
photos, toiletries). |
| Helped her create a realistic timeline to write her
thesis. Plus, we held weekly telephone sessions to review her progress,
discuss obstacles, and set specific goals for the upcoming week.
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| Developed strategies to help her minimize anxiety.
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The
Outcome: Andrea completed her doctoral thesis and submitted it
on time. She is awaiting approval by the doctoral committee. In addition,
she continues to keep her apartment clean and clutter free. She noted,
“When I let my room start slipping back into chaos, I remember your words
of wisdom: ‘Don’t put it down, put it away.’ And those words motivate me
to do just that.”
In addition, the weekly phone
sessions were a powerful system to help Andrea stay focused and on track
with her doctoral thesis. “Whenever I got off track, I just asked myself,
‘What would Sue say?’ and it jump-started me to get back to writing. It
feels great not to beat myself up when my ADD symptoms arise. You have
helped me come a long way with self-forgiveness. Thank you!”
Contact
us now to create YOUR success story!
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