“Hi!” from the new Organized Biz blogger
Hi there! My name is Jennifer Hofmann and my business is the Inspired Home Office.
I work with home-based solopreneurs who feel frustrated and overwhelmed by their office and want to feel inspired and see their business thrive. I’m a teacher by training and I bring insights into the best ways to organize based on your own learning style, unique habits, and personal strengths.
Like Kelly said, “…the key to being organized is finding your niche and making it work for you. Nothing works the same for everyone.” Amen, sistah. As an entrepreneur, you probably spend more time at your desk than you do sleeping – so the way your space works and feels is vitally important.
My approach to organizing is to help find a balance between functionality and inspiration – and grant absolution from the erroneous belief that there’s a “right” way to do it. There’s just your way. Ironically, I’m my own best client (isn’t that the way it goes?). As embarrassing as it is to admit, I’d been chronically late, disorganized, and scattered most of my life. When I got diagnosed with ADD a couple of years ago, I set out to find ways to help me stay on top of things better and learned a ton in the process. Now, I share with others how to do this themselves.
Starting and running a business is supposed to make your life better and more enjoyable – theoretically, anyway. It’s my sincere hope that you’ll find peace with the progress you’ve made thus far and begin to strive for functionality instead of perfection.
Big thanks for Kelly for running the show before Anne Wayman recruited me. It’s a pleasure to be here at b5. Be sure to visit myorganizedbiz.com often to get ideas, encouragement, and support along the way… and, of course, some fun mixed in for good measure.
10 Comments
Hey, good to see you here; thanks for the mention.
I love the notion of balancing functionality with inspiration. Also, please blog more about the ’styles’ of organizing. I tend to organize in spurts… let everything get out of control then reel in back in… deteriorate into chaos… reel it back in . I always feel like I ’should’ keep it organized. But maybe not….
Loved your message Jennifer. Especially what you said about no right way but my way. I’ve been reluctant to get help here even though we, Mark and I, both need it desperately, because I want to have a say in it.
I pride myself on being good at these things, but it’s bigger than me right now.
So, I’d love to hear more specifics on how you help folks do it themselves, there way.
I’m a big fan of yours already and look forward to being a bigger one.
Woo-hoo! You go, Jennifer. This is very much needed. Organization is one thing, inspiration is another. Please send your sacred office beauty skills my way (as I sit surrounded by my piles…)
Thanks to all for chiming in! It’s great to have you here!
Jenni: Thanks for the ideas for a future post! I love how you describe the process of “reeling it in”. So often it works this way but as you make tiny tweaks, it can lessen over time. Keep reading – what you and Holly said are similar.
Holly: Your request for more specifics on how to learn to do it your way is noted. More to come, I promise.
That said, it’s a huge leap to include another person in the private sanctuary that is your office. I commend you.
It also sounds like you’re like a lot of business owners who suffer alone with the overwhelm and the belief (like Jenni said) that it “should” be better or that you “should” know how to do it yourself.
We can talk offline about details for your office, but I want to assure you that you’re not alone in the overwhelm and uncertanity. That’s a good place to be before you start taking action because it creates openness.
Mark:
Hi! Sacred office juju is coming your way. Thans to you and Anne for the shout out!
welcome! I’m speaking at the professional organizers conference in Reno, so I’m looking forward to learning more from you to make my presentation (and my business) better organized!
Hi Jennifer! I’m really excited about your new space on the web and can’t wait to read along and be inspired as I sit in my home office.
I love hearing that I needn’t load on another ’should’ when it comes to approaching my organizing challenges. That really feels nice, not having to feel like I should or shouldn’t do another thing.
It is great to see you here Jennifer !
After having received some of your help in the past, I am excited to keep learning from you.
I would like to hear more of your thoughts about organizing in “my way” – specifically, how does one discover more about their way ?
Excited to see what’s next !
Linda
Hi Jennifer,
Ahh, organization and inspiration can go hand in hand. what a great and timely concept. And you’re right, as an entrepreneur for over 35 years, for much of that time I have spent more time in my office then sleeping. Of course, nowadays with wireless internet, I can work from my bed, as I’m doing at the moment, and I feel inspired to do so.
As to no one ‘right way’ I agree with a caveat. I look at my office, well organized for me, and I look at my wife’s office, filled with clutter, stacks, and stuff not related to work, and I see a office that works and one that doesn’t. And my wife readily admits her office doesn’t really work for her either. So, while there is no one right way, there are systems that work and those that don’t.
Would you agree?
[...] lot of the comments I got on my first post were about this topic, so I’d like to explore it more today. That said, if you want specific [...]