In Part 2 of our interview with Sonya Weisshappel, the CEO and founder of Seriatim professional organizers and inventory managment experts tells stories from her 23 years of helping people assess, get rid of and donate their stuff. Often precipitated by a crisis or major life transition such as a death in the family or decision to downsize or retire, people confront their belongings and often don't know where to turn. Sonya's mantra is know what you have, and once you know what you have you can determine its value. We discuss the importance of having an inventory of household items when bringing caregivers and home health aides into the home to care for elderly relatives.  On the lighter side, Sonya talks about confronting the dusty shoes in the closet and how "stuff" comes to overtake your space. The Scandanavian idea of "death cleaning"--or decluttering along the way rather than waiting till the end. 

Sonya also speaks highly of Brené Brown's book Atlas of the Heart and the importance of not judging people's styles of collecting and decorating.  

Sonya grew up in New York City where she started her organizing company, Seriatim, in 1999. Proudly dyslexic, Sonya founded her business in order to avoid writing a resume and now, almost two decades later, she and her Seriatim team have earned themselves a reputation as consummate Chaos Whisperers. In 2017, Sonya became the first organizer to be accepted into the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. She is currently President of the New York Council of Relocation Professionals (NYCORP). In her spare time, Sonya organizes her husband, three children, and rescue dog, Finn.

You can reach Sonya at https://www.seriatim.net/ 

CREDITS

Host and creator: Christi Cassidy

Contact: christi@movingalongpodcast.com

Artwork by Phyllis Busell

Music by Eve’s Blue. 

Show notes written with assistance from https://podium.page. 

LINKS:

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