What is your payment policy?
Payment is due when services are rendered. Terms and conditions apply and appear in the contract starting at the initial consultation on-site (Needs Assessment). I accept cash, checks, wire transfers, certified bank checks, Venmo and Zelle.  Work is subcontracted from Angie’s List, Home Advisor, ServPro and other preferred vendors; thus, your payment goes directly to the contractor.  I conduct all other project management logistics regarding communication, planning, implementation and account maintenance between you and the contractors for a fee.  Guarantees and payment options are at the discretion of the individual contractor. 

Do you offer guarantees on your work?
I offer discounted pricing to revamp systems if you’re not satisfied or if the style is too challenging to follow and/or comply with, excluding work done by subcontractors. Subcontractors have their own guarantee and pricing policies.  I do not offer exchanges or refunds for any of the four types of coaching services. 

Are your fees affordable?
Yes.  For coaching and organizing, I offer competitive pricing, volume discounts and sliding scale pricing for those who qualify. My initial phone consultation is free up to 20 minutes for both endeavors. In either type of engagement, the Needs Assessment (up to 2-hour on-site visit) is comparable to a modest restaurant dinner for two—contractual terms and conditions apply.  In return, the client receives a simple hand-rendered layout and a written assessment with recommendations within 72 hours for professional organizing assignments. For life coaching, you receive a situation analysis and recommendations document that articulates, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to your reaching your goals. Unfortunately, I do not take insurance for coaching, as it is not recognized as a licensable caregiver profession in New York.  Having said that, the going rate for a professional organizer on Long Island is $75-$125 per hour depending on how far you are from the company headquarters and how intricate the solution is: contractual terms and conditions apply. It is customary to charge a higher rate per hour for work sites that are located more than 15 miles from the organizer headquarters; I instead charge $.80 per mile outside this traveling radius. Moreover, in this competitive environment, my starting rate is lower than $65 per hour for professional organizing and $90 per hour for life coaching.

Do I really need to pay for a needs assessment?
A needs assessment is the first part of the process of working together. I personally wouldn’t dream of not paying someone for their expertise. In a world of DIY (do-it-yourself) fueled by instant information from searching the internet, it is tempting to approach important projects by learning by example or following someone’s lead. However, let’s remember, when someone operates from integrity by following the path to professionalism, there is a price. The path to success is long and sometimes cumbersome: attending school, earning certifications, completing internships, doing things by trial-and-error, thinking outside the box, joining networking groups, reading trade publications, etc.: it all adds up to determining a standard rate for the service offered. I have travelled this road and hope you enjoy the benefits of my journey as a specialist…for a fee. Please consider this: you would pay an architect for his/her plans to design your project. You would also pay a mechanic to diagnose your car before you fix it. In the same light, I am a design consultant that creates closets, containment systems and more; plus, I introduce revolutionary ways of operating that help change your thinking patterns to change how and iif you reach your goals. After all, if you could do this yourself, you wouldn’t be contacting a professional like me, right? : )

What kind of organizing style fits me best?
Are you someone who goes by the saying, “Out of sight, out of mind” when you deal with bills or project folders? Then you are likely someone who uses baskets or desktop bins rather than hanging folders in a drawer. I am equipped to assess the style in which you relate to time, space and objects: During my initial consultation I evaluate this and it is included in the price of the Needs Assessment. Whatever your style, I have a solution to repurpose, redesign and resolve the unsatisfying mechanisms of your life.

What are typical productivity styles?
Organizing style is related to productivity style.  After working for a systems-design company and studying instructional design, I developed my own labels.  I determine whether a client’s time and motivational style is Whimsical vs. Focused, I vs. We, Surface vs. Drill-Down, Praise vs. Pride, Routine vs. Delay, or finally Own vs. Delegate. Perhaps one can relate to one of these space styles: Poster vs. Stuffer, Keeper vs. Tosser, Lister vs. Doer, Maximizer vs. Minimizer, or Stacker vs. Rebel.  

Who would hire a professional organizer?
Whether you’re relocating, staging a home for sale, going to receive guests, need a personal assistant to manage time and stress better, or you want to maximize space and beautify your home, De-cluttering and Systemizing is a must. My motto is that everything has a home…even the stuff in a junk drawer.  De-cluttering and Systemizing help you be in tune and in lock step with your surroundings. This step can be the sole activity in a contract with my company or it can be a step of different organizing endeavors like Relocation or Senior Care Personal Advocacy.  See the SERVICES tab for more information.

Why would I hire you when I can hire a local housekeeper, a franchise junk removal service or an interior designer?
I partner with these and other complementary types of service providers; so, any one of these vendors could, at your request, arrive on the scene after I’ve completed the de-cluttering with you (there are many phases of professional organizing, not simply throwing things away). While I do rudimentary clean up of light dust and I help decide and execute where unwanted items will go next, I am neither a maid nor a heavy-duty rubbish remover. The good news is that I have an eye for detail and am an artist. So, I am happy to offer basic interior consulting services at a fraction of the price that a licensed interior designer does. However, there is room for all on the project, depending upon the scope of work in the contract.  Please see PREFERRED VENDORS under the RESOURCES tab on this Website for more details.

Do you work with hoarders?
It depends on what you define as a hoarder. Is it hoarding, clutter, collecting, or squalor? Whiist I am experienced working with clients diagnosed with hoarding disorder (HD); this service is no longer my specialty—plus I do not have the proper staff to do the assignment justice.  I recommend visiting the International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation at https://hoarding.iocdf.org/ or the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals at www.napo.net to understand the distinction amongst these terms and to see where you fit in.  If you’re still not sure, you may engage me for a Needs Assessment (the first phase of a payable professional organizing contract) whereas I determine your home or office fits the HD category, then I responsibly refer the job out so you can be taken care of with the utmost respect and expertise you deserve.

What is Transform180’s professional organizing process?
Professional organizing is an artistic method:  It’s a process and takes patience and attention to details.  There are 8 phases to an organizing engagement:
-Phase I—Needs Assessment: I survey the whole house during the initial consultation, taking photographs (once a photograph release form is signed), and taking measurements of room dimensions, wall hangings plus furniture that I place on a blue print later on. Second, after reviewing the results and agreeing on the scope of work—inclusive of pricing, scheduling and other contractual agreements—I then move to the implementation process (Phases II-VI).  
-Phase II—Deconstruction: I deconstruct contents of drawers, closets and piles of items to get the big picture of what I’m looking at. 
-Phase III—Categorization: I look for patterns and group together similar items into piles, boxes, bins, etc.  
-Phase IV—De-Clutter: I decide what’s going to stay on site and what will be stored and systemized on-site or transferred off-site.  
-Phase V—Systemization:  If the items stay on-site, I look to find new uses for existing items wherever practical and then supplement that with new container systems such as file drawers, baskets, trays and so forth.  In all cases, I aim to make the final product as simplified, linear and user-friendly as possible given the usability and habits of the client. If the items do not stay on site, in Phase VI, I figure out why and what to do with them.  
-Phase VI—Assignment:  The typical solutions—depending on size, quantity and state of disrepair—are donation, recycling, dumpsters, household trash, secure shredding, reassignment to family members or friends, refurbish/repair, or off-site storage unit rentals.  I handle these tasks for a fee or you can do so on your own.
-Phase VII—Follow-Up: I return to the client site in order to evaluate the new system of containment and workflow of the household or office so that I can recommend a maintenance plan moving forward.

How do you go about managing stress and time for your clients?
Most of the time, by default, De-cluttering and Systemizing takes care of saving time and reducing stress. When organizers reconstruct and reconfigure the interior of a home, they do so with form and function in mind.  Transform180, also aims to bring beauty to client’s spaces; so maximizing the space, downsizing, and systemizing are only part of the solution: the remainder is basic home beautification.  Please see FAQ section that discusses customized solutions below!

What is a senior-care personal advocate?
My aim is to provide incremental observation and communication about the functions of the household for senior clients who are living alone or are in need of supervision of existing at-home professional senior caregivers. My purpose is to restore order to the lives of retirees, professional caregivers and their busy or long-distance relatives with systems of communication, storing, operating and filing.  I am not a senior caregiver or companion, but instead a reporter. For those who wish for me to organize the space, I am a facilitator and implementer of change.

What is the role and responsibilities of an Transform180 À la Carte personal assistant
I’m great at drafting letters, writing prioritized To-Do lists and coming up with just the right words for blank greeting cards. I’m also a wizard at entering budgets on an Excel spreadsheet and selling items on Craig’s List, Facebook and eBay—I have proficiency in most of the Microsoft Product Suite and am Internet savvy.  I’m also happy to do personal shopping for clothes or to put together thematic gift baskets.  I charge a minimum of one hour and charge by the quarter hour after that: I keep a log of functions I perform to draft invoices.

Describe customized containment systems for auto, home, office, travel needs, emergencies, guests and more!
It is not uncommon for many of my clients to want a system to help them stay on time, be prepared at a moment’s notice for emergencies , for convenience or for comfort. With this is mind, I survey your most common launching points (think “cockpit” or “dashboard”): cars, foyers, dressers, kitchen offices, basements, guest rooms and more. After determining your priorities (i.e., budgets, wish lists, demands on you, etc.) and how you operate (i.e., how you relate to space, time and resources), I do personal shopping and craft kits help you entertain guests, travel, operate in your vehicle, be productive in your office, and be at-the-ready for an emergency. I pass the cost of materials straight to you and add a modest fee for my ideation, travel, shopping and delivery.

What are the 3 phases (I, II and V) of a relocation project that Transform180 offers presently?
There are 5 phases to a move. Phases III and IV involve a crew—those phases are future offerings.
-Phase I—Organizing: SEE above. 
-Phase II—Pre-Move:  I create a digital inventory of the existing home, take photographs of the new space, and draft a manifest for the packers, movers and un-packers.  That way they know where to place objects efficiently and effectively the first time. The final step is for me to pack a must-have overnight bag for the seller/renter.  
-Phase V—Refinement:  I check-in with the client to see if any modification or customization is needed for shelving, décor, cleaning, filing systems, setting up TV and phone service and so on.  I recommend and handle the subcontractors for a fee to process any necessary activities during Phase V. 

What are phases III and IV of a relocation project that Transform180 will offer in the future?
Sometimes it takes a village to raise a child (paraphrased, Hillary Clinton).  In the same way, a full-service relocation takes a crew who shows Tender Loving Care for your prized possessions to arrive in perfect condition to your new home.  I am in the midst of hiring crew. When I do, this is how I will be of service to you:
-Phase III—The Move: The project lead guards the must-have overnight bag (containing any necessary medicines, vital documents, clothes for a few days, toiletries, special pillows and other items deemed important), takes any further impromptu client direction and orchestrates the crew plus movers during the move.  
-Phase IV—Unpack and Settle-In.  Here the project lead walks room-to-room making sure everything is in its place and pitches-in where needed with the crew. The project lead hands off the must-have overnight bag to the client, then pays and tips the movers if the owners/renters are not present (a credit authorization form is necessary in that case).  Everything from the beds being made and to putting sugar cubes in the bowl is completed.  The project lead takes payment including any tips from the client on-site and the project is signed-off upon.  

What are the other advantages of shredding with Transform180?
The shredder I purchased cuts confidential, personal and proprietary documents as well as credit cards into tiny diamond shapes making it virtually impossible to reconstruct the page once it is processed.  It is possible to go to some franchise mailing or office centers, for instance, and get shredding for $.99 per pound: The client is strapped with a cumbersome and inconvenient task of dropping-off all the paper to the store, where it is locked in a cabinet and processed once a week, usually.  Most of these locations use cross-cut machines on the truck—a less secure type of shredder—and drive it to a processing facility. In contrast, I bring my machine on-site; then, I bring the bags of shredded documents to the sanitation department directly: this is one of the reasons I am bonded and insured.  For batches bigger than 100 pages in one sitting, I refer out to preferred vendors who dispatch shredding trucks to the home or office.  I broker this arrangement for a fee or you are welcome to do so on your own.

How can you assist aficionados and enthusiasts?
Those clients who are avid accumulators of collectibles, antiques and tchotchkes are often challenged to figure out how to organize, inventory and display their precious items. Some items require temperature or light control such as newspapers or cigars. Others require a lot of space and protetive containment like miniature race cars, porcelain statues, puzzles. I help clients find the best way to show-off, preserve and keep track of the items that are important to you with systems, containers and digital manifests.

How is Transform180’s leadership coaching distinctive?
While life coaching works on a personal level to guide clients towards achieving personal goals such as financial soundness or better health, for instance, there is a continuum between business and personal life.  Specifically, leadership coaching is geared towards the “the greater good.” There is a trickle-down effect.  This can be applied to enterprises as well as families.  So when parents are concerned with the family first before their own needs, then there is a symbiotic relationship. Each family member benefits from following enriched guiding principles, because there is a clear hierarchy with mutual benefits for all. Children can relax into their lives as followers because there are rules of order for ”the good of the whole.” Here, parents can lead as role models.  The intentions, roles, and outcomes are distinct and there is flow.  The same holds true for small businesses and organizations.

What are the origins of life, loss, and transition coaching?
After moving a lot and trudging through extraordinary change, I became a self-taught disciple of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross—known for her groundbreaking work in life, loss, and transition.  She taught about the stages of grief: anger, denial, bargaining, depression and acceptance. She also founded a residential workshop methodology called, “externalization.” In similar fashion, I use expressive arts and analogies (art analogue) to help clients let go of anger, conflict and things/beliefs/ideals that no longer serve them.  For those who want an intensive “externalization” workshop experience with certified professionals, I responsibly refer out to http://www.externalizationworkshops.com.

How can productivity coaching help me?
Each of us is unique in how we show emotions, respond to our environments, make decisions, prioritize, listen and learn. So it’s important to function using one’s own inherent productivity style. I borrow from the wisdom of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) by scrutinizing the way that the five senses translate into body and verbal language. Therefore, through keen observation and association, I can help enhance learning styles and personal motivation for my clients. This technique is popular with sales professionals, consultants and motivational speakers to help read their respective audiences and comprehend learning styles: They can more readily “convince and connect” to create synergy and an even-playing field. 

Can you say more about productivity coaching at home or school?
A coach builds a trusting partnership to explore personal effectiveness and motivation and does so in a positive, supportive manner. In this way, the client lives a more authentic, flowing “work” life.  Whether a student, employee, employer, or domesticated diva it is possible to get stuck in gear.  That’s when the coach poses questions, offers scenarios and gives assignments to the client about the big picture of achieving job satisfaction and congruence—this applies to home tasks and homework, too.

What is the ICF and why do you belong to it?
The acronym stands for The International Coaching Federation.  It is the industry standard for credentialing in various levels of and specialties of coaching.  Interestingly, coaching universities, institutes and schools have been in business since the early 90’s and have been more prolific since 2008 when the US economy and employment rates took a turn for the worse.  Coaching is not a licensable profession in New York; and, so there is a low barrier to entry into the field. Having said that, in addition to my formal education, I have earned a certificate from The Institute for Life Coach Training—a reputable and ICF-accredited education service whose renowned staff has been well published in the field. Transform180 is a proud member of ICF and is insured for liability. Please do visit http://www.coachfederation.org and http://www.lifecoachtraining.com for standards, ethics, and best practices of life coaches around the globe. 

What is NAPO?
This acronym stands for the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals.  It is widely known as the industry standard by which organizers hold themselves to when endeavoring in the organizing profession.  To paraphrase, NAPO offers their own proprietary university coursework and the opportunity for members to advance as a Certified Professional Organizer or Board Certified Professional Organizer and to earn specialties through their credentialing hierarchy.  According to my research, in New York professional organizing is not a licensable profession, but organizers normally get bonded and insured since they are handling precious, personal items.  For more information and plentiful resources, please be sure to visit http://www.napo.net. Transform180 is a proud member of NAPO.