Did you know that there is a national professional organization for Professional Organizers? If you follow our podcast, you know that KonMari Media Incorporated trains and accredits consultants in the method but there is also NAPO, the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals.

Amy Tokos is a Certified Professional Organizer and Productivity Consultant. She is also the President-elect of NAPO for 2020.

Amy’s background is in engineering and she previously worked making manufacturing processes simpler and more efficient. In 2008, she started her company, Freshly Organized, and began bringing the lean thinking to the homes and offices of her clients.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show.

While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast.

Join The Spark Joy Club today!

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• Learning about the concept of Lean Management and its origins in the Japanese manufacturing community.

• How Amy transitioned from corporate management to home and business organizing.

• Her early organizational influencers and how she became involved with NAPO. National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals

• How Amy incorporates Lean management into her organizing style.

• The book, In Praise of Wasting Time.

• The importance of using technology to support our goals.

• Learn about NAPO and the benefits of the combined wisdom of thousands of organizers.

• How you can use the resources of NAPO to help your own organizing process.

Amy's favorite organizing tip:
“Hold an informal family meeting once a week. It’s a great way to catch up, make plans and to make sure there are no last-minute surprises.”

What sparks joy for Amy
"Today, I have tulips that are blooming in a pot on my dining room table."

Amy's parting words of Wisdom
"Keep in real. Relax, don't worry about living in staged environment."

To connect with Amy, visit her website at Freshly Organized and her Instagram: Freshly Organized.

Gems:

"People are overwhelmed by the stuff in their space and also stuff in their heads and their calendars."

"Lean is just basically minimizing processes and steps to gain efficiency."

"We are missing out on the benefits of just wasting time."

"Some of the things that are designed to simplfy our lives just add more complication."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Amy Tokos.

Marcela Barraza is the founder and owner of MB Green Cleaning. She is a graduate of the hospitality administration and hotel management program. After working for an airline for more than 10 years, Marcela started in the cleaning industry in 2004 and she was inspired to switch to “green” cleaning after experiencing a series of maladies, including irritated skin and debilitating migraines, that she traced to the harmful chemicals in the cleaning products she used in her home. She then made it her mission to help others safeguard their environment so they can enjoy the comfort and contentment that comes with a clean and healthy home.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show.

While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast.

Join The Spark Joy Club today!

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• What led to Marcela’s start in the home cleaning business

• The idea of Green cleaning and the benefits of going green

• Learning why cleaning is such a challenge for most people

• How cleaning and organizing differ and why someone who is well organized may not necessarily be good at cleaning and vice versa!

• Discovering the cleaning style or schedule that will work best for you

• Spring cleaning as a way to welcome the season

• Managing cleaning with children. Teaching them good habits and skills

• When it makes sense to hire help for your cleaning needs

Marcela's favorite cleaning tip:
“Clean as you go and make sure you have the right tools.”
“Use concentrated products and refillable bottles because they waste less packaging.”

What sparks joy for Marcela
“Being on the Spark Joy Podcast! It’s such a joy to share my passion for green cleaning with others.”

To connect with Marcela, visit her website at MB Green Cleaning. You can find lots of cleaning tips on her blog MB Cleaning Blog and YouTube channel MB Green Cleaning YouTubeand her Instagram:@mbcleaning.

Gems:
"When deciding which products to use, you have to try several to find the ones that work best for you."

"Cleaning is not a super fun thing to do. It's not like anyone wakes up and says, 'Yea, it's cleaning day!'"

"Asking for help is not a bad thing. It can be anything from a cleaning person every week to just a few times a year."

"Get rid of the clutter first and then do the cleaning. No matter how much time we spend cleaning it won't help is there so much stuff."

"If you commit to only one thing, make your bed every day."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Marcela Barraza.

We call these items “unfinished business” or “maybe someday items.” Things that represent an ideal, aspiration or a dream that you had about the kind of person you wanted to be.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show.

While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast.

Join The Spark Joy Club today!

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• Learning what unfinished business looks like KonMari category by KonMari Category.

• Understanding why and how unfinished business accumulates and why it’s so hard to let it go.

• How the unfinished business in the Clothing category can fill your closet with things that need to be mended, tailored or ironed and what to do about it.

• We revisit Ep 75 | Exploring the KonMari Book Controversy with Robin Mitchell Cranfield to discuss letting go of unread or unfinished books.

• Three additional categories of paper to consider.

• How hobbies and aspirational do it yourself projects can cause us to purchase supplies that are often never used or partially used. These items are classic “maybe someday” items that pile up in drawers and closets.

• How to use sentimental items so that they are not just hidden in boxes and never appreciated. We encourage you to get creative and either use these items or consider why you are holding onto them.

• How donations and discards are unfinished business until they are out of your home. Your tidying is not finished until things are on their way to their next life.

• The importance and value of your time when deciding whether to reduce, reuse or recycle items. This can be a stumbling block toward getting things on their way.

• A solution! Consider the Five D’s:
  - Do
  - Diminish
  - Delegate
  - Defer
  - Delete

We all have unfinished business. It’s just a part of life!

• Here are Karin’s:
  • Deciding about some closet storage upgrades. “I can’t decide!"
  • Doing some home maintenance. “There’s always something that needs to be done."
  • Recycling used candle jars.
• And, Kristyn’s:
  • Photography organization project. “I’m committed to get this done in the next decade.”
  • Recipe compilation project. “My friends want some of my great family recipes!”

Gems:

• "When your KonMari tidying journey is over, you’ll have the time, resources, and energy to pursue these passions. So, it’s important to make sure every second of that time counts by filling it with high value activities edited down to just the things you love and intended to complete in your lifetime."
• "Buying craft supplies can become the hobby. Those yarn and fabric stores are so tempting!"
• "It’s really ok to decide something is just not for you or maybe what you DID accomplish with a hobby was just the right amount."
• "What is the point of keeping those things hidden away and could you make a different plan? What are some of the options?"
• "Sometimes your unfinished business and “someday aspirations can literally stand in between you and your goal of a clutter free lifestyle."
• "We’re human and it’s ok to make mistakes. We’ve all invested our time, energy, and money on things that didn’t work out for whatever reason. Trial and error is a necessary part of learning, growing and adulting."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Today’s guest challenges us all to think beyond fear and embrace a Life of Yes℠.

Saya Hillman started Mac & Cheese Productions℠ in 2004 after she got fired from her last full-time job and had no idea what she wanted to do.

Being fired turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her. Mac & Cheese Productions℠ is now a lifestyle business that provides creative solutions to common problems through its Life of Yes offerings. At its core, is the belief that the segments which make up our lives shouldn’t be sources of stress, but sources of joy and ease.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show.

While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• Saya's journey from wanting to feel invisible in order to avoid sticking out in a crowd to unapologetically embracing a life of yes
• How Saya came up with her memorable business name, Mac & Cheese Productions
• How Saya's networking events break the mold and reflect who she is
• How sharing each other's vulnerabilities connect her guest "Cheese-Its" together
• How you can get further in life by being experience focused instead of results focused
• How Saya helps people transform by embracing productivity, public speaking, sales and other things that cause people stress and pain to be filled with ease and joy
• How you put the hardest tasks behind us by eating a frog at the beginning of the day
• How Saya makes her every day life easier and more productive by staying within her Life of Yes radius
• How sharing a spontaneous moment of sharing her vulnerabilities helped Saya relate to her audience during
• How the Spark Joy paper clutter episode connects to the path of digitizing our life
• A travel hack Saya and her husband use to avoid getting overwhelmed with digital clutter
• How Saya manages her "to reads"
• How letting go of productivity systems that ultimately don't spark joy will set you free
• When it is the right time to go nuclear on your inbox
• How Feedly helps let go of subscription guilt
• Why Saya decided to go completely paperless when it comes to her business and how she cleans her "digital closet"
• How bulk work can help you handle your work and not hate your life
• How the simple act of silencing push notifications can help you feel in control when it comes to technology and incoming information
• Why improv was the top three adult choices Saya made as an adult that changed her life

Saya's favorite tidying tip: Digitize all of your sentimental items

What sparks joy for Saya: Travel hacking her way to Japan with a $250 first class ticket

To connect with Saya visit www.macncheeseproductions.com . You can also find her on Twitter or Facebook .

Gems:

• "What makes you different are not things to be ashamed of, but to hold up to the light."
• "I want my business to reflect my personality."
• "We set ourselves up for disappointment when we are results focused as opposed to experience focused."
• "Do you have a source of stress that is self created?"
• "You should set up your life in the way you want it to be lived."
• "My way isn't the right way. The right way is what works for you."
• "Such magic can happen when you do voice whatever it is that is causing you any type of negativity in your life."
• "The perfect time unicorn doesn't exist. You need to do that thing you need to do, and do it now."
• "I'm completely paralyzed because I know i have a problem, but it's so overwhelming I'm not going to do anything."
• "Are you spending a lot of time spinning your wheels?...and if you are, how can you stop that?"
• "Have your default be yes instead of no and why not instead of I can't."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Saya Hillman.

Our guest, Gemma Quinn, is Australia’s first certified KonMari Consultant, but she also practices worldwide!

She's also a KonMari Consultant Evaluator and works with future consultants during the certification process. Her KonMari approach is informed by over 15 years of experience in business operations and human resources management within the design and creative industries.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show.

While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

-How Gemma's grandfather sparked a love of thoughtful organization.

-Gemma's introduction to the KonMari Method and how it changed her life.

-Find a book that spoke to Gemma from the Tim Ferris Book Club review here: The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday

-How Gemma helps her clients determine what sparks joy even if it involves a mundane household object

-What a KonMari evaluator does and how she works with KonMari Consultants to ensure that the quality of the Konmari practice is consistent

-Gemma’s international practice as a traveling consultant

-How Gemma conveys the guiding light of the KonMari practice to clients regardless of where they live. (Spoiler alert: she doesn’t believe it really changes from place to place

-Gemma shares home and lifestyle differences around the world including the confusion around baking ingredients and how many blankets should be on the bed

-Read a blog about duvets in Germany! Two Duvets are Better than One! Sleeping the German Way

Gemma's favorite tidying tip:
"Grow your sensitivity to knowing what sparks joy for you. It will change your life. And... use boxes! Try to get to the point that every item in your house has a box."

What Sparks Joy for Gemma:
"People! The engagement of people in my life and work. They bring me so much joy."

Gemma's parting words of wisdom:
"Start by writing out your list of categories and subcategories and just get started with the KonMari Method. We are here to support you!"

You can find Gemma at: Gemma Quinn or on instagram and Facebook at: @gemmaquinn.konmariconsultant

Gems:

“The act of joy checking and thinking about my ideal life allowed me to connect and engage with my belongings far more than I ever had.”

"The risk was minimal because being able to help someone lead a life of joy was a risk worth taking."

“We are there to help them manage that risk and to be a supporting hand guiding them to help them through this so that they know they are not alone.”

"Knowing what will bring you joy does change from culture to culture."

"Engaging with other peoples and other cultures personally brings me a huge amount of joy."

"Some cultures have more difficulty expressing their feelings. So I try to help clients find ways to be truthful, but still will bring them joy."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Gemma Quinn.

Our guest, Frank Molignano, has worked extensively in the mental health field as a homeopath, biofeedback specialist and reiki master. He facilitates a deep connection to well-being, integrating unresolved trauma, and through his practice, supports individuals in moving from contraction to expansion, and from limitation to freedom.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show.

While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• How Frank's father inspired him to look into alternative practices as a teen
• The difference between homeopathy and home remedy
• The Homeopathy credentialing process
• How Frank put Homeopathy to the test to heal himself after being diagnosed with Lyme Disease
• The history of Homeopathy
• How Homeopathy shifts your attention to holistic health management rather than symptoms-centered care
• Homeopathy related common myths and misconceptions (common KonMari myths are featured in Spark Joy Episode 25)
• Risks associated with Homeopathy
• The importance of consulting a professional alternative practitioner
• Where conventional treatment vs. Homeopathy may be more or less appropriate
• What well known remedies should be in your Homeopathy first aid kit in your home
• How to find a Homeopathy practitioner near you via:
  • Council for Homeopathic Certification
  • National Center for Homeopathy
  • The North American Society of Homeopaths
• What makes you a good candidate for Homeopathic care

What Sparks Joy for Frank: Minimize the amount of sugar in your diet and drink more water

Frank's parting words of wisdom: Homeopathy!

To connect with Frank, head over to The Healing Narrative, and find him on Facebook and Instagram.

Exclusively for our Spark Joy listenters, check out Frank's Cold and Flu Homeopathic Remedy Chart.

Frank is also offering a 25% discount off his initial two hour consultation. Be sure to contact Frank at thehealingnarrative@gmail.com and reference that you heard him on the “Spark Joy” podcast.

Gems:

• "For as big as the branches are, so too the roots are deep. If your prune back one of the branches, it's not treating the whole."
• "This is about cultivating and reclaiming wellness."
• "It's not homeostasis. It's really a more dynamic state of health and wellness."
• "I think we all have a moment along our wellness or healing journey when we start to question our results."
• "Is there a better alternative?"
• "The homeopathic model really honors and respects the body and mind in a way that there is an inherent state of balance that we can all come back to."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Frank Molignano.

Our guest, Marina Wakil, is a college student at NYU and a recent culinary school graduate. She lives in NYC, by way of Venezuela and Miami, in a modern apartment on the Upper West Side. She’s 20 years old and she’s an aspiring food journalist or maybe a food policy writer. While on vacation last summer, she made a decision to reorganize her entire apartment with a KonMari Consultant to meet her changing goals and her upcoming academic plans.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show.

While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• The moment Marina reached out to Karin and made the commitment to tidy her NY studio apartment with a KonMari Consultant within a period of three weeks prior to starting at NYU
• How Marina found a KonMari Consultant after her mom introduced her to KonMari style organizing
• How setting a specific, clear goal date helped Marina stay focused and purpose driven
• How walking into to the process with a high level vision of what she wanted helped Marina remain intentional when 1) completing homework assignments 2) donating/selling/consigning things quickly
• How Marina remained mindful, even though she was executing her tidying event at a rapid pace
• How she creating themes within her closet and her kitchen to align with the things she loves to do
• The most difficult category Marina had to tidy
• How the KonMari signature folding technique made a lasting impact on Marina

Marina's favorite tidying tip: Everything you fold, fold it into rectangles!; Check in by asking yourself "Why?" to see if the chaos is attributable to your home or inherent to you.
What sparks joy for Marina: Winters in New York

Gems:

• "When my apartment is hectic, I'm hectic."
• "I really just wanted to come to a place where I was really happy with where I was living and that the environment allowed me to create the way I wanted to and be focused."
• "It's so beautiful to honor the things you have by giving them a space and giving them place in your home."
• "If it's there, it has a purpose."
• "I was taking advantage of the space I was at, as opposed letting it take over me."
• "This is an object, but it still kind of has it's own little life of it's own."
• "My clutter taught me how many things I'd been emotionally holding onto that I hadn't been ready to let go up until that point."
• "My clutter taught me more about myself because it was a reflection of where I was at that time."
• "Our spaces are so much a reflection of us and who we are as people at the time in which we are inhabiting them."
• "Find what makes you happy and believe in yourself!"

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Marina Wakil.

Have you ever said to yourself:
I’ll never be organized.
I’ve been this way all my life.
I always struggle to keep things tidy
I’m such a hoarder!
Why can’t I be and stay organized like everybody else?

Our guest, Kristi Meyer of Simple Surroundings Consulting. Kristi is a certified KonMari Consultant and a Certified Professional Organizer based in Charleston, SC. She is also an Institute for Challenging Disorganization Specialist in Chronic Disorganization, Hoarding and ADHD and a longtime member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals. For the last ten years, Kristi has been helping her clients achieve dramatic change that forever transforms the way they feel and function in their homes.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show.

While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• How Kristi's love for teaching organizing skills to her K-8 students branched into a professional organizing and KonMari practice
• The similarities and differences between Kristi's conventional organizing experiences and her KonMari practice and journey
• The "aftershocks" that led Kristi to revisit certain aspects of the KonMari Method
• More information about how to nail the vision of your ideal lifestyle and living environment - Spark Joy Episode 5
• Hoarding experts featured on Spark Joy Episode 3 and Episode 19
• Kristi's definition of chronic disorganization and hoarding disorder and the tell tale signs of each
• How Kristi keeps the basic rules of KonMari intact when working with the chronically disorganized with some adaptations
• How Judith Kolberg's book, Conquering Chronic Disorganization influenced Kristi's practice
• Kristi's Five Unconventional Rules for the Chronically Disorganized:
  • Make it social
  • Overpersonalize
  • Make it emotional
  • Adapt to your individual learning and organizational style
  • Set up a maintenance plan
• Kristi's top resources for those who may be struggling with chronic disorganization or hoarding
  • The Institute for Challenging Disorganization
  • Dorothy The Organizer
  • Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding by Tolin and Frost with accompanying workbooks
  • Digging Out: Helping Your Loved One Manage Clutter, Hoarding, and Compulsive Acquiring by Michael Tompkins
  • Children of Hoarders
  • Therapists, professional organizers, or certified KonMari Consultants

Kristi's favorite tidying tip: Simplicity. The less detail the better.
What sparks joy for Kristi: The KonMari Consultant community and her daughter.

To connect with Kristi, visit www.simplesurroundingsconsulting.com . While you’re there take, her free quiz "How Organized Are You, Really?"

Gems:

• "...academic performance could really be correlated to how organized a student was."
• "I wanted to have a really huge impact on their physical space and also their mental space."
• "I started to realize other stuff around me that seemed to really change my outlook and my thoughts about what I wanted for the future."
• "If you find that [clutter] really undermines your quality of life, then that could be considered chronic."
• "Talk out loud. Whatever you're thinking in your head, vocalize it out loud."
• "Find your treasures. Find the things you absolutely love."
• "If you keep [maintenance] very simple simple, it's also going to lead to more relevance to your current self."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Kristi Meyer.

There’s one thing we know for sure. We put our time, energy, and our money towards the things that we value. But what happens when our values are incongruent with our consumption behaviors, placing us in danger of missing out on the freedom associated with living the life of our dreams?

Here to help us explore the intersection between the KonMari Lifestyle and Financial Independence are co-hosts of the House of FI podcast - Wendy and Timika. House of FI helps families who dream of retiring early, but are unsure how to do so AND raise a family, figure out a plan. Their guests share their journey to financial independence, early retirement, and debt freedom.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show.

While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• The true definition of Financial Independence (FI) or Financial Independence Retirement (FIRE)
• What led Wendy and Timika to start down the path to FI
• Common myths and misconceptions associated with FI
• Timika's marathon KonMari tidying experience with Kristyn and how it relates to her financial journey
• The "eels" that attach to us, as mentioned on John Roderick's podcast
• The end goal: How do you know when you've reached FI?
• How influencers such as Mr. Money Mustache or The Dough Roller have calculated fees associated with actively managed retire accounts
• How to the get over the getting started hurdle when it comes to FI
• The importance of using a tool like Personal Capital to track and manage your net worth
• How the FI community handles healthcare coverage
• The importance of taking and celebrating the small steps
• Podcast's that House of FI recommended to extend your FI community: Journey to Launch and ChooseFI

Wendy's favorite FI tip: Tracking your fixed and discretionary expenses
Timika's favorite FI tip: Wendy's meal planning tips; Refinance your mortgage to a lower rate when appropriate to free up money for debt pay off; Get a roommate, move from a single family home to a multi to generate rental income, or buy a car that's not brand new. Use travel credit cards to generate reward points.

What sparks joy for Wendy: Launching House of FI!
What sparks joy for Wendy: Launching House of FI!!

To hear more from House of Fi, check out their podcast via houseoffi.com or connect with them on Facebook. After catching up on their latest episodes, leave a review of House of FI on iTunes for a chance to win a copy of Kids Money Habits by Amy Koit.

Gems:

• "...essentially, setting yourself up so you're in a position to have choices."
• "People are also beginning to think more about how to optimize their lives so they can do more things that bring them joy on a regular basis."
• "The idea that you have to be extremely frugal to the point of deprivation is one myth."
• "When you add it all up, you see the huge mound of money that's exiting your bank account; just like I saw the huge mound of clothes that my three year old climbed on top of when we put it all in one place and went through it one by one."
• "What is it that you're doing this for? What are you going to retire to? What does financial independence look like?"
• "It's really being more intentional about our money...the balancing of each financial decision..really sticking to the goal."
• "Don't be an island. Make sure that you're connected with other people and a community."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: House of FI.

Today's guest, Beth Walker, is a single mother of three boys and a recent "empty nester." She currently works full time as a Technology Consultant, a career she began out of college, took a break from to raise her boys, and has since gone back to. Beth believes in hobbies and passions outside of her job, the most recent being a keyboard player and vocalist in local rock bands playing throughout the suburban area. In addition to music, she has a passion for all things domestic - knitting, crocheting, cooking and baking...and now tidying!

In addition to being a Renaissance woman Beth is one of Kristyn's clients! They've tidied for over 60 hours and are almost to the finish line. We take a deep dive into Beth's journey as she shares the benefits of living clutter free.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• How Beth's life coach's suggestion to read The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up led her to seek out to find the support of a KonMari Consultant (Kristyn)

• Beth's vision of her ideal lifestyle and living environment that grounded her process

• How tidying has significantly impacted Beth's life in the following areas:

  • Health
  • Career
  • Finances
  • Relationships
  • Community
    

• How Beth experienced significant shifts in her ability and confidence to maintain her tidy space

• How Beth found the accountability and customized support Kristyn provided to be mission critical to her success

• The temporary sacrifices Beth made to ensure tidying remained a priority and to keep her momentum going

• Spark Joy Ep 49 | Why Hire a KonMari Consultant

Gems:

"I've been a hopeless organizer and I could never find that one way to keep it up."

"It's so easy to think about what you don't want."

"I thought I was shooting for the moon to be honest but, I can tell you I absolutely live that life right now."

"This isn't just organizing, it's coaching. It's sitting down...goals, values, how do you want to live your life, let's do it."

"Overall, with KonMari, it's allowed me to focus on other goals in my life."

"This is the way my house is and this is the way it's going to be and this is who I am now."

"It definitely spreads from your physical world to your energetic and spiritual world in ways that you almost can't explain."

"It's shown me so me parts of myself I didn't know were there. Or, I wanted to be there."

"It was so much work, but so much fun."

"...You don't realize you are changing as you're doing it. You don't have to change in order to do it."

"I'm not doing [KonMari] because I'm supposed to or I want to. I do it because there is this part inside of me that doesn't want to do it any differently."

"You think you're hiring someone to hold to you accountable to a process in a book. what you're really doing is hiring a coach that helps you change your life."

What sparks joy for Beth: Having the time freedom to focus on goals and other aspects of their life beyond tidying.

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Beth Walker.

Do you have boxes and boxes of printed photos/movies/slides/memorabilia that you haven't done anything with? Are you overwhelmed with a huge quantity of digital photos and videos you’ve collected on your computer, camera, tablets, and smartphones?

Today we’re dedicating this episode of Spark Joy to one most high anticipated and feared signature KonMari Categories - Sentimental Items.

Bonnie Shay joins us today to talk about managing our digital legacy. Bonnie is the founder and owner of Mariposa Photo Organizing established in 2007. She’s managed a photography business for over 20 years and is a Certified Member of the Association of Personal Photo Organizers. She currently curates family photo and video collections that are, shareable, enjoyable, manageable, safe and secure, both now and for generations to come.

NOTE: We should remind our listeners that the Sentimental clutter category is the absolute last category to declutter. It should be handled with care and only after you warm up by addressing Clothing, Books, Paper, and Miscellaneous items in that order.

If you still have some tidying work to do, we suggest heading back to Spark Joy Episode 1: KonMari 101. Also, if you’ve paused your KonMari progress after addressing miscellaneous items - then this is the episode for you.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show.

While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• How Bonnie believes she was genetically predisposed to making order out of disorder
• How Bonnie's 20+ experience in both general residential organizing and photography triggered her current business of curating family photo and video collections
• How Bonnie discovered the Associate for Personal Photo Organizers
• The tipping point for sentimental clutter in our home and why quality over quantity is important
• Reasons why we delay processing sentimental clutter
• How you should get started curating your collection and selecting things that spark joy
• How to "pile" your digital clutter and some unexpected places it could be hiding
• Marie Kondo approved Sentimental item tips
• How to grab your content from antiquated media formats
• The two ways you should organize digitized sentimental content
• How focusing on your intent helps you shape your digital legacy
• How to handle inherited collections or digital files that are "trapped" on antiquated machines/formats
• Why you should start locally to find a archival service via APPO Partners APPO Partners or Save Your Photos
• A backup related rule of thumb

Bonnie's favorite tidying tip: Set a timer that gives you a sense of urgency and celebrate at the end

What sparks joy for Bonnie: Her dog's morning happy dance :)

Bonnie Shay can be found at www.mariposaphotoorganizing.com . She has a special offer just for Spark Joy listeners. Visit www.maraiposaphotoorganizing.com to sign up for Bonnie’s newsletter and receive the Top 12 ways to curate your photo collection.

You can also connect with Bonnie on Facebook and Twitter

Gems:

• "Let's look at the best of the best that tells your story and focus on that."
• "Any pile of stuff...represents a pile of decisions left unmade."
• "We don't necessarily want the item, but you want to remember the sentimentality of it."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Bonnie Shay.

Today’s guest challenges us all to think beyond fear and embrace a Life of Yes℠.

Saya Hillman started Mac & Cheese Productions℠ in 2004 after she got fired from her last full-time job and had no idea what she wanted to do.

Being fired turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her. Mac & Cheese Productions℠ is now a lifestyle business that provides creative solutions to common problems through its Life of Yes offerings. At its core, is the belief that the segments which make up our lives shouldn’t be sources of stress, but sources of joy and ease.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show.

While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• Saya's journey from wanting to feel invisible in order to avoid sticking out in a crowd to unapologetically embracing a life of yes
• How Saya came up with her memorable business name, Mac & Cheese Productions
• How Saya's networking events break the mold and reflect who she is
• How sharing each other's vulnerabilities connect her guest "Cheese-Its" together
• How you can get further in life by being experience focused instead of results focused
• How Saya helps people transform by embracing productivity, public speaking, sales and other things that cause people stress and pain to be filled with ease and joy
• How you put the hardest tasks behind us by eating a frog at the beginning of the day
• How Saya makes her every day life easier and more productive by staying within her Life of Yes radius
• How sharing a spontaneous moment of sharing her vulnerabilities helped Saya relate to her audience during
• How the Spark Joy paper clutter episode connects to the path of digitizing our life
• A travel hack Saya and her husband use to avoid getting overwhelmed with digital clutter
• How Saya manages her "to reads"
• How letting go of productivity systems that ultimately don't spark joy will set you free
• When it is the right time to go nuclear on your inbox
• How Feedly helps let go of subscription guilt
• Why Saya decided to go completely paperless when it comes to her business and how she cleans her "digital closet"
• How bulk work can help you handle your work and not hate your life
• How the simple act of silencing push notifications can help you feel in control when it comes to technology and incoming information
• Why improv was the top three adult choices Saya made as an adult that changed her life

Saya's favorite tidying tip: Digitize all of your sentimental items

What sparks joy for Saya: Travel hacking her way to Japan with a $250 first class ticket

To connect with Saya visit www.macncheeseproductions.com . You can also find her on Twitter or Facebook .

Gems:

• "What makes you different are not things to be ashamed of, but to hold up to the light."
• "I want my business to reflect my personality."
• "We set ourselves up for disappointment when we are results focused as opposed to experience focused."
• "Do you have a source of stress that is self created?"
• "You should set up your life in the way you want it to be lived."
• "My way isn't the right way. The right way is what works for you."
• "Such magic can happen when you do voice whatever it is that is causing you any type of negativity in your life."
• "The perfect time unicorn doesn't exist. You need to do that thing you need to do, and do it now."
• "I'm completely paralyzed because I know i have a problem, but it's so overwhelming I'm not going to do anything."
• "Are you spending a lot of time spinning your wheels?...and if you are, how can you stop that?"
• "Have your default be yes instead of no and why not instead of I can't."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Saya Hillman.

What’s standing between you and your biggest goal? What’s standing in the way of your highest potential and true success?

If you’ve let the barrier of lack of time, energy, motivation, or lack of skill stop from completing your tidying event or achieving any other major goal in life….this episode is for you.

Today’s Spark Joy guest is Cara Brookins. Not only does Cara live in a tidy 3,500 square foot house of joy that’s beautiful and intentionally designed..she built that house with her four children by hand over nine months using YouTube videos as her guide, overcoming many obstacles along the way. Her bestselling book Rise: How a House Built a Family launched her career as a keynote speaker and media personality. She now helps people understand that reaching your highest potential isn’t just about how hard you work, but about adjusting your mindset and strategy to take full advantage of the hours you’re putting in.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show.

While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• The events that led Cara to come up with the audacious goal to build her own house in 2008 and her children's reaction to this idea
• How YouTube tutorials married with Cara's DIY mindset solidified her plan to build her 3,500 square foot, two-story home
• How Cara convinced a bank to secure a loan and a local builder to sell her supplies without a contractor license
• The initial reaction Cara received from friends and family when they heard about her goal
• How Cara balanced the build with a fulltime job as a computer programmer
• The challenges that showed up and the family communication that thrived
• How anticipating and considering the worst case scenario helped the Brookins family alleviate fear of the unknown
• How Cara determined when it was time to call on building professionals during different phases of the build to complement her DIY efforts and ensure her family's safety onsite
• The history of the name of Cara's home - Inkwell Manor
• For a peek inside the Inkwell Manor, head over to Spark Joy Instagram Spark Joy Instagram
• How Cara intentionally only kept things that she loved in her home and separated nostalgia from joy
• The impact this entire experience had on Cara's four children
• The transition of Cara's story into a feature film
• How Cara's experience with domestic violence led her to be the voice for victims, keeping their safety as the primary concern
• The National Domestic Violence Hotline 1−800−799−7233
• The history of Cara's story going viral and her transition to pubic speaking as an extension of her passion for writing

Cara's favorite tidying tip: (DIY tip) Everyone needs a cordless drill that you keep in the house. (Tidying tip) Anytime you go in a room, leave it better than when you went in.

What sparks joy for Cara: Sharing a message in front of an audience and getting to listen to their stories

To connect with Cara visit www.carabrookins.com . You can also find her on Facebook or Twitter and check out her book, Rise: How a House Built a Family.

Gems:

• "Day after day, it felt impossible and there was no evidence that we would succeed."
• "I had to show up every day motivated and determined and positive and certain we could complete it because I had to be that person for the kids."
• "Any kind of fear of a new circumstance can become absolutely paralyzing."
• "If you don't take a step forward, you'll stay there forever."
• "...identify what is the worst case scenario of this thing I'm about to try and can I live with that. If the answer is yes than there is absolutely nothing to fear."
• "Never hold onto something because it meant something to someone else."
• "Failure at something [the children] try isn't attached to their own self worth."
• "Look at yourself. Value yourself and your kids."
• "Don't wait until it's the right moment, because it never will be...Start doing it now."
• "Tidying has to come not just in your home, but in your mind."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Cara Brookins.

Today’s episode of Spark Joy is part three of a three part series dedicated to closet joy. We’ll talk to three guests who are revolutionizing the way we view fashion and style.

Tara Button, founder of BuyMeOnce, is at the forefront of the global movement to change the way we shop and live forever. In 2013 Tara went from depressed spendthrift to fulfilled entrepreneur, using a technique she calls ‘mindful curation.” Her new book A Life of Less Throwaway, teaches the steps to master this lifestyle change.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show.

While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• How a cooking pot inspired Tara to get out of debt, change her spending habits and champion a buy it once culture and platform

• How the "mindful curation" technique featured in Tara's book, A Life Less Throwaway, helps you find out what's meaningful to you

• Why we need to notice the preassures of advertising and recognize things are typically not made to last a lifetime, perpetuating the cycle of buy, use once, throwaway

• How you can "take stock" of the things in your home to focus on how you accumulated your stuff and how to find things that help you live your life's purpose

• How Tara's book helps you get off the trend treadmill and decide what kind of person you want to project to the world

• Celebrities that are trending for repeating the same outfit on multiple occasions

• How longevity (buying things that last longer) has the biggest impact on the planet (bigger than recycling!)

• How looking at your past Amazon purchases can help you confront your consumerism and shopping patterns

• How Tara is not a naturally tidy person, but was able to apply decluttering techniques and be more discerning about the things she purchases

• How identifying what makes you happy and what gives you purpose helps you understand how to make certain things in your home accessible

• The connection between mindful curation and finding your purpose and priorities, while focusing on the things that matter.

• How thinking about what you want people to say about you once you're gone helps you understand what you really care about

• How researching and writing down colors, styles, fabircs, and brands before you start to shop will help you be more mindful and sustainable when you shop

• The system that determines what products land on BuyMeOnce

• Mindufully curated closet maintenance tips, including the Guppyfriend Washing Bag

• How to properly "do your colors" to get a sense of which ones bring you alive

• Examples of items in Tara's home that she's only bought once

Gems:

• "The whole world is trying to persuade you to buy mindlessly."
• "People don't talk about longevity when it comes to the planet."
• "I now don't bring anything into my home that I'm not going to have for a decade or so."
• "When it comes to things that are going to make us happy in the long term, it's all about our community and relationships."
• "The fashion industry is the second most poluting industry in the world, after the oil industry."
• "As humans, we know we need things to survive. Not shopping is not an option."
• "Buy things that will make you feel good in the long term."
• "Write a list of the things that you don't need in your life and you'll feel a surge of gratitude for everything you have."

Tara’s favorite tidying tip: Start with items that are not emptionally resonant. Start with your pants!

What sparks joy for Tara: Taking a moment out of her day to be creative by writing children's books.

You can find more about Tara by visiting www.buymeonce.com.

Be sure to pick up Tara Button's book, A Life Less Throwaway, and follow her on Instagram (@tara_button) and Twitter (@tarabutton)

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home

You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Tara Button.