Episode 3: Moving Without Losing Your Mind Part 1
Jill Nicolini Interviews Libby Saylor Founder & Professional Organizer at Anchor Girl Organizing
Transcript
From Manhattan, this is the New York executive podcast.
The Voices that Move markets the conversations that shape the boardroom.
Live from our studios in midtown Manhattan, here is today's program.
Hello, hello and welcome back.
Back to life, back to the grind.
I know sometimes we had to cut our vacation short.
It's horrible to be home catching up.
Like Libby Saylor.
Yes.
Our professional organizer from Anchor Girl Organizing.
She's based out of Leela, North Carolina, which is right outside Wilmington.
And we are excited to have her back today.
How's everything, sweetheart?
Hey, Jill, how you doing?
I'm well, I'm well.
Ready to get into it for a very, I think, informative topic which is going to be moving without losing your mind.
Is that possible?
Yes, yes, yes, it is.
Right?
We will like you.
I can't wait to talk about this before we get into this whole moving situation.
Just for those new timers, tell us a little bit about your company and what you do.
Yes, my company is called Anchor Girl Organizing and what I do is professional home organizing, whether it be closets, pantries, garages, attics, you name it.
I also though what we're going to talk about today is white glue, white glove move management.
And by the end of the session, listeners will understand exactly.
White glove is what sets it aside from just going at it alone and going rogue, letting your movers do everything.
There are different tiers of service.
So we're going to get into it in hopes that listeners can feel like they can make a more informed decision when they are making a huge life transition such as moving.
Oh my goodness.
Well, thank you for being here.
Let's get started.
Where do we begin with this moving process?
Well, movers will move your belongings.
Let's be clear though that they will move your belongings exactly as they are.
So if they come into your kitchen, they're going to open a cabinet, they're going to pack it as it is and it's going to off.
It's going to go.
Where I kind of stand out is that my team and I manage the entire transition from one functioning home to another functioning home.
So the first thing that we do is we start to pre plan the move and we can return back to what we were talking about last week, which was that edit that I was talking about.
The edit is essential in a move.
Moving is miles and weight.
That's it.
And so when you are even moving across town or interstate, my husband and I just did an interstate move, you really have to know what you're putting on the truck because it could cost you less to rebuy it than to move it.
An example of that would be my husband has a rogue gym.
We sold all the plates because the plates were cheaper to buy than they were to put on the truck about, you know, 300 pounds of plates.
So nixed it right there.
So basically what we do in the pre plan is we really get into that edit.
And the most essential part of the edit is some people move quickly, they have a job that they have to move for what have you.
But other people, such as people that are moving maybe into assisted living, downsizing into sort of a next step, empty nest home, they have more time to plan, they're thinking about it.
And there is start early, start early, start early.
I have some clients that start a year out because some of those assisted living, they have a wait list and when they say your unit is available, guess what, you got to go or else they'll give it to somebody else.
So what I wanted to talk about today was really how we plan for the destination of where we're going before we start packing.
And that starts with that edit.
You know, you're going to a new home, you're not recreating the home you have now in another space.
This is an opportunity for a positive transition.
And so where I like to start with clients is something that I'm kind of formulating and I'm calling it the AGO method.
The short of anchor, grow, organizing, because that's a mouthful.
I've learned now that I named my business that it actually is a mouthful.
So the AG method, if I was going to briefly describe it, is assess, plan, organize, execute for your move.
So organize, execute.
Okay, yeah.
So assess.
What are we moving?
Will it fit?
What is the timeline?
Is this a downsize?
What does the client need?
The plan?
Measure furniture, map out the destination and the rooms.
Where is the furniture going?
Choose your movers, determine if storage is needed short term, identify your resources and estimate supplies.
Those are all parts of that white glove feature that an organizer such as myself that has a specializing in move management can do for the clients.
The next step we talked about was plan.
Well, we just did that plan.
Let's go to organize.
That's that edit.
That's the decluttering, that's the donating, that's the gifting, that's the releasing of the stuff that we talked about last week and sort of piggybacking off of that.
Once I've learned what your style is as to why you have accumulated, then we can be more targeted as to how we're going to release some of the things that don't need to be packed and moved with you.
I really cannot stress enough categories.
Go with categories.
That would be an example, would be, okay, you've got pictures of your family all over the house.
Okay, great, they all go in the same box because you're not going to have picture frames in with, I don't know, faux plants or picture frames in with blankets.
You want to keep the categories together so that when you open the box and you decide, okay, I'm going to tackle this box today, you can almost distribute those picture frames in the new location where they may have a whole new life and a whole new appreciation.
You could be seeing one that you haven't seen in a long time more often.
There's so many opportunities for positivity in a move.
And then the next thing we do is we number our boxes and we create an Excel file for the client.
So when a client, after the boxes have been dropped off and they say, hey, Libby, where is my, I don't know, my crock pot?
I can go through that Excel file and I share it with the clients as well, But I can quickly go and say, you know what, Jill, that's in box 54.
Go find 54.
And then you're going to find your crock pot.
The last thing is the execution of the move.
So the packing, the overseeing of the loading of the truck, directing the unloading of the truck, because what happens?
You get stuck at the front door and then they have 9 million questions.
And you can label these boxes until your heart's content.
But the guys don't always want to read them.
So I like to help with directing, unloading and then unpack.
I can unpack probably in record time.
I've never had somebody say to me, after I've unpacked their move or done their entire move, oh, I could have done that.
Oh, yeah, I could have done that.
No, it's a strategy.
It's a project management approach that allows my clients to focus on themselves emotionally so that they don't have to get into all of the sort of mini fires that happen in a move, because they will happen.
But if they happen to somebody who anticipates, can pivot, has that deep bench of resources that I talked about.
They aren't as upsetting as just to a layperson, possibly just trying to do it all themselves.
So the AGO method gives us a plan so that a complicated move doesn't have to feel like chaos.
It can be complicated.
It's just it's organized chaos.
So I really have wildly enough.
And like I was saying to you earlier, we might go into a session too in episode four on this, because there's a lot to get through.
And this is really some of my most favorite projects because they're usually long term and I really get to know my clients.
I almost become like a part of the family.
And I get excited at the end when I see them in their new home, whether I unpack them or not.
Especially on interstate moves.
Obviously I'm not unpacking them, but something I can offer them is a NAPO certified professional organizer in the city in which they're going so that there's somebody there to basically receive and do the execution.
So we can, it can work many ways.
The first thing I want to cover, there's 11 points.
Point number one is pack with the unpacked packing in mind.
Oh, pack.
Say that again.
Pack.
Pack with the unpack in mind.
Okay, so a mover, like I said, he'll come, he'll pack your boxes.
They will be utter chaos and miscellaneous stuff everywhere.
I don't think that they really pack to the same level of safety and care for people's items that I do.
I forget who did it, but someone told me that at one of our professional societies sort of meetings, they had a mover pack a box with the same items as the professional organizer and they pushed them over like, you know, the side of a wall and then they opened it to see what broke.
And I can assure you that a lot broke in that mover's packed box, whereas our packed boxes were safe and sound.
So, you know, people get very obviously upset when their things break in a move.
And so that's our absolute top priority.
Priority is to protect your possessions.
The movers just want to get it done.
They're like, they're moving.
They, they're, they're going fast.
They, they, they, it's just a job for them.
Whereas since I've already created the relationship and the trust.
I care about your things.
Yeah.
My insurance policy cares about your things.
So I, you know, it's, it's definitely more in depth than what the movers will do.
I tend to like to pack my boxes myself with my team, just because on the unpacked side, you almost, or at least I do.
I remember the boxes, I remember the stuff going in.
And so I like to have that connection with knowing that I'm not going to open up a miscellaneous box with a bunch of different stuff in it.
And I have unpacked people, where the movers have done the first part and then I get the execute.
And it's not fun.
It's not fun.
So that leads back to, you know, keeping things in categories, like, with like, and then the labeling, of course.
What else?
I thought, this is great.
This is.
It is a lot.
It is a lot.
It is a lot.
The other thing I like to do with the pack, with the unpack in mind, is estimating materials.
There are so many ways to waste money when you pack, whether it's the little dish covers or it's the china boxes, you know, the specialty boxes, most of the time they're a waste of money.
So it's really about me assessing your square footage, assessing what's going to go and then ordering in bulk properly.
So I like to order and then have it all delivered to the client's home so that the materials are there and.
And accessible at all times.
And I'm pretty good at estimating all of that.
And it's all returnable.
And so I. I do like to do that myself.
The boxes I get are also cheaper than anything that the mover is going to charge you if you use their boxes.
So we're not just trying to get everything into boxes.
We're thinking about how is it going to come back out and linking it into the virtual organizing certification that I hope to have by early 2027.
I don't need to be standing there with you to do this.
We can be coaching virtually all the way along.
And so that is a really exciting opportunity for me because that means that I can work with listeners all over the country.
Sometimes people just need someone to reach out their hand and say, you know what?
I'll show you the way.
I've got it.
And it really helps people just bring the anxiety down.
Most people in a large move, by the end of the move, they're not sleeping, they're not eating, they don't know where anything is.
We call that the camping period.
When you're eating on paper plates and plastic knives and forks.
The next topic would be number two, and that's plan for the destination first.
You know, that's an essential part of the plan.
So for a downsize, I help estimate how much will realistically fit in a new home.
That is something that our listeners here probably underestimate.
So, so often.
And then you've paid to move it there, and it's very natural and normal for people to have to then hire somebody to get it back out because it doesn't fit.
So that's where measuring furniture beforehand comes into play.
Creating a plan of where each piece is going to go.
It's not going to be a day of decision when you're standing in the doorway and the mover's like, where does this go?
We're going to sort of ask what belongs in this home and worked and what will belong in the next home and the next stage of life.
And that could be that time when you decide, I'm going to buy a new couch or I or this big sectional isn't going to fit, I got to get rid of it.
But.
But that pre planning is so essential to keep the chaos level down.
Do we need storage?
I'm a huge fan of short term storage.
I'm not so much of a fan of long term storage.
Long term storage is basically monthly payments of delayed decisions.
That's what's inside them.
And it's very, very expensive.
I had a client who had a storage unit for about, I don't know, 15 years at $300 a month of her parents.
Things that she was really, really struggling emotionally letting go of.
And the way she was dealing with it was storing it and not dealing with it.
And we did the math and determined exactly about how much she was basically paying to keep this stuff that she didn't want to deal with.
But short term storage is awesome.
That could be, you know, keeping some of the chaos down about what coming into the house.
Maybe you don't want all of your office paper right there, right as you're getting in the door.
So short term storage, I'm thinking maybe three months, then that's savvy, that's smart.
And you can always go over and pick up your boxes, pick up what you want to bring over, and whittle it down that way.
We had a client that had an enormous amount of paper boxes and boxes and boxes of files and.
And unfortunately they wanted to look at every single piece of paper.
And we both basically said, you know what, we're going to have to store it.
We're going to have to store it because there's no way we're going to get through all of this.
And if you can't let go, we're going to have to make a quick decision and store it.
And we did.
And it worked out really well.
We got them the banker boxes.
They were all labeled so that they could pull the, you know, the years and the topics and go through them as they wish and then tread, I would say, probably in that project, 85% of it was to be shredded But I wasn't there to tell them what to, you know, what to do.
But we did get them into the storage.
So, you know, you don't want the mover standing in your new living room with three sofas and then be deciding which one fits.
Basically, you have to strategize, strategize again.
Returning back to that project management experience that I have from corporate that rolls out into the strategizing of a complex move, the third topic is going to be every box has a plan.
We go to that Excel file, the inventory.
The boxes are numbered and then tracked by destination.
So where did they come from in the house?
Because maybe it was in the living room, but maybe it's going to, I don't know, the guest room.
You know, things shift in a new location.
And so we always like to know both sides of the story.
Where did it come from and where is it?
And that goes into the Excel file.
And, you know, like I said, if a client needs something after all the boxes are dropped and they're living in their Indiana Jones, you know, basically warehouse living room on night one and two, if they need to find something, they can.
And so I've definitely gotten a lot of texts, you know, panic of like, where is another vital box?
Is the open immediately box.
And it has to be marked.
This is, you know, this is the box that has your medications in it.
It has everything that you could possibly need or want in that first day.
That's where your paper plates will be so you can eat, you know, all of that stuff.
So you gotta have like your, your, your go box, so to speak.
Labeling a box miscellaneous, that's not a system, that's a nightmare.
It's just, it's a box.
You're gonna now be a delayed decision because you're gonna say, I don't even want to deal with that box.
That box is scary.
Point number four, moving day.
Typically, I am on site.
When I am, the move is local.
This we could do virtually, though.
There's FaceTime, there's all kinds of ways of connecting.
So I don't want the listeners to be discouraged thinking, oh, Libby's and Leland, how the heck is she going to help me?
Well, I'm going to help you because we're such a connected society and you can have all of my knowledge and all of my project management right there with you day of.
But normally in a local move, I'm right there.
I also like to help with having a team member at the front door answering the million questions the movers aren't reading the boxes and they're still asking the question even though it's literally right in front of their face.
It happens, it's fine.
But then the client can kind of be floating around and just absorbing all of their stuff going in, which is overwhelming.
I mean, it is.
And so they can maybe self care, get something to eat, breathe.
While myself and the team, we're.
We already know what's in those boxes.
We know what, we know what's happening.
And so we allow to bring that calm down to the chaos.
And point number four.
No, that was point number four.
We got that through that one.
There's so much Joe, I can't even tell you.
I know if we have to go to next week, but go ahead.
Yeah, yeah, we will.
Yeah, we can, we can.
We're not going to get through it all because I'm only on five.
Number five, the right mover and a deep bench.
Back up in Philadelphia, I probably only had about three trusted movers I would use and I would use them differently.
It would depend.
Some did interstate moves, some didn't.
Some did interstate moves with storage, some didn't.
Some did just local.
So I always knew the mix of which type of mover I wanted to recommend to my clients.
I always, you know, had positive relationships with them and could get great pricing because I was pushing them a lot of business, which was great.
They all offer different services, so it just really depends on where you're going and what you're trying to achieve.
That's where the deep bench comes in to play as well.
The nice thing as well about the virtual transition I'm hoping to add to.
Well, I'm not hoping, I am adding it.
What am I saying?
That I'm adding to anchor GO organizing is because we have a national network of NAEPO certified organizers.
I can find they all.
We have a bulletin board every day that comes into my inbox where people are sharing their resources.
Hey, do you know a window washer in Columbus?
Do you know?
And we all work together, always strategizing for our clients.
No matter where they are coming from or going to.
That network supports the move the entire way right down to.
Like I said, you could have an organizer already standing at your front door that I've handed the strategy off to.
Which is.
Which is great.
I think it's a real asset of.
Of what the national association of Productivity and Organizing offers.
Number six.
And then I think we're going to stop here because.
Okay, okay.
Yeah, I think I'm just keeping an eye on the time, like we talked about last week, downsizing is its own animal.
You have to start early.
Like I said, sometimes it's a year out.
I've worked with people that have lived in their, the same home for 50 years.
They've got their kids stuff in it.
They've got, you know, just a life to go through.
And that takes time.
When you factor in the decision fatigue and you factor in the emotional connection to the stuff that we talked about last week, it takes time.
So if you have the time and you know, okay, we're going to be downsizing soon.
We're empty nesters and we're going to be looking for a new home and a new life transition.
Then start early.
Start early.
That could also mean that there's decades and decades of furniture, photographs, paperwork like we just talked about, collections, inherited pieces, family belongings and memories.
It's, you're, you're, you're in the stuff with the client.
And I love, I love this period because I learned so much about the families, the good, the bad and the ugly.
But, you know, that's what confidentiality is for.
And I really love how they entrust me with their lives basically, not only just today, but right down from the past, telling me stories about where this came from or their family trip to Niagara Falls or whatever.
It's, it's a really wonderful experience.
The major downsizes take longer.
A quick story I'll tell you.
Actually, my first client was my parents.
My mom and dad moved in Covid from about 5000 square feet into assisted living.
1500.
Every single marital issue that was on a burner got moved to the front of the stove and got on high.
But we, we got through it.
And that meant that I had a little estate sale for them.
I don't really specialize in estate sales, but I know people that do.
So we had an estate sale and we did all the packing together.
And at that in time, my dad was having the beginning stages of Alzheimer's.
So there was a lot of questioning of where, where is this and where, you know, a lot of confusion.
And so when I say a major downside, I'm talking about that's a good example of it because anybody that's going into assisted living could have any dip, any of the different cognitive decline just due to age or Alzheimer's.
And it's just, it just means that your patient cap has to be on a little bit, you know, firmer, a little bit tighter and for hopefully a longer period of time because they need the time.
And starting early allows for thoughtful, respectful decisions to all involved.
And that can be a very emotional journey.
We did it and we got them there.
But, yeah, my mother looked at me and she said, libby, we would have not gotten out of this house if it was not for you.
And she said, why aren't you doing this?
Because you're, you know, you're great at it.
And, you know, we're just so grateful.
And so that really kicked my mind off from going from corporate into the organizing space because I had such an impactful experience with, with my mom and dad.
So don't, don't wait until the house is sold, you know, to start deciding what's coming with you.
Start early, start early.
And that's going to leave me at number 7 and out of 11.
Let's go 7 through 11 next week and really kind of finish this up strong because there's a lot of really good stuff still to cover situationally and giving listeners some suggestions.
Let's, you know, end the final couple minutes.
I've obviously been talking and talking and talking.
I'd love to hear any of the questions that maybe have come up to you while I've been talking.
And let's cover those and how to find me and all those good things.
Absolutely.
Sounds like a plan.
Thank you so much.
Yeah, let's do it.
How can we contact you?
And of course, can't wait to finish this great discussion today so far.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
We'll do 7 through 11 next week.
You can find me at anchorgirlorganizing.com all one word.
You can find me on socials at Anchor Girl Living.
And there is a period in between each.
So it's anchor.girl.living and I am on all socials, Tick tock, Instagram, Facebook, and you can email me at libby@anchorgirlorganizing.com to find me.
Perfect.
Thank you so much.
Pleasure having you here.
And I guess we shall, you know, to tbd.
Exactly.
I'm gonna get a little vacay.
Okay.
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
It's nice to see you, Jill.
Thank you so much.
Same here.
I appreciate it.
Enjoy the rest of your day and everyone stay tuned.
Still more shows to come, but don't forget, tune back in next week, same time, same place with Ms. Libby.
Thank you.
Are you looking for calm in the.
Middle of a cluttered home?
Are you ready to replace stress with order, beauty and function?
Hi, my name is Libby Saylor, and I'm the founder of Anchor Girl Organizing.
I help individuals and families navigate the storm of clutter with personalized organizing solutions designed around the way they really live.
Visit anchorgirlorganizing.com and let's create a home that supports you.
Get anchored and get started today.