Review: Never Eat Alone

Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi was first published in 2005. I read it to discuss with my NAPO-LA book group, and found its advice about networking to be straightforward and applicable to any business or personal situation. The author is kind of a connections addict. He loves making connections and networking with people and has found it to be one of the most influential strategies for advancing in business and life. I liked the book's tone and organization, though it's hard to adjust to the bald fact that it's pretty much always who you know rather than what you know. Ferrazzi wants to empower you to learn how to get to know the people who can help you on your path through life.

I got the most out of the chapter on conferences. Ferrazzi argues that conferences are less about the content of the sessions or workshops or keynotes and much more valuable for getting face time with and getting to know people. Conferences do offer concentrated people-meeting arena, and it pays to go in having done some research on the other attendees and making a point of meeting and talking with those who you find fascinating or relevant to your fields of interest.

There were a lot of good take-aways from the book, and even though it was published before the Facebook/Twitter/social networking explosion, the principles still apply. Following up, being interesting, taking an interest in other people, being willing to ask for help as well as give help are all timeless concepts and well worth reminding ourselves about.

Goals for Conference

The NAPO annual conference is this week in San Diego. I have never before attended and I'm very much looking forward to the opportunity to learn from and with my colleagues. Here are my personal goals for the conference:

1. Get enough sleep, eat a lot of vegetables and try to exercise once a day (they have a pool at the conference hotel). If I'm hungry and tired, I won't be as effective during conference hours.
2. Have meaningful conversations with some of the conference attendees, and make a point to follow up with them, rather than just gather tons of business cards and make no real connections.
3. Explore the Expo. I have heard that it can be difficult to carve out time to visit the part of the conference where companies have set up booths to share their products and services, but I know it's a valuable feature and I want to make a point to do it.
4. Have fun. I'm going to a Padres-Dodgers baseball game Friday night with my conference roommate and a bunch of organizers I've never met before. Networking and sports - love the combo. Go Dodgers!

I'll be back to report on all the conference details. Have an awesome week!

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com

Remote organizing

It seems like I've been running into a lot of businesspeople who are branching out into online consulting. They have clients who live outside their normal work radius and they are able to service them by setting up an appointment and connecting via Skype or Google Chat, which has video capabilities. In this way, they can meet with more people who want to hire them, without traveling long distances, which saves both parties money and is also better for one's carbon footprint. At one networking event I attended this week, I spoke with an ayurvedic consultant as well as a pilates trainer who both work with clients in this way.

I'm fascinated by the concept, though I have always thought that "virtual" organizing is tricky. Sure, you can coach people verbally with organizing tips and strategies, but it's tremendously difficult to get an accurate picture of a disorganized situation without seeing it in person. The advent of video calling, made free and easy by fast Internet connections and new technology, makes that more of a possibility. If my client has a laptop equipped with a built in video camera, they can take me on a tour of their space, while I sit at my computer at home and give my expertise.

The drawback to this method is the lack of the hands-on organizing work, which is something that drew me to this field in the first place. I love working with the stuff, organizing it, tossing it out, taming it. It remains to be seen if remote organizing is as effective and satisfying as the traditional kind.

Creative Commons photo posted to flickr by Justin Ruckman.
Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com

Networking, LA-style

On August 12, 2010, a gathering of the most interesting entrepreneurs in Los Angeles will be mixing it up at the Mega Mixer LA. It's an event that's bringing together many different networking groups, including a couple that's I'm involved with, and it's going to be a fun way to meet and learn from new faces. The event is being held at Bokado, a Spanish-style restaurant with a tapas menu and a full bar. It's a great place for groups that I discovered last fall when I started hosting my Biznik mixers, and we'll probably overtake the entire venue.

If you want to go, you must RSVP in advance here
http://megamixerla.eventbrite.com/ (When you register, tell them I sent you!)

Admission is $10, which goes to cover the admin fees for the groups who are throwing the event. Most of them are free groups, and the fees will help them recoup what they spend throughout the year. Also, that doesn't buy you any sangria or paella, so if you want food or drink be sure to bring your wallet.

Mega Mixer LA

Thursday, August 12

6:00-9:00 pm

Bokado

12345 Ventura Blvd.

Studio City, CA 91604

There's metered parking on Ventura Boulevard and free spots a couple of blocks away on Whitsett. Bring your business cards and see you there!

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com

Improvised nametags

I don’t often use label makers or computers to create labels or signs. A lot of my clients do as they like the uniform look it gives to their files or other organizing projects. Fair enough. I simply don’t have the patience for it, when I could hand write a label in less time and move on. (Luckily, I have neat handwriting.) However, sometimes it does pay to use these aids when creating a large file system or many duplicates of the same thing. On Tuesday, I’m hosting a business mixer through the site Biznik, of which I am a member. As the host, I provide nametags, and Biznik provides a handy nametag template, which I downloaded with the intention of printing out some easy nametags. However, when I went to Office Depot and found that their selection of printable nametags is limited to packs that cost upwards of 50 dollars, and since I only needed about 25, I decided to improvise. I chose 2''x4''  Avery Multi-Use Labels; I’ll be able to use the extras with my clients and they happen to be almost the exact same size as standard nametags. I downloaded the template that goes with the labels from the Avery website in about three seconds, had the Biznik logo pasted in after 30 seconds more. I was a bit doubtful that the entire thing was actually going to print properly, but, to my surprise, they came out exactly as promised. The entire thing was done in a few minutes and I had a low cost nametag that I’m sure the guests at my mixer won’t mind not comming on a large sheet.

Technology wins this round. Of course, we’ll hand write our names on the tags at the event. My trusty Sharpies are at the ready!

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com

Lelah with an h: learning every day!

Maintaining this blog helps me explore my own philosophy of organizing, helps me stay in touch with colleagues and friends who are not local, and serves to illustrate my expertise for potential clients. I have less time to write when I have more client work, which I suppose is a good thing, but I wanted to share some of the non-blog things I have been up to.

Networking
I belong to a few local networking groups. One is called NOHOpreneurs and is based in North Hollywood, California. This group is aimed at local entrepreneurs and giving us a resource for talking about and getting feedback on successes and challenges that our businesses are facing. It's run by the terrific Susan Baker, whose own business, The Escape Hatcher, helps people transition from their day jobs to their dream jobs, which is often a transition to entrepreneurship or starting a business on the side. If you own a business or are even thinking about entrepreneurship and are in the NoHo area, check out the group at meetup.com.

The second group that I'm involved with is called Biznik. It's a free site for entrepreneurs and I like the free events that members host. It's a good way to meet other local entrepreneurs, pass out business cards and practice your spiel. Everyone who comes to Biznik functions is really nice and interesting. I'm starting a monthly mixer in the San Fernando Valley area in order to keep the Biznik momentum going. Again, sign up if you're local and want to meet some great people.

Lastly, when I'm able to get there I love to attend the monthly Ojai Women's Business Social. I grew up in Ojai and it is a beautiful place to visit, even for a few hours. It's definitely worth the drive to meet and talk with so many wonderful businesswomen. Jodi Womack, the founder, has grown it into a really special event with a fantastic turnout.

Professional growth
I'm constantly learning new things about organizing strategies and the organizing industry by reading, attending workshops and teleseminars. This week I attended two amazing teleseminars that were part of the Organizing Telesummit put on by The Professional Organizer Allison Carter, who also runs Organizer U, a business for fledgling professional organizers. One of the classes (taught by Elizabeth Hagen) was on developing speaking as part of my professional organizing business, which was really inspiring and has me itching to put on my own series of free workshops. The second was on Getting Unstuck, with Ariane Benefit, which was mainly about how to approach organizing, and really, life, when you have ADD and/or are highly intelligent and creative and don't interact with life the way most people do. I learned a tremendous amount from both classes and they served to reinvigorate my love for my chosen profession.

Video blogging
I've wanted to create a video of myself illustrating organizing tips for a while now, and it hasn't ever moved to the top of the to do list, but I'm going to hold myself accountable for actually doing this by putting it on my blog. Hopefully, one of the next blog posts you see on here will be in video format. Exciting!

Client work
I have had a busy January working with fabulous new clients. I learn something new from them every day. The hands-on organizing I do really makes me feel like I'm helping people live better lives and makes me grateful for realizing that this business is what I really want to do when I get out of bed every morning. So thank you!

Creative Commons video/computer photo posted to Flickr by Jakob Montrasio

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com

Twitter, networking and magnetic wall paint

As a small business owner, I find myself doing a lot of networking to meet and support other local entrepreneurs while spreading the word about my business. Sometimes these efforts yield surprising results, such as finding out that the person you just met at the business mixer and you have mutual acquaintances or are from the same small town. Sometimes they end with the traditional exchange of business cards (remember to write the date and how you met before filing) and adding a new Twitter buddy or Facebook friend. Through one such networking move, I started following Sarah Shaw, a designer and entrepreneur who sent me this neat video. I love the idea of making wall space more functional, especially in this age of non-magnetic fridges. Even though I'm a proponent of the almost-bare fridge surface, sometimes it's nice to have a place to stick a photo, calendar or grocery list without having to think too hard about it.

Simply Sarah Solutions (Magnetic Paint) on Vimeo.

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com