A few weeks ago, I returned from the 2022 NAPO Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the 12th conference I’ve gone to since joining NAPO back in 2002. It’s a time to learn, a time to connect with colleagues and make new connections, and a time to disconnect for a few days from a sometimes hectic #momlife.
It’s been three years since NAPO gathered in person for a conference. I had the privilege of attending in Dallas/Fort Worth in 2019. And in the short time I was there, I observed that yes–everything is bigger in Texas…
Then we all know what happened.
Just as I was getting psyched to join my organizing colleagues in the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’–ORLANDO in 2020, the world shut down and our conference was cancelled.
In 2021, our NAPO Conference Committee did an extraordinary job of creating and executing a virtual conference. Some of the benefits of the virtual conference were that you didn’t have to spend time and money traveling and you only had to look professional from the waist up (thank you, yoga pants). Some of the drawbacks of the virtual conference were not being able to connect in person with colleagues and the challenges of reminding my family that although I was physically in our house–please pretend that I’m not unless absolutely necessary…
The big question was–would we be able to safely hold a conference in 2022 and where would it be? The answer turned out to be YES and the location–drum roll, please–was Baltimore, Maryland. I got very excited–I can easily drive there from New Jersey! I did it when the conference was hosted there in 2012 (the only conferences I’ve been close enough to drive to).
Now, truth be told, I was a little nervous about going to the conference. I had spent the last two years in my house and wearing a mask when out in public. I had only eaten in a restaurant twice and I had not been in a client’s home since March 2020 (three cheers for Virtual Organizing!). I was definitely stepping waaaaay out of my two-year-long comfort zone.
I decided to play it safe by driving (avoiding public transportation), packing a few masks (I bought a purple one to match my Organized Artistry purple brand color) and wearing them except for when eating. I’m so glad I did and I’m so glad I went. I came home healthy and filled with organizing knowledge!
There are usually six workshops (in addition to other learning opportunities) throughout the three day conference with five choices in each time slot–something for everyone!
Here are the workshops I selected and my biggest takeaway(s) from each one:
How to Diversify and Increase Your Income with Ten Different Revenue Streams
The speaker for this workshop was Cassandra Aarssen of HGTV’s Hot Mess House. It was a packed room and her workshop was jam-packed with ideas for creating passive income based on our skills, interests, and how much time we wished to spend on it.
Biggest Takeaway: Cas advised us to think about the different income streams she presented. Which one or ones resonated with us? Devote yourself to trying them one at a time and add each revenue stream like ‘bricks.’ That’s how you ‘build’ passive income…
The Proven Formula for Using Free Webinars to Build Your Business
Alan P. Brown is a productivity/business coach and TEDx Talk speaker who shared everything we needed to know for conceiving, creating, and marketing a webinar to grow our businesses. Developing a webinar for my business is on my list of things to consider for the future so I thought I’d check out his workshop. I’m not sure I stopped taking notes for the entire ninety-minutes. All I’ll have to do is apply some thought to his Webinar Formula and the gobs of easy-to-follow information, tips, and advice he gave us and I’ll have a bouncing baby webinar in no time!
Biggest Takeaway: The title and subtitle of your webinar is critical to attracting people to sign up for it. Put time and thought into formulating it–use ‘pain and gain’ points to elicit emotion. And, thanks for the *freebie* bonuses, Alan!
Learn to Love Linkedin
NAPO member, Kathy Vines took us on a guided journey through Linkedin and how we can enjoy the platform and become efficient power users. Not only did she do that, she also gave us tips and helpful hints for ‘beefing up’ our profile and connecting on the platform. I had been neglecting Linkedin for a while, but this class inspired me to carve out some time in the early morning after my kids have left for school to become more active on the platform.
Biggest Takeaway: The best days and times to post on Linkedin? Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday between 8am-10am. Don’t ‘post and ghost!’ Stay on the platform and engage.
Power Up with Facebook Groups
I am a member of a few Facebook groups and love what they’ve had to offer. On my ‘work’ bucket list is to think about creating a Facebook Group for readers of my book, The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook. It’s barely in the ‘idea’ phase but I thought taking this class would give me some insight as to what is involved in creating and maintaining a Facebook Group. NAPO member, Melynda Weiland broke it down into easily digestible and manageable chunks of information (that’s what organizers do!) so any one of us could start a Facebook Group without pulling our hair out from frustration…
Biggest Takeaway: Facebook loves GROUPS more than it loves PAGES! Someone with a Facebook Page and a Facebook Group gets more visibility via the algorithm.
Profitable Marketing
I’ve been in business almost twenty years but could always use a refresher course when it comes to marketing. Our speaker, Victoria Cook is no stranger to NAPO conferences–I’ve heard her speak on the topic of marketing before. She offered us a process for building a marketing machine for our businesses that attracts new prospects and keeps clients engaged with our products and services.
Biggest Takeaway: The Golden Triangle of Marketing (I call it the 3M’s): Market (Who is your market?) Message (How will you let them know you have the solution to their problem?) and Media (Where will you put your message so they can see it?).
Keys to Confident Growth: How to Create a Business that Stands Out
It’s never easy to be a speaker in the last workshop time slot of a conference. Most attendees are a bit tired and half of us have checked out of our hotel rooms and are babysitting our luggage during the session. The very energetic Ken Olan, co-founder of ExactMade and a NAPO Strategic Business Partner gave us the framework and the motivation to reach for the idea of ‘Continuous Improvement’ in our businesses.
Biggest Takeaway(s): 1) Consistent effort will move you forward 2) Don’t underestimate the value of what we bring to our clients 3) Patience + Action = Perseverance
And during our Opening Keynote address, I learned how to create a QR Code for my Linkedin profile! Go ahead–use your phone to scan it and let’s connect!
I got to meet members of my Authorship and Publishing Special Interest Group in person. We’ve been speaking to each other for years via conference call and recently via Zoom. We had a lovely gathering–it was wonderful to spend time with a group of people who enjoy writing as much as I do.
I think it was the NAPO Conference in Pittsburgh where a tradition of setting up a community coloring table first started. It’s a coloring party and everyone is invited! I’ve indulged in the allure of the paper and magic markers at past conferences but for some reason, I never made it to the one in Baltimore. It’s a wonderful way to meet other organizers and chat them up while coloring any stress you may have away. I must make the coloring table a priority at the next conference I attend!
At the Closing Event & NAPO 2023 Kick-Off, we found out that next year’s conference will be in LAS VEGAS! I’m not sure if I’ll attend–it’s a big year of milestone events for my kids occurring around the same time of the conference. And, I’m not great with jet-lag either. I’ve only been to one NAPO Conference out west–Los Angeles in 2015. We’ll see how the year goes. Maybe I’ll roll the dice and take a chance on NAPO 2023!
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Stacey is a Professional Organizer, Virtual Organizer, and Author in Bergen County, New Jersey specializing in home organizing, time, and paper management. She is the author of The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook: Let Systems and 101 Modern Sample Thank You Notes Take You From Overwhelmed to Organized.
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Thanks for sharing these headlines, Stacey. I wasn’t able to go this year, but I did think many of the sessions looked interesting. I’m planning to listen once the recordings are made available as my Chapter buys these.
Very interesting that Facebook is liking groups more than pages. I might look into that. Back in the day, I invested in growing my FB following, so I think that is still a good platform for me!
Definitely take advantage when your chapter acquires the recordings. I may do the same–there were some time slots when there were two workshops I wanted to take and had to just choose one.
Stick with Facebook if it’s been working for you. I think listening to the recording of the Facebook Groups session will give you some good ideas to help you move forward with starting one!
I love your enthusiasm and wonderful descriptions of the sessions you attended! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to go this year, but from all I’ve heard (including from you,) it sounds like it was an amazing conference. It might have been the last one I attended in person, I remember having the chance to hang out and talk with you during one of the meals. As always, it was great to have that time together. And aside from learning, it is those one-on-one connections and conversations that are what’s most precious at the in-person conferences.
Yes–I remember our lovely conversation over breakfast! I missed seeing your smiling face in Baltimore. I had not been far from home for two years–getting away from my everyday routine and focusing on my business and on myself was just what I needed. I made it a point to sit with people I did not know and make those one-on-one connections (even with a mask on) and that was equally as valuable as the workshops I attended.
So glad you got some value from my LinkedIn session! Hope it helps support your future success! Great to see you in person ❤️
I learned a lot in your workshop, Kathy! And I went to your special web page for workshop attendees and took advantage of the bonus info you gave us. Great to see you in person, too. 🙂
I’m thrilled that you wrote this post, Stacey. As you know, I’ve attended every NAPO conference since I became a PO in 2002, and it was a heartbreak not to go to conference this year, but for my health and safety, I had to stay away. (I’m so hoping that we’ll all be in a better, safer place by 2023!) I’d been disappointed that so few people had blogged or tweeted about conference, and except for a few LinkedIn posts about Kathy Vines’ presentation, I’d heard surprisingly little. You gave me the essential details! It sounds like you really leaned into the business growth and marketing tracks, and it definitely sounds like you learned a lot. (And now I want to know how to create my own QR code!) Thanks for writing this!
I looked for your name on the conference list–I’m sure many people had to make the same difficult decision not to attend this year. I was a bit anxious about being there but with a few masks and some wise choices, I managed to stay healthy!
I’m glad you enjoyed my post. I’m hoping for better and safer all around in 2023, too!