Celebrating 20 Years
Please join me in celebrating 20 years of membership in the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals. NAPO has been the foundation of my professional life and business. I’m retired now, but I’m still an emeritus member. For 17 of those years I helped clients to declutter, simplify, organize, and refresh their homes, offices, schedules, and lives. Some of them I helped to discover their ancestral roots and tell their family stories, too!
Thank you all
First, I want to thank you all — friends, family, colleagues, clients (especially clients), business networking contacts, joint venture partners, assistants, newsletter subscribers, flow chart users, blog and book readers, and social media followers — for joining me on my solopreneur roller coaster ride! I am so grateful for your business, your friendship, and your support.
Milestones
2004 – Discovered NAPO and attended my first NAPO-LA regional conference (as a non-member) in February. Started doing free “needs assessments” for my friends, with the intent of becoming a professional organizer in my retirement…which was not at all imminent at the time…or so I thought.
2004 – “Surplussed” (laid off) by the phone company in December, after 21-1/2 years. NOT retired. NO benefits. Immediately joined NAPO. (Read more of my story here: Born to Organize.)
2004 logo
2019 logo — NAPO has grown and changed too!
2005 – Founded my company, Organized for Life, and created my first website. (Click here for a blast from the past, courtesy of the Wayback Machine.) Started my monthly newsletter, Org4life News. Volunteered briefly as NAPO-LA’s Chapter Librarian.
2005 – Attended the NAPO2005 conference in San Diego.
2005 – Moved to Albuquerque in July and co-founded Professional Organizers of New Mexico with six local colleagues. (Organizing the Organizers: When colleagues are few and far between)
2007 – Earned IRIS certification in Home Staging and Interior Redesign by taking Sandy Dixon’s week-long hands-on intensive course in beautiful Evergreen, Colorado.
2007 – Attended the NAPO2007 conference in Minneapolis and was inspired to create a new logo and tag line. (The egret represents freedom from clutter)
BEFORE: My first business card was corporate-looking and boring. Also, it seems my newsletter was only published quarterly at that time.
AFTER: The egret taking flight logo and tag line encourage you to rise above your clutter and find the freedom of getting Organized for Life.
December 2009 = End of Year 5
2010 – Accepted into NAPO’s Golden Circle of members with 5+ years.
old logo
2010 – Created the Original Clutter Flow Chart to help you declutter when I’m not right there by your side!
Click here to help yourself to a complimentary copy of the ORIGINAL Clutter Flow Chart!
2011 – Attended the NAPO2011 conference in San Diego.
2011 – Started offering Custom-Branded Clutter Flow Charts to other professional organizers for use with their own clients, presentations, and marketing prospects. (No longer available in 2024.
2011 – Compiled the previous year’s weekly Facebook time tips into an indexed and cross-referenced e-book, It’s About Time: 52 tips to help you take control of your time and your life! (no longer available)
2011 – Coordinated a team of local volunteers for an episode of A&E Hoarders. (View our behind-the-scenes photo album.)
2012 – Attended the NAPO2012 conference in Baltimore.
2012 – Upgraded to a new, combined website and blog. (Read Web Designer Janet Barclay’s story: Another Professional Organizer Chooses WordPress for her Website )
2013 – Attended the NAPO2013 conference in New Orleans.
2013 – Joined the NAPO Virtual Chapter and served as their Secretary for a year.
2013 – Combined 15 flow charts (plus articles, worksheets, resources and instructions) into a new e-workbook: Go With The Flow! The Clutter-Clearing Tool Kit for an Organized Life.
Click here to help yourself to a complimentary copy of the ORIGINAL Clutter Flow Chart!
2013 – Introduced Resource Roundups for DIY Organizing.
2014 – Attended the NAPO2014 conference in Scottsdale, and participated on the Ask the Organizers Golden Circle Panel.
That’s me on the far right.
2014 – Earned Superstar Blogger status in the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival. (<– This link takes you to all of my contributions.)
2014 – Joined the NAPO Authorship and Publishing SIG (Special Interest Group).
December 2014 = End of Year 10
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2015 – Attended the NAPO2015 conference in Los Angeles, at which I was recognized as a POINT Platinum MVP and recruited as a POINT Committee volunteer. (POINT is a message board for NAPO members.)
2015 – Joined APPO (which eventually became The Photo Managers) and became a Certified Photo Organizer, which rekindled my longtime interest in genealogy.
Old APPO logo
New TPM logo
2015 – Added Virtual Organizing Services to my repertoire.
Logo from Sheila Delson’s Virtual Organizing Training Program
2016 – Began offering Family History Research Services.
2016-2017 – Cue cliche record scratch sound. My past collided with my present when reporters started calling again to interview me about my experience as a juror on the first Menendez brothers murder trial in 1993-4. My book, Hung Jury: The Diary of a Menendez Juror was republished and I traveled to Los Angeles several times for interviews and to work with Robert Rand, the journalist whose book was the basis for the NBC 8-part series Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. (More about this on MenendezJuror.com. See also The Menendez Boxes Project photo album. The Juror helps the Journalist get organized!)
2017 – Presented “Networking for Introverts” at the NAPO2017 conference in Pittsburgh.
2017 – Was honored (and astonished) to receive the prestigious President’s Award at the NAPO2017 conference in Pittsburgh.
2017 – Started blogging about my Mom’s Boxes.
2018 – Attended the NAPO2018 conference in Chicago, and APPOCON2018 in Raleigh.
2018 – Achieved Megastar Blogger status in the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival.
2019 – Earned the 4th of 4 available (at the time) NAPO Certificate Badges (Residential Organizing, Life Transitions, Workplace Productivity, Household Management).
2019 – Achieved Top 100 Organizing Blogs status. (My usual middle-of-the-pack position varies over time, but I just noticed I’m #14 in 2024!)
2019 – Joined the Association of Professional Genealogists and co-founded the Genealogy Organizers Facebook group.
2019 – Attended the APPO (now TPM) conference, and Southwest Writers conference, both right here in Albuquerque.
December 2019 = End of Year 15
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2020 — Once again, cue cliche record scratch sound. COVID-19 changed some things for all of us, and everything for some of us. For starters, I was all set to be a co-presenter in a session called “Yikes, I’m 60ish! What are my options?” (still available to NAPO members) at the NAPO2020 conference in Orlando. Instead, that conference was cancelled and we had to wait for the 2021 virtual conference to make our presentation. This year also marked the end of my 5-year volunteer role on the POINT committee.
2020 — Sadly, lost my feline office manager and constant companion of many years. The End of an Era: RIP George
2021 — Published my book, What’s a Photo Without the Story? How to Create Your Family Legacy, in which my organizing and downsizing experience dovetails with my interest in photo management and genealogy.
2022 — Joined the NAPO emeritus program, and helped to create similar programs for PONM and TPM retired members who want to stay involved with, and contribute to, their professional communities.
2022-3 — Presented several programs to various NAPO chapters, TPM (The Photo Managers), and AGS (Albuquerque Genealogical Society) based on my book What’s a Photo Without the Story? How to Create Your Family Legacy.
2023 — Reformatted and added content to my previous collection of charts and published my book, Go With the Flow! The Clutter Flow Chart Workbook
Click here to help yourself to a complimentary copy of the ORIGINAL Clutter Flow Chart!
2023 — Started posting High Five Friday weekly posts on Facebook.
2024 — The increased public and legal attention to the Menendez brothers murder case this year meant more interviews for me. I don’t often blog about this, but I do have a Menendez blog category and a Menendez Juror section of my website.
December 2024 = End of Year 20
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12/27 UPDATE: I just reached a milestone I didn’t even realize I was close to. Slow and steady wins the race, I guess! I was awarded “Ultimate Star Blogger” status for my regular participation in the Productivity & Organizing Blog Carnival (100 posts since I started contributing in 2011). Click the badge below to learn who else is on the list (and how few are Ultimate Star Bloggers).
Not listed:
- Clients organized
- Carloads of donations to Goodwill
- Carloads of books to Friends of the Library
- Classes attended
- Books read
- Presentations given
- Hours donated
- Additional volunteer jobs
- Guest blog posts written
- Networking accomplished
- Friendships forged
What’s next for Org4life?
Albuquerque Genealogical Society
That’s a good question!
Well, there’s nothing next for my business, Organized for Life.
And this is probably my last professional milestone blog post, too.
But there’s surely lots in store for me.
I will continue being involved in NAPO, PONM, and TPM until it’s no longer fun. (I’m currently active in the NAPO Authorship and Publishing SIG and still attend occasional PONM and TPM meetings.)
And I’ve agreed to take on a new role, at least for a year: Vice President of the Albuquerque Genealogical Society.
I will keep my website and publish new blog posts when I have something to say, and, for now, I still have my monthly newsletter to write. As I say in Org4life News: I’m retired from my second career as a professional organizer. But I’m still here to help, even if it means making referrals to my trusted colleagues for services I no longer provide.
Stay tuned, and we’ll both see what happens.
Thank you all for a wonderful 20 years!
Your comments are welcome below.
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- Hazel Thornton is an author, genealogist, and retired home and office organizer.
- Hung Jury: The Diary of a Menendez Juror
- What’s a Photo Without the Story? How to Create Your Family Legacy
- Go With the Flow! The Clutter Flow Chart Workbook
- Feel free to link directly to this post! Click here to ask about other uses.
- Copyright 2024 by Hazel Thornton, Organized for Life and Beyond
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Oh, Hazel, I loved this! Even though we didn’t meet at the beginning of your career, we’ve known each other long enough that I feel like I watched you hit all of these milestones. (And I’m not sure why, but I always think you were organizing before me; it seems like you’ve always been by my metaphorical side.)
Walking through each of these years of the last two decades and seeing all that you’ve accomplished is a true delight. I’ve always been impressed with everything you add to our profession, and having you as my esteemed colleague, writing buddy, and partner in crime has made so many experiences more special.
These past 20 years were fabulous, and I can’t wait to see what you do with your next 20 years!
And I just went to peek at the Feedspot Top 100 Organizing Blogs. You’re 14, I’m 15, and Seana is 16. What a cozy little corner we have!
Thank you, Julie! You have been a huge part of my last several years, for which I’m truly grateful. As for Top 100, I have to assume longevity is a factor since I only occasionally post about organizing these days, lol! You and Seana should totally rank higher than me!
Congratulations on your wonderful career! I am pleased to have been a part of it and look forward to following the next steps in your journey.
Thank you Janet! I literally (in some tech ways), and figuratively (in some other supportive ways) couldn’t have done it without you!
What an impressive and inspiring career! I loved seeing all these milestones. Seeing how you weren’t afraid to step out in new directions is really encouraging. I think most lives go through a series of phases, so it makes sense that our careers might as well.
I’ve loved getting to be a part of some of your initiatives, and will always remember when you won the NAPO award – such a special moment!
Cheers to you and whatever might come next!
Thanks, Seana. I have always enjoyed being in Blogging Organizers with you, and sharing a love of graphics and charts!
Hazel, Congratulations on a full and exciting organizing career! I loved reading about your highlights and all you’ve accomplished in these 20 years. You’ve given so much to our industry—time, expertise, and hours of volunteering—and we’re the better for it.
Seeing the photo of you with Kit, Geralin, and others for the Hoarders episode was heartwarming. I remember when you co-founded the POs of New Mexico. At that time, I was working on getting my CPO-CD® certification from ICD. Kit Anderson was my Program Mentor, and she shared with me about the beginnings of your group. While we hadn’t met yet, I knew of you.
I know you will enjoy the next chapter, and I am so happy you’re staying involved in the industry.