We recently had the chance to connect with Nancy Peham and have shared our conversation below.
Nancy, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
Even though the name of my job, or calling, is “professional organizer”, most of my new and potential clients’ first question when they call me is “what exactly do you do?”
It’s a great question, because organizing and its related tasks can encompass so many things. I usually counter with my own set of questions so that I can narrow down what they are really looking for.
Are they downsizing, decluttering, preparing to move, or are they knee deep in boxes from a recent move?
Are they getting ready for a particular event, remodeling an area that needs to be emptied, reclaiming space in their garage, or do they want to go through the whole house systematically getting things in order.
Do they need to get their paperwork under control, set up a filing system, or learn which papers to keep and which are unnecessary?
Are they calling to get help for a friend or family member, or do they personally need assistance?
What is their timeline, and am I the best person to help them?
Once they know whether I can help them, the questions tend to go towards the process itself.
So, what do I actually do when we work together? I let my clients know that I have many roles. I’m a facilitator, helping them the process, a motivator, a cheerleader, a person with experience who can share my knowledge and strategies, a sounding board, and someone without an agenda. I watch for signs of overwhelm and suggest breaks when necessary.
I’m “hands on” rather than just telling a client what to do. It’s a collaboration to reach a goal, and every goal is different.
Each person’s idea of being organized is different, so I work to get them to the place they feel comfortable. I won’t “make” them get rid of things they’re not ready to part with, or judge them for the condition of their home or the area we’re working on. I’m there to help.
Those are the things I want people to know, even if they forget to ask.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My company is officially known as Helping Hands Personal Services, but you can call me “Helping Hands” I’m a Certified Professional Organizer, which means I’ve helped a lot of clients over the years, taken a certification exam, and participate in continuing education to improve my skills and knowledge.
I work primarily with homeowners and have 3 main areas of focus. I organize and de-clutter all areas of the home including kitchen and pantry, wardrobe closets, bathrooms, laundry rooms, closets, kids’ rooms playrooms, craft rooms and practically every other area of the home, including garages.
In addition, I work with clients to reduce or eliminate paper clutter, set up and maintain filing systems, and organize home offices. And finally, my third core service is assisting with moving, which includes downsizing, de-cluttering a home for easier sale, packing, unpacking, and setting up my client’s new home. I also work with senior citizens and their families when downsizing or moving is necessary, which includes all the tasks mentioned above. I love the variety in my day-to-day work and consider myself lucky to enjoy all aspects of my business.
Some clients want me to organize one room. Others want me to work with them on their entire home. Some clients want to accomplish their goal quickly, while others like to spread their projects out over time. Many clients have me come back periodically for a “tune up” or to tackle a new organizing project. I pride myself on being non-judgmental, and compassionate. As a member of NAPO, the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals I follow a code of ethics which sets my clients at ease.
What sets me apart or what I’m known for is my strong work ethic, professionalism, knowledge and experience, and the fact that I work quickly and value my clients’ time. Sometimes my clients feel overwhelmed and hopeless. They appreciate that I can come in with a plan, help facilitate the process and keep them on track to completion. I also have clients who are busy with work, kids or other commitments and want me to complete the project for them with minimal supervision. These are usually clients I have worked with previously, who know they can trust me to do the job according to their preferences. I enjoy working with both types of clients.
I’m really proud of the fact that I have persevered through the ups and downs of self-employment and can say that I have truly found my calling.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
This is a story about a family vacation to Yellowstone National Park when I was about 13 years old. My younger sister at the time would have been 10. We flew into airport near the park and while we were there my sister and I took a walk around.
We each had some spending money that we had earned doing chores at home. This money gave us a feeling of accomplishment, and we were proud to have earned it. At some point, my sister realized her wallet was gone and we were pretty distressed about it, especially since our vacation hadn’t even started and we were looking forward to buying souvenirs.
There were two women at the airport who I would describe as the “Cruella DeVille” type. They were heavily made up and were smoking cigarettes from those holders you see in old movies. They seemed like likely pickpockets to me, preying on innocent children.
We ran to tell our parents what had happened, and I pointed to the 2 women I thought were the culprits. Then In a bold and probably unwise move, my sister and i ran over to a table where they were eating, pointed at them and loudly accused them of stealing my sister’s wallet.
They were quite indignant and obviously unsettled at being accused of such a crime. They got up from their table and after denying any wrongdoing, they offered to help us “find” the wallet. They led us into the women’s restroom and one of them went into a stall and locked the door behind her. When she came out, she was holding my sister’s wallet in her hand, telling us that we must have dropped it in the wastebasket.
I knew she was the guilty one because my sister and I had never entered the restroom. I was so proud that I followed my gut and didn’t hesitate to question an authority figure. My family remembers that day and they were proud of me too!
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell myself to trust my instincts and go after whatever I’m looking for.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is the real me, but I also have a private version of myself that I don’t share with many people. I think that’s true for most people.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
Well, I’m not exactly tap dancing, but I love what I do and get great satisfaction from it. Organizing comes naturally to me, and I love helping people who find it challenging. It’s not only the physical and mental work of my profession that I enjoy, it’s the amazing people who allow me into their lives, and trust me to help them reach their goals, I have known several of my clients for 10 years or more. When you work with someone for that long, you tend to develop a friendship, not the kind where you get together for outside activities, but one of mutual interest and trust.
Every day is different, and I love the challenge.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.HelpingHandsPs.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancypeham/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelpingHandsPS/
Image Credits
mine
