Introducing Our New Team Members
A mother with a task list and a set amount of time is a force with which to be reckoned! And no one knows how to manage projects and time better than a team of five mothers with fifteen children between them.
Talk about a force!
In recent months, the faces of Blue Pencil Home have changed and grown and with this, our enthusiasm about the new changes has grown, as well. Katie and I are thrilled to introduce you to these women today.
We can all agree that flexibility, a sense of humor, and a desire to work efficiently make organization and decluttering much more effective. Fortunately, our three new organizers, Turner, Karen, and Ashley, have these characteristics in spades!
Turner
Turner joined Blue Pencil Home last fall and she’s an absolute pro at doing whatever it takes to get the job done. Turner shows up ready to tackle any task; she’s also excellent at lightening any mood with her witty sarcasm and ever-ready beauty and skincare tips. When you’re surrounded in a room full of piles that you think may never shrink, a person like Turner is an excellent sidekick. She’s ready and willing to pitch a hand and make us laugh at the same time. As a key support to our team, Turner is an excellent partner who isn’t daunted by unexpected challenges, as she stays present and helpful (with her Diet Coke in tow!).
Turner grew up in North Carolina and she and her husband moved to Memphis in 2016 for his job with the Memphis Grizzlies. She and her husband have two young girls who keep them busy and active, running from event to event. Before Turner had her children, she was a kindergarten teacher who prided herself on teaching her students the systems of elementary school survival. I'm sure those same tips come in handy as helps her clients choose and purge, working to create efficiency in each of her client’s homes.
Turner’s Tip: Make the organizational system, that you put in place, functional for your needs.
Turner’s Must-Haves to Get Through the Day:
Coffee
Diet Coke
Sarcasm
Dream Vacation Spot: South America!
Karen
Just like Turner’s love of efficiency, it’s Karen’s attention to detail that helps every client she meets. Karen’s exceptional can-do, positive attitude has been a boon to our new projects. A hard worker who loves to put systems together, Karen can be found willingly accepting any task, as she puts her head down and charges in. You’d never know it to look at petite Karen, but she so incredibly strong, she could probably even bench press me.
No exaggerating.
Her Iron Tribe devotion comes in handy for our big jobs as Karen blows us all away with how much she can lift and hold as we build and place organizational systems for our clients. It’s a sight to behold!
Karen’s Tip: Go through children's closets (at least) two times per year (summer and winter break) to assess what is outgrown or not being used and purge.
Karen and her husband have lived in the Memphis area for nineteen years, raising their three middle school and high school-aged children here. Prior to raising her kids, Karen was a CPA for an accounting firm and with that same entrepreneurial spirit, she ran a sewing and monogramming business out of her home as she was raising her children. Karen is a native of Arkansas who still remembers keeping her room neat and tidy as a young girl. A fact I was not surprised to hear in the least!
Karen’s Favorite Drinks at Starbucks: Almond Milk Skinny Vanilla Latte
Dream Vacation Spot: The Beach!
Ashley
Rounding out our team, Ashley is super mom personified. Her incredible skills in her home with organization and systems are something to behold—laminated chore charts, a laundry system that will blow you away and schedules for everything—this mom of five knows how to get a job done. With this same tenacity, Ashley approaches our projects with an amazing work ethic, always wanting to know how best to complete the challenge and what she can do to make it better. Ashley is always curious and wanting to learn more.
As a mom to five kids ranging in age from eight to seventeen, Ashley comes to flexibility naturally. She devises systems and plans throughout her home to make life with a big family run smoothly. In fact, her laundry system is genius.
Ashley’s Tip: She uses an installed Elfa basket system from The Container Store in her laundry room. Ashley does laundry daily, but has her kids put away their full basket of clean (and ironed) clothes on the same day every week. Her family puts their baskets away on Sunday so they have plenty of clothes for the week ahead.
So smart! And such an excellent example of efficiency!
Ashley grew up in Atlanta and she and her husband moved to the Memphis area fifteen years ago. Prior to having kids, she was a pediatric oncology nurse, where I know her work ethic and flexibility were vital. Ashley has fallen in love with our line of work as she loves the idea of using a skill that comes naturally to her to help others who shy away from organizing and decluttering. She commented to me that she never realized how difficult this is for many people.
And like Turner and Karen, one of Ashley’s favorite parts of her work is seeing how grateful and excited clients are when the project is finished. Ashley even mentioned to me, “You can see their relief to have completed what they saw as an overwhelming task.”
Ashley’s Must-Haves To Get Through the Day:
Start her day with a workout (she also says about this: “My family will agree!”)
A handwritten (not digital!) weekly schedule/calendar and a plan for the current day
Orbit sweet mint gum.
Dream Vacation Spot: Norway!
These three women have added so much to the Blue Pencil Home experience and Katie and I are extremely grateful for their willingness to jump right in. Our clients have loved having these women come into their homes and solve any and all organizational challenges put before them.
Molly
One final addition to the team that Katie and I are excited about is Molly Coyne. She’s come aboard recently to help us with all things writing and technology. You’ll find Molly behind the scenes and behind the keyboard, assisting us with our social media, managing the website and the blog. Molly’s jumped right in helping us craft our messages and manage the content you see each and every day.
Molly is a native of the Pacific Northwest and has a background in writing, education and academic publishing. When she’s not writing, she can be found chasing her three little boys and being a tour guide to her many curious visitors from the Pacific Northwest. We are thrilled that not only does Molly love creating stories with words, but also finds joy in our world of organization and decluttering.
As you can tell, there are many exciting things in store for Blue Pencil Home! Katie and I can’t wait to share our adventures, projects, and stories with each of you. Do let us know if there’s anything specific you’d like us to feature here on the blog or through our Instagram account.
Until next week!