Thursday, February 9, 2012

97 Some Exciting IHeart Organizing News

Who knew a little over two years ago when I started writing a blog, that today would come.  A giant milestone of a day. 

I have already shared a bit of my experience in the blog world in my thoughts and tips on blogging post, so I won't go into too much detail about what got me here today.  But I will say openly and honestly I was starting to get a little overwhelmed.

You know, trying to wear the hat of 53 people?  Yep, I am going there.  This is not a pitty post, but a party post, but I will say, when I started blogging and being a "yes" girl, I may have bitten off more than I could chew.  And I think it is important that we can recognize when that happens.

Things like being a wife and a mommy should always come first, but then piling on running a blog, the blog design updates and maintenance, dealing with blog techy issues, projects, editing pictures, managing emails {and more and more and more emails}, social networking, style tiles, running an Etsy shop and processing orders, custom order requests and fulfillment, managing sponsorships, billing, setting up giveaways and then counting though 867 entries to find the winner when blogger took away my numbered comments, writing posts, guest posting, and not being too tired to write a post without typos or trailing off into nonsense...   I just can't do it all.  Let's also remember that I have my youngest boy home with me every morning until lunch time and then my middle man comes home three hours later from school {and then they all start rolling in after that}.  So I was basically attempting to squeeze all of those tasks between the hours of 12:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon, and then after the kids went to bed.  I would often crawl into bed around 3:00 a.m. and be woken up by Parker jumping on my bed saying, "come on mom, let's go play!" bright and early in the morning.

Then, it happened.  My inbox had, wait for it... 1,100 unread messages.  If that's not daunting, then what is?  I was spending every blog second I had to give on the computer, and not out finding new things to post about.  Projecting slowed down.  I haven't painted anything in weeks.  I am reorganizing things I have already organized.  The last thing I want is for this blog to suffer.  It needs to flourish because I love blogging.  I LOVE what I do.

I think that sometimes we grow because we are passionate about what we blog about, and it shows.  For example, I love to organize and squeezed a few hundred posts on the subject out in a couple of short years.  But as the blog grew, so did the amount of time required for me to maintain it from an administrative standpoint.  More admin time means less organizing time.  Less organizing time means less content.  Arg.

Late last year with the holidays, I had realized that with so much going on, I needed to cut back some of my services and offerings.  I stopped taking on Style Tile orders along with custom requests.  Then, I started to work on updated printables for the shop, so I still couldn't bring back the other services.  Then, I realized that maybe I was just doing too much, and that I may never be able to offer some services again.

So, feeling a little overwhelmed and stressed by it all while gazing at my sad, overflowing inbox, a sweet moment of relief was offered.  A friend chimed in to my chat message and let me know that she would be willing to help with blog things if I ever needed it.

I had thought about asking for help, but mentally I was holding myself back.  Afraid to loose control.  Wondering if it was a sign that I was failing.  But as I sat and thought about it over and over, getting to the point of needing help doesn't at all mean I am failing, but it means I am flourishing.  By losing control of some of the items, it would allow me to regain control of the parts I LOVE.  It will allow me to be a better family person and blog person.

I made sure to consider where I want to go with all of this.  What was important to me in running a blog.  Things like wanting to get out and help people in person {and share it all with you!}, expanding my shop and enhancing the site and navigation.

I said, "YES!  I need your help!"  I instantly felt a giant relief and weight lifted.  It was one of the best moments I have had throughout the whole blogging endeavor.

Now the sweet gal I was talking with, wasn't just anyone.  It was someone I had worked with in the past on both a friendly and professional level.  She is someone I trust.  Someone who LOVES blogs and understands the blog world.  She is tech savvy and even a photographer {yep, she took my head-shot and our family photos, I adore her!}.  We met last week for coffee to talk things over and have a very informal "interview" of sorts.  In the end, we both walked away really excited about everything.  She understands my long term goals, and really wants to help me get there.

So, without making you wait any longer, I am excited to introduce you to Emily!


 "Hi! I’m Emily and I’m the newest member of the IHeart Organizing Team. I cannot tell you how excited I am to be helping Jen with some of the behind the scenes action. 

I’ve been married for 6.5 years to my awesomely handy husband, Jason. We have a 2.5 year old son named Carter and a 10 year old lab mix named Cooper. When I’m not working with Jen, you can find me taking pictures, chasing around my little guy and directing marketing efforts for a local construction company.

A few weird, quirky facts about me:
  • My toenails must be painted at all times {preferably "I'm Not Really a Waitress" by OPI}
  • I love cold beer, hot coffee and McDonald's fountain diet coke {probably more than I should}
  • I'm a former city girl turned country girl {I even own cowboy boots!}
  • You will rarely catch me without my phone {I am obsessed with the Droid Streamzoo Photo app}
  • My idea of a perfect morning is silence, coffee and a new magazine {not necessarily in that order}
  • I could live in a hooded sweatshirt, jeans and cozy slippers for the rest of my life
  • I am a DIYer at heart

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be here! I will be helping Jen answer e-mails, answer questions on the iHeart Organizing Facebook page and manage her amazing giveaways {just wait until you see the awesomeness she has planned}!"


I know I am not the first blogger to have a "virtual assistant", but I feel fortunate to be one that does.  And the best part is that she is close enough that we don't just need to always work virtually, we have already met in person a few times and I love that we can connect face to face.

So now you will see her pop up on Facebook and via email as she works behind the scenes with me on all sorts of projects.  The changes you see on the blog should be fairly seamless and of course, my big plans and dreams won't happen over night, but now I have more confidence that they will happen!


97 comments:

  1. Hi Emily! Welcome to the blog, I can't wait to hear from you every now and again on a few projects! :)

    -Jess @ That's Sew Crafty

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  2. Whew! When I first started reading your post I thought "Oh no! She is going to take a break from blogging" which would suck!!

    So glad you have found help and welcome to the team Emily!

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    1. I was thinking the same thing! We are so glad we get to have more of you in the parts you love and proud of you for being willing to get the help to make that happen.

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    2. Me too! It was scary there for a second. "I just found you, don't leave me!" Phew! This is much better than what I thought had happened. :D

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  3. Oh, that's super! Congrats on the success of your blog (I LOVE it!) and the addition of a "staff." I'm a photographer and I have witnessed so many burn-outs of single bloggers...the best blogs are often made up of a team! No one can do all things all the time!

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  4. I am IN LOVE with this blog. Beyond love it. I know that Emily's contribution will continue to help it flourish. I'm totally excited :) It means more amazingness to come!

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  5. Welcome, Emily. It's so weird to find out that someone else besides me also paints their toenails "I'm not really a waitress".

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    1. I know your post is from ages ago but along with you and Emily, that color is #1 for toes! In fact, when I was pregnant with my daughters, I discovered it. I was getting my last pedicure before delivery and saw the lady next to me had it. I asked her, "what is that color". She answered "I'm not really a waitress". I immediately must have looked started because she started to explain "no, really, it's the name of the polish color". At first, I thought she was offended that I'd asked, as though I was asking her to "serve" me. We had a good laugh and it's been my favorite ever since.

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  6. So excited for more blog posts! Love this blog and all the inspiration it provides! May everything you do be done in love! :)

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  7. Yay! I have missed the frequency of your small DIY projects. I respect you for realizing you needed help, and finding the right person to do the things that you can't do. Welcome Emily!

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  8. Congratulation on your new addition and welcome Emily!!! I love your blog Jen!

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  9. Awww that is amazing! Big hubs and hello to Emily!!!! So happy you have the help that you most certainly need and deserve Jen -- and Emily -- I'm certain I love ya already =) down to the hot coffee and playful polish <3

    xoxo

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  10. Welcome Emily! I think it's fantastic you now have someone to help you. Doing it all is hard work and having someone there with you not only helps you grow more, it's also fun to have someone else to talk to as well. I can't wait to see what's in store!

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  11. Yay! Welcome Emily! I started reading this post and I could just feel the stress and then it started melting away when Emily was introduced. Whew! Crisis averted :)

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  12. Welcome, Emily! I am so happy that you are finding some help and balance, Jen - hate for you to go anywhere!

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  13. I was really unsure of where you were going at first...glad to see you are just getting bigger! Congrats!

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  14. Whew! I really think you should have started out the post with "Welcome Emily" and then went into your reasons after! That was scary! Glad you are getting some help!

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  15. Congrats Emily! and to you as well Jen! I couldn't think of a better person to work with Emily. I've been a fan of this blog since last summer. I know with your assistance Emily the both you will take "I Heart Organizing" to new heights. Can't wait to see what the both of you have in store for us.

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  16. Yay! Welcome Emily, and congrats Jen on being brave enough to take on a collaborator/helper so that you can continue to follow your passion. That is really awesome. Good luck to you both!

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  17. I've been a long time reader but this is the first time I've commented. As I was reading and hoping you weren't about to say you were taking a blog break (thank goodness you're not!), I scroll down some more and see Emily's picture and (out loud, at work) say, Oh my gosh! I went to college with her! I got some funny looks to say the least. So hi Emily! From Kat (Koz) from AZD. Good luck with the collaboration ladies!

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  18. I am so glad for you Jen. We love your blog and all you have shared with us. It is ok to say "no". I am so glad your family comes first and foremost, but we also want you to live! Rest, get some sleep, enjoy your young kids and still continue to do what you love to do. So glad Emily will assist you. Much blessing to you Jen.

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  19. Yay! I love this blog! Welcome Emily... and I just downloaded Stremzoo, so thanks already! :-)

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  20. I am so happy for you Jen. It definitely means that you are GROWING and not failing!!! I have a very new and small blog and know that blogs take a lot of time! And sometimes the things that are most important to us (husband and kids) seem to suffer the most.
    I'm excited to see where your blog will go now that you have an assistant to help you :)

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  21. I am so happy for you Jen. It definitely means that you are GROWING and not failing!!! I have a very new and small blog and know that blogs take a lot of time! And sometimes the things that are most important to us (husband and kids) seem to suffer the most.
    I'm excited to see where your blog will go now that you have an assistant to help you :)

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  22. Emily, what it is about McD's fountain Diet Coke that is so good? I love it, too! I like it better when I get it through the drive-through than when I have to get it myself. My husband tells me I'm crazy! I'm glad someone else agrees.

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    1. I'm not sure what it is about McD's but it is delish! Every time we pass McD's, my little guy says "Mama, diet coke??" haha, it might be an addiction!

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  23. I am so happy for you-- you are very blessed to be where you are in the blogging world and it's great that you found such an awesome lady to work with. I too hope one day--( I still have a ways to go) to be where you are. Can't wait to check out future post!

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  24. Glad you were able to find your first staff member. It is hard to keep creative ideas flowing when you are sleep deprived. Never mind that your kids lose your 'best' you.

    I look forward to reading you for many years.

    Barbara in Connecticut

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  25. This post reminds me of this quote by Marianne Williamson:
    “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

    Don't feel overwhelmed. Spread your wings and fly!

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  26. Jenn- Good for you! Happy to hear that you are growing your business, congrats, celebrate!

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  27. Congratulations, I think it's awesome!

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  28. Good for you! Looking forward to getting to know the growing team!

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  29. Welcome Emily!

    I have to say, I was getting a little worried. I just found this blog yesterday and subscribed right away, it's what I've been looking for. At first when I read this post I thought you were closing the blog and I was about to scream "Nnnnoooooo". But then, I see you're just bringing some help aboard, so panic was averted.

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    1. Weird- I did the same thing! I have already found so many great things to use in my house, I would hate to lost this wonderful resource! Amen to welcoming help-- I'm not so good at that either!

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  30. Welcome, Emily! Jen, I think it's so funny that you mentioned that you were re-organizing things you already organized because I have thought about that a time or two and wondered how much more you could possibly organize your home. It's already beautiful!

    So glad you'll be getting the help you need to keep your passion alive!

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  31. You scared me, Jen - like the others that have posted I thought you were quitting. SO glad you are not. Like the others I am also addicted to your blog. ~ Welcome Emily!!!

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  32. Congrats to you both! It's definitely a sign of growth and a good thing to know when to ask for help and accept it! You'll probably look back and wonder why you waited so long:).

    Can't wait to see what's next.

    Kim www.plumberrypie.blogspot.com

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  33. That's amazing!!! Good luck to both of you... Emily you seem so fun and down to earth, nice to meet you!

    Love,
    Kristi Mac at Keeping up with Kristi

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  34. Good for you! Asking for help and even accepting it when offered is not easy {sometimes impossible} for most of us, myself included.

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  35. Welcome Emily, I look forward to getting to know you! :)

    Jen, It is a smart cookie who know when to call for reinforcement. Those beautiful blue eyed boys deserve a mommy who is well rested. Kuddos on your success. It is an embarrassment of riches!

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  36. WONDERFUL!! I think you've made a GREAT decision. All the best to you girls for the future! :)

    Cheers!

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  37. Super idea, Jen! I can't even imagine how crazy things were!! Welcome Emily!

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  38. Yay! Welcome Emily! (btw I totally just downloaded Streamzoo!) :)

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  39. That's great news Jen!! So happy to hear you are expanding. So nice to meet you Emily! :)

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  40. I'm super excited for you Jen, and for Emily. I love your blog, and always look forward to your posts. I will say though, I kinda smiled when you went into how it was getting overwhelming. I was starting to feel really inept over here with only one little boy and a super disorganized house!! I strive to perfection, and rarely make the mark, but this post made me feel a little better about myself, lol. Keep up the great work, and thanks for showing us your "human" side. Even though you are still a superhero in my book!!

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  41. Congrats Jen! Does this mean that style tiles are possibly coming back?? ;)

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  42. Welcome Emily! Good for you Jen for being able to say "I need help!". Hope this works well for you and you can continue to grow your business and your blog :)

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  43. I hear ya loud and clear! Congrats on finding Emily! I need someone like that on my team!!!

    xo,
    cristin

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  44. I think it's a great idea!!! Welcome Emily!!! I'm so glad you have the help you need. Stress is never a good thing. I love your blog and passion for organizing and would hate to see the blog or any of your wonderful services go away. It's so much harder than it should be to ask for help but when we finally do ask, it's a great thing!

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  45. Yay for Emily! She's a dynaminte chick and she is going to be a fantastic addition to this little venture! So exciting!

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    1. Aww thanks Jen! I hope I have an excuse to head down to KY someday so we can finally meet!

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  46. That is so awesome! I am excited for you Jen because I can totally relate to wearing all the "hats" you were talking about. Sometimes I have to laugh about it because I'm a cleaning and organizing blog but when I have 50 emails to return, posts to write, etc. my house feels like it's a wreck and I feel like I can't get any organizing done! I really hope that someday soon I can hire an awesome assistant like Emily. :)

    Anna
    www.askannamoseley.com

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  47. Jen what amazing news! Congratulations, and wow, I'm so excited you are getting out and about, organizing and sharing it all with us.

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  48. Welcome Emily *waves* I too am a hoodie and jeans girl. They're better than PJs!

    Congrats Jen on finding some help. You can't do it all girl :)

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  49. Oh my goodness when I started reading, I thought you were going to tell us all that you were "quitting" your blog. I was getting really nervous, because I need your blog! You are a great inspiration to me, someone who is real, smart, beautiful, and thinks like me! I am very relieved to see you found someone as great as you to share this with. Welcome Emily, and thanks, Jen, for not leaving us!!

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  50. Jen, this is fantastic news for you & iheart organizing!!! You are only ONE person!!! :) :)
    I know this is a huge blessing for you.

    Welcome aboard, Emily!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  51. Good for you, doing what your family needed you to do, get a helper! Now if Emily finds herself running out of things to do, she can always come over here and finish my million half-done projects, or just fold my laundry. :)

    Welcome Emily.

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  52. that is awesome, I was hoping you were going to say something about getting help in some way!! :) Welcome!

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  53. With 11 million page views - it's no wonder you need a virtual assistant! Go team!

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  54. So excited for you, welcome Emily!!!. Even though I am a new follower I LOVE YOUR BLOG and all of your projects and ideas. You inspire me to work on projects around my house. I cannot wait to see all of the new things that are coming.

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  55. Good for you! That's the best decision you could make. You're turing into a true business woman, not a one-woman show. And stop re-organizing things just for the sake of organizing and posting. You make me exhausted! Just kidding, but seriously organizing is about making life easier. It's not an end in itself, although I love it as much as you do. Best of success to you as you grow your business.

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  56. Way to go on admiting your human and need help! So excited for you. I was thinking about the give-away thing-when blogger got rid of numbered comments, I used an embeded google docs form and I could open it and the best part-they were all numbered and I had a list of people emails addresses.

    Best of luck-
    Adrianne Meldrum
    Kidscogworks.com

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  57. I almost had a melt down! I thought you were saying goodbye. Instead I will say, "So glad you are not giving up the blog" and "welcome, Emily!"

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  58. Jen, I am really happy for you, I've been exactly where you are, so I fully understand where you're coming from. It's nice to meet you, Emily, and welcome! :)

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  59. This is awesome news! Your blog has really inspired me and helped me with the whole blogging process. You show me that if you are dedicated to your blog, great things can come from it. I think I finally have my husband on board with mine. I can't wait to see what else you have in store for us!

    theocdlifestyle.blogspot.com

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  60. Wow, my hats off to you for being so humble and sharing your heart. I love that you are honest and realized that you just can't do it all. I am so thankful you reached out or that someone reached out to you. They will be a wonderful support for you and allow you do all the things that is on your heart to do. Your blog has been a huge blessing in my life. I heart IHeart Organizing.

    Ps: Welcome Emily!!! I know Jenn has a awesome addition to her team.

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  61. Yay! How exciting :-) Emily sounds delightful (although I could be biased - I love painted toenails and coffee) and I'm happy that you are getting some assistance. I always wondered how you managed to keep it all going without falling apart!

    There's no shame in getting help when you need it, and all business advice out there says work ON the business not IN it. So good on you for knowing your strengths and focusing your attentions where they're needed :-)

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  62. Go, Jen, Go! So proud of you for getting to this next step and phase. I am endlessly impressed and think it's fantastic that Emily will be helping you. Congrats.

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  63. Emily, you had me at "I'm not really a waitress". My absolute favorite color of all time. I've thought about color matching it for my front door :)

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  64. Congrats to both of you! Ps- you need to use Rafflecopter for giveaways. If you need an invite, email me!

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  65. Emily, I also love "I'm not really a waitress." You are awesome.

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  66. Congrats! Can't wait to hear from you as well Emily :)

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  67. That is awesome Jen....take the time for you!!!
    Welcome Emily....

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  68. Congratulations Emily on your "new job" and Jen, thank you for being so open and honest. I think as women we feel that when we ask for assistance we are failing when actually it is just one more part of your life that is becoming more "organized"!

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  69. OMG Jen, you had me there for a minute, I thought you were about to say you were going AWOL to recharge your batteries and I was thinking "Yeh that would be right I finally find this wonderful blog and I'm about to lose it" then I continued reading. Congratulations on taking the next step in your business, after all that is what it is and you have a whole world of customers. Keep up the great work, and looking forward to seeing more of Emily.

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  70. To be honest Jen, I'm AMAZED and so impressed at how you've managed to do everything you have for so long without help.

    Hi to Emily!! I look forward to more wonderful posts on here from the team x

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  71. Welcome to Emily! :) Glad that all things I heart organizing will continue on! :) But also very glad you've found a way to prioritize your family first without losing this space! :) Love to you as you begin the journey together! x

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  72. Congrats, Emily and Jen! It's awesome that you can delegate some tasks off of your self!

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  73. Would it be easier for me to email you the directions instead of doing it here? I will just do that, check your email and look for Embed Form in the subject title.
    Adrianne
    Kidscogworks.com

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  74. Welcome Emily! I can only imagine how busy you are Jen and am glad you are getting some assistance! The more iHeart Organizing the better!

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  75. Good for you, Jen. Hope that soon you will be able to get to bed earlier!

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  76. This is my very first blog comment. I just found Jen and fell in love with this site. I'm so happy that Jen has found someone to help her out! YEAH! Thanks Jen for all your information and welcome Emily.

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  77. that is awesome news Jen! Welcome aboard Emily! I completely understand that you have to do what you have to in order to stay sane! I'm looking forward to what you have in store for the blog and your business! :)

    Natasha

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  78. Welcome Emily! Congrats Jen on making the big move to getting help, what a success! Now more time for FUN projects, not emails. :)

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  79. Jen, I just started following you blog, and I love it! As a working mom with 3 young boys, it is amazing you were able to keep this up without help.....and even more impressive that you recognized the value of giving up some control and bringing someone in to help whom I am sure is as talented as you. Welcome Emily!

    The other thing that struck me was 1,100 emails!!! Then I remembered that I have 2,600.....but only 300 unread, do you have any tips on organizing your inbox...and keeping it that way?

    Thanks for all you do!

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  80. Yay! Welcome, Emily! I love everything Jen loves, and I'm sure that will include you.

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  81. Is it wrong that I have just downloaded the Streamzoo App, ordered that OPI nail polish from Beauty4U and am about to nip up & put my hoody & slippers on!?! Love this blog & already love Emily. Big up from the UK! xx (also keen to have an 'email inbox' solution...?!

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  82. Congratulations on growing your blog to the point of needing an assistant! I am amazed that you were able to do so much on your own.

    Hello Emily and welcome to Jen's loyal fan base!

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  83. Lucky you to have a great friend to be your assistant!! I think that is fantastic! (I could use one too, maybe not for my blog but for my life! ;) )

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  84. Congratulations Jen! Having to get blog help is a problem I cannot wait to have. Not that it doesn't eat up every spare moment of my life already as is, but I'm managing decently now.

    If you are not already following Darren Rowse over at Problogger, I highly recommend you check him out. Along with loads of other time-saving tips and ideas, that site also turned me on to Evernote, Bufferapp, and the magical ifttt. The first and last ones, for an organizer, are akin to Disneyland. Now robots do a lot of the more time consuming/mind numbing tasks for me.

    Adore you and the blog as always. Keep painting stuff green!

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  85. Congrats Jen! This is a huge step! I remember hireing my first help was a BIG issue! She was the head of marketing at the bigggest Hungarian online book store (like a mini amazon). After she had her first child, came to work for me, doing the marketing. It took a couple of months for me to believe, that can she do it as well as I did it before. Obviously this was totally stupid, she was much more skilled than me.
    The next ones will be easier. Now I have several people working with me. I love it!

    I delegate their daily tasks written on your "my daily goals sheet". Thanks for that!

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