I was watching this media segment on some celebrity nonsense, and they kept referring to people as "Posers." In fact, one urban dictionary definition of "Poser" is:
A poser is someone who tries to fit into a profile they aren't. People who try to give off the impression that they are one thing when they are really another.
Also, a poser can be one who says they can do something that they can't.
I know we all have Staging Posers in our markets. I ran across one that was hired to do a Staging project, and turns out he was a Realtor "Posing" as a Stager - who picked out rental furniture that was a total mish-mash, but was cheaper than a real Stager. End result - the house did not sell when it should - and the client ended up spending way more money to have it done right the second time around!
These Posers are people that claim they know how to Stage but really don't. This person could be anyone from the homeowner who thinks because they watch HGTV they can successfully Stage their house, to a person that reads a book or a "how-to" pamphlet created and all of a sudden is an "expert" on what to do, to someone that actually starts up a Staging business, but really has no idea what Staging is all about. Although some of the media shows and publications help, the GIFT of Staging is not something you can just wake up one day and claim to have. To me it is a God-given gift was have from birth - the abiltiy to see things in a new way, to picture and envision rooms, yards, houses transformed. Not everyone has it - so not everyone can be a Stager.
According to one website: Calling someone a poser is the same thing as accusing them of being fake or inauthentic. They may talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk
How do we overcome the Posers in our own industry?
First, I hate to say it here on a blog site, but just because someone is writing about it - does not mean they are actually doing it. The public has to be savvy about not just picking someone because they have a bunch of points. Sadly, some are impressed by that, but as I blogged in the past, http://activerain.com/blogsview/371376/If-You-Are-In-Here-You-Are-Not-Out-There if a person is always in "here" blogging, and on numerous other sites posting things, they could not possibly be out "there" as much as a they claim, unless they literally never sleep. That, to me, is a Poser.
Writing about it and DOING it are two totally different things! Now I know Blogging can be like a full-time job - and it IS for some that actually get paid to comment on life, websites, etc., or for those that want to parlay their blog sites into publiciations. . . However, when our full time job we "blog about" is Staging - how can we be wearing both hats and be legit in our business? I know there are some that make it work, but a non-Poser will have a balance - not spending all their time on a blog site, and have real examples of productive work - which brings me to the next point.
Hopefully the public is savvy enough to actually look at the portfolios of the potential Stager - and makes sure that the photos included are of their work. And a Stager that is really out there running a business will have RECENT examples of successful Staging work, and statistics they track. Or at least they should. If they are promoting the same old photo from a year ago, chances are they have not really been "out there" Staging and are "posing" with those that have been out there working.
I know the tough market has meant business slow down for many markets - mine included - and yet because we are in this long term, we have recent examples and success stories we could share. A Poser will not have those.
Next - ASK for Credentials. A Poser won't have any. That is a pretty simple solution there. A Home Staging Poser will most likely talk about how much they love decorating, or perhaps they even came from a different parallel field, but they really won't be able to talk too much about how they have self-educated themselves in this field, or reference classes they may have taken.
How about ASKING for Insurance: A Poser probably will not have made the investment to insure a business that does not really exist. They want to be considered a Home Stager, but they don't really want to make the investment in a business. Not only does it leave their clients at risk, but they are putting their own family at risk by not insuring their business.
How about this important distinction: A Poser will not have success. Because they really don't know what they are doing, their houses don't sell and they cannot toot their horn over fabulous Staging transformations that result in record sales, or other stats that help sustain the Staging market.
Finally I think this question really weeds out the Posers from the Home Stagers that really plan on doing this as long as their minds will allow . . . Ask the Poser "How long do you see yourself doing this and why?" The Poser usually looks at Staging as a quick buck, and gets out as fast as they got in when the going gets tough. Or the Poser does not understand truly how Staging can work to sell a house - and will just dump in basic decor or a ton of greenery and call the house "Staged."
Posers are all talk and very little walk. They want to be like those that are successful in this fun, exciting, roller coaster ride of a business we call Staging - but it's time to identify the Posers so that the public does not get led down a primrose path of false expectations.
Jennie
Showing posts with label home staging training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home staging training. Show all posts
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Home Staging Roots are Long and Deep - the Truth about "Where Staging Came From"
Barb Schwarz, ASPM, IAHSP, Certified Speaking Professional, has been recognized for many things in her career - Successful Realtor, Broker, Mentor, Motivational Speaker, and Creator of Home Staging. In this last role, she once again demonstrates why she is at the forefront of the real estate industry as a visionary and expert.
I felt the need to post this blog because I have seen the industry change in the past 6 years as a professional home stager, and certain areas like training have been flooded by many that want to profit off the need for education. That's fine. But I keep my ear to the ground and hear the craziest things about "how" someone supposedly came up with the idea for their course or association - and this post is about giving credit where credit is due - and about being honest about origins and education.
Having had the privilege of being in Barb's company many times as a student, mentoree, and friend (more like family) I have seen how dedicated she is to furthering the education of the public through press, seminars and one-on-one conversations about the benefits of Home Staging and how it can change lives, one at a time. She literally sleeps, eat, and breathes staging, and no one that I know is as devoted (or as she says, "possessed") with this responsibility of properly educating the world about Staging.
The roots of Home Staging are long and deep and like an oak tree have stood the test of time. The character of an oak tree is about strength, courage, endurance, and truth - and this is a great parallel for our Staging industry and Barb Schwarz, President & CEO of Stagedhomes.com and President of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals. Barb is not "perfect" but if she has made any "mistakes" in her journey, they are few, and her successes are many.
Over the past 36 years the service of Staging has been shared with over a million Realtors and helped launch the careers of independent business owners that started a home staging business. For over 15 years in the 1980s and 1990's, Barb toured the country, sharing the benefits of Staging as a key marketing tool for Realtors - reaching mass audiences and nearly 1 million Realtors with her message and success principles. Since that time, she continues to educate mass audiences, with her Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) Course - the first course, designation and Accreditation developed for Realtors and Stagers.
When she created the first professional designation for Home Staging in the 90's, she opened up a door for many others that would come years later that saw an opportunity in the educational arena. She clearly remembers the moment she had the vision to create the first professional designation - and it was a vision for the future. Ask others about their "moment of inspiration" - I know it was not the same as Barb's - where hers came from a spiritual place of a calling that was bigger than herself and was not about ego.
It's like that movie "Working Girl" when at the pivotal part in the movie, Sigourney Weaver's character is asked how she came up with the idea for the project, and she bumbles and stumbles - because she did not originate the idea, and she instantly loses credibiltiy and respect for lying to her colleagues and trying to claim someone else's work as her own. Wouldn't life be great if it were so easy to expose "imposters?" (or at least those that are not truly honest about their own education origins?)
In a place where Barb nearly lost her life, and did lose her ability to walk and talk for a period of time, the vision for a designation and industry that would parallel the National Association of Realtors and National Speakers Association are clear benchmarks in the development of the educational process that has now reached thousands of Stagers and over a million Realtors. Most of the others have come from a place of competition, of trying to benefit from what they saw as a profitable industry, and were not born from innovation or inspiration, or heart.
We have had posts on the origins of home staging where others have claimed to have been the first, and I have even heard first-hand at trade shows those that were associated with Barb's claim THEY trained Her - which is laughable.
Some of these people's claims are just fraudulant - they never were in the real estate industry and so would not have been able to come up with the concepts, phrases and processes Barb developed as a succesful Realtor and innovator. And yet they are teaching programs that are eerily similar to the ASP program developed by Barb and based in HER years of success in real estate. She even has a book that was published in the early 1980's where much of the content of her program is published - so the idea for the ASP designation and course was based largely on her stories and success principles chronicled and documented in this best seller. No one else can demonstrate that clear connection or history in the industry.
She was recognized as one of the Most Influential People in Real Estate - as voted on by her peers in the real estate industry. Other awards that I have seen are given by relatives or friends of those that are nominated and in my opinion do not have the same merit and prestige as the nominated field was not all inclusive, not voted on by peers throughout the industry, and for some was rather incestuous.
My research on the various companies out there that offer any sort of Staging education - from very basic information with little or no credibility to a handful of companies that actually offer a respected designation - is that they ALL can trace their roots to Barb in some manner. If they were not a student or former trainer of hers, they saw her on the road or read her books on Staging, or perhaps saw her videos from years past. There are those that have come at this whole staging industry from a different origin - decorating or design industry - and so their roots are not in, to me, the purest form of Staging - which is real estate and marketing. Still, they have used the model Barb set forth in her company to build their own training organizations. There may be one or 2 exceptions - but I believe I am pretty accurate based on my research.
Some may dispute my statement above, but go ahead and do your homework, like I have. No one else can boast 36 years of history in this industry - and no one else remembers the day they said the word "Stage your house" for the first time - and created an entire vocabulary related to what we do - stage, stager, staging, destage, etc. - and so I know that the others that came after Barb, like myself, would have found information online or in a book store, or from word of mouth that winds its way - even if in a small thread - back to Barb. All you have to do is ASK - and listen to their answers and find out for yourself where the truth is. Fortunately, the truth is documented and published in books - so it's pretty hard these days to claim something as truth that can easily be disputed by the facts found in many places.
There are those that have blatently (and illegally) taken her copyrighted materials to form a framework and basis for their own "training" companies. There are those that have studied with her, or served with her company - and have started competing groups without even giving credit for where their knowledge came. Some of these people were like family - invited into Barb's home and life, loved by her, and the way in which things unravled were painful and incredibly mean spirited towards Barb by some. Still Barb marches on - because she has to - because she is driven by more than just her emotions that I am sure made her ask herself "is this all worth it?"
These people amaze me - It's as if they want us all to believe they woke up one day in the past few years or less, and had all this knowledge on their own. It sometimes makes my stomach turn to see people that have used Barb to further their careers turn against that which made them successful. No matter the circumstances for departure from "Barb's world," the fact remains that there have been many that have built their next move on her shoulders. I, for one, would like to see that acknowledged but to do that it takes courage, grace, honesty, and integrity. I could not sleep at night if I knew my entire existence as a company or entity was based on anything but truth and honesty.
The media exposure opportunities shared by Barb willingly with her family of ASPs has created a basis for "expertise" in Stagers that today refuse to even acknowledge or honor the source of their so-called "fame," and yet continue to hang their hat on their participation in segments originated with Barb - that she did not have to share - in order to perpetuate their status as an expert Stager or Realtor.
I have not yet seen any other supposed "expert" involve their fellow colleagues or graduates in as many segments, articles, and events as Barb has. Well - part of that is because they don't get the same volume of media opportunities. Others hog the spotlight for themselves - and Barb shares - as it is one of her foundations and commitment to those she serves.
I don't have a problem with other companies taking advantage of a training industry, or others that want to help Stagers launch businesses. That is not the point of this blog post. I acknowledge there are some good courses out there headed by wonderful people. And there are those that I would not give a second glance. My issue is with those who conduct their company with such little integrity - not giving credit to the origins of THEIR own education (formal or informal) and instead want us all to believe they came up with all the ideas for their program on their own.
Each time someone else comes out with a course, program, group, or association (and I know we have not seen the last of "new training companies or designations"), I smile inside because I know for the most part that there are no originators - just immitators. Some have said to her, "You changed my life,"or "I did not know Staging even existed as a career and business for me," and then go off without regard to their origins or remembrance of who got them started. Others may toss in items about decorating, feng shui, etc. - and may call things different words or use slightly altered phrases, or even different methods to educate their students, but in the end, they are emulating the one that started it all - started us all on this wonderful journey in Home Staging - and that is Barb Schwarz. Just give credit where credit is due.
As Barb frequently shares, life is too short to be in the darkness - and instead of using her time and energy to pursue or dispute those that have not honored the origins of their education - she moves forward, using her ideas and vision to move ahead at light speed, paving the way for the future of home staging, always rooted in the truth, with courage, strength and endurance - just like the oak tree.
For me - that is the type of person I want to be around - and I do hang my success - not on the shoulders of Barb Schwarz - but in the heart of what she shares with each person she meets - and touches their lives for the better.
- Jennie
I felt the need to post this blog because I have seen the industry change in the past 6 years as a professional home stager, and certain areas like training have been flooded by many that want to profit off the need for education. That's fine. But I keep my ear to the ground and hear the craziest things about "how" someone supposedly came up with the idea for their course or association - and this post is about giving credit where credit is due - and about being honest about origins and education.
Having had the privilege of being in Barb's company many times as a student, mentoree, and friend (more like family) I have seen how dedicated she is to furthering the education of the public through press, seminars and one-on-one conversations about the benefits of Home Staging and how it can change lives, one at a time. She literally sleeps, eat, and breathes staging, and no one that I know is as devoted (or as she says, "possessed") with this responsibility of properly educating the world about Staging.
The roots of Home Staging are long and deep and like an oak tree have stood the test of time. The character of an oak tree is about strength, courage, endurance, and truth - and this is a great parallel for our Staging industry and Barb Schwarz, President & CEO of Stagedhomes.com and President of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals. Barb is not "perfect" but if she has made any "mistakes" in her journey, they are few, and her successes are many.
Over the past 36 years the service of Staging has been shared with over a million Realtors and helped launch the careers of independent business owners that started a home staging business. For over 15 years in the 1980s and 1990's, Barb toured the country, sharing the benefits of Staging as a key marketing tool for Realtors - reaching mass audiences and nearly 1 million Realtors with her message and success principles. Since that time, she continues to educate mass audiences, with her Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) Course - the first course, designation and Accreditation developed for Realtors and Stagers.
When she created the first professional designation for Home Staging in the 90's, she opened up a door for many others that would come years later that saw an opportunity in the educational arena. She clearly remembers the moment she had the vision to create the first professional designation - and it was a vision for the future. Ask others about their "moment of inspiration" - I know it was not the same as Barb's - where hers came from a spiritual place of a calling that was bigger than herself and was not about ego.
It's like that movie "Working Girl" when at the pivotal part in the movie, Sigourney Weaver's character is asked how she came up with the idea for the project, and she bumbles and stumbles - because she did not originate the idea, and she instantly loses credibiltiy and respect for lying to her colleagues and trying to claim someone else's work as her own. Wouldn't life be great if it were so easy to expose "imposters?" (or at least those that are not truly honest about their own education origins?)
In a place where Barb nearly lost her life, and did lose her ability to walk and talk for a period of time, the vision for a designation and industry that would parallel the National Association of Realtors and National Speakers Association are clear benchmarks in the development of the educational process that has now reached thousands of Stagers and over a million Realtors. Most of the others have come from a place of competition, of trying to benefit from what they saw as a profitable industry, and were not born from innovation or inspiration, or heart.
We have had posts on the origins of home staging where others have claimed to have been the first, and I have even heard first-hand at trade shows those that were associated with Barb's claim THEY trained Her - which is laughable.
Some of these people's claims are just fraudulant - they never were in the real estate industry and so would not have been able to come up with the concepts, phrases and processes Barb developed as a succesful Realtor and innovator. And yet they are teaching programs that are eerily similar to the ASP program developed by Barb and based in HER years of success in real estate. She even has a book that was published in the early 1980's where much of the content of her program is published - so the idea for the ASP designation and course was based largely on her stories and success principles chronicled and documented in this best seller. No one else can demonstrate that clear connection or history in the industry.
She was recognized as one of the Most Influential People in Real Estate - as voted on by her peers in the real estate industry. Other awards that I have seen are given by relatives or friends of those that are nominated and in my opinion do not have the same merit and prestige as the nominated field was not all inclusive, not voted on by peers throughout the industry, and for some was rather incestuous.
My research on the various companies out there that offer any sort of Staging education - from very basic information with little or no credibility to a handful of companies that actually offer a respected designation - is that they ALL can trace their roots to Barb in some manner. If they were not a student or former trainer of hers, they saw her on the road or read her books on Staging, or perhaps saw her videos from years past. There are those that have come at this whole staging industry from a different origin - decorating or design industry - and so their roots are not in, to me, the purest form of Staging - which is real estate and marketing. Still, they have used the model Barb set forth in her company to build their own training organizations. There may be one or 2 exceptions - but I believe I am pretty accurate based on my research.
Some may dispute my statement above, but go ahead and do your homework, like I have. No one else can boast 36 years of history in this industry - and no one else remembers the day they said the word "Stage your house" for the first time - and created an entire vocabulary related to what we do - stage, stager, staging, destage, etc. - and so I know that the others that came after Barb, like myself, would have found information online or in a book store, or from word of mouth that winds its way - even if in a small thread - back to Barb. All you have to do is ASK - and listen to their answers and find out for yourself where the truth is. Fortunately, the truth is documented and published in books - so it's pretty hard these days to claim something as truth that can easily be disputed by the facts found in many places.
There are those that have blatently (and illegally) taken her copyrighted materials to form a framework and basis for their own "training" companies. There are those that have studied with her, or served with her company - and have started competing groups without even giving credit for where their knowledge came. Some of these people were like family - invited into Barb's home and life, loved by her, and the way in which things unravled were painful and incredibly mean spirited towards Barb by some. Still Barb marches on - because she has to - because she is driven by more than just her emotions that I am sure made her ask herself "is this all worth it?"
These people amaze me - It's as if they want us all to believe they woke up one day in the past few years or less, and had all this knowledge on their own. It sometimes makes my stomach turn to see people that have used Barb to further their careers turn against that which made them successful. No matter the circumstances for departure from "Barb's world," the fact remains that there have been many that have built their next move on her shoulders. I, for one, would like to see that acknowledged but to do that it takes courage, grace, honesty, and integrity. I could not sleep at night if I knew my entire existence as a company or entity was based on anything but truth and honesty.
The media exposure opportunities shared by Barb willingly with her family of ASPs has created a basis for "expertise" in Stagers that today refuse to even acknowledge or honor the source of their so-called "fame," and yet continue to hang their hat on their participation in segments originated with Barb - that she did not have to share - in order to perpetuate their status as an expert Stager or Realtor.
I have not yet seen any other supposed "expert" involve their fellow colleagues or graduates in as many segments, articles, and events as Barb has. Well - part of that is because they don't get the same volume of media opportunities. Others hog the spotlight for themselves - and Barb shares - as it is one of her foundations and commitment to those she serves.
I don't have a problem with other companies taking advantage of a training industry, or others that want to help Stagers launch businesses. That is not the point of this blog post. I acknowledge there are some good courses out there headed by wonderful people. And there are those that I would not give a second glance. My issue is with those who conduct their company with such little integrity - not giving credit to the origins of THEIR own education (formal or informal) and instead want us all to believe they came up with all the ideas for their program on their own.
Each time someone else comes out with a course, program, group, or association (and I know we have not seen the last of "new training companies or designations"), I smile inside because I know for the most part that there are no originators - just immitators. Some have said to her, "You changed my life,"or "I did not know Staging even existed as a career and business for me," and then go off without regard to their origins or remembrance of who got them started. Others may toss in items about decorating, feng shui, etc. - and may call things different words or use slightly altered phrases, or even different methods to educate their students, but in the end, they are emulating the one that started it all - started us all on this wonderful journey in Home Staging - and that is Barb Schwarz. Just give credit where credit is due.
As Barb frequently shares, life is too short to be in the darkness - and instead of using her time and energy to pursue or dispute those that have not honored the origins of their education - she moves forward, using her ideas and vision to move ahead at light speed, paving the way for the future of home staging, always rooted in the truth, with courage, strength and endurance - just like the oak tree.
For me - that is the type of person I want to be around - and I do hang my success - not on the shoulders of Barb Schwarz - but in the heart of what she shares with each person she meets - and touches their lives for the better.
- Jennie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
