How Senior Downsizing Chose Me as a Profession. Twice.

Looking back almost a decade ago, I can pinpoint the exact moment my career & life path took a sharp turn in an unexpected way to become a Senior Downsizing Specialist. At the time, I had no idea just how profoundly it would change my world in such an amazing way.

I had just been laid off from a 25+ year career as a Sales and Marketing Director in the new home development industry due to the economic freefall of 2008.

With the construction industry at a standstill, I decided to put my project management and organizing skills to work in a different way.  I helped my Mom and stepfather (both in their mid-80’s at the time) purge and organize their lifetime of possessions for their first downsizing move.

That “Aha” Moment

The ‘aha’ moment came sitting on the floor of my mother’s walk-in closet, rifling through my umpteenth storage box. I was sweaty, dusty, and overwhelmed. I had spent days pulling things out of every imaginable drawer, cabinet, and closet. Then, a thought hit me like a ton of bricks.

What was that thought? It was “What in the world would a senior do if they didn’t have family members available to help them through this process?”

The thought stopped me cold.

It was hard enough for a person who DID have family support, time, and availability to help. It wasn’t just the physical stresses of the move. I was also starting to realize how much of an emotional and psychological impact senior downsizing can have.

My Mom, for example, had already completely shut down. Initially excited about making the move, she suddenly seemed incapable of making decisions on even the simplest of things, which was extremely unusual for her.  

So, what was going on here? She had moved many times in her life. This wasn’t her first move rodeo. Why did this move feel so different than any other I’d helped her with?  

And, voila! In that moment, the genesis of my future senior downsizing business was born! 

That move was the first of three moves that my Mom would make over the next three years. It was the best in-the-trenches training I could have received and only intensified my interest in meeting this growing need.

Senior Downsizing Services are on a Fast-track

As a service industry, senior downsizing was just starting to rise to meet the senior population explosion.

Every time I mentioned it to someone, they all said the same thing.

“Wow! What a GREAT service! I wish I had known about you last (week, month, year) when I was moving my (Mom, Dad, Grandparents)!!”

That was all I needed to hear! A few months later, I took a leap of faith and started my senior downsizing and home organizing business, called “Your Organizing Answer”.

During the first year or two of start-up, I did what a lot of new entrepreneurs do….fly by the seat of my pants and learn on the go. That didn’t always work out so well. There were a few hard landings. However, I learned a lot in the process even though I had to replace a lot of pants.

But, it would never dampen the rewarding sense of satisfaction I felt at the end of every move, knowing that I had made a positive difference in my client’s transition experience.

Then ‘It’ happened again….another ‘aha’ moment push from the Universe.

A New Journey Serving Senior Downsizing Specialists

However, there aren’t enough senior downsizing specialists currently to serve the existing senior population in the United States.

Secondly, I found there wasn’t a truly complete business training program available for downsizing entrepreneurs. They needed training that taught them both general business setup and industry-specific trade processes without having to pay exorbitant, ongoing, franchise or licensing fees.

To be frank, that irritated the crap out of me.

For instance, a senior downsizing business doesn’t have to be “Big” to be successful. The majority of specialists are smaller or medium-sized companies.

Above all, a business owner shouldn’t be financially penalized for needing business training and support during start-up. Nor should they have to sacrifice their ability to personalize their business to their own business vision.

News flash!

• Not everyone wants the same business model!
• They may not all want to offer the same services!
• Some only want to work part-time or have flexible hours!

So, how about another option?

What if that entrepreneur could get the benefits that a franchise provides, like guiding you through the general process of a business setup and service training, but still offer them the flexibility of HOW they want that business to best represent their unique vision?

The Answer to the Problem

And, voila! My second business, The Downsizing Institute, was born!

So, here we are! I’m paying it forward to you by sharing what I’ve learned from those ‘hard landings’, and client experiences. I’m offering a different, better choice.

It’s called The Senior Downsizing Specialist Training Program

I invite you to check it out and see if it’s right for you!

P.S. Click below to get my free YouTube video on the five essential things you need to build a one-of-a-kind senior downsizing business!   

“5 Essential Steps to Building a One-of-a-Kind Senior Downsizing

Business That’s Uniquely You!”

Deborah