Barbara Hemphill Podcast

Recently, at the Darnyelle Jervey’s “Unleash Your Incredible Factor” event in Reston, VA, one of the participants shared that the definition of “Genocide is killing thousands of people; Homicide is killing one or more people; Suicide is killing oneself; but to “DE-cide” is to kill every excuse!”

Spring has always been my favorite time of the year! It’s a time for new beginnings, and yes, even businesses need new beginnings! This week's podcast discusses new beginnings and what it can mean to you.

Thank you to all of you who shared how much you appreciated my last blog “What is Your Weight Costing You?” This week I want to talk about how much the weight of clutter is costing organizations. When you think about it, organizations are made up of individuals who struggle with the issue of clutter, so why would organizations be different? When office space was plentiful, you could ignore the problem, but according to the International Facility Management Association, the average office worker lost 15 square feet of elbowroom from 1994 to 2010.

I suspect when you read that title, many of you immediately thought I was talking about those ten pounds (or more!) you’ve been meaning to lose for more months (or years) than you care to count! In some respects, I am talking about that weight, but there is another kind of weight that is also very uncomfortable and has a very high price: CLUTTER!

I was recently interviewed for a new magazine called Beyond Burnout, which launches on March 25th. The interview brought up many memories of my own struggle with burnout so I thought I’d share it with you this week, as I have a feeling many of you can relate on some level.

As I am writing this blog my heart is singing! My business partner Andrea and I just completed a VIP Day at our Productive Environment Center in Carolina Beach with our new business coach Darnyelle Jervey, of Incredible One Enterprises -- and what an awesome day it was! The experience was a result of an introduction from Antonina Geer (Simplistic Financials) who was one of the presenters at our CPES Retreat less than one month ago, and I’m so grateful.

I define a productive environment as “an intentional setting where you can accomplish your work and enjoy your life”. After 35 years in business, I’m honored to say that we have reached another milestone this month—CERTIFYING a BUSINESS as a Productive Environment! Just as you may have heard my story of how I started my business with a $7 ad in a New York City Newspaper...the recipient of our first ever Productive Environment business award was presented to DFIT-Demetrius Farrior’s Island Training, which started in 2010 with a stick and a line in the sand on Carolina Beach, NC. See more at: http://www.barbarahemphill.com/personal-success/309-building-a-business-with-the-productive-environment-process#sthash.8LKuePP6.dpuf

One of the growing challenges for small businesses is managing information. Think you may need an information management overhaul? Listen to this podcast and see the important questions you need to be asking and what to do next.

Did you have good intentions of sending Christmas cards, then New Year’s cards, and now January is coming to an end and you haven’t sent ANY cards? If you’re like most people, one of the biggest stumbling blocks to your success is procrastination -- which is a direct result of perfectionism! Listen to this podcast where I'll share my secret to overcoming this stumbling block.

Martin Edelston, founder of Boardroom Inc and Bottom Line Publications, launched his company over 40 years ago in the basement of his home with $5000 and a determination to help busy people get real-world advice that would allow them to live their lives better.

As I reach out to you today, we’ve just received news of the wildfire in AZ that has killed 19 of our most skilled firefighters, rising waters are forcing people from their homes, family and friends are fighting for their lives as a result of deadly diseases, and people are dying as they fight for their beliefs in countries around the world. It’s difficult not to feel helpless. Every day it becomes more evident that we are less and less able to control what happens to us. My heart breaks for those in need, and I am more determined than ever to encourage you to control what you can, so you can cope with what you can’t!

Advice in a 1931 Marketing textbook read: “Find out what your customers like and do more of it. Find out what they don’t like, and stop doing it!” Actually that’s still sound advice -- not only for business, but also for all relationships whether they are professional or personal. At Productive Environment Institute, we continually try to put this advice into practice.

Many ideas that seem crazy at conception turn out to be very creative once they have been implemented. The Productive Environment Process can assist with building the framework of those ideas. Listen as I share an idea that seemed crazy at first but became an industry standard.

Do you have a pile of paper that you can't get a handle of? Many do...Organizing paper is the #1 problem in American households! The key to concurring that pile is to have a good SYSTEM in place. The tickler file system is an excellent tool for that SYSTEM. Listen as I share 13 ways it can reduce clutter.

Do you have a pile of records and photos from past family members that you have been trying to archive for a while now? Or perhaps you've come across some memorabilia during a recent family "archeological dig" and wish to organize it all. This special task of Organizing paper and photos doesn't have to be overwhelming. Listen as I lead you in the right direction of organizing your family's memories.

Music is a powerful tool that can be used to heal, motivate, inspire, and help us to learn. There are many blessings of music that we all can easily take advantage of...it's not just for dancing or relaxing. Listen as explain how music can be used in many aspects of life including productivity.

If you're one of the many people who have a tall "to read" pile this is for you. I've never met anyone who is able to read everything that they intend to read. The pile that results will no doubt become paper clutter and can easily become overwhelming. Listen and I'll share with you 7 ways to reduce that "to read" pile.

Do you give presentations the same way your collegues do because you feel that is what's expected? Do you have trouble using certian tools that everyone seem to be using? Or perhaps you feel there is a better way to Accomplish Your Work. Lisen as I explain how a different "style" might work better for you.

A major focus of Productive Environment Institute is helping business of all sizes move toward what I have labeled "Almost Paperless™" I am often asked the question, "Who is your competition?" For years, my answer has been "Apathy" and "Resignation." In a conversation about this topic with Penn Shore, owner of Business Clubs of America, he added, "And ignorance." I never thought of it before, but he's absolutely correct. Listen as I explain how ignorance and excess paper can be costing you thousands of dollars.

We Bought a Zoo, staring Matt Damon, is a movie based on a book by the same name -- The Amazing True Story of a Young Family, a Broken Down Zoo, and the 200 Wild Animals That Change Their Lives Forever. I haven’t read the book, but I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and was struck in particular by two words uttered by the star throughout the movie -- “Why Not?" Listen as I explain how I apply this concept to work and life.