Home Stager survives Middle School Career Day, Plano, TX

My fears were alleviated and I can still show my face around Plano,TX.

Why?

I survived middle school - AGAIN!

I also believe I did not totally embarrass my 8th grader when I showed up on November 13th, 2008 for Career Day at Carpenter Middle School in Plano,TX.

For a bit of reference you can visit the original blog post I wrote, Stage "my space", calling on my colleagues for HELP! when I first discovered I was signed on for the gig. It was a bit overwhelming to say the least initially.

After mulling over many ideas (Thank YOU everyone who shared with me!) about how to tell the students about my career as a home stager, I settled on the theme of "What I wanted to be when I grew up".

I went back in time to see how I arrived where I'm at today. This theme was based on something I recall written a while back by another home stager (and forgive me but I can't recall who posted it previously and if it was YOU - please let me know and I'll link it back here) about what we did as kids and how some of us were actually staging homes as kids - well, doll's homes anyway.

I wanted to base my talk on the kids really and what THEIR passion may be, because as my child told me, "THEY'RE not going to care about what you do mom, THEY aren't selling a house."

And really she was right, although blunt and not very encouraging - teenagers.... anybody want one?

Tough crowd.

I thought about how I'd feel as a 13 year old, having to listen to a bunch of adults drone on about THEIR jobs, THEIR skills, THEIR businesses, how THEYgot where THEY did and how boring it must be to listen to us if that's all we have to say.

But I do know one thing they were thinking that was great about us adults being there was, "we don't have to do any real work today!" But that wasn't the point!

I wanted to gear the talk towards THEM and helping THEM see that even as a young person, there is something inside THEM they makes THEM feel whole and good while engaged in whatever it may be.

Do THEY like sports, writing, drawing, shopping or playing video games?

Can THEY turn that love for it into a career?

How?

I wanted to engage THEM, keep THEM on their toes and interested in the topic - THEIR PASSION and THEIR FUTURE.

And what teen doesn't like to talk about THEMSELVES?

I'm kinda sorta already at my future in their eyes, but as far as I'm concerned I'm always on that journey.

Here's a little breakdown of how it all played out.

I set up a teen themed room the day before in a classroom.

You can just imagine how surprised both students and teachers were that there was an actual BED in the class room, complete with stinky Converse high tops, empty drink and candy wrappers on the floor, teen magazines, college brochures, skateboard, socks, underwear!, and a host of other stuff that they could easily relate to as their own.

Oh yeah, my life-size 6' free-standing poster of my all time favorite middle school band KISS. As a side note, KISS was the first concert I attended the summer of my 8th grade year and it was totally appropriate for them to relate to today - we had a few minutes to talk music too.

Classroom before themed room

Classroom after themed room

I used this scene at the end to ask them what they'd do if they had to stage this space if they were selling their home and they all knew what needed to be done! Whew, I was relieved they weren't saying to leave it that way!

I created a Power Point Presentation titled: "What I Wanted to be when I grew up and how I Choose my Career".

1. I went through the years from the time I was 8 playing with the furniture in Barbie's Dream House (but not Barbie),
2. At 10 I was literally masking taping a line down the shared room I had with my younger sister to keep my side of the room "my space" neat and organized
3. At 14 rearranging my parent's furniture when I got bored and to surprise my mom
4. To going to college at 18 for a degree in Marketing (which helps me tremendously in the field of home staging)
5. To what I am doing today as a professional home stager and how the things I was doing as a kid brought me to a career I love today.
6. I incorporated a photo of a group of kids I know well, my own, nephews, nieces and friends at my sister's wedding this year and explained how some of these very kids are well on their way to finding what they love to do. One is a baseball player shopping schools and scholarship opportunities, one is an actor and auditioning for some of the top theatre programs in the country (and found the love of acting at the very middle school I speaking at when he was at in 7th grade) one is a skateboarder who is already being sponsored by a national company to wear their products and represent the company at competitions (they really related to that one) others here love writing, dancing, shopping and fashion all themes they can carry with them into a career field!
7. I asked them, "What do you like to do for fun?" and we were able to talk about things they liked or enjoyed. I wanted to drive home the point that whatever they are doing today COULD become their career tomorrow!
8. I filled the time near the end of my talk about what I do for a living as a home stager and they truly seemed interested- especially when they realized that one day they'll own a home and may want to sell it and that it could be the biggest investment of their lives. They unanimously said they'd want to sell it fast and for the most money they could get which is of course what we home stagers want for our client too!
9. I ended the talk with a surprise TEST! Yes, a test.... but optional. I had brought some fun prizes for them for helping keep them organized at home and they were eligible to enter only if they answered 3 questions I had challenged them with correctly. I learned from my friend, Beth Patnode, a way to gauge as a teacher if you've done your job is by asking 3 questions. If the class can answer those 3 questions (whatever you choose) then that means they learned something from you that day. Most everyone entered the drawing and I easily had 5 winners for the prizes. (And I was relieved they payed attention!

At the end of each talk (5 in all) I had lots of kids thanking me and coming up afterward to validate that I was indeed my daughter's mother (I think she may have warned them about me). They were sweet and kind and genuinely a wonderful audience. For me it was a truly rewarding experience and for a day I was back walking and talking in the halls of Middle School.

I actually may live to tell another tale of what I wanted to be when I grew up yet again next year at Career Day 2009, that is after I recuperate.

Proudly serving the Middle School set in Plano, TX, Home Star Staging is here for you North Texas!