Lori Kim Polk, Roseville, Sacramento Home Stager

I am truly honored to be nominated for Staging Innovator of the year. I have worked hard to promote several innovative ideas and organizations for the people that I believe in over the year. So what happens when you end up running against the people whom you have helped and people whom you admire?

Here are some things to remember:

•1. Become your own audience. Just like becoming a buyer for a home, as a nominee, you should speak to your audience, not down to your audience. It is essential to remember that a leader is not one who controls followers, but someone who is of the people. A leader is one who serves the industry and through their actions produces many more leaders, is supportive, and listens to the needs of others.

•2. Be honest. There's nothing that your peers like more than straight honesty. Open your heart and tell them the truth about you, your goals, and what you hope to do for and with them. Remember, we are moving the industry forward, not just ourselves.

•3. Be realistic. Set good goals in your campaign and clearly outline how you will achieve them. Have one focus and put your efforts towards that which you are qualified. If you have strong goals and a good plan for accomplishing them, others will perceive you as a professional and an excellent leader in the industry.

•4. Be welcoming. Always emphasize how approachable you are and how much you want to work for them. People want a representative of our industry that works to involve them in decisions and ideas. Everyone wants a voice, make sure your presentation says that you will give them that voice.

•5. Be yourself. Be creative. Help others. If you try to be someone else, others will know in an instant. Trust that they will want the real you as a leader and someone that they can call a friend.

•6. Be funny and have a sense of humor. Many of our staging friends couldn't care less who wins, really, so make note of that. You'll earn their respect and feel they can relate to you if you are real.

•7. Do not use slander, do not put down, do not chastise; this can make others not like you in a heartbeat. I have always believed in what goes around... comes around, so don't let it come back and bite you in the patootie!

•8. Keep it short and simple so you present yourself as an honest individual.

•9. Whether you win or lose, have honor and integrity. That will bring you much farther in your journey than anything else. Be true to yourself and your peers, realize that it is only YOU that holds the key, and you will make friends for life who honor and support you no matter what you are nominated for.

I wish all the nominees for the RESA Staging Awards the very best!

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Lori Kim Polk is the Founder and Lead Designer of Artful Journey Designs and Staging, a full service Home Staging and Design Corporation combined with Ryan Dressel from Staged Right Design located in Roseville, California. Recently featured in Sacramento Magazine, Sacramento News and Review, KFBK radio and SMUD's Home of the Future. We proudly service Granite Bay, Rocklin, Lincoln, Sacramento and surrounding areas. Call us today at 916-300-0402 for our premier services.

"The art of selling your home!"

I received a phone call today from a new REA that asked if I was still in business and if I would still be here next year. Of course I said "yes", but it made me stop and think about why he asked that. So, I asked him.......... He said that he had asked other stagers that he had used before and they had all quit or couldn't do it right now.

OK... you might be saying "So what?"

I am an advocate for the staging industry, always have, always will. I believe in standards and helping each other to attain our goals. True... there are 75% less stagers here in NorCal than there was a year ago. That is right... 75% less. What concerns me is why it didn't work for them. Were they mis-lead by false training and broken promises? Did they think that they were jumping on the staging train? Did they actively set their staging business up as a true business?

I don't know the answers, but it does have me thinking about what I can do to help or what we all can do to help. It saddens me actually. I don't think of my competition as "competition", I consider them as affiliates for the industry.

For me...I have had to diversify, to be innovative, and accept change. Staging is a blanket term for many different areas for our clients. To offer a variety of services based upon area, buyers, trends, and the market, one has more of an arsenal so to speak. I am proud to still be standing. I credit my wonderful team for this, but I still feel for my staging friends who have moved on to other things, to have quit with broken dreams.

Why do you feel you are still standing and what positive advice can you give to others?

This was sent to me for my travel business that I have. I wanted to share this with you as we do independent contracting especially with staging. Just another thing to worry about. Please email or call so this does NOT happen. Take a stand NOW!!!

To all California-based Business Owners:

California

Independent Contracting Income Tax Withholding Proposals

DESCRIPTION: There is a Democratic budget package proposal in the California Assembly and Senate to institute a 3% income tax withholding on businesses that do independent contracting.

This Democratic proposal would also require businesses to withhold taxes on payments above $600 made to independent contractors, as they are now required to do with salaried employees.

STATUS: The Assembly and Senate could vote on this proposal TODAY.

URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Please contact Democratic California Assembly and Senate members IMMEDIATELY and ask them to oppose any independent contractor withholding proposal. Additionally, if you have offices or manufacturing facilities in a legislator's district, please mention that as well.

Please contact your California-based distributors and request that they make telephone calls to their legislators TODAY.

TALKING POINTS:

Please use the following as suggestions when calling or sending e-mails to California legislators:

** Independent contractor withholding would substantially hurt or business by reducing the sales force of direct selling companies, negatively impacting the economy.

** The administrative costs of independent contractor withholding would outweigh the minimal amount of any revenue actually collected, but it would most definitely hurt direct sellers. Democratic California Senate Members' Contact Information:

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Lori Kim Polk is the Founder and Lead Designer of Artful Journey Designs and Staging, a full service Home Staging and Design Corporation combined with Ryan Dressel from Staged Right Design located in Roseville, California. Recently featured in Sacramento Magazine, Sacramento News and Review, KFBK radio and SMUD's Home of the Future. We proudly service Granite Bay, Rocklin, Lincoln, Sacramento and surrounding areas. Call us today at 916-300-0402 for our premier services.

"The art of selling your home!"

What has really touched me about ActiveRain this year is the coming together, the help, the support and the camaraderie. The inspiration that has been shared has acted like a huge umbrella that shields us from the elements. Recently, there have had several wonderful blogs that bring a ray of sunshine for the Real Estate Industry and this gives us hope and faith for the coming year. It also helps us to forget the hard times; business hail stones, the housing flood, and the tornado of foreclosures.

2008 has been a tough storm for all of us, but we can very thankful for the huge umbrella that has been opened here by so many positive people. Maybe you are one that has had to change jobs, revamp your own business, or leave the Real Estate Industry all together. My hope is that you have had support... as none of that is easy. That possibly, someone has held the umbrella for you and provided shelter from your storm.

We have a ways to continue through this storm, but together we can hang out under the umbrella.

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Lori Kim Polk is the Founder and Lead Designer of Artful Journey Designs and Staging, a full service Home Staging and Design Corporation combined with Ryan Dressel from Staged Right Design located in Roseville, California. Recently featured in Sacramento Magazine, Sacramento News and Review, KFBK radio and SMUD's Home of the Future. We proudly service Granite Bay, Rocklin, Lincoln, Sacramento and surrounding areas. Call us today at 916-300-0402 for our premier services.

"The art of selling your home!" Recently featured in

Come see us at our booth in the main area.

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Lori Kim Polk is the Founder and Lead Designer of Artful Journey Designs and Staging, a full service Home Staging and Design Corporation combined with Ryan Dressel from Staged Right Design located in Roseville, California. Recently featured in Sacramento Magazine, Sacramento News and Review, KFBK radio and SMUD's Home of the Future. We proudly service Granite Bay, Rocklin, Lincoln, Sacramento and surrounding areas. Call us today at 916-300-0402 for our premier services.

"The art of selling your home!"