Celebrate tidying progress with The Spark Joy Club members who are actively tidying during quarantine and beyond. We’re lifting the curtain to encourage you to connect with others who’ve made the same commitment to a clutter free life of joy as you move from KonMari practice to KonMari lifestyle. We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. Join The Spark Joy Club today! In this episode, you’ll enjoy: Learn what The Spark Joy Club is all aboutand how it started. (Episode 70 where we introduced the The Spark Joy Club) How The Spark Joy Club evolved to over 175 members as of May 2020 The benefits of the two tiers of membership in the Spark Joy Club: Joy Riser Tier Benefits: A personal thank you for your support that will be mentioned during a Spark Joy podcast and in the show notes during the month you join. Access to the Custom Spark Joy Episode Map and Listening Guide which is updated following every episode. The Joy Riser Tier is $3 per month. Joy Sparker Tier Benefits: All the benefits of the Joy Riser Tier. Full membership in The Spark Joy Club on FaceBook. A copy of The Tidy Home Joy Journal created by our very own Kristyn Ivey of For the Love of Tidy. The Joy Sparker Tier is $5 per month. What our Spark Joy Club members been doing during the pandemic? They've been very productive and joyful! Episode 121 featuring our Spark Joy Club member, Monica. Member Spotlight: Monica’s Tidying Journey Learn about the great KonMari victories of our Spark Joy Club members Jennyfer, Evlyn and Betsy. A very warm welcome to our new Spark Joy Club members: At the Joy Sparker Tier: Emily Dyson Nancy Fleischauer Jenny Nix Dani Cihak Megan Wood Sooz Sovern Join The Spark Joy Club today! You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Scott Sonenshein, co-author with Marie Kondo of Joy at Work joins us to explore how our work life is evolving and the importance of productivity and organization in our professional life. Scott Sonenshein is the Henry Gardiner Symonds Professor of Management at Rice University. He holds a PhD in organizational behavior from the University of Michigan, an MPhil from the University of Cambridge, and a BA from the University of Virginia. As an author, he is best known for his work Stretch and, most recently, he co-wrote Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life with Marie Kondo. We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. Book a custom Virtual Tidying Experience with For the Love of Tidy Join The Spark Joy Club today! In this episode, you’ll enjoy: Scott’s time in the wild west of the dot.com boom and what he learned during his work at a startup. Hear our review of Joy at Work here: Ep 128-Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein. How Scott met Marie and how they worked together on the book. How to organize time, networking, and productivity using the KonMari Method. How to function and thrive in an uncertain environment. The usefulness of applying what you are learning in your home environment to your workplace environment once life has returned to the new normal. Scott's favorite organizing tip: “The practice of gratitude goes a long way in KonMari’ing your professional life.” What sparks joy for Scott: Scott is studying our new work environment and he’s finding that people are finding joy even in troubling times. Scott’s daughters have been hosting a restaurant night for Mom and Dad each week. They are going all out with a menu, decorations, a theme! (We loved this!) Connect with Scott on his website and find his books here Gems: “Focus on the urgent and the important task.” “Activity clutter’ is doing things that are not making that much of a difference.” “It’s really a good time to be focusing on what we are doing with our lives.” “Clutter can really spiral out of control.” You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of TidySpecial Guest: Scott Sonenshein.

Kaitlin Stewart, Eco-Stylist, shares her love for secondhand fashions and helps us incorporate thrifted items into our wardrobe in a way that sparks joy. Our guest Kaitlin Stewart is a New York transplant residing in the Windy City for the past 8 years. She is an avid thrifter and eco-stylist who helps her clients build a more sustainable and budget friendly wardrobe by styling them with secondhand pieces. She believes in being a conscious consumer and an unapologetic thrifter! We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. Book a custom Virtual Tidying Experience with For the Love of Tidy Join The Spark Joy Club today! In this episode, you’ll enjoy: How generations of inherited vintage pieces influenced Kaitlin's passion for thrift The benefits of choosing thrift/consignment/resale over fast fashion, including the environmental impact The difference between thrift, consignment, vintage and resale Stories behind our favorite thrift store finds What's in high demand at thrift stores How to decide what to take to a consignment store vs. a donation drop off based on current trends, seasons, and date of purchase Kaitlin's go-to shopping strategies How to set boundaries while shopping consciously Featured stores: Goodwill Buffalo Exchange Crossroads Trading Company Brown Elephant Mount Sinai Resale Shop Featured stores (online): The Edit The Velvet Home Collective Moonacre Cottage ThreadUp Poshmark Kaitlin's favorite thrift shopping tip: "Try everything on." Wear leggings and a tank to make things easy. What sparks joy for Kaitlin: Planning her sustainable wedding and sourcing thrift decor Connect with Kaitlin on Instagram or Facebook or book an eco-styling session with her at windycitythrfter@gmail.com. Gems: "I've always thought of thrifting as treasure hunting." "Fast fashion is the largest form of pollution." "Fashion is cyclical, so it's all coming back." "If it looks cool, but isn't going to work with what you already own, it's not going to serve you." You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of TidySpecial Guest: Kaitlin Stewart.

Downsizing. Decluttering. Discarding. After you’ve decided what sparks joy and donated the things that don’t serve you - what happens to all the stuff after it’s been KonMari’d? Guest Adam Minter is a columnist and author based in Malaysia. For nearly two decades, his journalism has focused on waste, recycling, stuff - and the hidden global world that it inhabits. His first book, 'Junkyard Planet,' was a best-selling dive into the recycling bin. His new book, 'Secondhand' is a global journey into what happens to our stuff after we no longer want it. We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. Book a custom Virtual Tidying Experience with For the Love of Tidy Join The Spark Joy Club today! In this episode, you’ll enjoy: The personal experience that sparked Adam's interest in figuring out what happens to the things when they go through the donation door that spanned 12 countries The number of items that on average thrift store sells off the shelves The items that are highest and lowest demand and most exported for second use Why used clothing traders prefer Canadian clothing What to do with antiquated media formats and electronics How Goodwill employees sort and price items based on the quality of the goods What happens to undergarments and socks Three unexpected items that Goodwill turns away The storage locker industry and the true cost of rentals The impact of Adam's research on his family Adam's favorite productivity tip: "Buy better. Buy more durable." What sparks joy for Adam: "My son." Gems: "If you're a thrift store the last thing you want to do is toss something into a landfill or an incinerator" "Some of us are spending more money to store our stuff than to store ourselves." "There is more storage locker space in the U.S. alone than the square footage of Palm Springs, California. " "Buy better. Buy more durable." You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of TidySpecial Guest: Adam Minter.

David Allen, master personal productivity specialist, joins us to explore the intersection between his famous Getting Things Done Method and KonMari. “Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. We should be looking toward a world of no problems, only projects.” After decades of in-the-field research and practice of his productivity methods, David wrote the international best-seller Getting Things Done. Published in over 28 languages, TIME magazine heralded it as “the defining self-help business book of its time.” Today, David is considered the leading authority in the fields of organizational and personal productivity. The David Allen Company, run by David and his wife Kathryn, oversees the certification academy and quality standards for Global Partners offering Getting Things Done courses and coaching around the world. We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. Book a custom Virtual Tidying Experience with For the Love of Tidy Join The Spark Joy Club today! In this episode, you’ll enjoy: -David's journey to becoming one of the most important names in increasing productivity -Learn what the Getting Things Done (GTD) method is all about and how you can use it to increase your productivity and gain more time that spark joy -Practice with David using the GTD method to something as simple as receiving a wedding invitation -David has worked from home since the early 1980's and he shares his tips for WFH that sparks joy -David shares what is meant by "ambient anxiety", an "external brain", and the "two minute rule" -What are Open Loops and how they impact your productivity -Find all of David's books and guides here: David Allen on Amazon -Learn some of David's time honored tips to increase your ability to Get Things Done with joy! David's favorite productivity tip: "Your head is for having ideas and not for holding them. Stop using your head as your office." What sparks joy for David: David's new video series "Two Minute Tips for Turbulent Times" coming soon. And, walking his little Cavalier Springer Spaniel in the park! To connect with David, you can find him at GettingThingsDone.com and on Twitter at GTDGuy Gems: "If you think about something twice, then you are paying it to much attention." "You have to decide what the thing means to you to decide what to do with it." "You need a discreet space to do your work, answer your email and focus. It's best if there is no other activity in that space . And, it should be a place where everyone in the home knows you are "on the job" even if you need to put yellow caution tape around your workspace!" "What has your attention?" "Your head is for having ideas, not holding them. Stop using your head as your office." You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of TidySpecial Guest: David Allen.

David Kadavy, author and podcast host, joins us to explore ways we can design our work-life and productivity during quarantine and get the most out of our creative energy. David Kadavy is a writer who helps creatives get more out of their energy. He’s author of two books, The Heart to Start and Design for Hackers, and host of the Love Your Work podcast. His third book, Mind Management, Not Time Management debuts in the fall of 2020. We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. Join The Spark Joy Club today! In this episode, you’ll enjoy: David's journey to becoming a writer and figuring out where in the world he gets his best work done How the concept of "loss aversion" helped David sell most of his posessions and move from Chicago to Columbia and make space for the future How designing his life to include a "behavior shaping contraint," living in South America, allowed David to stop living by his to-do list and pay closer attention to his energy How Episode 136 of David's podcast "Love Your Work," where he explores The Art of Staying In and how it applies to quarantine Our relationship with time and how it's actually more productive to save our time for less productive activities Trevor Noah meme Spark Joy Episode 128 Book Review: Joy at Work, Organizing Your Professional Life by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein What to do next when we DON'T love of work The guest that we happen to be bringing on Spark Joy next week that inspired David's productivity David's favorite time management tip: Have a weekly review on Sunday afternoon and set alarms for appointments on your phone while keeping it on silent for the week What sparks joy for David: David's hammock To connect with David, you can find him at kadavy.net and on Twitter and Instagram at @kadavy With so many people working from home, writing is an even more important skill. David shares 14 tools he uses to hone his focus and quadruple his writing output. Download it here. Gems: "It hurts twice as much for us to get rid of something as it does feel good for us to get something." "It is about not so much having the time to do something, but having the energy to do something." "What mood do I need to be in to get this thing done?" "One of the nice things about quarantine is it takes away some of that FOMO a little bit." "When you save time, keep it!" "What discomfort are you willing to endure to have some future sparking of joy?" "When you have a place for things, then all the natural creative state that you experience as a human has space to flourish." You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of TidySpecial Guest: David Kadavy.

Laura Vanderkam, author and productivity expert, joins us with tips and strategies to help you KonMari your calendar. Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books, including Juliet’s School of Possibilities, Off the Clock, I Know How She Does It, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, and 168 Hours. Her work has appeared in publications including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Fortune. She is the host of the podcast Before Breakfast and the co-host, with Sarah Hart-Unger, of the podcast Best of Both Worlds. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and five children, and blogs at LauraVanderkam.com. We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. Join The Spark Joy Club today! In this episode, you’ll enjoy: How Laura became a student of time and a time management expert The quote from Laura that summarizes time management in a nutshell What to do first when it comes to figuring out exactly where your time goes and how it's similar to the KonMari Method The questions you should ask yourself when taking inventory of your time and tips that help you protect that time while tidying Laura (mom of FIVE!) shares her tips for working moms trying to manage their time and make time for what matters How avoid chasing a "typical" week when time tracking Laura's podcasts Before Breakfast podcast and Best of Both Worlds Laura's favorite time management tip: Plan your week on Fridays. What sparks joy for Laura: Her bar height set of tables and chairs for her deck. To connect with Laura, visit her at lauravanderkam.com and download her free Time Makeover Guide. Gems: “Time is the ultimate non-renewable resource." "We often blame time for things that aren't really about time at all." "Saying 'I'm too busy' or 'I don't have time' puts the responsibility somewhere else." "If anyone wants to spend their time better the first thing they should do is figure out where their time is going now." "What do I like about my schedule?" "What do I want to spend more time doing?' "Don't bring it in if it's just going to be schedule clutter." "Anytime someone asks you to do something in the future, ask yourself if you'd do it tomorrow." "Start thinking of your life in terms of a week instead of a day." You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of TidySpecial Guest: Laura Vanderkam.

In today’s episode we review Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein’s new book, Joy at Work, Organizing Your Professional Life. In Joy at Work, Marie and Scott use the KonMari method to bring more efficiency, productivity and even joy to the work place. The book was released during probably one of the most monumental events in modern times, in the middle of a life altering pandemic, which has found most of us re-defining our roles in our community, at home, and at work. We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. Joy Checks: Karin discovers Google 3D animals Kristyn invites you to join her weekdays at noon central at her Tidy Up Office Hours via Facebook Live Join The Spark Joy Club today! In this episode, you’ll enjoy: What we learned in the new book, Joy at Work, Organizing Your Professional Life.. We talk about what surprised us, what we loved, and what we found didn't spark quite as much joy The new and fascinating ancedotes we learned about Marie’s life How Marie applies the categories to the work place Learning about new clutter categories and organizing content both digital and hard copy The category of time and how it can be organized to spark joy while networking and in meetings Spark Joy Podcast episodes we mentioned in the show: Ep 87 | KonMari Joy at Work with Christina Jurges Ep 5 | How to Visualize Your Ideal Lifestyle and Living Environment Ep 109 | Book Review: Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport Ep 123 | KonMari Quick Tips: Social Media Joy Ep 107 | List-Making Your Way to Your KonMari Vision with Paula Rizzo Ep 91 | How to Motivate Others to Tidy Up Ep 85 | KonMari Approved Storage Solutions Ep 86 | KonMari Your Friends and Relationships with Vanessa Van Edwards Gems: "Marie shares more about her personal life than ever before." "Vision plays a part even at work and I'm glad it got ample attention in this book." "What you chose to keep can give you important insight into your value in your work." "When it comes to the basics of the Method, you may not find a lot of new information." "We both thought it was a good read while we are navigating the new reality of our work from home lives." You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Veteran professional organizer and TV host Peter Walsh joins us to uncover the deeper meaning behind our clutter and share tips to help you create comfort and joy at home during these challenging times. Peter starred in the popular organization and design series Clean Sweep with Peter Walsh on Discovery’s TLC Network. The series produced over 120 episodes and has run almost continuously since 2003. He is the author of six best-selling books on the subject of organizing including How to Organize (Just About) Everything; It’s All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff, and Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? His new book is Let It Go, Downsizing Your Way to A Richer, Happier Life. Peter was a regular guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show where he was dubbed the “Get Your Life Organized Guy” which led to his own series, Extreme Clutter with Peter Walsh on OWN. We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. Join The Spark Joy Club today! In this episode, you’ll enjoy: How Peter got his start-you’ll never believe what he WASN’T interested in doing in the beginning How it all came together for Peter and organizational design became his great passion The importance of humor and empathy in working with people who are experiencing guilt and shame over clutter Peter’s take on why we accumulate so much-the hope of chasing a dream life through acquiring more and more “stuff” How Peter shocks his clients with his plan for discarding 70-80% of their stuff-but they find he was on the money! What Peter thinks of Marie Kondo. Peter and Marie on the Rachel Ray Show Stories about what often gets edited from reality organizing shows. To go behind the scenes of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo check out: Ep 67 | Review of Netflix's "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo" Ep 68 | Behind the Scenes: Netflix's "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo" with Tricia Fidler and Jane Grodem Suggestions on how to manage the uncertainty of life during the pandemic Peter’s annual challenge on his YouTube channel. Peter Walsh's 31 Days to Get Organized How to play Trash Bag Tango! Peter’s great ideas for turning family organizing into learning games while we are staying home The importance of a schedule and maintaining a sense of routine while social distancing and staying at home Peter’s own experience surviving the coronavirus Correction: In this episode it was cited that Americans make up 50% of the world's population. As of 2021, Americans make up 4.25% of the total world population. Favorite organizing tip: “Retreat into quiet at least 5 minutes a day. Although it may not seem to be a tidying tip, it will help you center yourself and to give you the space to step back into the busy world. Also, take a media break!” What is sparking the most joy for Peter: “We are seeing what is happening in the world could be a massive reset button. Staying connected with those we love and getting back in touch with those people who are most significant in our lives.” How to get in touch with Peter: Peter Walsh Design Peter’s Books Extreme Clutter with Peter Walsh Clean Sweep with Peter Walsh Peter’s very active FaceBook community Peter's YouTube channel Gems: “I’ve discovered over nearly 20 years of doing this that we are all human and all in the same boat. We all go off the rails occasionally!” “At the end of the day, you are stronger than your stuff.” “Stuff is associated with happiness. People buy things thinking that they are buying happiness but they are really buying a shadow of happiness. Instead of buying a product, we are buying a promise.” “What is the vision you have from the life you want? Does the stuff you own help you get what you want from this room?” “If you don’t respect your space, if you overload it, it’s the same as dishonoring as person, you are dishonoring your space. You will never be happy in that space.” “Stuff is a distraction. Issues around clutter are about loss and trauma and neglect and abandonment.” “The issue is really, ‘How do I deal with the fear and the anxiety we are all facing at the moment.’ And, people are looking to organizing as a way of feeling some control.” You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of TidySpecial Guest: Peter Walsh.

Meet the Amy Tokos, 2020 President of NAPO, the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals. Did you know that there is a national professional organization for Professional Organizers? If you follow our podcast, you know that KonMari Media Incorporated trains and accredits consultants in the method but there is also NAPO, the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals. Amy Tokos is a Certified Professional Organizer and Productivity Consultant. She is also the President-elect of NAPO for 2020. Amy’s background is in engineering and she previously worked making manufacturing processes simpler and more efficient. In 2008, she started her company, Freshly Organized, and began bringing the lean thinking to the homes and offices of her clients. We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. Join The Spark Joy Club today! In this episode, you’ll enjoy: Learning about the concept of Lean Management and its origins in the Japanese manufacturing community. How Amy transitioned from corporate management to home and business organizing. Her early organizational influencers and how she became involved with NAPO. National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals How Amy incorporates Lean management into her organizing style. The book, In Praise of Wasting Time. The importance of using technology to support our goals. Learn about NAPO and the benefits of the combined wisdom of thousands of organizers. How you can use the resources of NAPO to help your own organizing process. Amy's favorite organizing tip: “Hold an informal family meeting once a week. It’s a great way to catch up, make plans and to make sure there are no last-minute surprises.” What sparks joy for Amy "Today, I have tulips that are blooming in a pot on my dining room table." Amy's parting words of Wisdom "Keep in real. Relax, don't worry about living in staged environment." To connect with Amy, visit her website at Freshly Organized and her Instagram: Freshly Organized. Gems: "People are overwhelmed by the stuff in their space and also stuff in their heads and their calendars." "Lean is just basically minimizing processes and steps to gain efficiency." "We are missing out on the benefits of just wasting time." "Some of the things that are designed to simplfy our lives just add more complication." You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of TidySpecial Guest: Amy Tokos.