The Easemakers Podcast

You want your household staff to work together seamlessly — but sometimes, different communication styles get in the way.In years of working with teams of household staff to make sure everyone's trained properly and working together seamlessly, Tejai Singh has found some unexpected resources to help team members understand each other better. When she starts working with a new team of private service professionals, she has them read books that are typically used to fortify interpersonal relationships, like The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz and The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman.In the latest episode of the Easemakers Podcast, Tejai shares why she encourages a team retreat to help team members understand each other, and how she applies The Four Agreements (be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions, and always do your best) with teams of private service professionals. Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.   The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, household management software and services built for discerning households and the private service professionals who support them. 

A new generation of principals is starting to hire household staff — so what does that mean for private service professionals? In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, Philippa Smith, the Founder & Managing Director of Silver Swan Recruitment and the host of the Life in Private Staffing podcast, shares what she's learned about younger principals, and how PSPs can stand out in the hiring process. Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.   The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, household management software and services built for discerning households and the private service professionals who support them. 

Like most estate managers, Bobbie Halminiak learned everything she knows on the job — which means she's learned a lot of lessons the hard way. In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, Bobbie shares the story of one the biggest challenges of her career, how she stayed persistent to find a solution, and what she learned about working with vendors along the way.  Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.   The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, household management software and services built for discerning households and the private service professionals who support them.

John Christensen is a 25-year private service veteran, who grew up with service mindset. John's parents owned hotels and restaurants in Denmark, and he worked his way up, starting as a dishwasher at his dad’s restaurant when he was 14. He planned to eventually take over the family business, but when he left Denmark to get experience in hotel management, he fell into private service instead.  He became an Estate Manager in Jupiter, FL, and then a Director of Residences, overseeing 10+ properties at a time.In this conversation, John shares stories of going above and beyond, and his tips for other private service professionals looking to stand out (and maintain a sense of balance at the same time). Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.   And, check out our  workshop, Modern Household Management: How to Streamline Operations for Homes and Estates — designed to help you feel ready take on the operations of any home, prepared for the year ahead, and confident in your ability to manage a growing estate. Save your spot at ninesliving.com/workshop.The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, household management software and services built for discerning households and the private service professionals who support them.

Jean Weiss spent 15 years in entertainment, doing costumes on shows like ER, the West Wing, and Parks and Recreation. Today, as an estate manager, she says her TV career prepared her for private service. Her keen attention to detail and ability to move at lightning speed help her feel ready for anything. In this conversation, Jean shares the story of a recent crisis — and how she was able to navigate it with a cool head and a service heart.Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.   And, check out our upcoming workshop, Modern Household Management: How to Streamline Operations for Homes and Estates — designed to help you feel ready take on the operations of any home, prepared for the year ahead, and confident in your ability to manage a growing estate. Save your spot at ninesliving.com/workshop.The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, household management software and services built for discerning households and the private service professionals who support them.

In a special bonus episode of the Easemakers Podcast, expert estate manager shares steps for getting started with household operations, and her tips for turning chaos into predictable work. In a new household operations workshop starting October 19th, Shelby will dig into the themes she covers in this bonus podcast. Modern Household Management: How to Streamline Operations for Homes and Estates is designed to help you feel ready take on the operations of any home, prepared for the year ahead, and confident in your ability to manage a growing estate. Save your spot at ninesliving.com/workshop.Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.  The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, household management software and services built for discerning households and the private service professionals who support them.

Brianna has spent her entire career in private service — but over the years, she's grown and evolved, right alongside her principals' families. She started out as a nanny and a family assistant, but knew someone needed to take on the role of managing the household. She started taking on more and more, and over time, she became an estate manager. For the last 10 years, she's worked with the same family, but her role has changed completely. In the latest episode of the Easemakers Podcast, Brianna shares the story of how she went from nanny to estate manager, and how she's navigated that growth path while staying with the same principals. Tune in to hear how she and her team brought more structure to the home, and her advice for aspiring estate managers.And, check out our new workshop, Modern Household Management: How to Streamline Operations for Homes and Estates, designed to help you tackle household operations in 3 weeks. Enroll today — class starts October 19!Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.  The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, household management software and services built for discerning households and the private service professionals who support them.

In February, 1981, on his 18th birthday, Chris Ely started his first job out of school: serving as a footman to Queen Elizabeth II.Over the next three years, Chris catered state dinners at Buckingham Palace, learned the intricacies of each of the Queen’s homes, traveled on the royal yacht, and had a front-row seat to history (sometimes, with a view from the Queen’s carriages).Today, as the world mourns the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, Chris shares what it was like to serve at Buckingham Palace, what he learned from watching the Queen, and how his time there affected the rest of his 40 year career in private service.Thank you to Chris for sharing his stories with us!Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis. The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, household management software and services built for discerning households and the private service professionals who support them.

One week, three holiday dinners, no notice. When Holy Week turned into 'hell week,' Latricia Friend made the impossible possible for her principals — and now, she's sharing how she did  it in the latest episode of the Easemakers Podcast.In this conversation, Latricia shares the story of how she was able to juggle three holiday dinners for three different families, all in the same week — with just a few days to plan. We break down how she made it happen, and share takeaways for private service professionals who want to be prepared for anything. Tune in to hear how Latricia navigated her 'mayday' situation, her tips for motivating everyone around you, and why networking can save you when you're under pressure.To hear more from Latricia, be sure to connect with her on LinkedIn, and tune into the 5-Star Service Club on Thursdays at 7:30pm ET. Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis. The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, household management software and services built for discerning households and the private service professionals who support them.

Estate managers and interior designers both want to make their principals happy — so why is it such a challenge to work together? We asked two friends to debate some common scenarios, and to share how they've built a positive working relationship.Peter Van Ryder is the owner of Estate Management Solutions, a placement, recruitment, training, and consulting firm based in Dallas, TX. English Minter is a Dallas-based interior designer, who started working with Peter through a shared client.They've been through it all — a lofty vision from their principal, tight deadlines, and lots of push and pull between their competing priorities. In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, they share stories and lessons learned from their time working together, in hopes of helping you build stronger relationships.Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis. The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, household management software and services built for discerning households and the private service professionals who support them.