Estate Manager Tammy Goforth met her first principals when she worked on the construction of their new home as a landscape architect. They asked her to join their household full time, and she moved into private service, managing countless construction projects over the next 20+ years.Today, as the CEO and Founder of Crown Estate Services, she serves as an owner's representative, overseeing a number of projects for a number of principals. Tune in to this episode of the Easemakers Podcast to hear Tammy break down the A to Z of a construction project for a luxury home, from the idea to the final product. You'll hear her tips for balancing your day to day workload with a major project, what to keep in mind at each stage of the process, and more. Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more expert private service professionals 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.

Christopher Milu never planned on becoming a fractional estate manager. But when his principal suggested he help some of her friends while she was traveling, his career took an unexpected turn.  Today, he runs his own fractional estate management company, MCM Estate Management Services, managing multiple principals, properties, and private service professionals. In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, Christopher shares everything from his daily routine to his advice for anyone thinking about starting a fractional estate management business. Hear how juggling multiple households impacts Christopher's stress level, work-life balance, relationships with his principals, and more.Catch up on season 1 of the Easemakers Podcast to hear from David Gonzalez, Marta Perrone, Peter Van Ryder and more, 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.

Dream of working with a celebrity? Trying to figure out if working for someone in the spotlight is right for you? Estate manager J Paulin worked for one of the biggest names in show business — and weighs in on the pros and cons in our latest episode of the Easemakers Podcast.Fresh out of butler school, J Paulin landed his first job in private service with a Hollywood legend: comedian Bob Hope. To this day, J says the Hopes are still the best principals he's ever worked with, and he continues to use the entertaining tips he learned from Dolores Hope. Tune in to learn what to consider before working with a celebrity, questions to ask during the interview process, and how working with a celebrity can affect everything from your day-to-day workload to your paycheck.Catch up on season 1 of the Easemakers Podcast to hear from David Gonzalez, Marta Perrone, Peter Van Ryder and more, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, the first dynamic household management platform built for discerning households and the private service professionals who support them.

Shelby Boudreau managed a Maine estate as it grew from one property to 16, and learned the role of an estate manager from the ground up. Working in what she calls "the self-employed capital of the United States," she found that independent contractors were key to her success. In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, Shelby shares why treating your vendors like they are employees can be a game changer. Listen to get her tips for building lasting relationships with your vendors, her strategies for bringing new vendors into the fold, and her advice for handling tough situations, including how to react when someone drops the ball.Check out our stories to get more tips for managing your vendors, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs like Shelby on a regular basis. The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, the first dynamic household management platform built for discerning households and the private service professionals who support them.

In 20 years of placing housekeepers, Marta Perrone kept running into the same problem: her clients weren’t instructing housekeepers on how they wanted their households to be run. Today, she helps households overcome this challenge by creating personalized house manuals that give staff members the training they need to be successful, minimize stress for principals and estate managers, and help the entire household run smoothly. In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, Marta shares her tips for building an effective household manual. Listen to hear her secrets for creating a manual that helps everyone on staff meet their principals' expectations, what she can tell about a household just by looking at the laundry room, and why she feels every home — no matter the square footage or number of staff members — needs a manual.Learn more about how Marta is partnering with Nines to help households build smarter, more dynamic household manuals, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, the first dynamic household management platform built for discerning households and the private service professionals who support them.

As the owner of the #1 site for private service job listings, David Gonzalez knows the ins and outs of resume writing, choosing the right references (and deciding who to trust with them), and bridging the gap between candidates and agencies. In this episode, David shares what he's learned in his time as a personal assistant turned recruiter and owner of EstateJobs.com. Listen to hear his secrets for crafting a better resume, his thoughts on why you see "local candidates only" on so many job descriptions (and how you should respond), his advice for sourcing and sharing your references (while protecting your professional contacts), and more. Check out David's book, The Insider's Guide to Household Staffing, to learn more, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, the first all-in-one platform for estate and household management.

Director of Residences Fiona Spence-McNeil is known by her colleagues as the "Fiona whisperer" — but she earned her reputation as an effective communicator after years of hard work. She says becoming a better communicator rests on your ability to listen. In this episode, Fiona shares her strategies to help her fellow estate managers, including:How to talk someone down from a "10" so you can have a calm, productive conversationHow to communicate with everyone, from an entry-level housekeeper to your principalHer go-to acronym for dealing with tough conversationsWant to connect with other estate managers like Fiona on a regular basis? Join the conversation in the Easemakers community.The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, the first all-in-one platform for estate and household management.

As a private service professional turned recruiter, Peter Van Ryder knows the ins and outs of the job search process. In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, Peter shares his top tips for estate managers and private service professionals looking for not just their next role, but the right role. Listen to hear his insights on:Common mistakes PSPs make during the job search process — and how to avoid themGhosting, and what you should know about rejection emailsAha moments after transitioning from estate management to recruitingPeter started his career working in hotels, hospitality and technology before finding his true passion in private service. After two decades working in private homes, he decided he wanted to fill a gap in the industry by educating private service professionals. He launched Estate Management Solutions in 2010. Today, he offers a weekend course, The Essentials of Household & Estate Management, as well as placement services and household staffing. He also hosts the Five Star Service Club with Latricia Friend on Clubhouse.Want to connect with other estate managers about navigating the job search process? Join the conversation in the Easemakers community.The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, the modern platform for streamlining household management. 

After 20 years in private service, veteran estate manager Kimberly Varney noticed a disconnect in how people across the industry understand the role of an estate manager. The lack of a standardized definition makes it difficult to write and decipher job descriptions and to find the right job (or the right hire). And without enough opportunities for connection and professional development in estate management, how will we fix these problems? This question led Kimberly to launch the Estate Management Network, and to plan the Estate Management Conference on January 29, 2022. In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, you'll hear why Kimberly saw the need for a state of the industry conference, and how she hopes it will drive change for estate managers.Want to share your own thoughts about driving change in estate management? Join the conversation in the Easemakers community.The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, the modern platform for streamlining household management. 

How do you build a great team, help employees grow, and hold onto your best private service professionals? We asked Director of Residences Jared Miles to share what he's learned about managing people in his 24 year career in private service. Want to share your own tips for leading a team with other estate managers? Join the conversation in the Easemakers community.The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, the modern platform for streamlining household management.