The Easemakers Podcast

Edgardo Roman Bolaños and Teresa Vanderford have service hearts, times two. Both Roman and Teresa combined their backgrounds in private service with careers in military service.As enlisted aides, they supported Air Force generals with everything from travel and uniform preparation to household management and entertaining. Now, they're sharing what they learned in years of supporting top-ranked military leaders on the latest episode of the Easemakers Podcast. Tune in to hear the similarities and differences between being an enlisted aide and a civilian private service professional, and lessons learned from a career in private service within military service.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.

When Kelly Cooper made the switch from hospitality to concierge services, she was surprised to find that her clients all shared a similar set of challenges — and they all revolved around their homes. Today, Kelly handles everything from vendor management to "Sunday services" so her clients can enjoy every minute of their time at the lake, without any hassle. Tune in to hear Kelly's tips for managing second homes, her lessons learned from working with vendors and staff in a tourist town, and her advice to homeowners and estate managers overseeing seasonal properties from afar. 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.

When Bonnie Low-Kramen looks back on her 25 years working as the Personal Assistant to Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis, she wishes she'd had better backup. Today, Bonnie is an advocate and coach for other private service professionals, and in the latest episode of the Easemakers Podcast, she's sharing what she's learned about how to prevent burnout by getting PSPs the backup they need. Tune in to hear her take on who's responsible for fixing burnout and creating systems for backup, why she's a big fan of household manuals and user manuals for people, and what she thinks every principal needs to hear. 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. Plus, hear more from Bonnie in her TEDx Talk, The Real Reasons People Quit, and her article, You've Got Their Back, Who's Got Yours?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 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.