Meet Tracey Timpanaro

We recently connected with Tracey Timpanaro and have shared our conversation below.

Tracey, thank you so much for joining us today and appreciate you talking about a sensitive topic. It’s unfortunately relevant to so many in the community as layoffs have been on the rise recently, and so we’d appreciate hearing your story and how you overcame being let go?

The year 2009 was brutal for me. I broke up with my son’s father, got laid off and lost child support. It was terrifying on all levels. My son was 2 1/2, and I knew as a single mom, I would never see him if I took an office job. I had six months’ of expenses in savings at the time, but I decided to start my own company as a communications consultant so I could work from home.

I had zero experience as an entrepreneur, but I had tremendous faith in the universe and myself. Also, I’m pretty sure I worked seven days a week for 10 months straight. I made more money my second year in business than I had ever made working for anyone else. And I didn’t use traditional marketing methods — I just told every single person I knew about my business, and it grew from word of mouth. I ran it very successfully for 15 years, and I absolutely loved the independence and freedom it gave me.

I briefly went back to the corporate world, but it wasn’t a good fit. I recently started a professional organizing business, and I’m glad I have my previous entrepreneurial experience to rely on as I shift into a new industry.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a professional organizer, and I absolutely love what I do. I help people declutter and organize their homes, which reduces their stress exponentially. Helping people makes my heart sing, especially working mothers. There is absolutely no way for them to keep up with everything. It isn’t possible.

People are largely unaware of the effects of clutter on the human brain. It overloads the visual cortex, which means our cognitive abilities are impaired. The emotional processing center is taxed as well, so it releases cortisol, which contributes to anxiety. The prefrontal cortex is constantly evaluating what it sees, so it’s hard for us to be productive. All of these stressors add up and lead us to making poor choices because our brains are so inundated that they can’t function properly.

Many are also not aware of the psychological aspects associated with purging. We have memories — and sometimes childhood issues — tied up in so many of our possessions. I work through the process in a very gentle manner so my clients are able to safely let go of items they no longer need.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The quality that served me the best was belief in the universe and myself, because belief shapes everything. Your thoughts truly do shape the path before you. And it is NOT easy. Doubts and anxiety are always lurking. Very few have the faith to take the entrepreneurial leap. And people do call you crazy, but you have to find a way to believe. I have found Joe Dispenza to be very helpful on this front. I do one of his meditations for 20 minutes every day without fail.

Creativity is also huge, and by that I mean the way you approach every problem that arises. You have to think outside the box sometimes when you’re stumped. Mentors provide great insight: I would highly recommend SCORE, an international association of retired executives who love to help entrepreneurs. They’ve been a great source of support for me over the years.

Confidence. When I first started, I charged way less than what I was worth. Do not make that mistake. Confidence also serves you well when interacting with clients. Others are drawn to those that give off good energy.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

I just heard this advice at a recent meeting of the Women’s Council of Entrepreneurs. It is 100% better to focus on your strengths and delegate tasks where you’re not so adept. If you struggle with something, you’re wasting valuable time that would be better spent making strides in other areas of your business.

For me, this means I’m delegating Facebook advertising, data analytics from my website and anything having to do with technology. It’s much more important for me to focus on getting out in the community and networking. I have a vibrant personality, so the more time I spend with people, the more exposure my business gets.

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Image Credits

Photos to my children

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