The RESA International Conference is the only one of its kind focused on providing stagers (RESA and non-RESA members included) with personal and professional development opportunities. The entire conference is dedicated to YOU. CLICK HERE for further details.

With the industry growing leaps and bounds, this is the perfect opportunity to:

■ Learn how to take your business to the next level
■ Learn what it takes to become a leader
■ Hear first-hand what the industry leaders are doing
■ Understand what it takes to “close” the deal
■ How to give a presentation
■ Learn how to market your business
■ Meet vendor partners who are there to support YOU!

When I read this quote by The Dali Lama I was blown away.
Read what he says …

“The world will be saved by the western woman.”

Can you believe that? Pretty inspiring don’t you think? I’m sure you’ve noticed more and more women are becoming successful on a huge scale of late. Do you want to be one of them?

This is why Dr. Ellie Drake is offering a wonderful on-line series called the *Summer Extravaganza for Women*. It’s already attracting a ton of attention – at last count, over 5000 women have signed up for it!

As I mentioned the other day, I have been working with Ellie and her team in putting this event together and truly believe it would make a huge impact on you if you participate.

On Tuesday, we heard Gloria Loring candidly share how she felt growing up in an alcoholic family and the effects that had on her into adulthood. Tonight we’ll be listening to Debra Wilson from MadTV, I can only imagine what she will share!

Other celebrities are coming up over the next 6 weeks like Leeza Gibbons, Mariel Hemmingway, Marla Maples, Lisa Nichols of ‘The Secret’ fame and many more.

Sign up here before tonight’s call at 6pm PST
(don’t worry, the calls are recorded and available for 24 hours after if you miss it.

Some of what you’ll discover when you attend the Summer Extravaganza are:

==> How ONE SIMPLE SHIFT IN YOUR AWARENESS produces
astronomically more results in less time, with less
effort (you’ll be astonished at how productive you are
with this devastatingly easy change);

==> How the thoughts of successful WOMEN LEADERS ARE
DIFFERENT from the thoughts of average women (and how
those differences play out in all personal and
professional achievements);

==> How to banish useless energy like GUILT, SHAME,
and REGRET from your brain so you can stop beating
yourself up (women in particular play out negative
emotions over and over in their heads, making them
feel horrible);

==> How to buck the PROCRASTINATION PATTERN any of us
can slip into (you can’t step up to being your
strongest self if you can’t get stuff done);

==> How to INSTANTLY shift your attitude to transform
your personal ability to lead and inspire (moods and
emotions don’t have to control your destiny);

==> How to easily break down and dissect the steps of
TRUE PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL, and GLOBAL FULFILLMENT
(it’s shockingly simple when it’s laid out for you);

==> How to ‘DETOX’ areas of your life today so you can
realize your dreams and get out of your own way (break
the cycle of repeating habits that don’t serve you anymore);

==> How to quickly discover your ‘LIFE PURPOSE’ and
put it into action (the BraveHeart Community is
tailored for meaningful connections and insights);

==> How to easily uncover and OVERCOME BLIND SPOTS
that hold you back from being your most magnificent
self (all too often it is US holding ourselves back);

Why are you still reading this? Go on and sign up for the Summer Extravaganza for Women right now!
You’ll thank me for it!
Get details here

Sincerely,

Dana J. Smithers

P.S. Remember, the cost for registering for the Summer Extravaganza is 100% F*R*E*E of charge! http://bit.ly/BHWfreeteleseries

P.P.S. Women don’t have to do it ALL anymore and finally there is place they can go to learn how to create with ease!
http://bit.ly/BHWfreeteleseries

P.P.P.S. Please let others know about this opportunity you think can benefit! http://bit.ly/BHWfreeteleseries

The local RESA meeting earlier this week was hosted by Dawn Rockhill of The Staging Goddess. About 15 interested home stagers from all different associations got together to work towards the common goal of creating the local Metro Vancouver chapter.

Heather Kleim of Epic Empire Designs invited Louise Edwards known as the ‘Godmother of the Downtown Eastside’ to see what we could do as a group to transform the living space for about 30 women of Sereena House. The home is badly in need of furniture, stove and other things.

The response was fantastic and the next steps will be to get a list from Louise and her contact Sarah, as to what they need so we can provide that to them. If you want to follow us in our journey check out Meet Up – Metro Vancouver RESA.

PRES members recognize the importance of taking further educational courses to continue to expand their service offerings. They gain more confidence by learning and doing which is what all the PRES professional development courses offer.

A PRES professional development Client Colour Consultation course is being offered in the Lower Mainland to any professional wanting to learn more about how to do a client colour consultation.

In the course students will learn how to conduct a professional colour consultation with your clients. You will be introduced to decorating guidelines for colour schemes and learn the latest colour trends according to Benjamin Moore. This course will boost your confidence in adding to your existing services list!

Course Outline:
• How Colour affects us
• Design Guidelines for Colour Schemes
• Colour Schemes and Decorating Styles
• Colour Trends
• How do to a Client Colour Consultation

SPECIAL BONUS:You will receive your own Interior Design Colour Wheel! and there is a draw for a ‘FREE GALLON OF BENJAMIN MOORE AURA PAINT’!!!

Date: Saturday June 19, 2010
Time: 10am to 5pm
Location: John Braithwaite Community Centre 145 West 1st Street North Vancouver

2 SPOTS LEFT!!! There is still time to register on line. PRES members cost is $197 and non-members $247.

The home staging industry does not have a regulating body in North America. An organization called RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) is hoping to change that. RESA was founded in California and is slowly making its way across Canada.

From the website: RESA is a member governed trade association for Home Stagers. RESA was formed in order to support all professional real estate stagers also known as home stagers in North America. RESA is a portal to the home staging industry and is a source of education and business tools focusing on the needs of home stagers. Members have access to up-to-date information relative to the home staging industry, marketing support services and access to home staging continuing education providers.

Ontario has some Member Chapters and British Columbia is on the move! Kym Tarr of ShoeString Interior Home Staging in Kelowna is the BC Chapter President and the Metro Vancouver team is just putting things into place to start their chapter officially in the fall 2010. Heather Kleim of Epic Empire Designs and Heather Stewart of HS Home Staging hosted an informal meeting last night. It was well attended and there was a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm about moving forward.

If you are not familiar with RESA and you are a home stager, a realtor, mortgage broker, inspector or another industry related professional you are welcome to join! If you are interested contact Heather Kleim.

The PRES Vancouver Area members were treated to a workshop with Contemporary Feng Shui expert Mark Ainley. Mark has been studying Feng Shui for many years and was introduced to Western Feng Shui through Rhea Peake. Mark terms his Feng Shui ‘Contemporary Feng Shui’. He does consulting work in Japan and ‘contemporary’ works much better for that client group!

Mark introduced the PRES Members to the 5 Elements of Feng Shui:

1. Earth
2. Fire
3. Wood
4. Metal
5. Water

It was fascinating to learn how to apply the 5 elements when we are staging a home, or doing a home makeover for living. By using at least 3 out of the 5 elements you can create balance and harmony in a space.

Feng Shui is a very deep subject and if you really want to become an expert in it take a look at some of the courses that Mark and others offers. Knowing a little about Feng Shui is better than not knowing anything about it. While it is growing in popularity in North America, like home staging the public needs to be educated on it.

Mark and PRES Founder & Creator Dana J. Smithers recorded a live webinar for PRES members outside the Vancouver Area to listen to.

PRES stagers are brilliant in using trade shows as part of their marketing strategy! Trade shows are a great marketing strategy and while they do take time, money and energy the pay off can be huge IF you follow up! The best time for trade shows is in the spring and fall. There are industry specific trade shows with realtors and stagers and then the Home & Garden shows are a terrific way for PRES stagers to promote their business.

Earlier this year PRES stagers Deena Cottingham of Green Apple Staging and Janet Voth of Designing Spacez both servicing the Calgary area had a tremendous response with visitors to their booths.

PRES stagers on the West Coast have been active in a number of real estate trade shows and Sally Weatherley of Exit Stage Right was involved with the BC Real Estate Convention trade show held April 8th & 9th. She set up a fantastic looking booth and had a colleague Gita Wood help her out one morning.

Lois North of Lois Interiors attended the trade show and passed out her marketing materials such as her information packages and business cards. That’s a terrific strategy and one that is ‘FREE’. It involves your time and energy and is well worth it.

The key to any successful marketing strategy like a trade show is of course FOLLOW UP! PRES Stagers will have a draw for a ‘free’ staging consultation or perhaps a ‘free’ power stage or even as much as a ‘free home staging job’!

Sally Weatherley of Exit Stage Right bumped into fellow PRES member Irene Huva of Interior Deco at the Vancouver Urban Barn Red Sofa Event. Sally said she had the best time at Urban Barn and loves their new look. Urban Barn’s furniture style matches Exit Stage Right’s home staging style: Contemporary, comfortable, unpretentious, sophisticated, reasonably priced. This is a perfect look for the young urban target market buyer, particularly for condos.

After 20 years, the flagship furniture store has had a complete make over, and now has a clean, contemporary look. The store decided to reconfigure their furniture pieces in order to display them as if they were sitting in an actual room. Small vignettes are found all around the store, so that buyers can imagine how pieces of furniture would be displayed in their home. As a home stager Sally can relate!!!

To celebrate the re-opening of their new and improved store, Urban Barn literally rolled out the red carpet and invited the local design community. There was a real creative buzz as invitees commented favourably on the space and its contents. There was also a write up in the Vancouver Sun today regarding Urban Barn’s successful event.

As a Vancouver home stager and owner of Exit Stage Right, Sally has purchased many items at Urban Barn, usually accessories, artwork, lamps and side tables. She had been lusting after a particular coffee table for awhile now. It is made up of interesting overlapping circles, and is the perfect size for staging a condo. To her extreme delight, the furniture designer and General Merchandise Manager for Urban Barn, Sebastien Fauteux, was also in attendance. She had an interesting conversation with him, learning how he worked the cardboard mock-up for the coffee table, at the manufacturer in Thailand, before arriving at the delicious finished product.

Another highlight of the evening was listening the handsome, uber cool CEO and President of Urban Barn, Rick Bohonis. His message was that it’s time to change, but not change the product. It is just a question of making the product stand out more. Celebrity designer, Janette Ewan also discussed some of the green aspects of Urban Barn’s furniture, and also pointed out her favourite sofa, and mine, the elegant, Hollywood chic Moma sofa.

Now is the time to take your ‘leap of faith’ and sign up for this intensive 5 day professional staging and redesign course offered March 22nd in the Vancouver area. A tentative class is scheduled for late April in Victoria BC with instructor Dana J. Smithers.

The prestigious PRES course teaches classroom theory AND hands-on staging and redesign in real client’s homes. This is a must-do to gain your confidence and validate your abilities!

Graduates of the PRES program love what they are doing and loved the course, support and follow up they receive. Here are a few testimonials:

“I have known Dana Smithers for over two years through her Interior Redesign & Home Staging program at PRES Staging Resource Centre. When I first met Dana I was really taken back with the support that I received. Taking this program, I was now entering a new part of my life and it was a little scary, but the support I received from Dana and some of the other students was wonderful. I have continued to get education on Home Staging and Interior Redesigning from PRES with the monthly meetings. Dana has kept me up to date with the new trends and continues to educate me with these monthly programs offered through PRES.

Dana will always be on my speed dial. I remember when I had to do my first empty Home Staging quote I phoned Dana………”what do I do” she said to me Dianne first of all breathe…..you can do this your a “Great Stager”. Thinking to myself, yeah why panic, I sat back in my chair and thought Dana is right “I am a Great Stager” and thanks to Dana I know I am a “Great Stager” she gave me the confidence I needed to follow my dream.
I AM NOW DOING MY DREAM JOB… and I’m a GREAT INTERIOR REDESIGNER & HOME STAGER Thanks Dana
Dianne Boutilier of Focal Point Redesigns

If you are still unsure about taking that ‘leap of faith’ and living your dream of becoming a Home Stager, then please join me LIVE for the PRES Staging Webinar on Thursday February 18, 2010 from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM Pacific Standard Time. I will go through the PRES home staging AND redesign course and answer any questions you may have!

You will also receive a SPECIAL OFFER just by joining the webinar!

All you need is your computer and your phone. Make sure all your programs are closed except your internet and you will get a better connection.

FOLLOW THESE STEPS:

1. On Thursday night go to your computer and CLICK or Cut and Paste this link in your internet browser:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/join/575894843

2. Phone in to get on the webinar call and listen to the prompts:

Dial +1 416 900 1165

Access Code: 575-894-843

Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting (if you are calling in my phone you just press #the two digit pin number#)

Meeting ID: 575-894-843

On the webinar you will have an opportunity to ask questions and find out answers to any questions you may have. I look forward to talking with you!

You will only receive a SPECIAL OFFER by joining the webinar!