As we focus on relationship-building this year, and continue to have our chapter meetings on Zoom, we're eager to offer our members opportunities to connect in person. We think having "neighborhood groups" that can meet occasionally for coffee could be a great way to build community and share local info.

Hosted by Liina Oksanen, Organizing Mode LLC

Our Coffee Chats are open to anyone.

We pride ourselves on being a cohesive, positive, enthusiastic group. Brainstorming and idea sharing are encouraged. All meetings begin on time with the intention of ending on time, and we abide by the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) Anti-Trust Compliance Policy during all chapter events. NAPO expects attendees to take responsibility themselves for following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and their local health officials, on measures to reduce infection from COVID-19 and to protect against severe complications. Click here to read NAPO's COVID policy in full.

Our coffee chats are a way for our organizers and Business Partners to connect in person by region while our chapter meetings are on Zoom. They are an opportunity to get/share advice, network, and build relationships. 

Our Coffee Chats are open to anyone including people not in NAPO. You can attend 2 coffee chats if not a NAPO member, but then will be required to join NAPO and our chapter to continue to participate.

We pride ourselves on being a cohesive, positive, enthusiastic group. Brainstorming and idea sharing are encouraged. All meetings begin on time with the intention of ending on time, and we abide by the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) Anti-Trust Compliance Policy during all chapter events.

Our coffee chats are a way for our organizers and Business Partners to connect in person by region while our chapter meetings are on Zoom. They are an opportunity to get/share advice, network, and build relationships. 

Our Coffee Chats are open to anyone including people not in NAPO. You can attend 2 coffee chats if not a NAPO member, but then will be required to join NAPO and our chapter to continue to participate.

We pride ourselves on being a cohesive, positive, enthusiastic group. Brainstorming and idea sharing are encouraged. All meetings begin on time with the intention of ending on time, and we abide by the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) Anti-Trust Compliance Policy during all chapter events.

ADHD: What Organizers Need to Know

Event Info

Overview

Adults with ADHD are more likely to seek the services of a professional organizer and also more likely to struggle to implement strategies between organizing sessions. This can be demoralizing for both the client and the organizer. Fortunately, an ADHD-informed organizer can apply more effective strategies which will not only benefit your client but also make the work more fulfilling. We will discuss how ADHD impacts clients’ abilities to organize their lives, how it may show up in their work with you, and offer strategies to help them manage their ADHD more effectively. We will also discuss how to suggest that a client seek an evaluation and/or other treatment for their ADHD.

After this presentation attendees will be able to:

1. Identify clients who would benefit from further evaluation for ADHD
2. Explain how ADHD impacts clients’ ability to organize their life
3. Apply more effective strategies based on an understanding of ADHD

Speaker: Ari Tuckman

Ari Tuckman, PsyD, MBA is a psychologist, international presenter, author of five books on ADHD, and ADHD thought leader. He has presented for NAPO National and many chapters over the years as well as Denslow Brown's Coach Approach Training Institute and serves on the Research Advisory Committee for ICD.

Fees

Our coffee chats are a way for our organizers and Business Partners to connect in person by region while our chapter meetings are on Zoom. They are an opportunity to get/share advice, network, and build relationships. 

Our Coffee Chats are open to anyone including people not in NAPO. You can attend 2 coffee chats if not a NAPO member, but then will be required to join NAPO and our chapter to continue to participate.

We pride ourselves on being a cohesive, positive, enthusiastic group. Brainstorming and idea sharing are encouraged. All meetings begin on time with the intention of ending on time, and we abide by the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) Anti-Trust Compliance Policy during all chapter events.

Our coffee chats are a way for our organizers and Business Partners to connect in person by region while our chapter meetings are on Zoom. They are an opportunity to get/share advice, network, and build relationships. 

Our Coffee Chats are open to anyone including people not in NAPO. You can attend 2 coffee chats if not a NAPO member, but then will be required to join NAPO and our chapter to continue to participate.

We pride ourselves on being a cohesive, positive, enthusiastic group. Brainstorming and idea sharing are encouraged. All meetings begin on time with the intention of ending on time, and we abide by the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) Anti-Trust Compliance Policy during all chapter events.

"Sticky Situation," a crowd-sourced meeting!

Event Info

Overview

Each of us has worked with clients where challenges of all varieties arise: personal items were accidentally found; awkward interactions and miscommunications occurred; boundaries were stepped on, etc.

In this interactive meeting, you’ll learn about the resiliency and creativity of your fellow WA STATE members as we explore a variety of sticky situations we’ve found ourselves in as professional organizers. There’s more than one way to manage them, and we’ll discuss these ways in small groups and then come together in the larger group to share.

Come to learn, share strategies, and understand how your own unique skills serve you and your clients. 

Attendees will learn

How might you have handled the situations we explore? 

Which of your many skills might come in handy to manage clients, their situations and expectations?

What strategies support you and your clients during your work together?

Speaker

This is a WA STATE NAPO group meeting where all of us will have a chance to share wisdom and strategies to support ourselves and our clients.

Fees

Members: Free
Guests: $30

Our coffee chats are a way for our organizers and Business Partners to connect in person by region while our chapter meetings are on Zoom. They are an opportunity to get/share advice, network, and build relationships. 

Our Coffee Chats are open to anyone including people not in NAPO. You can attend 2 coffee chats if not a NAPO member, but then will be required to join NAPO and our chapter to continue to participate.

We pride ourselves on being a cohesive, positive, enthusiastic group. Brainstorming and idea sharing are encouraged. All meetings begin on time with the intention of ending on time, and we abide by the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) Anti-Trust Compliance Policy during all chapter events.

Our coffee chats are a way for our organizers and Business Partners to connect in person by region while our chapter meetings are on Zoom. They are an opportunity to get/share advice, network, and build relationships. 

Our Coffee Chats are open to anyone including people not in NAPO. You can attend 2 coffee chats if not a NAPO member, but then will be required to join NAPO and our chapter to continue to participate.

We pride ourselves on being a cohesive, positive, enthusiastic group. Brainstorming and idea sharing are encouraged. All meetings begin on time with the intention of ending on time, and we abide by the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) Anti-Trust Compliance Policy during all chapter events.

Our coffee chats are a way for our organizers and Business Partners to connect in person by region while our chapter meetings are on Zoom. They are an opportunity to get/share advice, network, and build relationships. 

Our Coffee Chats are open to anyone including people not in NAPO. You can attend 2 coffee chats if not a NAPO member, but then will be required to join NAPO and our chapter to continue to participate.

We pride ourselves on being a cohesive, positive, enthusiastic group. Brainstorming and idea sharing are encouraged. All meetings begin on time with the intention of ending on time, and we abide by the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) Anti-Trust Compliance Policy during all chapter events.

When the House Holds the Grief: the Weight of our Things and Pathways to Letting Go

Event Info

Overview

After loss, the home often becomes the place where grief shows up the most. Clients may struggle to make decisions, feel overwhelmed by everyday items, or avoid spaces altogether. In this session, based on Julie Martella’s book "The Weight of Our Things", participants will learn how grief affects the brain and why letting go of possessions can feel so difficult. The session explores how the home becomes a physical reflection of grief and how that shows up during organizing work. Julie shares practical language, steady pacing, and clear pathways that help clients move from stuck to forward motion, so organizers can support progress without pressure while still respecting what the client is carrying.

Attendees will learn

1. How grief affects the brain and decision-making: Participants will learn why grieving clients may struggle with focus, motivation, and follow-through, and why being “stuck” is often a result of overwhelm rather than resistance.
2. How grief shows up through the home and possessions: Participants will understand why everyday items can carry emotional weight after loss and how the physical environment often reflects what a client is experiencing internally.
3. How to create pathways to forward motion: Participants will learn practical language and simple strategies that help clients move from stuck to action, including how to approach sorting and letting go in a way that feels manageable and respectful.
   

Speaker: Julie Martella

Julie Martella is an author, speaker, and resilience strategist, and the founder of Navigating Widowhood. Her work focuses on the real-life process of rebuilding after loss and major life disruption, including decision-making, life transitions, and the emotional weight that often shows up in the home. Drawing from lived experience and years of supporting widowed individuals, Julie offers practical tools and language that help people move from overwhelm to forward motion. 

Fees

Members: Free
Guests: $30