Blog

In addition to actually doing the organizing, another of Angie’s passions is writing about organizing.

She has been writing a blog on organizing ever since Shipshape Solutions launched in 2016. Most of the blog posts were also published as monthly newspaper articles in the Kingsport Times-News and Johnson City Press.

To access the Shipshape Solutions Blog, you can either:

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Angie Hyche 4/9/19 Angie Hyche 4/9/19

I Love NAPO!

From Thursday, April 4 to Sunday, April 7, Laurie and I were thrilled to meet with hundreds of professional organizers from around the country (and around the world) for the annual convention of NAPO (National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals) in Fort Worth, Texas. What an amazing weekend!

Angie Hyche 5/15/18 Angie Hyche 5/15/18

Reflections on my First NAPO Conference

On a Sunday afternoon at the end of April, I was on a plane headed home. As always, there was a safety video playing with detailed instructions about how to operate your seat belt, the importance of identifying the closest exit (“keeping in mind that the closest exit may be behind you”), and how to find an inflatable lifejacket in the unlikely event of an emergency. Since my husband and I love to travel, I have watched this video and listened to this message countless times. But that day, I was particularly inspired by one of the opening lines of the video. “At Delta, we believe a good trip is not about the destination, but about the people you meet along the way.” I couldn’t agree more.

Angie Hyche 11/2/17 Angie Hyche 11/2/17

Why "Shipshape Solutions" ?

Starting a business is a pretty overwhelming task. There are so many decisions to make, and the To Do list is overwhelming. As I think back to the summer of 2016 when I was working on starting my organizing business, one of the most difficult decisions I had to make was choosing a company name. I wanted it to be something unique, and with hundreds of organizing businesses in the country, that wouldn’t necessarily be easy. I wanted a name that could somehow relate to a logo. I thought about it for months, sought ideas from family and friends, looked at lists of organizing companies, and was still stumped.

Angie Hyche 9/13/17 Angie Hyche 9/13/17

Doing a Good Job: It's the Little Things

My husband Eric shared a quote with me recently that I can’t seem to get off my mind. So I finally decided to spend a little more time reflecting on what I might be able to learn from it and how I might be able to inspire others by sharing it. The quote is from Kyle Richter, CEO of a software company called MartianCraft, and it was shared during his presentation at the 360iDev Conference in Denver this past August. “There’s a big difference between being good at your job and being good at doing your job.”

I think this principle is true regardless of the field of work. Every field of work has a primary task or set of tasks that takes up most of the time and focus. But there are also a myriad of other responsibilities inherent in any job. You can be the absolute best at that primary task, but if you neglect the others, your overall performance (and sometimes the entire company) suffers.

Angie Hyche 5/2/17 Angie Hyche 5/2/17

My "Organized" Does Not Equal Your "Organized"

When you walk into a space, can you tell whether it’s organized simply by looking at it? Consider the following example of two offices. When you enter Office A, you see a clear desk, a clean floor, bookshelves with matching baskets neatly arranged, tasteful decor on the walls, and a file cabinet with labeled drawers. Office B looks completely different. The desk is covered with stacks of papers. There are several piles of books and binders on the floor, along with a a tower of milk crates filled with items. The bookshelves have collections of mismatched baskets and boxes, and giant Post-It notes with sloppy handwriting line the walls. Which office would you say is organized? In this example, I think we would all assume that Office A is much more organized.

Angie Hyche 8/10/16 Angie Hyche 8/10/16

Shipshape Solutions Officially Launched

I’m a sucker for a great quote. But for several years, when I would read inspirational quotes like the ones above, I would cringe just a little because I knew that I had a dream I wanted to pursue, but I was too afraid to take that first step. Today is especially significant for me, because it officially marks the public declaration of finally taking that step.