When a friend and I started a home-based event decorating, balloon and gift basket delivery business in 1980, nearly everyone said it was a bad idea. The country was languishing in the worst recession in decades with double-digit inflation, sky-high gas prices and record-breaking mortgage rates.

I'm glad we didn't listen. Our sales volume the first year was $50,000. The average annual full-time salary at that time was $12,000. We went on to become an institution in Tallahassee for 10 years and sold franchises in 4 other cities. We were regularly featured in the newspaper and on TV. Our client list included Burt Reynolds, Governor Bob Graham, Brent Musburger and Barry Gibb of the Bee Gee's.

Listen to your heart, not you head. Even in this uncertain economy, we are encouraged by what we hear. For instance...

I just got a great report from a recent class grad. She just made $10,000. on a staging job in a high-end house. She gets about $2000. on her average staging jobs. Yvonne McClure of Pennsylvania, I am so proud of you. Details will be shared in the seminar.

Another grad, you may remember, is an agent who sold her new listing (after staging it) in 22 days after it had been on the market for over 3 years. She then got 4 more listings the next week from the neighbors who saw the "SOLD" sign. Details in the seminar.

Staging Works!!! The one-day Charge-Your-Batteries seminar is coming January 13^th in Jacksonville. All local students should attend.

Mina Shah from the Tony Robbins organization is our key-note speaker. We will record audio for those who cannot attend. You can choose to attend AM only to hear her unbelievable talk. Anyone in any profession would enjoy this speaker. Or stay for lunch and PM session, Staging Strategies for 2010.