Formidable Woman Magazine’s “POWER 20” Online Magazine spotlights 20 accomplished women making extraordinary strides in their industries. These women inspire the next woman to be bold, to be unapologetic, to be great!
Photo Credit: Brandy Autry
FWM: Who is Barbara and what is your superpower?
My business name is Barbara Hemphill. To my family and many friends, I am Barbara Taylor, wife of a retired Army Colonel. We have been married for 34 years, and I have three adopted children, two stepchildren, and four grandchildren. I started my business 42 years ago with a $7 ad in a New York City newspaper. People often ask me, “When are you going to retire?” I recently saw a sign that read, “I’m not retired. I’m just getting started.” That’s my sentiment exactly!
In 1978, my first husband and I moved to New York City from New Delhi, where we had adopted three orphaned children. Money was tight, but a traditional job was not an option because I wanted the flexibility to put my family first. A course at Riverside Church in New York City led me to a seminar based on a new book written by Stephanie Winston, Getting Organized. Everything she talked about I did, because my parents had already taught me, but daily observations made it clear many people didn’t have that blessing. I put an ad in a local newspaper: “Disorganized? I organize closets, files, kitchens. You name it. Barbara Hemphill”
Shortly after we moved to Washington, D.C., I went to the Small Business Administration for help with my business. Their response was, “Organizing homes is not a business.” Fortunately, I didn’t believe them. So, I would have to say my “superpower” is persistence.
FWM: What has been the greatest challenge and how have you overcome it?
My biggest challenge was creating an industry for which there were no role models. I spoke wherever I could find a platform – PTAs, church groups, and garden clubs to promote my business. I quickly realized that paper was the most overwhelming organizing challenge. Clients always had questions about how long to keep bank statements, expired insurance policies, tax papers, and how to organize recipes, memorabilia, and photographs. I didn’t always know the answer to questions such as “How long do you keep bank statements?” so I went to the library to find a book with the answer. I didn’t find one. I found it surprising since it didn’t matter whether you made $18,000/yr or $800,000/yr, you still needed to know the answer to that question. I wrote one! So Taming the Paper Tiger was born! (It is now published as Organizing Paper @Home: What to Toss and How to Find the Rest!)
The premise of the book was, “Clutter is postponed decisions®.” Those four words became the foundation of my first company, Barbara Hemphill Associates, which (after six other business names!) today is Productive Environment Institute.
As Taming the Paper Tiger became a bestseller, I became known as the “Paper Tiger Lady.” My wardrobe, accessories, and even my home became full of tiger and jungle motifs. Once I was boarding an airplane, and a gentleman tapped me on the shoulder and asked, “Are you the Paper Tiger Lady?” “I am,” I replied. “How did you know,” I asked. He replied, “I heard your voice (he used the software based on my book, which included audio) and saw your suitcase.”
As we entered the digital age, I backed away from “paper tiger,” because I didn’t want to appear old-fashioned. As a company, we were helping people with their paper and their digital information. I hired Shekina Moore to update my wardrobe from the tiger motifs to vibrant colors that reflected my new mission.
In 2014, I wrote a new book, Less Clutter More Life, based on my experience with clients revealing that the real cause of paper and digital clutter is emotion. If you do a Google search on “Clutter is postponed decisions,” you discover that people who quote it add a disclaimer to the phrase – “just postponed decisions,” or “simply postponed decisions.” The result? Those people who struggle with clutter feel even worse!
People often ask us, “What should I do?” That’s the wrong question. Instead, ask, “What WILL I do?” Organizing is an art form without a “right” or “wrong” way to do it. If your vision for what your life could be like without the clutter is powerful enough, there is always a way to get there. The longer you wait, the longer it will take, and the more it will cost in lost opportunities. Why wait?
FWM: You’re a serious BOSS! Tell us, what are you working on and what’s next for you?
That question brings me full circle. If you look up the definition of “paper tiger” in Wikipedia, you will find this definition: “Paper tiger” is a literal English translation of the Chinese phrase zhilaohu (纸老虎／紙老虎). The term refers to something or someone that claims or appears to be powerful or threatening but is ineffectual and unable to withstand challenge.
Productive Environment Institute believes clutter is a “paper tiger.” The first step to “taming your paper tiger”–eliminating your clutter in any form, whether physical, digital, emotional, or spiritual–is to identify your “why.” Organizing has no value. It is a skill to help you accomplish your work and enjoy your life.
In Proverbs, we read, Without a vision, the people perish. When an individual–or an organization–is clear about its purpose, clearing the clutter becomes less painful. If you are not clear about your purpose, removing the physical, digital, emotional, or spiritual clutter is a great way to figure it out. When using our five-step Productive Environment Process and implementing the framework we offer, clutter is a “paper tiger.”
Most of our Certified Productive Environment Specialists (CPESs) have focused on helping individuals and small businesses. The next frontier focuses on medium-sized companies (20-500 employees) with leaders who want their employees to accomplish their work AND enjoy their lives! Your ability to achieve any task or goal relates directly to your ability to find what you need when you need it. An Adobe study revealed that one of every five employees is looking for something (a piece of equipment, a form, an e-mail, an attachment) to do their job. Your ability to accomplish any task or goal relates directly to your ability to find what you need when you need it. Productive Environment Institute can help companies create and implement SYSTEMs (Saving You Space Time Energy Money) to ensure that every employee can find what they need when they need it. The result is an increase in profit, productivity, and peace of mind.
For a free webinar “Taming the Paper Tiger in the Digital Age,” go to www.TameYourPaperTiger.com
To join our free community: www.ProductiveEnvironmentNetwork.com
For more information: www.ProductiveEnvironment.com
Barbara can be reached at barbara@barbarahemphill.com 919-349-9247
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/productive-environment-institute
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barbara.hemphill.73
Twitter: barbhemphill
About Barbara
Barbara Hemphill, author of Taming the Paper Tiger, is founder of Productive Environment Institute, with offices in Raleigh and Carolina Beach, NC, and a team of Certified Productive Environment Specialists who work virtually worldwide. Their passion is to help individuals accomplish their work, enjoy their lives, and help businesses increase profit, productivity, and peace of mind. Barbara’s most recent book is Less Clutter More Life.
