Nov 16, 20124 min read

Kathryn Applies Maeve's Method to her New Home Office

Executive Coach Kathryn uses Maeve's Method to #makeover her home office.

I first met Kathryn Mayer, CEO of executive coaching firm KC Mayer Consulting, Inc., a few months before she and her husband made a lifestyle shift moving from a dark, pre-war one-bedroom on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to a larger, brighter, newly renovated luxury condo in a landmark building in Midtown.

I love working with clients preparing for a move, as the act of packing up provides a unique opportunity to think fresh about one's needs. And to ask oneself, do I use this? Do I need this? Do I want this in my new home, or am ready to release and let go? #releaseandletgo

In Kathryn’s case, I was particularly excited, as Kathryn runs her business from home. This meant that Kathryn, for the first time since her launch, she'd have a dedicated office space from which to run her firm.

Before packing, Kathryn and I did a Home IQ in her old home. She articulated the following professional goals: #HomeIQ #goals

To increase productivity
To not #clutter up the new office
To make a space that’s appealing, functional, and efficient

And as we began to #organize her desk and workspace, we further refined her goals:

To put #books around me because they inspire me #inspiration
To hide all the binders because they don’t inspire me
To have a success board that is in front of me that motivates me
To put my tennis photos near by as they inspire me

A month later, later Kathryn and her husband made their move. She set up the new office using Maeve’s Method to guide her along, then asked me to stop to help her refine her #systems. When I got there, I found Kathryn in amazing shape! When I asked her about the secret to success Kathryn said:

"The move forced me to get rid of stuff I didn’t need and organize stuff that I did. Lots of little things added up: I downsized to one jar of pens. I organized the supplies and files into 'Like Things'.... You encouraged me to start fresh, so I did."

Kathryn had also put in place many of my Maeve's Method concept, and I could not be more proud of her progress and success.

Kathryn showed me her new setup. For the first time in her professional life she now has a dedicated workspace at home.

She asked the architect/designer to create open shelving in her office, so she could easily see and access her professional reference materials.

I previously taught Kathryn that it is OK to mix and match the personal with the professional. She leaned into this advice by scattering personal items that make her smile, like a doll and photographs, onto her shelves to making the office fun. #displaywhatyoulove

And fun extended to her inspiration board. As she told me,

"The color draws me eye and reminds me of my goals."

And Aspirations...

And Plans.

money, money, money!

I also taught her to embrace layering. Layering allows us to showcase items we enjoy looking at, like inspiration books or photos...

While tucking important but less attractive items, like reference books, in the back.

We also discussed stacking books creatively, with some stacked on their sides. This allows viewers to see inspiring titles, while also acting as a sturdy bookend.

Kathryn also leaned in to one of my favorite Maeve's Method concept, Store it With Style. This is when we jazz up any item, area or space with things that make us smile. In this case, she brightened up a boring office caddy with a favorite Ski Like a Girl sticker. As Kathryn said, "I love this sticker. It makes me smile year-round."

Same with a favorite inspirational cup, I encouraged Kathryn to place it front and center in her space.

And even her file folders, Kathryn and I talked about how the color "pop" makes getting inside dry work folders all that more fun.

I was also thrilled to find Kathryn awash in a sea of mirrors, bright lights and color. Kathryn confidently combined her style – to be surrounded by #memorabilia and inspirational items – with my ideas on how to best to display visuals so they support, rather than detract from a professional environment.

As we wrapped, Kathryn shared reflections on the process. She said, "What stuck with me most [from Maeve’s Method] was the idea of welcoming in inspiration areas. I have to accommodate a lot of reference materials for my work – there’s no getting around that. Some are visually fun, and some are not. You helped me to comfortably mix-and-match.

"What stuck with me most [from Maeve’s Method] was the idea of welcoming in inspiration areas. I have to accommodate a lot of reference materials – there’s no getting around that... You helped me to comfortably mix-and-match."

She also shared what kept her going as she set up her new space. She said, "I was motivated by the opportunity to finally have a real office. We moved from smaller space to a bigger one that is functional. My past office was a make-shift space – this was custom-designed. I was an active participant in the design, and I was motivated to make it right."

"I was motivated by the opportunity to finally have a real office. My past office was a make-shift space – this was custom-designed. I was an active participant in the design... I was motivated to make it right."

As for her biggest take-away, Kathryn said, "I feel great in this space. It’s functional and it’s me. I feel eager and ready to get to work each morning. I'm inspired."