Home Staging Blog by Jennie Norris

They say the human touch has the power to heal.  Premature babies that are touched and fingers clasped by their parents and the nurturing hospital staff are able to overcome huge health obstacles.  Comatose patients whose hands are held and are spoken to by loved one miraculously awaken.  The warmth of a hug and the touch of a hand can melt the coldest recesses of a heart and put a relationship back on track.

I was reminded how important the Human Touch is this past week.  I had the privilege of meeting Craig last Friday while he was in Roseville for the Northern Calif roundtable meeting.  Words are great (although typed words can often be misread in translation) - and ultimately nothing replaces the actual ability to look into someone's eyes and hear their voice.

I did not find out he was actually coming to our "happening" city of Roseville until Thursday - and so we set a time to meet to talk.  After finding me in the restaurant where we met for an early dinner, he greeted me by saying, "I am a hugger," which is a good thing because I am too.  After our hugs, we sat down to talk and eat and talk (my husband even stopped by to say hello).  During our conversations that ran the gamut of education, family, travel, and of course, Staging, I learned more about his background and "who" he is.  I hope he came away from our time together with a better perspective on who I am as well - and this I know will translate into a deeper relationship and respect for what we are each hoping to accomplish in life.

  Jennie & Craig at PF Chang's

The human touch might be someone picking up the phone - as Craig, Dane, Marci and Jackie did for me recently.  I appreciated their gestures and having a voice behind the name that was caring and kind - did wonders for putting a human connection behind the blog site.  Letting others know you care - that is the first step. 

The human touch might be getting together with other Stagers - in a round table or just for coffee or a meal.  I think that as we work past all the competitive pettiness that was in the past but seems to have gone away for the most part (knock on wood), what I am sensing is that the human connection and the need for finding others that are like ourselves - with the same goals and the same needs - is important for longevity.

I wanted the human touch when I was getting started as a Stager and that is one of the key reasons I chose the classes I did and continue to be part of the group I am associated with and would not change it for the world.  I know there are other options out there for getting information and training on Staging, but for me - the human element - the human touch was so important.  As Craig and I discussed the influx of offerings for Staging education or training that he has written about, I shared that for me - the delineation factor was and is the ability to get a human being in person that cares, and has the ability to follow-up with interaction that is meaningful and sustaining.

The gathering together of fellow Stagers is something I've been doing for years - as it IS important to network, to ask questions, to be a sounding board for a colleague, or be a resource.  I am glad to see others are embracing this concept of sharing in a positive way.  And whether or not people participate in the roundtable - due to geographic or scheduling issues - I know there is support for them and the positive sharing can only help to strengthen us an industry.

As we continue to grow as an industry I hope that we do not lose our ability to reach out and connect in a human way because the alternative - isolate ourselves to the point of exclusion - is a lonely road.  I want to walk with friends and fellow Stagers as I continue my journey.