Summary

Staging Diva Debra Gould explains why marketing with home staging postcards is a waste of time and money.

Home Staging Postcards Ineffective Says Expert

(UNITED STATES) May 14, 2012 – According to Staging Diva Debra Gould, home stagers must be very careful about how they spend their limited marketing funds. On the Home Staging Business Report blog, Gould discusses the effectiveness of marketing with home staging postcards.

To her readers Gould writes, “Hopefully you haven’t already gone out and spent lots of money printing fancy color postcards to deliver door-to-door because these are largely a waste of money and here’s why: Your home staging marketing postcards are arriving in the middle of a bunch of bills and other mail. Most people stand over the garbage or recycling box as they go through the stack. While your postcard is beautiful to you, it’s pretty much junk mail to more than 99% of the people who will receive it.”

Gould maintains that even if some of the recipients notice the postcards, most people will not have a need for home staging services since only 10% of the population is moving at any given time. For those who are moving, a number of them will have never heard of home staging or will not understand the need for it.

“Door-to-door flyers typically go to thousands of homes because direct mail gets less than one tenth of one percent response rate when you’re doing well,” remarks Gould. “In other words, with a distribution quantity of 250, an effective postcard would only generate 25% of a single person, in other words, no one! So if you’ve already made the mistake of printing 250 postcards and delivering them door-to-door, if you get a single phone call from it, consider it a ‘huge success’ because it would be 400% more successful than one would expect.”

For home stagers who may have already printed postcards but have not mailed them yet, Gould recommends saving them to hand out at targeted events—or only mailing them to people who have expressed an interest.

Founder of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Gould has been a marketer since the early 1980s and an entrepreneur for over 22 years. Home stagers can learn effective home staging marketing strategies in Course 4: Staging Diva Sales & Marketing Secrets to Boost Your Home Staging Business.

For free business tips, home stagers are encouraged to visit the Home Staging Business Report on the Staging Diva website.

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars’ worth of real estate, including 7 of her own homes. She is the president of Voice of Possibility Group Inc., which operates a home staging division, SixElements.com, in addition to StagingDiva.com, which has trained over 7,000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
Voice of Possibility Group Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

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Summary

Debra Gould encourages home stagers and entrepreneurs to take time to celebrate their business accomplishments before moving on to the next big project.

Home Stagers Encouraged to Celebrate Their Accomplishments

(UNITED STATES) April 23, 2012 – On the Home Staging Business Report blog, Staging Diva Debra Gould urges home stagers and other entrepreneurs to take stock of their business accomplishments on a regular basis.

“I can tell you from experience that it’s important to celebrate your victories and recognize how far you’ve come,” Gould says. “Otherwise it begins to always feel like ‘work’ instead of the joy of doing what you love.”

Since 2005, Gould has dedicated much of her working life to inspiring and empowering others who want to make a living from their creativity. As founder of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, she has taken what she knows about building a successful home staging business, about marketing and about being an entrepreneur, and she shares it with thousands of people every day.

Even so, Gould herself occasionally battles negative self-talk, as she recently wrote in a blog post that struck a chord with her readers. In it, Gould confessed that she has been operating from a belief that if she doesn’t keep pushing herself to conquer ever more challenging business situations, her business will stop growing and she’ll stop accomplishing anything.

While Gould acknowledges that this may be true to some extent, she believes the difference is how entrepreneurs keep themselves moving forward: “Do we do it with an imaginary whip that says, ‘Get back to work—you haven’t done enough to build your staging business!’ Or do we motivate ourselves from a place of self-love and compassion that says something like, ‘Remember how important your dream of building a staging business is to you and how much you love decorating houses to sell? Why don’t you turn off the TV and stop looking at Facebook and take that next step you promised yourself instead.’”

For Gould, entering the 8th Annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business was a great exercise in reminding herself what she had accomplished over the previous 12 months.

Ultimately named as a finalist in all 4 categories she entered, Gould reflects on the experience: “I had honestly forgotten so many of the projects I finished until I had to document them all to prove I was worthy of an award. The reason I ‘forgot’ what I’d achieved is that I’m usually jumping on the next idea rather than also pausing to celebrate the mountain I’ve just climbed.”

For ongoing advice and business tips, home stagers are encouraged to visit the Home Staging Business Report on the Staging Diva website.

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars’ worth of real estate, including 7 of her own homes. She is the president of Voice of Possibility Group Inc., which operates a home staging division, SixElements.com, in addition to StagingDiva.com, which has trained over 7,000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
Voice of Possibility Group Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

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Summary

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva, provides advice to new home stagers for selecting a business name that will be memorable to potential clients.

Staging Diva Gives Tips for Choosing a Company Name

(UNITED STATES) April 9, 2012 – On the Home Staging Business Report blog, Staging Diva Debra Gould provides advice to aspiring home stagers for choosing a company name that projects the right business image.

First, Gould says a business name should be easy to say and spell: “You really don’t want to have to constantly spell your company name or repeat it to be understood. This poses a challenge every time you’re introducing yourself by phone, doing a media interview, speaking at an event, or even in casual conversation. Besides, if no one can figure out how to spell your company name, they’re unlikely to find you in a Google search.”

According to Gould, a company name should also convey the right business image. She provides examples of actual business names that miss the mark.

“Would you hire a custom carpenter whose business is called Nine Fingers Left?” asks Gould. “I don’t want him bleeding all over my home, thanks very much. What about hiring a painting company called Splish Splash Painting? Anyone who has ever hired a painter before has probably experienced the annoyance of paint splashes and drips left behind on windows, fixtures and floors. Thanks for warning me ahead of time that you might be sloppy. I think I’ll hire someone else!”

In her article, Gould provides several examples of home staging business names that work based on her criteria. One such example is Perfect Place Home Staging, a home staging company owned by Leah Fritz of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Fritz says, “My business name has been good to me because it works on so many levels for a staging business. ‘Help create the perfect place,’ ‘everything in its perfect place,’ ‘buyers searching for the perfect place.’ It is very versatile.”

Gould, founder of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, also recommends choosing a company name that is memorable.

“This is a tough one and not absolutely necessary, but if you can come up with a memorable name, it will help you stand out,” says Gould. “A potential client has to see your name 7 to 10 times before they’ll actually notice it. If you have a memorable company name, it’s much easier to get noticed and for people to assume you’re well established because they’ve heard of you before.”

Gould reports that she chose Staging Diva® as a brand name for her home staging training courses because it is easy to say and many find it memorable. She believes that the playful use of the word “diva” makes the brand more approachable.

For additional home staging business tips, Gould invites home stagers to visit the Home Staging Business Report on the Staging Diva website.

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars’ worth of real estate, including 7 of her own homes. She is the president of Voice of Possibility Group Inc., which operates a home staging division, SixElements.com, in addition to StagingDiva.com, which has trained over 7,000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
Voice of Possibility Group Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com

http://www.stagingdiva.com

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Summary

Graduates of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program compare stories about decorating their homes as children.

Home Staging Expert Believes Stagers Exhibit Creativity Early in Life

(UNITED STATES) January 30, 2012 – On her blog, the Home Staging Business Report, expert home stager Debra Gould describes how she has been interested in home decorating ever since she was a child. Many of her readers also wrote in about their creative ventures as children, many believing that they were born to be home stagers all along.

“I’ve been addicted to decorating since I was a kid,” says Gould, who founded the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. “I remember insisting that my room be painted a deep turquoise and my rattan headboard white, because I could totally picture how one would stand out against the other and compliment the pale creamy-yellow duvet. As a teen, I painted murals on my bedroom wall and also the high school cafeteria. I even managed to convince the vice principal of the high school to exempt me from swimming as reward for decorating the cafeteria!”

Gould has heard similar stories from many Staging Diva students and graduates. Some of them rarely played with dolls because they were too busy decorating and redecorating their doll houses.

“I was the oldest of four children in our family and I convinced my mom to let me have my own bedroom so I could ‘study,’” writes Stacy Goade of Alaska Premier Home Staging. “But what I really wanted to do was decorate my own space and surround myself with the energy that suited me. I chose hot pink and lime green for bedding and curtains. I wanted white walls because the room was south facing and lit up so amazing like when the sun poured in through the windows. I talked my mom into ordering me ‘French provincial’ furnishings from the Sears catalog and I got a canopy bed. I felt like a goddess in my own space! I kept my room neat and liked everything in just the right place—a detail oriented kid and a blooming home stager!”

Susan Atwell of AtWell Staged Home in New York has a similar story: “My biggest memory with regard to my bedroom is rearranging the furniture. I was always trying to make the room feel as big as it could. My mom loved decorating, so we did a lot of that together. She also sewed and I remember making quilts for my bed. Window treatments, bedspread, skirt, pillows were all made by us. My dad was extremely handy too. He was a great painter and even built a few pieces of furniture for me—to my specifications. Even then, I knew the value of using vertical space! As I got older, I planned my college dorm rooms all summer, and they always felt like home. Looking back now, I realize that I’ve been decorating, space planning, and organizing as far back as I can remember.”

Stock trader and home stager Red Barrinuevo of Redesign4more in Ontario also wrote in: “As a kid, home decorating has always been fascinating to me. While my sister was excited about going to Sunday mass, I was excited about the fact that I had the whole morning to redesign our living room while they were out.”

About the Staging Diva Training Program, Barrinuevo says, “After taking the course, it is just non-stop for me. In one year, I’ve already staged four homes, I have two big redesigning projects scheduled before the end of the year, and I was recently invited to Alberta to do another redesigning project for a newly renovated house, all expenses paid! Now I realize that when you start doing what you truly love, it will translate and the feeling of happiness is unbelievable. The best years of my life has finally begun!”

Kathi Howland of Nicole Interiors Home Staging feels the same way about her new home staging career: “Right now I’m repainting and re-staging my home office. I love it and can’t imagine doing anything else. In fact, the only regret I have is not recognizing this was my career path a long time ago instead of wasting time in a soul sucking office job.”

To this, Gould replied: “The good news is you found your dream and took action before it was too late! This reminds me of a great proverb—‘The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the next best time is today.’”

Aspiring home stagers can find additional information about Debra Gould and the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program at StagingDiva.com.

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars’ worth of real estate, including 7 of her own homes. She is the president of Voice of Possibility Group Inc. which operates a home staging division, SixElements.com, in addition to StagingDiva.com which has trained over 7,000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
Voice of Possibility Group Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

###

Summary

Three home stagers, all graduates of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, were recently featured by the media.

Home Stagers Across the U.S. Attract Media Attention

(UNITED STATES) January 23, 2012 – Three graduates of the Staging Diva Training Program were recently featured by various media outlets, including the Chicago Tribune. They had previously completed a training program for home stagers, which was founded by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva.

“Being featured in the media provides a significant boost to your credibility as a home staging expert in your market,” says Gould. “Do not underestimate the value of this. If you ensure that potential clients know you were featured, it will influence their decision to hire you.”

Staging Diva Graduate Gary Baugher of An Eye 4 Change in Nashville was featured in the home improvement section of the Hendersonville Star News. Baugher was the only home stager quoted in the spread, which included large photos of one of his home staging projects and a full article on how staging a house gives home sellers an edge in today’s market.

“Aside from my own talents and ambition, I attribute my success to the Staging Diva home staging courses and your continued support,” Baugher wrote to his trainer, Debra Gould. “Most of all, you helped me gain the confidence to put myself out there and follow my dream. Debra, you truly are an inspiration to us all.”

Staging Diva Graduate Donna Dazzo of Designed to Appeal in New York is frequently quoted in the media, and her latest story is in the Chicago Tribune. Dazzo came to home staging after a layoff from her 25-year career in financial services. Many others have also reinvented themselves as home stagers when faced with similar circumstances.

Staging Diva Graduate Leah Fritz of Perfect Place Home Staging in Wisconsin was featured in a full-page spread in the Kenosha News. The article included three sets of before and after shots from her staging projects.

“I’m a big advocate of free marketing for home stagers, and the media will always get you in front of a larger audience than you can reach yourself,” says Gould. “Imagine what it would have cost me to buy an ad on the front page of the home section in the Wall Street Journal. Yet there I was in a feature article about how I stage my own homes for sale.”

Gould believes this front page story raised awareness of home staging in addition to promoting her services as a home stager.

“I’ve always had the media seek me out, which is why a strong online presence is so critical,” advises Gould. “You need to be easy to find and have a professional web presence that positions you as an expert. When a CNN reporter found me, it was because of my home staging website, SixElements.com.”

Gould provides free marketing tips for home stagers on her blog, the Home Staging Business Report. Advanced marketing techniques are discussed in Course 4 of the Staging Diva Training Program, Staging Diva Sales & Marketing Secrets to Boost Your Home Staging Business.

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars’ worth of real estate, including seven of her own homes. She is the president of Voice of Possibility Group Inc. which operates a home staging division, SixElements.com, in addition to StagingDiva.com which has trained over 7,000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
Voice of Possibility Group Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

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Summary

Staging Diva Debra Gould discusses methods that home stagers can use to boost their confidence while building their home staging businesses.

Home Stagers Learn Tips for Boosting Confidence

(UNITED STATES) November 15, 2011 – New business owners, including home stagers, often hold themselves back due to lack of confidence. On the Home Staging Business Report, expert home stager Debra Gould recently provided her readers with steps they could take to boost their confidence as home stagers.

“Take control of your home staging business by organizing your marketing efforts,” writes Debra Gould. “If you’re spinning in circles and not sure what to do first, you’ll stay stuck and your confidence will continue to erode. With a clear marketing plan, you’ll know what to do each and every day to move your business forward.”

Gould also encourages home stagers to visit open houses and walk through each room imagining what they would do to improve the homes if they had been hired for staging. In Gould’s opinion, practicing a home staging consultation in this way helps home stagers become more confident as they realize that their talents don’t come naturally to everyone.

In fact, Gould suggests that home stagers use these talents to help people in need: “If decorating your first client’s home feels too scary, practice on a friend, neighbor or charitable cause. Maybe there’s a woman’s shelter that needs your help. Maybe you know someone with an elderly parent who is moving to a nursing home, or a friend in financial trouble who needs to sell quickly. All you need is one opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life and I guarantee your confidence will soar!”

In addition, Gould recommends to home stagers that they find ways to exercise their courage, starting small by striking up a conversation with a stranger about home staging. She also feels that it is important for home stagers to reflect on their past successes in life and business.

As founder of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Gould provides a number of training products and services for aspiring and experienced home stagers. For more information, visit the Staging Diva website.

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars worth of real estate, including seven of her own homes. She is the president of home staging firm SixElements.com and has trained over 4000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva
Six Elements Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

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Summary

Staging Diva Graduate Lori Fischer left a decade-long career in pharmaceutical sales to become a home stager. She gives credit to Debra Gould, The Staging Diva, for her early success.

Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Finds Success as Home Stager

(UNITED STATES) November 7, 2011 – Before becoming a home stager, Lori Fischer of Pennsylvania-based Rethink Interiors worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative. Despite her background in an unrelated industry, she has experienced early success as a home stager, and she attributes this to the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program founded by Debra Gould.

“I had my first staging job before I finished my home staging courses, and I had to listen to the recordings to coach me through many aspects of it,” Fischer says. “I successfully staged the home with the help of my trainer, Debra Gould, and that of my Staging Diva Network colleagues. Not only were the homeowners thrilled, they said that working with me was transformational. I couldn’t have received a higher compliment.”

From her first project, Lori generated four new leads, which brought in at least one additional home staging project.

“Each morning I wake up and am energized by what I am doing and what the future is going to bring. I honestly could not and most likely would not have made this leap to fulfill my dream had I not found The Staging Diva. Debra not only provides the nuts and bolts, she also provides an incredible amount of support with coaching. She is that voice of confidence in the moments when doubt creeps in that keeps me focused and moving forward.”

Fischer is involved in a number of activities that have influenced her success. Besides staying active in the online discussion group, Staging Diva Network, she also has a listing on the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers so that local homeowners and real estate agents can find her. She also takes time to comment on industry blogs and uses Twitter to market her business.

“The Staging Diva Program has given me the roadmap to fulfill a dream that I have had for years but was too afraid to make happen,” explains Fischer. “Staging Diva training has given me tools to make this passion a lucrative career and at the same time provides outstanding follow-up coaching to achieve the personal growth that needed to happen for me to take this big step. Thanks to Debra, I have been able to leave a decade-long career that never fit and have replaced it with a passion, joy and zeal that I had craved for so long.”

Many Staging Diva Graduates have found success as home stagers after making the switch from unrelated careers. For more information about the Staging Diva Training Program, visit the Staging Diva website.

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars worth of real estate, including seven of her own homes. She is the president of home staging firm SixElements.com and has trained over 4000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva
Six Elements Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

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Summary

Home staging expert Debra Gould, The Staging Diva, inspires her readers to become their own bosses by starting their own home staging businesses.

Debra Gould Encourages Aspiring Home Stagers to Strike Out on Their Own

(UNITED STATES) November 1, 2011 – While working for three different companies early in her career, Debra Gould realized that working for someone else was not for her. Gould faced a number of challenges from her bosses, including sexual harassment, anger issues, and alcoholism. She set a goal to become her own boss by the time she was 30—a goal she can proudly say she achieved. She tells her story in the Home Staging Business Report so that aspiring home stagers can learn from her experiences.

“When you work for yourself, you don’t have to put up with difficult or abusive bosses,” explains Gould. “Plus, if you’re the kind of person who works as long as it takes to get something done right, you actually make more money because you’re the one reaping the rewards for your efforts instead of your employer.”

Gould has supported her family as an entrepreneur since 1989 when she started her own marketing consulting company. Ten years later, she risked it all again to pursue more creative endeavors. After a four-year journey of personal and professional reinvention, she launched her home staging company, Six Elements Inc. Within her second year, Gould was making up to $10,000 per month staging homes.

Gould, who is also the founder of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, readily admits that home stagers are not safe from dealing with difficult people. She explains that home staging clients range from “nasty to wonderful,” but that home stagers typically work with clients on a temporary basis.

“I’ve found that the wonderful clients stick around,” says Gould. “They’re the ones that come back years later to stage the next house they’re selling, or refer me to their friends and relatives.”

It is Gould’s mission to inspire others and give them the knowledge and training they need to become their own bosses and earn a living. “I followed my dreams and want to teach others to do the same,” she says.

Aspiring home stagers can find additional information about Debra Gould and the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program at StagingDiva.com.

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars worth of real estate, including seven of her own homes. She is the president of home staging firm SixElements.com and has trained over 4000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva
Six Elements Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

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Summary

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva, was recently named as a Finalist in four categories for the Stevie® Awards for Women in Business.

Debra Gould Named as Finalist in Stevie® Awards for Women in Business

(UNITED STATES) October 19, 2011 – Debra Gould, founder of Staging Diva®, was named a Finalist in the 8th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. Gould is chosen as a Finalist in four categories, including Best Entrepreneur – Service Businesses with Up to 100 Employees, Best Canadian Entrepreneur, Blog of the Year for the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Report, and Mentor or Coach of the Year.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, and the companies they run—worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the world’s premier business awards.

Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word “crowned,” winners will be announced during a gala event at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on Friday, November 11. Nominated women executives and entrepreneurs from the U.S.A. and several other countries are expected to attend. The presentations will be broadcast live on radio in the U.S.A. by the Business TalkRadio Network.

“Women entrepreneurs and executives continue to innovate, excel, and impress,” said Michael Gallagher, president of the Stevie Awards. “Regardless of general economic conditions, the achievements of women-owned and –run organizations around the world remain high, and are reflected in this year’s impressive body of Finalists.”

More than 1,300 entries—a record for the competition—were submitted this year for consideration in 75 categories. Finalists were chosen by business professionals worldwide during preliminary judging. Members of the six final judging committees will select Stevie Award winners from among the Finalists during final judging.

Finalist Debra Gould, president of Six Elements Inc., is recognized internationally as one of the top five experts in the home staging industry. As creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Training Program, Gould has been teaching students how to earn a living decorating houses to sell since January 2005. While Staging Diva is based in Canada, Gould has leveraged the power of the Internet to teach over 4,000 students in 21 countries. Her company is the only non-US company in the list of Finalists for Best Entrepreneur – Service Businesses with Up to 100 Employees.

“My mission is to inspire others and give them the knowledge and training they need to be able to use their natural talents to earn a living,” says Gould. “I followed my dreams and want to teach others to do the same.”

Additional information about Debra Gould and the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program are available at StagingDiva.com.

About Debra Gould

Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is President of Six Elements Inc. and creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. A published author and an entrepreneur for 22 years, Debra has staged millions of dollars of real estate and trained over 4,000 students worldwide.

Believing life is the adventure you make it, Debra is a master at personal transformation. Although a single mother, she walked away from a successful career to follow her dreams. Debra’s mission is to empower women to pursue their own passion and turn it into a profitable and fulfilling career.

About The Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.stevieawards.com.

Sponsors and supporters of the 8th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business (as of October 12) include the Business TalkRadio Network, Coloredge, KeyBank | Key4Women, Melilea International Group of Companies, SDL, and Smart Reader Worldwide.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva
Six Elements Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

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Summary

Expert home stager and veteran entrepreneur Debra Gould will speak at the 2011 HOPE Symposium in Toronto on September 17. During her talk, Gould will inspire established entrepreneurs as well as those contemplating starting a business with her presentation, “Step Into Your Power: 5 Secrets to Keeping Hope Alive as You Grow Your Business.”

Debra Gould to Present at HOPE Symposium in Toronto

(TORONTO) September 9, 2011 – At the HOPE Symposium on September 17, professionals and entrepreneurs will address one of the key issues in leadership: as a leader, should you be more focused on hope or on truth?

No one will suggest that leaders can avoid hard truths: some of the speakers will suggest that a focus on truth that excludes hope does not serve either organizations or individuals. All of the speakers will focus on how business leaders can develop ethical, effective influence.

The business panel will feature experts with a range of experience and points of view. For example, Debra Gould, The Staging Diva, will help new entrepreneurs navigate the waters between hope and truth through her presentation entitled “Step Into Your Power: 5 Secrets to Keeping Hope Alive as You Grow Your Business.”

Gould says that she followed her dreams and wants to teach others how to do the same. Her mission is to inspire and empower others to use their natural talents to earn a living. “When you finally decide to give up the security of a regular job to start your own business, fear and excitement blend together and you feel like you’re riding a roller coaster. I want to help new entrepreneurs achieve balance and find the strength to keep moving forward through the tough times,” Gould explains.

Gould is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Since then, she has trained over 4,000 Staging Diva students worldwide to start their own businesses. All shared a natural talent for decorating and interest in real estate, but struggled with how to make money in their own home staging businesses before learning Gould’s secrets.

Gould pursued an MBA in Marketing and began a corporate career before moving to advertising. In the 1980s, she launched one of the first integrated marketing firms, which she ran for 10 years. Wanting a more creative life, Debra gave up her business to design home accessories. She created the Debra Gould Home Collection, landing a magazine cover story and book feature, followed by her first of several HGTV appearances.

In addition to HGTV, Debra Gould’s media coverage includes CityTV, GlobalTV, CBC, CBS Radio, CNNMoney, Wall Street Journal, Woman’s Day, Reader’s Digest, MoneySense, Entrepreneur, House and Home, Home & Decor, Style at Home, Centre of the City, USAA Magazine, FabJob Guide to Become a Home Stager, Home Style, National Post Homes, This Old House, Home Business Magazine, Globe & Mail and others.

Gould will be speaking at the HOPE Symposium, which will take place on Saturday, September 17 from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm in Room 119 at the University of Toronto, Emmanuel College. Registration at the door is $80, and discounts are available for early registrations. Details are available by calling NLP Canada Training at 416-928-2394 or by visiting the HOPE Symposium website.

About Debra Gould

From corporate refugee to ad agency executive, marketing consultant to artist, and home stager to author and international trainer, intrepid entrepreneur Debra Gould has stepped out of her comfort zone to reinvent herself many times on her journey as a creative entrepreneur. Gould’s HOPE Symposium presentation will inspire established business owners and those just thinking about taking steps towards making a living doing something they love.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva
Six Elements Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

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