Diamonds are forever....

So much sparkle and a twinkle of the eye...

Rick Mahler, the owner of Packouz Jewelers, is a businessman at heart and a master multi-tasker.  The twinkle in his eye hints at the wheels turning in his head.  It was extraordinary to watch him and an exercise in energy-management because he is either going from one thing to the next or thinking about the next thing.  I was exhausted by 11am.

Rick where he loves to be - at the counter
photo credit:  Brooke Van Roekel

Packouz Jewelers is one of the last, high-end, independent jewelry stores in Portland.  It was established in 1917 and passed through three generations of Packouz’s.  For many Portlanders, particularly some of the more established families of the city, Packouz Jewelers represents family and long-standing Portland tradition.  What is Portland tradition?  It’s the kind of service where you are ALWAYS greeted with a smile and treated like the most important customer regardless of who you are or what you’re wearing.  (I’ve been known to enter in my running gear without anyone in the store batting an eye.)  It is also the kind of place where people come in just for a chat, which is what I witnessed several times the day I was there.  And because this is Portland, dogs are always welcome.  No matter what the weather may be outside, this little treasure (pun intended) of jewelry store is always a warm, bright oasis on Broadway.

So, what does a day look like for a jewelry storeowner?  One word:  BUSY.  There may not be one customer in the store, but there is quite a bit happening.  I realized that the customer interaction at the counter represents 1/3 of the time spent on the transaction, while 2/3 of the work actually happens behind the scenes.

Here is a snapshot of Rick’s day:

7.30-8.30am: Rick typically gets to the store between 7.30 - 8.30am.  From the time he enters until his first staff member arrives around 9.15am, he gets a hold on all of the administrative parts of the job which includes things like:  payroll, insurance, contacting vendors, following up on repairs, orders, reviewing sponsorship proposals, and paying bills.  It’s a flurry of administrative work.

Rick on the phone with a watch broker
searching for a particular watch for a customer
photo credit:  Brooke Van Roekel

Around 9.30am:  The staff starts getting the jewelry out of the safes and merchandising the cases.  Rick dons a pair of white gloves as he shines and places many of their Swiss-made watches.  Heidi, one of his staff, works on displaying all of the jewelry with gemstones.  The store starts to sparkle.  Also, at this time, a cleaner enters the store to wipe and clean all of the surfaces.  Rick’s wife, Tonya, vacuums and another staff member, Jennifer, begins going through all of the emails.  Everyone is bustling.  The phone is ringing off the hook, but this is the time that they can get the store ready, so it goes to voicemail until calls are returned at 10am, the official opening time of the store.

10am:  The store opens.  It’s quiet up front, so Rick continues with making phone calls, following up on orders, returning phone calls, checking on the new phone system that is to be installed and discussing the final price he’s willing to pay to advertise in Portland Monthly.  Literally, he is crossing one thing after another off his list in what feels like split seconds.

Around 10.45am:  Rick’s landlord enters the store.  He’s an old friend of Larry Packouz and is interested in getting a new watch while also checking about the water in the corner of the basement floor.  Rick and he spend a bit of time chatting.

Rick doing what he loves: helping customers
photo credit:  Brooke Van Roekel

11:10am-2pm:  Rick chases the insurance lady, helps a few more customers who have entered the store, returns a call about a speaking engagement request, reviews a few emails, and tries to get the phone company to confirm the installation of their new phone system.

2pm:  Lunch time.  We head to nearby Imperial, where Rick has become a regular and is well known by the whole staff.  It’s like walking in with the mayor.

3.15pm:  It’s back to work where Rick spends the afternoon in the front of the store helping customers along with the rest of the staff. 

4.00pm:  A couple of vendors enter the store and ask to speak with Rick.  They don’t have an appointment, which doesn’t thrill Rick.  One is a veteran rep, who is currently a rep for a pearl dealer.  The other represents a German designer and manufacturer.  Rick’s in the middle of helping a customer, and they both hover in the corner of the store.  As Rick knows, “good selling is proper buying.”  He is courteous and emphasizes the need for them to schedule an appointment.  For the pearl rep, Rick explains that he’s good on inventory and doesn’t need anything from the guy.  The German designer rep leaves a catalog, which piques the interest of all of the staff in the store.  The designs are beautiful and innovative.  Everyone likes what they see.  This rep will be welcomed back.

4.20pm:  Three generations of one of Portland’s well known families enters the store.  They are in pursuit of a Bat Mitzvah gift for the young girl.  The mother and daughter peer into the cases and discuss, at length with Rick, different ideas.  The grandmother circles the store, stopping periodically at various cases.  (I get the distinct impression that she’s pretty familiar with their contents.)  She has been a regular customer of Larry’s and feels that the store is in VERY capable hands now that Rick owns it.

4.45pm:  A woman who is in Portland on business from SF enters the store to look at some high-end Swiss-made watches.  She has a certain model in mind and tries on a few others as well.  She’ll be leaving shortly but will return to Portland in a couple of weeks.  Getting the watch at Packouz is appealing because Oregon doesn’t have sales tax.  I suspect she will indeed purchase her watch from Packouz.

6pm:  It’s time to close up shop.  The jewelry is gathered from the cases and stowed in the safes.  In a matter of minutes, the cases are emptied.  This is a routine that the staff has down pat.

6.15pm:  The store is locked tight, and Rick heads for home only to get ready to do it all tomorrow.

Because of the extraordinary service, Rick has customers from all over the West – from British Columbia, SF, LA, Seattle, and beyond.  In fact, one customer from Medford, OR called to purchase a brand of watch that Rick doesn’t carry.  Because this customer could go anywhere, Rick contacts a broker to get the watch for this customer, even though the margin on the sale will be quite small.  Being a business owner, Rick knows, “selling is the single most important thing because you have to sell to keep the doors open.”  If selling is fundamental, service is paramount for Rick and the whole staff at Packouz – something that comes from the Packouz family tradition.

How did Rick come to be the next owner of Packouz Jewelers?  Next week, we’ll explore his journey.

A little interstitial....

I am in the middle of preparing the write-up on my day spent with Rick Mahler, the owner of Packouz Jewelers, one of Portland's last high-end independent jewelers.  After the day I had in the store, I have gained a whole new appreciation for small business owners and am excited to share that with you all.

credit: istockphoto

Before we get to Rick, I thought I would take a moment to highlight what some other folks have to say about personal journeys and the learning that happens along the way.  A therapist I know, Dr. Jill Strasser, reminded me that any sort of human development progress is like climbing a spiral staircase: it's pretty common to keep encountering the same point, but the hope is that we're just a little bit higher in understanding what has brought us there.  I really like that analogy.  Sometimes, we beat ourselves up or become overly concerned with where to go next.  Trusting ourselves and acknowledging that every experience is a learning opportunity is highly valuable.


On Psychology Today's website, I found Carolyn L. Rubenstein's blog about personal journeys.  I thought these 18 Guideposts that she outlines are good reminders.

18 Guideposts for Your Personal Journey

1. It’s okay to struggle, it’s okay to wear (and own) your imperfections, and to fall flat on your face – as long as you keep reaching out for support and maintaining the courage to put one foot in front of the other.
2. Actions speak louder than words.
3. Learn to say no as much as you say yes. Less is more. Replace “Could I do more?” with “Would I like to do more?”.
4. Mistakes are powerful gifts. Don’t leave the lessons within them concealed – gently unwrap a mistake to gain the wisdom within its rough exterior.
5. Ask why before you ask how. Intention is required to create your compass.
6. Action deflates fear – always.
7. Recycle. Don’t fix what’s not broken. Reuse what’s worked before.
8. Trust your intuition. Resist second-guessing.
9. “Success” cannot be defined by others or even put into the hands of others for evaluation. If left unguarded, your success could be taken away at any moment. If you equate success with your intrinsic worth (even subconsciously), then you will be left broken apart.
10. Be more proactive and less reactive – to better align your reality with your vision.
11. Attempting to avoid negative events and situations proves an exercise in futility – negative things happen to everyone. However, adversity can often provide an opportunity to strengthen character, deepen emotional fortitude, and increase your overall sense of self and self-worth. These life lessons can only come when you decide to channel through difficult circumstances while relying on the gift of embracing self-empowerment.
12. Time and energy are not equal. Improve their interaction by learning their unique characteristics.
13. Don’t get stuck within the details. Whisper to yourself the words of Terri St. Cloud: She could never go back and make some of the details pretty. All she could do was move forward and make the whole beautiful.
14. Remember to breathe.
15. By acknowledging when you don’t know the answers and shedding light on your vulnerabilities, you are creating space for your authentic self to live wholeheartedly and courageously. We learn the most about ourselves from the moments in which we let down our guard and admit, “I don’t know all the answers. I am uncertain and that’s okay. How can I transform this experience from one of self-doubt to one of self-compassion?”
16. When the journey gets tough, remember the words of Margaret Thatcher: You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.
17. Gratitude is the greatest gift you can give to another human being.
18. Greatness is never achieved. It is something you must intrinsically bestow upon yourself

What would you add?  What has worked well for you?  I'd love to hear.

Renee's Love of Learning Journey...Part II

Welcome back!

We are continuing our exploration of what it looks like to do certain jobs and how people got to the point where they are.  We have been following Renee Moseley, LCSW, and Program Director at Bridge Meadows.  In Part I, we learned about the early part of Renee's journey and how she found her "tribe."  At an early age, she displayed much courage to follow her gut.  We continue with Part II and see if she follows her dream to open her own store and where that takes her.

Enjoy!

Part II, continued:

“I realized I was creative.”

Once again, Renee took a break and was intentional about her time and exploring what was going to be her next iteration of her learning journey.  In this process, she began doing contract work with a few HIV/Aids clinics in LA mostly focused on women and teens.

This was the time when the idea of owning her own store, which had been lurking on the back burners of her mind for several years, started to move to the front burners.  She thought if she was going to pursue this dream, she needed to do it at this point in her life or “take it off the map, “ as she said.

Still working with HIV/Aids patients and their families, she began researching what opening her own store would look like.  Her business plan was more conceptual in nature with concrete numbers.  (The accounting did actually pay off!)  As luck would have it, Culver City, in LA was going through a revitalization period and the economic development office was incredibly helpful.  Within two years of leaving Drew, she had found a spot to open her gift store, Freesia.

Merchandising her store was new to Renee.  She sought the help of a friend when she first opened, but this quickly became one of her favorite parts of having her own store.  It is how she tapped into her creativity, and it was when she realized that she was, indeed, creative.

It was an exhilarating but crazy time for Renee.  She had her own store AND was still keeping up her work with the HIV/Aids clinic, Women Alive.  When she met with her coach/mentor to try to sort through everything going on in her life, her coach gave her a valuable piece of advice.  She said, “Just pick one and be good enough in the other.”  A lesson we all should probably heed.

After a few years and having gotten the hang of owning her own store, Renee began to look at options to move Freesia to a better location.  She spent a couple of years looking at other places.  She knew she needed to do something and closing just sounded sad.  During this time, she also realized that there was a downside to owning your own store, too.  She didn’t have a team.  She went solo to the gift and trade shows.  It was a very lonely journey. 

Little signs began to show up that she was done with this chapter of her journey.  Customers kept saying things about how they were moving on.  One customer talked about how he quit his job because he wasn’t “having fun anymore.”  Renee also saw another woman’s store which was similar to her own, and the woman was struggling to stay afloat and had even moved into her store because she could no longer afford the rent of her apartment.  Renee certainly wasn’t ever going to get to that point. It dawned on her that closing the store because she wasn’t having fun anymore was as valid a reason as any other.   It could be that easy, and the reason didn’t have to be complicated. 

“Time to dream another dream.”

A few years prior, Renee’s brother had moved to Portland.  When she had visited him, she found Portland to be easy, and it was where she started to explore when she started entertaining a new chapter.

She had investigated possibly moving her store to Portland but realized she was fighting for something she didn’t want to fight for any longer.  That realization prompted her to immediately return to LA, close her store, and move to Portland.  It was ’08 and Obama had just been elected.  His campaign was about hope and change, and Renee took this to heart for her own life.  It was time to let go and dream another dream.

Moving to Portland was hard.  Renee realized what an extensive network she had in LA and had to start fresh in Portland.  Looking for a job in Portland was very different than in LA, and she also had to live with her brother and his girlfriend, but the thought never entered her mind to return to LA.  She knew she was on the right path.

Renee knew that she really liked exploring personality development.  She discovered this when she was working with HIV patients because they were living as opposed to dealing with coming to terms with a horrible, terminal disease.  They were dealing with relationships and discovering where to go with the added years of their lives.  Social work had evolved from merely coping to fully living.  This is what resonated most with Renee.    

In Portland, she didn’t want to return to the traditional social work model but wanted to find something that was more inline with some of the work she did with HIV/Aids patients and their families.  Unfortunately, of the very few roles available in the depressed economy, they were traditional social work jobs.  As hard as it was, Renee turned down one job, took herself out of the running for another, and was thankful an offer went to another person for a third job.  She just knew she couldn’t return to that traditional model.

Dr. Derenda Schubert, Executive Director, and Renee
photo credit: Brooke Van Roekel

During this period, Renee was introduced to Dr. Derenda Schubert, who was working to break ground on a new, intergenerational housing community, Bridge Meadows.  Renee began volunteering for her while continuing to pursue finding a full-time job.  A potential opportunity with a very strong, reputable, and nationally recognized non-profit based in Portland came Renee’s way; however, it wasn’t well defined.  It was then that the universe revealed her hand as Derenda, at Bridge Meadows, got the budget to hire Renee.  It was an intriguing new model that was far from any traditional social work model and provided fertile ground for a new learning opportunity for Renee.

And this is where you’ll find Renee today, two years later, Bridge Meadows in full operation and no two days being the same as we learned earlier.

I have created a set of questions that I hope to ask everyone.  Below are Renee’s responses which again provides great insight from someone who has a deep capacity for self-reflection, a quality we can all foster and develop.

1.  What have been your most defining moments on your journey (both highlights and challenges)?

Realizing, I believe in my early 30’s, that I didn’t have to hate my job.  Changing careers from accounting to social work was a big shift; I had to learn to be more contemplative and comfortable with exploring ideas and theories, rather than facts & figures.  It was both exciting but extremely challenging.

2.  What kind of support have you had that was most valuable?

A little inspiration sitting on Renee's desk!
photo credit:  Brooke Van Roekel

My brother was always available to bounce ideas off of and it helped hearing how he navigated career changes.

3.  What about yourself are you most proud?

That most of my life, I’ve done work that I enjoy and have, to the best that I could, followed the trail of signs that lead me to the next place of expansion.  Sometimes it’s been graduate school, new relationships, starting & closing a business or moving to a new city.

4.  Where do you find inspiration?

I love reading about other people’s journey’s.  Reading and listening about the creative process reminds me to look at my life as a creative journey…what am I creating now?

5.  What is your sense for what is next for you?

I’m enjoying understanding and exploring how community, connection and purpose increases wellbeing especially as we age.  I imagine I’ll continue on this path.  I have to stay in work that I have a personal interest in, and am personally interested in this for myself.

The pay-it-forward question:

What is one piece of advice you'd give someone on their own journey?

I think most of us enjoy trying new paths/work but feel we’re supposed to choose one path and stick with it.  Be open to choosing a path that resonates with who you are and following the signs that allow you to follow different directions.

Next up, ‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.'  What does it take to be a jeweler?

Renee's Love of Learning...Part I

"Being authentic can be one of the most challenging prospects life throws our way -- especially when making waves in business or making drastic life changes.  Regardless, authenticity is respected, admired and is the driving factor of those who achieve the success born in dreams.  By maintaining your true self, the world will relate to you, will want to know you and will certainly provide the opportunities necessary to reach the stars."  --Loren Ridinger, in her Huffington Post blog, Staying True to Yourself.

It has been Renee's authenticity that has been her guide on her journey.  As Loren stated, being authentic isn't always easy, and there have been moments where Renee realized she wasn't being true to herself.  It was those moments that she quickly got back on her own 'yellow brick road.'  I had expressed my admiration to Renee for the courage she displayed at those moments in her life.  For her, however, it wasn't courage, it was just what she felt she had to do.  THAT, my friends, is authenticity, and what you'll see from Renee's journey.

FOR THE LOVE OF LEARNING

We each have different interests that motivate us.  For Renee, it feels like a love of learning has been the thread throughout her journey.  When she's not able to learn about what interests her, she’s not happy and finds herself in a place of discomfort.  When she is learning, most notably about how we all grow and develop and how our personalities are shaped, she is in her element.  This is Renee’s love of learning journey.

“When I had gone with what “made sense,” I was bored to death.”

For Renee, this theme emerged when she went to college and majored in Accounting…because it “made sense.”  When she graduated from Morgan State University, she hated accounting.  Following college, she went into a management-training program for a department store in LA, but within 2 years, she had moved to IBM.  It was where her mother, father and brother had each worked, and IBM was big on bringing in family.  It “made sense” to be there.

Now, one would think that a sheer dislike of accounting would drive an individual further from the subject matter.  Unfortunately, as many of us know too well, our heads tend to override those strong emotions when we think we need  “to do what’s right.”  This is exactly what occurred next in Renee’s journey.

Renee as a girl
c. Cecilia Moseley

For as long as Renee could remember, she wanted to open her own business.  She had been inspired as a girl by a shop in SF.  She loved the intimacy it created between the owner and the customers as well as the eclectic nature of the items on display.  Renee’s face still lights up when talking of that store. 

With the desire to eventually open her own store, Renee left IBM and joined an accounting firm, KPMG, to become a CPA.  Yes, she went head first into that which she didn’t really like. She felt it was important to learn the numbers if she was going to start her own business.  She felt it was the “thing to do.”

It didn’t take long for those exceptionally strong feelings of dislike for accounting to take hold of Renee.  After couple of years, she knew she was going to quit.  In the process of getting to that point, she had a roommate who was applying to the Master’s program in Social Welfare at UCLA.  Renee took a look at the application and was intrigued.  The way it sounded on the application, a Master’s in Social Welfare provided the ability to learn about who you were and how to expand upon that in community.  Something in Renee was triggered.  

“Selling underwear gave me freedom.”

Renee quit her job and moved to Atlanta – for two months.  Why Atlanta?  Well, she attended several classes for IBM there, thought it was more diverse than LA, and could be a fun place for a fresh start.  She wanted to get out of LA.  Within two months, she was back in her car, this time pointed towards San Francisco. Renee noted that she was never one to sit in discomfort.  Nothing about Atlanta clicked.  Her housing situation didn’t work itself out, her job at a furniture store wasn’t anything that got her excited, and well, Atlanta was still the South.  As diverse as it was, certain attitudes hadn’t quite caught up with the times or the population.  All signs told her to return to California.

She moved in with her mother in SF, so she could be thoughtful about figuring out her path.  By living with her mom, she could get a job that covered her expenses like car insurance and gave her the space and time to explore.  Selling lingerie at Nordstrom’s did just that, and ironically, she earned pretty good money from it – as much as she had when she did a bit of consulting post her days at KPMG.  Most importantly, this time was freeing for Renee.

How did she go about exploring what intrigued her about social welfare work?  She called LCSW’s (Licensed Clinical Social Work) out of the phone book and asked them about their experiences.  She began to read quite a bit about self-growth, how to change who you are, and personality development.  One of her favorite shows on TV at the time was Dr. Brazelton’s show on child development.  She was fascinated by it all, and it just felt natural to keep following that path.  She also reflected on her own experiences.  When she had quit the accounting firm, she had panicked about what she would do next and went to see a therapist.  (In today’s world, this could easily be a ‘life coach.’)  She liked what the therapist did.  She followed all of these signs and applied to graduate school.

Renee applied to Berkeley and UCLA’s programs. Because she was living in SF, she REALLY hoped she would get into Berkeley.  However, the universe has a way of smiling on us even when it doesn’t feel like it.  She didn’t get into Berkeley, which was a good thing.  Renee was most interested in clinical work (which is more intimate and is reminiscent of the intimacy she loved about her favorite shop as a girl) and Berkeley didn’t have a clinical branch in their program.  UCLA did and she got in.

“I found my tribe.”

When we do what resonates most with us, we come to life.  This is what happened to Renee when she entered her graduate program.  She got involved in student life activities ranging from the Black Caucus to the student body liaison committee to the Dean.  She found people who were like her.  They were smart, funny, and were just as interested in learning as she was.  She found her people.  She found her tribe.

c. istockphoto

She had two internships that also carried this theme.  The first was with Child Protection Services where she learned first-hand about child welfare.  It was great experience, and she also learned what she didn’t want to do.  The second was with Drew Child Development Corporation, and this is where she felt like she came home.

Drew Child Development Corporation was run by a group black woman – all with PhD’s.  As Renee said, “they were all REALLY smart.”  They all became good friends and even traveled on vacation together.  Once again, she was with her tribe. 

While she worked at Drew, she got licensed and had her own private practice on the side.   She kept up a busy life, and eventually, she out-grew her role at Drew.  She started to get tired of having multiple commitments in her professional life – private clients, corporate clients, working with the agencies, etc.  It became harder and harder to drive into work each morning.  And she was simply exhausted.  A friend suggested she get a doctor’s note and take some time off.  For Renee, she had always been the worker bee, in work early every morning, and never took a sick day.  This was out of character for her, but her exhaustion forced her to pursue it.  Sure enough, her doctor didn’t blink an eye and wrote a note.  The next day was the first day of a much needed three-week respite.

At the end of her three weeks, as she was driving into work, she was filled with the same feelings of dread.  She knew it wasn’t exhaustion.  She wasn’t learning and was bored.  It was time for a change.

Next up...Seeking the change Renee needed in Part II.

What does a Program Director do all day?

My intention behind spending a day with people in their jobs is two-fold.  I hope to gain some perspective on the reality of various jobs and learn about people’s journeys that got them to their current place.  With any hope, you may get a glimpse into a world you may not have known, and/or you may discover an insight that may help you when looking down your own “yellow brick road.”  Let’s get our ruby slippers on!

Renee Moseley, LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), is the Program Director at Bridge Meadows and a great friend of mine.  Last week, I wrote about an adoption ceremony that took place at Bridge Meadows, which is an extraordinary intergenerational housing community.  This week, we get to begin our exploration from jobs to journeys with Renee as my first "shadowee."  I am in Renee’s debt for how much of herself and her day she shared with me.   I had an amazing time and am now the biggest ambassador for Bridge Meadows because of her work.  Thank you, Renee.

Fluidity required

Renee Moseley and her infectious smile
c. Brooke Van Roekel

Some people smile from their head, some from their heart, and some people smile from their whole being.  Renee is one of those people who smiles from her whole being.  I swear, her smile comes from the inside-out, and she is quick to laugh which creates an ease for everyone around her.  It cannot be underestimated how crucial this is when intentionally building community, which is what Renee is doing every single day.

Being the Program Director at Bridge Meadows requires being a Tai Chi Master.  No, not really.  It does, however, require an ability to go with the flow, to channel people’s energies and move them in a positive direction which is not always an easy task when you’ve got 67 people who come from very different backgrounds and experiences and range in age from a few months to 89 years old.  There was one word that first popped into my mind when I observed Renee’s day – fluid.  It can also be used to describe how Renee handles her day – with fluidity and much grace and patience.

How does Renee describe her job? 

She sees herself as a liaison for the residents to help them get the services they need.  One resident deemed her the “Flow Facilitator.”  She runs 2 structured activities a week, which are ‘support’ circles.  The Wisdom Circle is for the elders and The Circle brings together the elders and adoptive and pre-adoptive parents.  A number of organizations like to volunteer their time and/or services, so Renee spends a lot of time coordinating those opportunities for the residents.  She keeps them engaged and working as a community, which takes intention and careful thought.  After two hours, I was wondering if it was break time!

Bridge Meadows is a very unique model and differs from the traditional social work model because Renee is in the community members’ homes.  She is a much bigger part of their lives than just having a private client relationship where she would see a client for an hour a week.  In fact, when a photographer volunteered himself to take family photos for the residents, a few kids asked Renee to be in their family portrait.  That is how important she has become to many of the residents.  She is a part of the family at Bridge Meadows.

What does her day look like?

9.30am

Renee shares an office with Derenda, the Executive Director
c. Brooke Van Roekel

Renee typically starts her day around 9.30am because she often times stays late to spend time with the residents in the evening.  For the first couple of hours, she focuses on her emails and phone calls needing action.  These are with the residents, various agency partners, other non-profits, case workers, therapists, and even the property manager.  Truth be told, she isn’t terribly fond of sitting at a desk doing emails.  She much prefers being up and engaging with people, which is good since that is what the majority of her day is spent doing.

10.30am

Renee met with the volunteers who were decorating the community room for the adoption ceremony.  Her role in this was to help them organize, provide a bit of direction and understanding of the flow of the ceremony and how that might impact their decorating.  As mentioned last week, it was a flurry of activity – much like one would find before a wedding.  So much to do and so little time!

12noon

She ran a few errands before the party in the afternoon.  (Ok, truthfully, she took her brother and sister-in-law’s dog to the doggie day care because it was going to be too long for little Ruby to go without being taken outside.)

1pm

Lunch with me and my 20 questions.  (That’s an understatement.)  During our lunch, the property manager popped her head in the door and asked about food quantities for the adoption ceremony.   She had some concern that there wasn’t going to be enough which led to the decision that she would go get a few more pans of lasagna.  Problem solved.  (These are the problems and issues that crop up throughout the entire day and where Renee exhibits that extraordinary grace and patience with each and every one.)

2pm

Renee took me on a tour.  We got 5 feet when we were stopped by one of the residents asking a question about the party.  We made it another 20 feet when another resident approached Renee about yet another question relating to the party.  Renee did try to run to the restroom, but was stopped by yet a third resident asking about an incident the previous night.  Did I mention the need to be fluid in this role?

2.30pm

Meeting with Dr. Derenda Schubert, the Executive Director, and a few MBA students conducting interviews for an award in Oregon that Bridge Meadows had been nominated.

3.30pm

Final prep for the party was under way, and Renee met the photographer and videographer who were going to be capturing the event.  She directed them where to set up all the while little kids were running around, she was checking one little boy’s homework, and an elder was bending her ear about an issue with another member of the community.   (Patience is a virtue, and Renee has it in spades particularly at moments like these.)

4.00pm

Special guests (board members, account directors of other non-profits, case workers, etc.) started to arrive and Renee and Derenda took turns greeting them while answering the periodic question from a youngster usually asking when they could get a piece of the cake. 

From 2 years old to the elders,
Renee engages all
c. Brooke Van Roekel

4.20pm

After a bit of a delay because the judge got stuck in traffic, the ceremony began and Renee could sit back and enjoy it. 

5.15pm

The ceremony concluded, and there was much interaction with all of the residents, the special guests, and the judge.  Renee was grabbed in a few different directions – even being asked to take a few family photos.

All in a day's work!
c. Brooke Van Roekel

5.30pm

Renee took a few of the guests on a tour of Bridge Meadows 

6.15pm

Helped to tidy up, checked-in with a few of the residents, and sent a few necessary emails.

7.45pm

Was able to get in her car and head home.  Whew!

I have highlighted the phenomenal amount of patience that appears to be needed for a role like this.  What I saw in Renee was more than patience; it was presence.  What struck me the most was how she brought that to every interaction – regardless of how impromptu they were. 

It is very common to hear people describe their jobs that no two days are the same.  For Renee, I can attest to the fact that this is indeed the case.  She is dealing with 29 elders, 27 kids and 11 parents.  There are a whole lot of dynamics in that mix and when you add the support agencies and other resources involved, she is indeed a “Flow Facilitator.”

*****************

Next up, we’ll start to learn about Renee’s journey and how she came to be a LCSW and came to be at Bridge Meadows…It’s filled with all kinds of fun twists and turns!