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Simply Squared Away, Gladstone, MO (2026)

09/01/2026

BIG QUESTION: What do YOU want next?

Can you answer that?

Maybe you have a BIG dream.

Maybe there’s one little thing that keeps coming up in your mind.

Or maybe you’re thinking, “I have NO idea.”

All three answers are okay.

This week on the podcast, I sat down with two of my best friends, Laurie Shopland and Kristin Dabney, to talk about dreams, goals, trusting yourself, and what finally makes us DO the things we’ve been thinking about doing.

And we made a BIG announcement. 🎉

For YEARS, the three of us have talked about hosting a retreat together.

Now we’re actually doing it!

ELEVATE is happening Saturday, October 17, at Kristin’s gorgeous lake home in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Just 20 women. (5 spots are already taken!)

Three coaches.

One beautiful day to step out of your normal life, be taken care of, connect with other women, and figure out the ONE area of your life you want to elevate next.

You’ll leave with clarity AND a plan for what to do about it.

And I want you to know:

You don’t have to have a dream to come. You might come to discover one. 🥳

🎧 Listen to Episode 184: What Do You Want Next? How to Elevate Your Life + A BIG Announcement

And if you already know you want to be one of the 20 women around the table with us, comment ELEVATE and I’ll send you the details. ❤️

(Learn more at https://simplysquaredaway.com/elevate)

09/01/2026

All links mentioned in the post can be found here: https://simplysquaredaway.com/184
Click here to learn more and join us at Elevete: The Retreat, October 17, 2026, in Lynchburg, VA.
What do you want next?
Maybe you have a big dream you’ve been thinking about for years. Maybe there’s one area of your life you know you want to change. Or maybe you’re in a season where you honestly have no idea what you want next.
In this episode, I’m joined by two of my best friends, Laurie Shopland and Kristin Dabney, for a conversation about dreams, goals, trusting yourself, and what it actually takes to create something you want in your life.
And we have a BIG announcement!
We’re hosting ELEVATE, a one-day retreat for women on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at Kristin’s beautiful lake home in Lynchburg, Virginia.
There are only 20 spots, and registration is now open.
Get all the details and register here: https://simplysquaredaway.com/elevate
The three of us met during our coach certification and have been meeting together regularly since 2018. We’ve walked through business growth, personal challenges, big decisions, changing seasons, and a lot of dreams together.
One of those early dreams was building a $100K business. At the time, it felt almost impossible. Today, all three of us have crossed that line, and we talk about what surprised us about reaching that goal, including why achieving the goal doesn’t necessarily create the feeling you thought it would.
We also talk about another dream we’ve had for years: hosting a retreat together.
This year, we finally stopped talking about it and put a date on the calendar.
But as our conversation unfolds, we realize that “dream” might not even be the right word for what we’re talking about.
Elevating your life doesn’t have to mean climbing Mount Everest, building a six-figure business, giving a TEDx talk, or making some enormous life change.
It might mean having a conversation you’ve been avoiding.
It might mean changing careers, asking for a raise, focusing on your health, improving a relationship, starting a business, organizing your kitchen, or finally giving yourself space to figure out what you want.
And sometimes the first step is simply trusting that the thing that keeps coming up in your heart is worth paying attention to.
In this episode, we talk about:

What we remember about dreaming of becoming $100K business owners
Why reaching a goal doesn’t automatically make you feel the way you expected
What we’ve learned about pursuing goals without all the hustle
Why some dreams stay with you even when the timing isn’t right
What finally moved our retreat from “someday” to an actual date on the calendar
Why your dream doesn’t have to be big to matter
How to trust yourself when something keeps nudging you
What to do when you don’t know what you want
The value of getting out of your normal environment and giving yourself space to think
Why community and coaching can help you see possibilities you can’t always see on your own
Everything we’re planning for ELEVATE!

COME TO ELEVATE
ELEVATE is a one-day experience designed to give you the space to step back, look at your life, and decide what you want to elevate next.
You’ll complete a life reflection, choose the ONE area that would make the biggest difference in your life right now, receive coaching and support, and leave with a framework and plan you can use again and again.
You’ll also have time to reflect, walk by the lake, journal, connect with other women, enjoy beautiful food and surroundings, and let someone else take care of YOU for the day.
ELEVATESaturday, October 17, 20269:30 AM–4:00 PM ETLynchburg, Virginia$297Only 20 women (now only 18; 2 spots sold immediately, and the others will go fast!)
Registration closes October 5 or when all 20 spots are filled.
Register at simplysquaredaway.com/elevate
You don’t need a big dream to come.
You might come because you already know exactly what you want to elevate.
You might come because something in your life feels unsettled and you need space to think.
You might come because you’re ready for connection, coaching, inspiration, or simply a beautiful day away.
And you might come because you have absolutely no idea what you want next.
You don’t have to have a dream to come to ELEVATE. You might come to discover one.

08/25/2026

👀 We’ve been talking about doing this for YEARS.

Today, we finally got to record the conversation about what we’re actually making happen.

And next week, we get to tell YOU. 🎉 The episode will go live on 9/1/26 on The Organized Coach Podcast.

Any guesses what the three of us are up to?

Laurie Shopland | Coach • Speaker Kristin Dabney Coaching Tracy Hoth | Organizing Coach

08/25/2026

Giving all the secrets away….

What if the secret organized women know has nothing to do with having less stuff?

I think it starts here: believe beinging organized is possible for YOU.

Because when you believe, “I’m just not an organized person,” every unfinished project becomes proof.

🛑You stop.
🤷‍♀️You second guess yourself.
🤔 You avoid decisions.
🫣 You start again and wonder why you can’t stick with it.

But organization isn’t something you either ARE or AREN’T.

It’s a skill you practice.

✅ Decluttering for 15 minutes is practicing.
✅ Making one decision is practicing.
✅ Giving something a home is practicing.
✅ Resuming after you’ve stopped is practicing.

The question I want you to take into your next decluttering session:

Instead of asking, “What should I get rid of?”

Ask. “What deserves space because it supports the life I’m creating?”

🎧 Episode 183: The Secret Organized Women Know About Decluttering (That You Don’t) - https://simplysquaredaway.com/183

What’s one thing you want your home to make MORE room for in this season of your life?

(My answer - guests!)

08/25/2026

Find all the links and info mentioned in this podcast at https://simplysquaredaway.com/183.
Ready to live an organized life? Book a consult with me here.
What if the biggest difference between you and an organized woman isn’t how much stuff she owns or how naturally organized she is?
What if she simply believes being organized is possible for her?
In this episode, I’m sharing the secret I think organized women know about decluttering and why that belief changes everything about the way you approach your stuff.
When you doubt that you’ll ever really be organized, every unfinished project, difficult decision, or cluttered room can become more evidence that you’re “just not an organized person.” You start, stop, question yourself, get overwhelmed, and eventually give up.
But organization is a skill you can learn and practice. You don’t have to organize your whole house to be organized. Every time you make a decision, declutter for 15 minutes, assign something a home, reset a space, or resume after stopping, you’re practicing being an organized person.
We’ll also talk about another powerful shift: decluttering from your life forward instead of from your stuff backward.
Instead of picking up an item and asking, “Should I get rid of this?” try getting clear about the life you want to live, the season you’re in, and who you’re becoming. Then ask, “Does this deserve space in that life?”
In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why believing organization is possible for you matters
How decluttering actually helps you become more organized
Why decluttering is really a decision-making practice
How fear, scarcity, memories, and regret make decisions harder
Why your current season of life can help you decide what stays
How your future identity can become a decluttering filter
The difference between stuff that supports your identity and stuff that simply proves your identity
Why you don’t have to finish an entire project for your organizing efforts to count
How to use 15 minutes to get clear on what you want your home and life to support

I also share the story of my client Cheryl, who had to declutter to move into her dream retirement home. The payoff wasn’t simply having less stuff. It was having a home she loves, a guest room her grandkids can actually use, and the freedom to enjoy this season of her life.
As you listen, consider these questions:
What am I making room for?
Who am I choosing to be in this season?
Does this support the life I want to live?
You don’t need to wait until your whole house is organized to become an organized person.
You become her while you practice.
One decision, one space, and one 15-minute session at a time. Get the 15-Minute Declutter Challenge here.

08/18/2026

I’ve been a professional organizer for 18 years, and I had NEVER heard of decluttering this way.

It’s called backwards decluttering, and when Myquillyn Smith explained it to me, I thought, “This is brilliant.”

Normally, we start decluttering by sorting and then looking at all our stuff and asking what we should get rid of. That means decision after decision after decision.

Backwards decluttering flips that around.

Choose one room that feels visually loud. Temporarily remove the smaller things from the room, then live with less for 24 to 48 hours.

You’re not donating anything yet. You’re not deciding what to keep. You’re simply experiencing the room with less visual noise.

THEN you ask the question I love:

“What deserves to come back?”

Instead of trying to find a place for everything, you get to intentionally choose what belongs in the peaceful space you just created.

Myquillyn Smith (aka The Nester) calls this House Hushing, and we talked all about it in Episode 182 of The Organized Coach Podcast.

Listen to House Hushing for the Win with Myquillyn Smith wherever you listen to podcasts. https://simplysquaredaway.com/182

Have you ever tried decluttering this way?

08/18/2026

All links mentioned in the post can be found here: https://simplysquaredaway.com/182
What if decluttering didn’t start with deciding what to get rid of?
What if, instead, you could simply experience your home with less stuff and THEN decide what deserves to come back?
In this episode, I’m talking with Myquillyn Smith, also known as The Nester, about her new book, House Hushing, and I absolutely love her approach to creating a peaceful home without feeling like you have to become a hardcore minimalist.
Myquillyn describes all the things in our homes as having a little “voice.” Over time, those voices add up. The books, plants, projects, pillows, dog toys, decor, papers, and all the other stuff sitting around can turn what was once a lovely melody into a visual roar.
And sometimes you don’t even realize how loud it has gotten until you experience your space without it.
That’s where House Hushing comes in.
Myquillyn walks us through her brilliant concept of “backwards decluttering.” Instead of picking up every single item and immediately deciding whether to keep it, donate it, move it, or throw it away, you temporarily remove all the visible surface items from a room. Then you live with the quieter space for 24 to 48 hours before intentionally choosing what comes back.
No giant pile of permanent decisions required.
We also talk about cozy minimalism and the idea that you don’t have to choose between a peaceful home and a home that feels warm, beautiful, and full of personality.
If traditional decluttering has felt overwhelming, or you’re craving a home that feels a little calmer, you’re going to want to try this.
What You’ll Learn:

What House Hushing is and how it turns down the “visual volume” in your home
Why Myquillyn considers herself a cozy minimalist and what that actually means
How to use "backwards decluttering" when you’re overwhelmed by making decisions
Why temporarily removing things can help you experience your home completely differently
How to experiment with less before deciding what to permanently let go of
How to become protective of the peace you create in your home

08/12/2026

Have you listened to the podcast yet! Feedback is coming in… https://simplysquaredaway.com/181

08/11/2026

What if the thing you’ve been calling “disorganized” is actually something else?

For years, Andrea Morton (Andrea, The Midlife Mom Coach ) had no idea she had ADHD.

She was a teacher. A mom. A coach. A business owner.

Then, at 48, while one of her children was going through the ADHD diagnosis process, she started reading the questions and thinking…

Wait. I do that.

And that.

Ohhhh. I’ve done THAT my entire life.

Eventually, Andrea was diagnosed with ADHD herself, and suddenly so much of her life made sense. Pasted text.txt

In this episode of The Organized Coach Podcast, Andrea and I talk about what ADHD can actually look like in women.

Procrastinating until the pressure finally gets you moving.

Hyperfocusing on something interesting for HOURS, but struggling to start a boring task.

Feeling rejection or criticism way more deeply than other people seem to.

Lying awake while your brain happily hosts a 2 a.m. meeting you definitely did not schedule.

And, of course, struggling with prioritizing and organization.

Andrea also shares something I loved about receiving her diagnosis: Along with some grief about not knowing sooner, it gave her so much more compassion for herself.

If you have ADHD, wonder if you might, coach someone with ADHD, or love someone whose brain works this way, listen to this one.

You may have a few “WAIT. THAT’S ADHD?!” moments of your own.

Listen to When ADHD Finally Explains Everything with Andrea Morton on The Organized Coach Podcast. https://simplysquaredaway.com/181

08/11/2026

I first interviewed Joshua Becker on my Clutter Interrupted podcast in 2014.

Last night I was able to see him in person as he travels across the country with his family to share his message: “Own less. Love more. And make room for what matters most. Owning less can help us experience more of God and more purpose in our lives.”

It’s always a special treat to get to see Organized Life Academy members in person - Myra and Joy! Thank you Joy for letting me know of this event.

And thank you Bridget Hoth and Chad Hoth for going with me - even though we didn’t get a picture. 😩

Simply Squared Away

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