Grow Your Business with In-Depth Training

Learning Labs are highly focused, online half-day workshops that allow you to take a deep dive into topics that will help you grow your business.   

This year the Learning Labs will be held virtually on consecutive Wednesdays at 1pm – 5pm  ET, starting March 17th through April 7th.* All sessions will be recorded, with lifetime access for anyone who can’t attend live. When you register for the conference, you will have the option to add any or all of the 2021 Learning Labs

*Sometimes things might not go as planned. So please be aware that times may shift a bit. We will make every effort to stick to our schedule.

Click here for a printable PDF of all Learning Lab descriptions.

Click on a Title to Learn More:

Mar 17 - Personal Historian Bootcamp

March 17,  1-5pm ET

Description: 

Basics you need to know to launch and operate a personal history practice. We’ll cover who buys personal history services and why, being an independent contractor, legal and ethical considerations, and sales and marketing. It is designed to dovetail with available business management resources, but not to replicate anything you could learn elsewhere. By the end of the Bootcamp, you will have a solid start on a business plan for your personal history practice.

SPEAKER: Sarah White

Sarah WhiteSarah White entered the world of professional personal history services when she joined the Association of Personal Historians in 2002. Through her business, First Person Productions, launched in 2006, she has offered over 100 life story writing workshops and helped dozens of clients preserve and share their life stories in book form. She had previously been an entrepreneur in marketing/advertising and authored several marketing advice books for small business as well as a college-level marketing textbook. She held several positions on the board of the Association of Personal Historians, culminating in the 2012-2015 presidency. She has been teaching business skills for personal historians since 2005. She helped develop the curriculum for the Certificate in Reminiscence and Life Story Work offered by the University of Wisconsin-Superior and taught the module “Develop Your Personal History Practice” from 2016-2019; this session is a condensed version of that business skills course. She holds a Journalism degree from Indiana University, a certificate in Reminiscence and Life Story Work from the University of Wisconsin-Superior, and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She blogs at TrueStoriesWellTold.com.

 

Mar 24 - Useful Lightroom Plugins

March 24, 1-5pm ET

Description: 

Explore a variety of Lightroom Classic plugins and how they can be useful to your scanning and organizing workflow. We will look at plugins that will help you work with metadata and workflow management, as well as exporting and publishing plugins.

SPEAKER: Chris Southard

Chris SouthardChris Southard is the owner of CDS Media Solutions, providing high-quality scanning and photo organizing services to clients in the Cincinnati area. Because of his photography background, he has a passion for helping others preserve their memories. He has been an APPO member since early 2013.

Mar 31 - Templates, Forms, Lists and Checklists to Keep You Sane

March 31, 1-5pm ET

Description: 

This interactive workshop will introduce you to the 12 most important forms and templates in HeartWork Organizing’s operations today. Branching from those, we’ll work together to identify your critical forms and templates for your unique business lines. We’ll also discuss how to store and access those forms for better internal processes, higher client satisfaction, and better profitability.

SPEAKER: Darla DeMorrow

Darla DeMorrowDarla DeMorrow is a Certified Professional Organizer and Certified Photo Organizer. It’s no surprise she’s a list lover. In past lives and in her current office, she always has known where her standard forms, templates, and lists are. She credits her ability to run a complex operation with ever-evolving forms. She’s published four books (and counting!) while running a profitable company with happy clients — with simple tools like Word and Excel. She even made a list for required qualities in a husband and a cat, and both checked all the boxes. https://HeartWorkOrg.com

 

Apr 7 - SmugMug Workflow for Photo Organizers

April 7, 1-5pm ET

Description: 

After a brief orientation to the SmugMug program, you will be presented with a repeatable workflow. You will learn about program features that solve common photo organizing problems, how to use SmugMug to sell your services, and how it can be used for regular maintenance as your client’s photo collection continues to grow beyond your finished product. Learn tips and tricks to make SmugMug an ideal program for ensuring happy clients.

SPEAKER: Paige Shockley & Alicia Wagner

Paige ShockleyAlicia Wagner is all about keeping the memories of her clients easily accessible and safe. With clients on both coasts, Alicia’s business has steadily grown over the past three years.

On the other side of the USA, Paige is based in Connecticut and is a Professional Photo & Home Organizer with a passion for efficient systems and simple solutions. Photography and memory-keeping has been a lifelong interest, and has evolved from stickers and scrapbooks to Photoshop and digital platforms. Paige works with her clients to reach their photo projects goals so they can enjoy their memories now, as well as leave a legacy for future generations. http://www.bluepencilcompany.com/