Another month down, its hard to believe we only have 2 months left before we close the books on 2014. October was full of exciting things at Kuzak’s Closet and in my own personal life. We had an event with a global brand, we held several estate sales and liquidations, we organized homes in Silicon Valley, and most importantly I made time to get away for a few days to visit my family.
I kicked off the month with a fall event at Kate Spade at Santana Row! I was so excited to partner up with them. I love their fashion and I thought it made sense to see how we could incorporate Kuzak’s Closet vintage style with their classy timeless looks. I was able to hit the store for a little modeling gig before the event, sharing some of my favorite pieces with all of you on the blog last month. On the day of the event, my entire staff came to support. All of the gals even had a beauty day at DryBar and then we mingled with some of our friends and lots of new friendly faces. It was a great experience and it really has encouraged me to branch out more in the future. I think its really important to find new avenues to promote a business and brand, while having a good time, do you know what I mean?
It’s been my goal in 2014 to find more work-life balance. I’m still a workaholic but thanks to my staff I have been able to take more time for myself, my friends and my family without feeling guilty. For example, my friend Willem organized a fun day in Napa (he does this often but I typically can’t make it due to estate sale conflicts) and I made it a priority to go. Chris and I met up with him and our other friends Leah and Jen for lunch. Then we did a few tastings before enjoying wonderful dinner together at Bottega in Yountville.
In the middle of this month Chris and I also headed on what feels like a “family world tour.” We started in Charlotte North Carolina to celebrate the baptism of my new niece and the second birthday of my nephew. Then we headed to Michigan to visit with Chris’ parents as well as celebrate my father’s birthday and my grandma’s 90th before we headed back to the Bay Area. I always enjoy my trips home and cherish the moments that we can spend with our families. I’ve tried to incorporate this slower pace of life since I got back home. I’ve been trying to turn my phone and computer off by 7pm, i’ve been making time to exercise and run with my favorite cocker spaniel, and i’ve also been cooking a lot more. Last night I even had an impromptu World Series viewing party, which was a blast. I’m so glad I have started to sometimes prioritize friends over emails and work calls so don’t be mad at me if you didn’t hear back from me last night, haha!
Our liquidations are getting more fun by the minute! We’ve had about 6 this month and I can’t tell you how happy they make me! There is such a great feeling of satisfaction when you can help a family with a huge project in just one day. I mean talk about problem solving! Last week we were at at vineyard in Saratoga (along with 2 other locations) and we had so many laughs. I drove home at the end of the day, the end of clearing out 2,500 interior square feet along with garages and storage buildings while bringing in dollars for a family, and had to pinch myself. I love what I do!
I’ve been slowly letting go of full-control of projects this year. Taylor and Al have really stepped up to the plate and have been managing projects on their own. It might not seem like a big deal but when you have to be responsive to a family when they have questions or concerns 24/7 it takes a lot of pressure off me. Now that we are doing 2 to 3 and sometimes 4 estates per week I just can’t take on all of the communication and compassion.
Taylor managed last week’s Palo Alto estate and it went flawlessly. It was so well-organized that she had time to work with one of our organizing clients on the same daythe sale opened. What a hoot! The crowds were huge but we were able to get them through the entrance and payment lines without any drama. I love no drama! Taylor is also celebrating her 1-year anniversary with Kuzak’s Closet this week. Somedays it feels like she started 10 years ago and others just last month. She is a great addition to our team and I think she really likes it. I’m personally just proud that she has survived 1-year of being a passenger in my truck with me. I’d like to believe that I’m an excellent driver but I know that just isn’t true…
While Taylor was managing Palo Alto, Al was knee-deep in tools in Campbell. He and the guys have been working over the last 3 weeks to dig for treasures, recycle metal, haul trash, sell vehicles, and make friends with a pesky family of possums. Taylor and I tried to help the best we could but we were just spread too thin and the guys seemed to be having fun. Ese did mention that he never wanted to see another tool again but I think he will perk up in a few weeks after this sale is over. We hired an additional guy named Yovan (bottom middle photo, second from the right) who has been managing all of the metal recycling and he is amazing! We’ve decided to keep him on staff and are excited for his help on future projects!
Well, that just about sums up the entire month. Everyday at Kuzak’s Closet seems like a month so it’s hard to just give the highlights like this. My goal is to carve out more time to blog about weekly happenings, it will be a good journal for me and hopefully humorous to you. Some of the things we encounter are hard to believe! We are almost booked for the rest of the year so it’s going to be wild! I’m looking forward to closing out 2014 with a bang and seeing what 2015 will bring!
Leave a Reply