In the past I wrote a blog on how crucial it is to research your options for the right home staging training. As the months pass, my heart breaks with phone call, after phone call, of discouraged people who have chosen the wrong training, telling me of the anguish it had caused their lives.
Money back guarantees do not include the time and energy invested. Nor does it do a thing for your confidence or the painful explanations to family and friends when you are explaining your bad judgment on your new career. The excitement about following your passion quickly dissipates and instead of congratulating yourself on what courage it takes to follow the dream…you are kicking yourself and wondering how you could have done it differently.
I am not the type (and you can see in my past blogs,) to write a negative blog, or even comment about other training programs and I am not going to really start now. What I do want to do is hang a large WARNING sign out there…and once again point those looking for staging training to go to this article – “Are you looking to start a career in home staging?” You will find in-depth research questions to ask EVERY staging training provider.
For those who are thinking “TOO LATE! Wish I had read this article sooner”…I can not take away the months of painful experience but I can offer a little reprieve. Here at CSP™ we are able to offer the “Second Chance” Program, just launched last week. Melissa Marro wrote a blog about this program and I will refer to her to tell you all about it! Click here…
For more information on CSP Home Staging Courses visit www.csptraining.com or for continuing education programs visit www.cspiacademy.com
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Hi Angela,
I get so sad when I hear about crummy staging training being purchased, for exactly the reasons you mentioned. Some staging companies are selling the dream, and leaving a nightmare in their wake. I feel terrible when I hear of someone saving all their money up for a course that will supposedly change their financial future, only to end up getting suckered. What ticks me off even more is that this scam is directed almost entirely toward women.
And I recall how Christine Rae relayed a moment in our class about how she had seeing a little flower pushing up through the concrete, and how she thought of all her staging students, and likened them to that flower. We were not duped into thinking the staging field was easy. In fact, she warned us if would be quite tough!
But, we were prepared, and we persevered, and we are still in business, and going strong.
So, I hope those who read this will really understand the implications of taking a course without researching the training thoroughly. The Internet has everything they need to investigate and decide.
Or, they could do what I did... finding graduates of the programs at random, call them, and ask them for their honest opinion. That is how I decided to become a CSP, as no other designation had such sincere graduates who were actually building their businesses.
~Michelle Molinari
Certified Professional Stager, Feature This... Real Estate Staging, www.FeatureThisDotDotDot.com
Lead Virtual Designer, www.CurbAppealForDummies.com
President, Acadiana Real Estate Staging Association, www.AcadianaRESA.com