I don't think that it is a "sexist" industry at all.  There seems to be just as many men staging as there are women.  In regards to the "diva" tag, I only know of 1 (maybe 2), here on AR, and it is by her own title given herself.

Now if someone if referring to "you", being male as a "diva" it could be bad, it could be good - depends on who is saying it and who it is being directed towards.  I don't know - Some males like being called "divas" ;-)  But since you think it's a "negative" connotation, we'll just leave it to calling you a Stager =). 

I agree with Connie, I don't think its sexist at all, man or a women you have to have a great taste and be very creative. As for diva that is just smart marketing you have to stand out and find something people can remember you by.

"In marketing, having male stagers helps communicate with mostly  male builders and can work to an advantage with mostly female Realtors (80% by NAR stats)."

Your likeability factor is what will work - not your sex!

Let's rise above stereotypes and go stage!

Good points!

I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't want to be called a Diva :)

I hear this a lot from the men who work in our company. Staging is simple a great, creative business that helps people -

I'd be curious to hear from any guys in the staging industry!

Sorry - I'm not a "guy", but I do try to keep the decor as gender-neutral as possible.  Julie

Wow, good points! I think the business is a bit sexist but things tend to change over time and like every thing else it'll pan out in time. Stagers are people from all walks of life and all backgrounds. 

I don't think anyone is intentionally sexist, just that some sensativty might be a good idea as it not only affects male stagers, but can affect male Realtors, home owners and builders.  Focus on the quality of the product and the sales results it produces :)

Ouch Tom~ There for a moment my little diva feelings were hurt.  In my case, Diva is part of my business name.  Years ago my decorating business name was chosen and I named it Diva la difference interiors.  It was a play on the words " viva la difference " ( as that's what decorating is ) and Diva was an acronym for Decorating Interiors Very Afford-ably.  I will admit I struggled a bit thinking that DIVA could be a negative connotation in comparison to other well known Divas such as some famous performers.  Now, I'll admit I can sometimes stomp my stiletto's...but I think we all have a bit of a diva streak in us somewhere.  When the radio show was being developed, the sponsor wanted to play off of my business name and the market I had already reached.  It really is all about marketing and telling a story which every business should have to stand out amongst their competition. 

I don't believe staging is sexist.  Talent, Skills and Desire to Succeed are gender neutral.  You are a very talented individual as I have seen a lot of your work featured through the AR pages.  I sincerely hope that people are judged on their talent, merit and character...not their sex. 

Cheers!

Hi, Gina - Thanks for your good comments,

I love your show and you've done a great job with your business. No offense was intended!

If you are a guy in the staging world, it can be difficult to wade against the perceptions of it being a female -only business. I deal with this a lot since we are franchised and I often talk to franchise leads (guys) who struggle with the perception that it is a diva-oriented industry. This post is not intended to point out the word 'DIVA' as much as it is designed to cast light on what its like to be a guy in a female dominated business. Its a bit over the top at times!

 That said, I agree with you that it should be gender neutral. I also believe we should be judged on the sales results our staging produces. Keep up the good work and thanks for commenting,

I've never thought about it from the male perspective before.  I guess for the most part, staging is a female dominated business, but that's no different to the women in the boardrooms of Canada and the U.S. that for many years were in male dominated businesses - that has finally changed.  I guess people's perception of stagers will change in time too.  So we have the Staging Divas, how about we refer to the male stagers as the Staging Studs - naw, I guess that would be sexist (LOL).  Anyway, all kidding aside, there are a lot of very talented stagers out there - whether they are male or female shouldn't matter.  Thought provoking post Thomas.

Staging Studs! That's a good one. I wonder what the acronym would be for that.....

Its true, there are a ton of really talented and driven people in our industry!

Thanks Tom for the kind words about the show...now my little marketing mind is wrapped around an appropriate STUDS acronym. 

Keep up the great thought provoking topics.

Cheers!

Alright Thomas and Gina, I'll bite.  Here's my feeble attempt at an acronym.  I can see it now:

Staging S .T. U. D. S. coming soon to a town near you.  Call us today to transform your space and (drum roll inserted here):

Sell That Ugly Dump Sooner

I know, it's pretty bad.  Back to the drawing board.  Your turn! 

HA!

That's priceless! 

As a male Realtor, who came into this business from staging. I found it very difficult to be taken seriously as a stager, just because of my gender.

Staging should as said many times before, be gender nuetral.

A good staging job should appeal to the masculine and feminine in the overall feel of the property.

But as a stager, when I would go to open houses on the weekend to get my information out, I could almost see contempt in the eyes of some of the female Realtors.  You can just tell what they are thinking "what does a guy know about staging"?

Well, I am a C.S.P. Certified Staging Professional and I know what to do and what not to do.  As a Realtor, I know what pictures look great on the MLS and which ones do not.

I am looking forward to the day when I am making enough in Real Estate where I can divest my staging holdings or hire someone to take over for me.

I have not noticed any sexism in Staging.  I think that generally speaking guys on the whole do not have a lot of interior instinct but that certainly does not speak for the entire male population and especially not ones with Staging training and proven success!

Thanks, Michael

I hear from lots of guys in the staging industry that they feel the same way. Perception often beats out reality. I think as this business grows and matures, it will even out. A big part of the success of a staging business is the marketing and sales side and that is more gender even.

Hi Thomas;

    I hope you won't mind, but your blog went media the other day.  I had Liz Pabon, the branding maven on the air with me and I brought up this recent discussion about the diva thing...it was very interesting to hear her take.  You really opened up my eyes a bit too.  I hope you'll listen in to the broadcast if you get an opportunity. 

Cheers!

Okay...I thought I've seen every type of " berry " as a graphic word on AR...but FARKLEBERRY...me thinks someone is having just a little too much fun with the grammer.

Gina, Great show! I enjoyed listening to it:

http://www.radiosandysprings.com/podcasts/DivaInHouseMay09.2008.mp3

Thanks for referencing the blog and she brought up some great marketing and branding points.

Stay in touch,

Thomas

I don't think it's necessarily a sexist industry, but it is definitely an industry dominated by females. I agree that there are more female "tags" in staging than male, but I think that the main reason for this is the female presence in high-profile staging. Companies have to appeal to who they think their main demographic is.

Interesting post, Tom.

I know that I copped some rubbish initially when I was in the planning phase of creating Shift by Design, but I knew that was coming from people who wouldn't have the strength to take the risk and have a go at doing something like this. I have always been interested in houses, architecture and design and this job allows me to bring all those elements together AND be my own boss.

I agree that the 'industry' (interior designers, interior decorators, home stagers) has been largely the domain of the fairer sex, but I do think the tide is turning as many men explore the opportunity to be involved in this exciting, interesting and creative work environment.

Both my wife and I are directors of Shift and we work well together on projects because we bring different perspectives. We work together to ensure our properties are gender neutral and that they show off the property in the best possible light.

Well, how about assuming the title of Staging Guru? I think that sounds positively delicious!

~michelle

Thomas~You tuned in?  That's great!  I'm so glad you enjoyed the show.  Liz really did have some awesome points.  I could have literally talked to her for hours.

Cheers!

Thomas, no way! I love men who can put a room together. When it comes down to it, it's the buyers perception that really matters. I can't imagine a buyer standing in a beautifully finished home wondering if a male or female staged it. I'm all for girl power, but hey, guys have great taste too!

Hi Tom!

Well, I am definitely NOT sexist- I stage with my main man- and I NEED his muscles, organizational skills, exactness with a level, plumbing expertise... I could go on and on.

I call him my staging Beef Cake!! (He loves being called this- and I get more work outta him, too!)

~Leslie

Kimberly,

I agree that having guys who stage is an assett. I think if a staging company has both male and female staff, they have an advantage. Some customers and Realtors deal better with different sexes so it allows you to tag-team.

The point of this post was to shed light on something that doesn't get talked about often in our industry. I truly believe as we grow, there will be a more gender-diverse group of people attracted to staging. Staging isn't just creative - it's analytical and logical, too.

I'm excited about where we are going!

Hello Thomas, I'm thinking as the industry grows and individual businesses grow it creates the need to have a wider skill base with-in that business.  Just as in any business that needed skill base comes from all walks of life and from all genders.  The role I play in Linda's' business is totally behind the scenes stuff that has more to do with marketing and Logistics, which transcends business types.  Because we are ultimately in the people business, my view, when I look out at the staging world is people not gender.  It may just be my age, but I feel very comfortable being one of the boys or one of the girls.  I see the advantage you talk about above as being a wider range of skills, not necessarily equating to gender.  I, just like you, get frustrated on occasion with categorizations.  I say to myself, "Self, Hell if an old guy like me can change and adapt my perspective as the times change, why everyone can't?"  Maybe I'm just luckier than many.