If emergency preparedness has been on your mind
and you feel the need to get your PREPAREDNESS ACT TOGETHER...
you are absolutely in the right place!
My SIMPLE and CREATIVE approach to preparedness will leave you feeling more peace of mind and the motivation to get it done. I've been through the wringer with both personal and natural disasters... so YOU get to learn from my mistakes! I'll quickly cut your learning curve and help you focus on the most important stuff so you can get it done and move on with the rest of your life. But first... let me dispel some common myths!
MYTH #1 - Emergency Preparedness has to become a hobby or way of life.
NOPE!! To me - it's a checklist of things that I can organize and finish. It does not control my life. Over the years I've naturally adopted some more "sustainable" habits - but that's been by choice, not necessity.
MYTH #2 - Emergency Preparedness is doomy, gloomy and end-of-the-world-ish.
NOPE!! To me it's ALL ABOUT peace of mind knowing I can take care of my family should an emergency arise. I'm not a doomer and a gloomer. Are you kidding? I love color, I love feeling organized and I love the extra peace of mind and confidence I feel knowing I could take care of myself and others in a variety of situations. NOT worrying about NOT being prepared is the best part!
MYTH #3 - Emergency Preparedness is overwhelming and expensive.
Again... NOPE!!! I'll cut the overwhelm with my planner + I'll share AMAZING tips and tricks that will SAVE you money in my classes. Sure... you can buy all kinds of expensive equipment and invest in a basement full of freeze dried food - but I'll show you how and why you don't need to. Think you need a generator? Not so fast... let me help you figure out if you even NEED one! This is for an emergency, for heaven's sake. Why would we spend more money on something we HOPE we never have to actually use?
SO, HOW CAN I HELP?
Well - I don't have a fancy degree or anything... but BY NOT being prepared for the housing crisis of 2008 and being naïve to the disasters that East Coast blizzards, Nor'Easters, hurricanes & extended power outages create - let's just say, I learned the HARD WAY. In particular, Hurricane Sandy left us without power, water or heat IN THE WINTER for TWO WEEKS - right the middle of Chemo #8 and #9. It was a nightmare that I don't EVER want to go through again - so I vowed to get my act together. Since then, we battled cancer a second time, weathered a Stem Cell Transplant, I had to become the main breadwinner for our family - and the East Coast weather continued to pound on us. So - I guess you could say I've had a lot of "emergency" practice and a whole lot of time to build personal resiliency.
Lucky for you - I've read a million articles and dozens of books... I've spent money I didn't need to spend, bought things we didn't need, etc. I experimented, tried, tested and basically failed my way into realizing I needed a newer, simpler approach. Combine that with my NEED to organize and create... I began to see a simpler way and started sketching an outline for a planner, (which happens to be one of my specialties)!
In 2020, as the shelves got more and more bare and lockdowns became the "new norm" - I got more and more calls, emails and texts from friends and family who knew I was a good source of information and could give them some direction. The writing was on the wall... now was the time to take my planner outline and turn it into a real tool to help others!
The final product was more than I could have ever imagined. It became a culmination of everything I learned, organized, AND practiced over the last 10 years! And best of all... it's a framework - a SIMPLE, DOABLE action plan that you can customize to YOUR family, YOUR needs, YOUR location, and YOUR budget!
I've been selling printables and planners on my website for over 10 years and within a few short weeks of launching it, it became my ALL TIME BEST SELLER. My family stepped in and we spent WEEKS shipping it all over the country to thousands of customers!
It's been an awesome experience - AND a true joy to see that our challenges turned into expedited planning and easier learning for others. I couldn't be happier that thousands of families are DOING something to tackle their family preparedness and are finding that same peace of mind that I found years ago!
So... why all the attention? What is so special about it?
Honestly... I think it's because I made it super simple by doing LOTS of the work for you!
I organized the planner into 18 color coded sections. Each section begins with a "write-up" or personal note from me about why that particular section is important. In these write-ups, I reveal my favorite tips, tricks and secrets + I tell you what to avoid. Throughout the planner, you'll find overviews of important information that will expedite your learning curve in each area. As you begin to tackle each section, you'll be armed with pertinent information and many practical tips and suggestions for getting started.
Don't forget though... this is a PLANNER and a WORKBOOK - not just a bunch of articles and write-ups!
As you read through and orient yourself with each section... you'll find that a collection of intuitive worksheets, questionnaires and checklists will follow. This is why the planner is so helpful! FIRST... I teach you what's important and what to focus on. THEN, I give you "guided" spaces to plan your preparedness out in a way that fits the needs of your family. There is absolutely no "one size fits all" approach to preparedness - so I'll walk you through building a custom plan and help you avoid things you don't need - saving you both time and MONEY!
I hope you let my years of trial and error be to YOUR ADVANTAGE! As you work through each section, your preparedness will accelerate, your goals will be guided (yet will be personal and prioritized), and in time - I know my planner will make a difference in how well your family is able to handle the next emergency that comes your way!
The hardest decision you'll have to make right now is whether to print your own...
- OR have me ship you one that's already printed and bound!
"PRINTABLE" or "PRINT & SHIP"
For more details on specific sections and to get a closer look at some of the pages, click on the options below:
I ALSO TEACH ONLINE CLASSES!
After releasing my planner & binder - I had SO MANY people ask if I'd be willing to also teach classes surrounding some of the sections in the planner. Given that we just entered the ZOOM AGE - I decided to give it a try and it was a wild success! I taught dozens of classes LIVE... but did record them, so you can purchase a ticket and get a PERSONAL tutorial through the Food Storage Section AND the Water/Power & Equipment Sections as well. The Planner is AWESOME... but there is just something valuable about having me guide you through each step + fill you in with stories, examples and even MORE tips along the way!
A "72 Hour Kits & Evacuation" class and a class on "Sanitation/Hygiene" are coming soon!
In my Food Storage Class, I'll give you a personal explanation of my "layering" chart - which is an EASY way to SIMPLIFY what foods you store. I'll give you ALL of my BEST tips and tricks - AND will teach you how to build a complete food storage around 30 basic ingredients without breaking the bank! We'll also talk about rotation, do's/don'ts, gimmicks to avoid and how a FEW simple steps and unique tricks can make a HUGE difference!
In my Water & Power Class we go over WATER storage, collection and purification - I give you practical tips and advice and go over recommended practices, safety and filtration - I'll also show you my favorite products AND THE ONES TO AVOID. We also cover POWER... like how to stay warm without power, light, alternative cooking, what fuels are best, how to store them, which ones to avoid, etc. We also go over GENERATORS specifically - how you figure out IF you even need one, if so how big and options for accessing and hooking up that power. This class comes with several BONUS PDF's that are great to add to your binder! My dad took this class recently - and let's just say... he was DANG impressed with my knowledge of generators! Ha!!
THOUSANDS have bought my planner and binder.
HUNDREDS of people have taken my classes.
If you need any more convincing that this exceptional combo will help jump start your preparedness... just take a look a the reviews my customers are leaving!
WHAT MY CUSTOMERS ARE SAYING!
So... there you have it!
A planner and binder combo to get you organized and planning + classes to make sure you are getting the most out of both! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions! Discounts for "group buys" begin at 40 units; also booking PRIVATE live classes for groups of 25 or more. Email me for details!
colette@mycomputerismycanvas.com