Caring Transitions Seattle featured in the Highline Times!
West
Seattle woman has a mission to help senior citizens
by
Michele Smith
In
2011, West Seattle resident Jennifer Black was working in real estate when her
first son was born with Zellweger Syndrome; a rare peroxisome biogenesis
disorder with a life expectancy of less than 1 year. She left her real estate
career and became full-time caregiver to her son until he passed away at 18
months. Pregnant with twins, Jennifer began searching for career opportunities
with a flexible schedule. She chose Caring Transitions.
Caring
Transitions is a company that supports every aspect of later life home
transition, such as moving to a senior living community, relocating across the
country or downsizing a home to age in place. Jennifer provides a range of
services: space planning, packing, move management, unpacking, estate sale
services, on-line auction services and clean-out and donation services. All
consultations are free. “We are able to offer liquidation services via our
on-line auction format when a traditional estate sale does not make sense for
the client. We are one of the only companies that can offer that to their
clients along with move and clean-out services.” She tells us.
Jennifer’s
office is located in West Seattle however the Caring Transitions Franchises
provide services across the Greater Puget Sound. In addition, there is an
office in the south end that provides services into Olympia.
We
asked Jennifer a few questions:
Why
Caring Transitions?
“Flexibility in my schedule, working outside of an office environment (I like
to be outside and moving), I have a long time interest in antiques,
collectibles, estate sales and such, I found there was a great need for Senior
downsizing services in Seattle, You interact with very interesting individuals
on a daily basis; it is never dull!”
Did
you have a personal experience with an aging family member transitioning that
contributed to you wanting to run a Caring Tranistions franchise of your own?
“Yes,
my husband’s parents were downsizing in North Carolina and we witnessed how
much effort and time it took for them to prepare for a move. They would have
benefited greatly from a downsizing service.”
Do
you have one success example you’d like to share? A client you really made an
impact helping?
“I worked with a client whose wife passed away and he was living alone in his
home surrounded by wonderful items they had collected over the years. He was
having a hard time letting go of these items because they were a reminder of
the time with his wife. We helped him sell his items so he could eventually
sell his home. Once that was done, at the age of 80 he began touring the United
States. He was healthy and loved to travel and wanted to continue to do so for
as long as possible.”
How
does being a woman business owner give you an advantage?
“I think that being a woman with young children has really helped me to be more
patient and be a better listener. Every one of our clients has a unique story
and it is important to listen to what they have to say.”
Where do you see your business going in the future?
“I am hoping to expand our on-line auction business. There are so many people
that have unique and interesting items that they would like to resell or repurpose
but do not have enough items to host a traditional estate sale. With the
on-line sale format we are able to partner items together to create a “full
estate sale” and allow them to liquidate items they no longer wish to keep. It
is a great alternative for many clients that not all companies can offer.”
You
can contact Jennifer directly at jblack@caringtransistions.net or
by calling 206-330-0878.
For more information about Caring Transitions, visit www.caringtransitions.com.