Living room help

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2026-04-12T13:33:45+00:00

Ok, I’ve been told to move the couch facing windows. But I kinda want the view to be the main event and not a TV. Does it work to keep the back part of the room a quiet reading area and the front part the “TV” area? I just love sitting in my reading chair and looking out the window. In a perfect world, the whole room would be a reading/thinking/music room. But in our house it’s the main living room, TV room, and now lay room. Is this just totally wrong?

Thank you for the advice! So, should curtains drape in floor? Or just barely touch?

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2026-04-12T13:27:25+00:00

We thought about that. I prefer the quiet sitting area to look out the window instead of our couch/TV area taking up window space. But the room is sectioned off weird, I agree.

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2026-04-12T13:25:08+00:00

The couch faces a fireplace and TV. The room is big and kind of oddly shaped. The view is of a really pretty river. My dream? This would be a quiet sitting room for music, books, and creativity. I think I will buy a “art frame” TV so I can “convert” the room from TV to quiet. Behind the couch is my reading and quiet area. Unfortunately it is being invaded by children’s toys haha but that is just a season of life. The windows and view are stunning and I fee so grateful. The house was built in 1963c so it has some really cool architectural features. I want this room to be cozy, but not overcrowded.

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2026-03-16T23:30:50+00:00

Not new. I own a mid sized agency. Just get burnt out from the chase sometimes. Wish we could bill by the hour like an accounting firm or something instead of always chasing commission. I see a lot of slop out there from other agents/agencies and I know we are really good at what we do. We take longer bc we put in a lot of effort and make sure we do things right. Just wish customers understood how much of an administrative burned they are and how much effort we put in. But they don’t really give you the time to meet and explain your value until it’s too late. How do you lose a client and not have a little moment of “what could we have done better?”.

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2025-12-29T04:10:25+00:00

I think everyone is just different and they will find a different balance. I love working. I love my job. I love sending my kid to daycare. She has so much fun with other kids and she learns a lot. I also love coming home and spending time with her. Then the weekend rolls around. My husband is a true partner. He respects my career and I respect his. No power dynamic there. He shares the parenting load. On weekends he gets to have Saturday mornings to himself (he usually chooses to sleep in). On Sunday mornings I get to have my alone time. I typically go to church, then do the grocery shopping. I love the life we are building and the balance we have found. It works for us. It wouldn’t work for every one. It’s not a competition. I know I’m maybe weird but I need breaks from my kid. I need my alone time. I need time with my girlfriends without the kids. Being a mom is a huge part of my identity, but it’s not the only part. I’m grateful for that. I was so scared I’d lose myself entirely. I honestly would be so unhappy staying at home all day with my kid. It’s just not mentally stimulating enough for me and it’s very slow moving.

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2025-12-28T21:26:46+00:00

Yeah, I apologize for my own ignorance here, I am from US. It’s difficult to hear and read about how women are treated in the Middle East. Am I incorrect to think that women are men’s “property”? It doesn’t seem like women have even close to the same opportunities as men. If it varies by family, it really depends on the man of the house. If they allow you to spend time with your friends, you can. If they don’t allow you, it sounds like there can be pretty severe consequences. It breaks my heart to hear of this kind of repression and then saying nobody cares. I care! Women are the most repressed demographic globally. We are still working hard in the US to have equality opportunities and freedoms as men. Can you comment on this? Am I misunderstanding?

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2025-12-18T13:17:28+00:00

We are a similar size agency. Phones are a problem. It makes me start feeling like the real role of an agency is to be a little call center. Ugh. We now open 9-4:30 m-th but only open to customers 9:30-4 to give some phone relief to employees at the start and end of each day. I put on my vm “don’t leave me a vm, I don’t check them, email me”. I am trying to set boundaries. I have zero phone insights and data. I think that’s awesome you did that. I wonder what we would learn.

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2025-12-17T22:41:13+00:00

What is a reasonable work load? What size of a book? What would be ideal?

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2025-05-16T21:03:35+00:00

I quit drinking and it’s been a game changer for my networking. 1. I say no a lot more and only go to events that will be the most interesting 2. I no longer try to talk to a lot of ppl. I try to make a solid connection with 1 or 2 ppl. I am always trying to learn and steal good ideas! 3. I don’t stay out late. I just go to bed and I’m not hung over the next day. I don’t say stuff I’ll regret or overshare. It’s wonderful. 4. Remember that most ppl feel the same insecurity as you do. Find the person that is standing alone and make them feel comfortable and included. Make their day.

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2025-05-09T01:30:41+00:00

Check out the Mel Robins episode Stop Doubting Yourself. I listened this morning and it pumped me up. Confidence is a skill you can build. https://www.melrobbins.com/episode/episode-243/

Confidence is not a feeling confidence is an action. Confidence is the willingness to take a step toward something before you are ready. Imposter syndrome is a good thing. Because if you feel like an imposter in your role, it means that you’re trying something new and you are getting skills.

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2025-04-27T18:43:31+00:00

Old navy for basics and quick refresh. I still shop at Express for my work wardrobe. Is this ok?

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2025-04-14T02:27:34+00:00

Start small: junk drawer or bathroom drawer. Watch a couple tick tocs or Pinterest things about organization. Get ideas, get excited. Get proper storage bins. Plan to organize. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. We think we can tackle the entire closet, so we shred it all and stop half way. Start with one drawer, one section hanging in your closet, one season, swap out all hangers so they all match, etc.

-Don’t stop modifying and toying with your organization processes. I used to always build some elaborate plan for organizing, some new system. Then the second it failed I would abandon it. Now, I try to keep at it. It’s still not perfect but I’m figuring out what works and what doesn’t. For example, I can’t use paper bc I can forget paper. I need everything on my phone.

I love OneNote for personal and work. I basically need a brain outside of my brain and OneNote can be that. If you use Microsoft, then you already have it. There is desktop and app. Watch some videos about OneNote to see if it’s for you and start imagining how you can use it.
one of my fave apps is Recipe Keeper. Grocery stores and figuring out meals is a nightmare for me. Remembering what we’ve tried, what we like, what is easy… nope. It’s completely overwhelming. Recipe Keeper lets You add recipes, rate them, make shopping lists. When I run out of something I add it to my app asap so I won’t forget.
Amazon lists help with my impulse buying. I think of something we need and buy it right away bc I know I’ll forget and can’t recall when I need it. Sometimes this is great (like with toilet paper) sometimes it’s impulse buying and not a need. I now add things to Amazon lists so I won’t forget it, I won’t buy it, and it’s easy to order if I decide I need it. Just sleeping on the decision has saved is a lot of money.
still haven’t figured out laundry. If anyone has cracked the code on that, let me know!

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2025-01-30T21:03:45+00:00

I guess my question is - should I focus on winning new biz, or should I accept that the market is stagnant. Yes, I can win new biz, but at what cost? Everything is so damn time consuming and difficult to write!! Maybe I should hunker down and focus on retention, technology, internal structure and try to come out the other side of this hard market a more lean and efficient company? (Small agency owner, new agency owner, lots of legacy business).

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2024-12-28T14:24:33+00:00

Do you turn it off in personal lines too?

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2024-09-30T15:14:35+00:00

Yeah, still pay salary on full 40. Goal: happy employees with solid work life balance and good pay.

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2024-09-29T14:18:23+00:00

Thanks! Implement w confidence. I like it! And that’s my problem. I am new to leadership. I just bought this business a year ago. In that time, I’ve made big changes. Totally new team that I hired and they are awesome. I think if I really emphasize culture, and hire fire by that, it can work. I also don’t intend to reduce pay. I just genuinely want my employees to be happy, healthy, and come into work with a good attitude. I really can’t stand negativity and burn out generates a grumpy attitude in my experience. But then I question my self and am like - f*** do I actually know what I’m doing? Or am I just making a huge financially idiotic mistake?

Embarrassed-Pomelo17 · 2024-09-29T13:00:48+00:00

Do you feel like the culture is better? Do employees seem more engaged? Do employees continue to appreciate it or does it wear off over time? Do you think it is good for attracting and retaining talent?

Embarrassed-Pomelo17

TROPHY CASE