by Kirby Lindsay Laney, posted 22 January 2016
When Sondra Firestein went looking for office space for her growing business, she envisioned a space with a view of the water – exactly like the one she found in Fremont, on her first try.
The shared office space on Fremont’s precious shoreline has given Firestein fertile ground from which to grow and expand from her original enterprise, Pursuit Concierge. Last summer, she formally identified a second, separate business, called Happy Seekers, from within her work with Pursuit clients. “You can tell they both fit together,” she said of the two companies, “but can’t quite touch.” Overall, both businesses attempt to help clients, in very different ways, answer the question, ‘How can I live the most fulfilling life possible?’
When ‘Time Can Be Better Spent Elsewhere’
Firestein first came to Seattle working as a real estate agent. While she built a clientele, she supplemented her income by assisting with custom event planning and design. At both jobs, she worked with clients at pivotal times in their lives – getting married, buying their first house, anniversaries, major birthdays, etc. Yet, Firestein noticed, “People didn’t have time for these significant moments. Clients on both sides were ridiculously busy.” Rather than celebrating and relishing the moments, her clients appeared overwhelmed and buried by busy work.
Step by step, Firestein began helping her clients manage their busy work, freeing them for more fun. “It is amazing how gratifying it is,” she said of taking on the tedious tasks, “It is a way to nurture my clients. It is really gratifying to know I’m helping people do what they want to do.”
By March of 2014, Firestein had developed the innovative Pursuit Concierge. “Do you really need to be in line? On hold?,” she asked. “There is a lot of little stuff that takes energy,” Firestein acknowledged, “We let you spend more time where it’s needed.”
According to Firestein, there are three constants: life, death and the 24-hour day. “Everyone is dealt the same amount of time in their life,” she observed, “You have to decide where your energy should be spent, and what can be passed off.”
It isn’t the obvious answer, and some Pursuit Concierge clients finally sign on with an honest assessment of ‘what is your time worth?’ Other clients must break through a deep seated emotional block. “A lot of women feel they are supposed to be able to do everything,” Firestein observed. She’s also had clients struggle to relinquish control over mundane aspects of their lives – like scheduling the dog groomer.
Yet, Pursuit Concierge services can serve clients like hiring a house cleaner. Pursuit helps with tasks most of us can do, but are better off delegating, to free up time for the things we want to do. “Clients are either so frustrated,” Firestein said about the final push that often gets people to call her, “or they know their time can be better spent elsewhere.”
“I’m not a life coach,” Firestein stated emphatically. Pursuit Concierge works more like a part-time personal assistant (although, they have helped clients hire full-time assistants.) Pursuit Concierge can help clients find furniture, book appointments, file insurance claims, check on CraigsList, “and anything that requires a phone call,” Firestein explained.
In fact, for more and more people, phone calls – and sitting on hold – have become too difficult to fit into our busy schedules. Calls, particularly those that must be done during certain business hours, are a popular Pursuit activity. Ultimately, “it’s the tedious stuff,” Firestein said, “the brain dump list.”
Right now, Pursuit Concierge clients range widely in age, from 25 – 65. Firestein does target those aged 25 – 35, although she acknowledged, “I’m finding people my age aren’t fed up, yet. They still think they can do everything.” She still makes an effort to reach out to them. She wants to help them avoid burning through their youth, justifying it with ‘I can be happy later…’
‘Own Your Own Life’
Happy Seekers started inside of Pursuit Concierge, as the company blog. Last summer, Firestein re-christened it and became deliberate about her efforts to raise social awareness. As she observed, “It is never too early, and never too late, to own your own life.”
Working with Concierge clients, Firestein noticed that when freed from troublesome and trying projects, some people just took on more of the same. “I realized, six months in,” she explained, “that people have lost touch with what brings them joy.”
“We know our social requirements,” Firestein observed. We know, and give importance to, the Thank You notes, the social engagements, the duty demands meetings, and checking e-mails, “but not what brings us joy. What are we passionate about?”
Firestein wants to help. “A lot of people have lost touch with what is fun,” she explained. Using the Happy Seekers blog, Firestein seeks to inspire and, “to encourage people to life lives meaningful to them.” On the blog recently, Firestein shared suggestions on ‘19 Ways To Integrate Self-Care Daily,’ and ways to go about ‘Focusing On The Relationships That Matter Most’.
Under the Happy Seekers banner Firestein also has placed a couple of monthly gathering. Thirsty Gals, an open, inspirational networking event for women, actually began before Happy Seekers, and has given attendees, including Firestein, a place to gather feedback and support on challenges we all face on a regular basis.
Power Up will be her next effort – a monthly gathering for everyone, which allows those that want to a place to share a vision for their life. “It’s an abundance exercise,” Firestein observed, “a different way to look at our goals.” Each participant has 2-minutes in which to share a vision for their future, in as much detail as possible. It gives voice to those ideas that may be floating around, but need grounding – like Firestein’s vision that became her Fremont office space.
Pursuit Concierge is a very innovative idea, that may take time for people to accept, but Happy Seekers is an entirely new concept, and Firestein is still assessing what she wants it to do. “Another potential group,” Firestein mused, may be about providing people with a place for creativity and expressing gratitude. Mostly, she hopes to provide an inspirational and comfortable environment, “where anything is possible.”
Ask For Help
Learn more about Pursuit Concierge, and the monthly membership prices and packages, on the company website. Or, meet Firestein at one of the monthly Happy Seekers events – Thirsty Gals meets on the third Thursday (next one on February 18th,) at 6:45p, and Power Up happens on the last Tuesday (next one is February 23rd,) at 6p. Both events require an RSVP through the Happy Seekers website.
“Come and learn,” Firestein invited, “and tell me what you need.” Whether it is an escape from wearisome busy work, with Pursuit Concierge, or a companion on the path to rediscovering the fun of your life, using Happy Seekers, Firestein wants everyone to realize, “it is okay to ask for help.”
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