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.