Sarah “Polly” Malcolm
I wasn’t always an organized person. Growing up I had one of those rooms so chaotic you couldn’t even walk across the floor without stepping on things. Once I went away to college and had to share a dorm room, I began to realize that I had to change my messy ways (Yes, parents, there is hope for your teens!). No, I wasn’t cured overnight as the many roommates I had in my young adulthood can attest. It took many years of unlearning old behaviors and replacing them with new habits to better maintain my home and office.
During my over two-decade career working at one of our local state universities, I organized large-scale international projects and managed multiple teams, with different goals and objectives at the same time. In other words, I am a highly organized person who thrives when keeping a lot of balls in the air. After realizing that being in upper management meant I couldn’t bring my authentic self to work each day, I decided to pivot towards a career where I felt my work could have more immediate and impactful results. Throughout my professional career I was often told by colleagues that I was a “Life Coach” and frequently taught others to be more productive through better organization. Organized by Polly was born out of a love of working with people and helping others meet their goals to live their best lives. In addition to Organized by Polly, I provide career advising and consulting through my other business, Portage International Education Services, and I am finishing a PhD in English Literature with a focus on Caribbean writers.
Okay, so who is Polly?
My nickname “Polly” was bestowed during my time working at Big Lots in Stow-Kent. My co-workers started calling me “Pollyanna” and later just “Polly” because of my enduring optimism and bubbly personality. In fact, one time a secret shopper sent a rave review about how helpful and nice Polly was, only for corporate to question the Stow-Kent management why they had someone named Polly on the staff who wasn’t on the payroll. I wasn’t allowed to wear my “Polly” name tag after that, but the nickname endured. After years of tempering the optimistic and bubbly side of my personality while working in management, I am now reclaiming those traits. While I am better known as Sarah today, I will always answer to “Polly.”
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