Kat Sanford-Creary

I love helping other people figure out their passion. Most people have goals and dreams but have no idea how to turn them into reality. When people have things that they want to do but get stuck, it is easy to stay stuck, and give up before ever making a move. I encourage others to go after their goals after creating an actionable plan. Throughout my career I have had the opportunity to mentor others both professionally and personally. It is always thrilling for me to see them master new things, reach milestones, and achieve their goals. I have found that many miss opportunities due to lack of planning. I listened to the stories of overwhelmed friends and colleagues, and personally started teaching them how to better manage their time through effective planning. As my children got older, I realized that they were starting to struggle with time management and I wanted to help them, too. This inspired me to hold my first time management workshop for students: Planning Your School Year; along with a companion workshop for parents. This series of meetings led me to write my first two books: The Unhurried School Year and Planning Your School Year Student Workbook. By request from parents, I expanded the student content and wrote a special edition for high school students. Teaching students how to manage time gives them a valuable tool that will serve them well into adulthood.I have the unique balance of being both detail-oriented and big picture. I am passionate about planning and use the skills that I have developed to help me clearly map out the steps that lead to an overarching goal. It is particularly satisfying to see all the pieces fall into place, especially when it is a win for everyone involved. After spending months looking for a specific type of candle, my creative problem-solving skills led me to study and learn the art of candle-making. I developed my process, and my personal project became a business, This Little Light Candles. I have gone from personal to web-based sales and was recently accepted as an artisan in the Amazon Handmade program. My current position as the Office Manager in a school affords me to put a myriad of my skills to use, including providing exceptional customer service, event planning, training, and public speaking. I am intimately involved in planning school events and activities, both social and service related. I seek out volunteers, vendors, and services regularly. I have earned a reputation for being great to brainstorm with and the go-to person when tasks need to be completed.