Easing the stress of a move to Morgan Stanley
You know that rule of life: Don’t change your job, your home, and your partner all in the same year.
Ellyn McColgan has changed two out of three, and she’s shockingly low-stress about it. “I’m moving tomorrow,” she told me last evening over a leisurely dinner in Manhattan. McColgan, who spent 17 years climbing the ranks of Fidelity Investments in Boston (and made Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list), joined Morgan Stanley (MS) as president of its $6.5 billion Global Wealth Management arm in April. Today, as she moves into her new apartment overlooking Central Park, “I won’t have to open a single box,” she says.
What’s the hitch? To smooth her move, McColgan says, she hired a service called Productive Transitions. Hokey name, yes. But it says what it does—which is to manage any move. McColgan had never heard of “moving managers” before she made her Boston-to-New York transition, but this service turned out to be a good find. California-based Productive Transitions not only oversaw McColgan’s movers. The moving managers also hung her art, organized her closets and placed her clothes in her drawers. Phone service and cable TV? Done.
Word to the wise: These moving managers charge high fees. McColgan says she spent about $25,000 out of pocket—her pocket, not Morgan Stanley’s. But it was worth the price for stress relief—particularly when going to work each day means battling it out on Wall Street.
P. S. Speaking of new homes, I bumped into Greg Schwartz, VP of sales for Zillow, at lunch outside Michael’s today. “Has the downturn hurt Zillow’s traffic?” I asked. The opposite, he said. Traffic on the home-price assessment website is up 40% in a year because people, instead of buying homes, are perusing instead.
Didn’t see her on the list! Morgan Stanley needs better management: stock value at least a 60% loss.
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I read this blog and was pleasantly surprised that the good word is finally out. The East Coast Director of Operations of Productive Transitions and her team are the ones responsible, in large part for the success of Ellyn McColgan and several other high to mid level executives’ stress-free moves. When in Rome, any other state, and in most countries, there is a director of move management waiting on Executives, hand and foot, heart and gut, without ever shooting from the hip, even at a days notice. Who would have thunk it! It’s common knowledge that Executives, especially higher level ones simply haven’t the time, this level of expertise, or the stomach to juggle the management of their move, their utility and other applicable arrangements, unpack, and settle in, as thoroughly and expeditiously, amidst starting an important new position, or in simply picking up where they left off, before an assignment or maternity leave. This can be daunting to most and take weeks to settle in to a point of manageability. Why wouldn’t a company want to pay what in actuality ranges from as little as $3000 to $30,000 worth of service, depending on the individual needs and desires of the Executive and their family, when they can sooner get their Executives, responsible for managing millions of dollars for their company, back to their office, right? It’s Par for the course for mid level executives too. That is why different corporate packages are offered through companies or via Executives’ Discretionary Allowances, which is the next best thing.
There are so many other success stories that can be offered via an interview opportunity such as this. If it weren’t for the otherwise strict policies of many-a corporation, we would be able to blog about this more and more, thus letting all who have been, are, or will be in need of streamlined move management services that there is the right kind of help, far be-it from regular Moving Company Services. As vital as movers are, with respect to the infamous moving companies’ general unpacks, many van lines do more harm than good. We’ve had clients who have found there tennis shoes in the refrigerator, their trusty alarm clock still packed away the next vital morning, amidst endless nightmare stories we’ve all heard! Perhaps, movers are just so tired after their long haul; that’s why all the other fauxpas that typically ensue; some, unforgiveable. As for the van lines that do have a better track record than most, those are the ones we work with, and we work very well together.
With this we are attempting to get approval for many other also High-Level Executives who we’ve managed the move of, to be able to interview with you; namely from ABC, Exxon, and Deloitte and Touché. Likewise, the Owner of Productive Transitions will be in town soon, as will his new partner company, Home Sweet Home, both of which are based in California. That is why they also work with All In Place, Inc. One of the Mid-High Level Executives of ABC was settled in by them via this ABC Executive’s Discretionary allowance.
All in all, the question is, in addition to all of the marketing these Move Management Companies do, how can we ensure the continuation of the awareness and reassurance of such a Nobel service, but through a great blog, such as this? I think that all who’ve undergone such would appreciate the opportunity to voice their opinions and questions on the topic. They will soon know that their questions will be answered and can utilize what, in the Industry is known as Destination or Settling-In Services, complete with an Employee and Corporate Beneficial program, known as the Discard and Donation program, saving either or both $1000s on each move. Likewise, Professional Organizational Services can be a saving grace when on maternity leave, executives need to run their business from their office or if their undergoing something that can be as daunting as relocating…again, such as a revamp or renovation. People need to know that, for one, such Nobel stress alleviating services exist, and secondly, how much of a god-sent such services are to anyone suffering from the otherwise typical stresses of a various transition, especially a move, etc. All of which are stresses we, as a Professional Organizers specialize in alleviating.