Debbie Stanley
ALLi Author Member
Location: United States of America (the)
Genres: Self-Help/Personal Development, General Nonfiction, Academic, Other, Advice & How To, Psychology, Business
Skills: Speaking Engagement/Lecture, Reading/Literary Event, Press/Media Interview
Debbie Stanley is an author, educator, and consultant who writes for both consumers and peers on the topic of organization. Debbie holds a B.F.A. in journalism, an M.A. in industrial and organizational psychology, an M.S. in mental health counseling, and a perpetual devotion to continuing education. She’s a licensed mental health counselor and organizational psychologist with extensive field experience who enjoys translating the eye-glazing rhetoric of her scholarly education into concepts that make sense in everyday life.
Debbie’s latest book, The Organized Musician, helps independent artists around the world to get their act together and live their dream of a career in music. Her next book, Modern Music Patronage, will teach music fans how to give substantive support to the artists they love in the post-pandemic age of independent music. Debbie is also the author of books for peers including Newbie Pitfalls, Ethical Pitfalls for Professional Organizers, and Let Me Show You the Basement: A Guide to Staying Safe in Clients’ Homes.
Since starting her company, Thoughts In Order, in 1997, Debbie established herself as a speaker, instructor, author, and consultant to clients across all industries. Upon moving from Detroit to Austin in 2012, she sharpened her focus to the music industry, digging into the systems that drive every aspect of a music career including booking, touring, production, marketing and promotion, recording and distribution, copyright and royalties, and the wellbeing and protection of artists and their creative gifts. Her past and current project portfolio ranges from large-scale conference and festival production to one-on-one consultation and coaching of music creators and industry professionals.
As an educator, Debbie has offered courses, workshops, and conference presentations for both client groups and peers for over twenty years. She is the developer and instructor of “Fundamental Organizing and Productivity Principles,” a flagship course of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, as well as other courses in the NAPO curriculum. In 2021, Debbie joined the faculty of Austin Community College’s respected Music Business, Performance, and Technology department as the developer and instructor of “Music Career Organization,” a foundational course that is the first of its kind in any college or university music industry degree program.
Debbie Stanley's books
The Organized Musician
Don’t believe the hype: A musician’s life doesn’t have to be perpetual chaos. Organization might not come naturally to you, but you can learn it. And if you want to make your living as an indie artist, you must learn it.
In her latest book, THE ORGANIZED MUSICIAN, professional organizing rock star Debbie Stanley turns her focus to the music industry, shining needed light for independent musicians trying to make their way on their own. Working from fundamentals to strategies to systems and tools, with THE ORGANIZED MUSICIAN you won’t just “get organized”—you will BE organized.
Newbie Pitfalls: 50 Obstacles to Success as a Professional Organizer and How to Avoid Them
Newbies in any field have some valuable advantages: Drive, passion, focus, a fresh perspective on longstanding problems. But they also bring significant risks to themselves, their businesses, and their clients. If you're a new professional organizer or productivity consultant, why learn the hard way? Let this industry veteran help you anticipate the hazards on your horizon . . . instead of regretting them in hindsight.
Ethical Pitfalls for Professional Organizers
Ethics is something we know we should uphold, but trying to grasp it feels a lot like herding cats. In this book, professional organizers discover a strategic and, of course, organized approach to understanding ethics, mitigating risk, avoiding harm, and encouraging honor in themselves and each other.