I’m Lisa Winningkoff, a wife, mother of two young adults, CPA, and professional photo organizer based in New Orleans. After working in a corporate role for more than 25 years, my position was eliminated as the result of a merger. Rather than mourn that loss, I looked at the experience as a gift that allowed me to design the next chapter of my life.
I knew I wanted to do something fun and creative that will delight others while making the most of my skills and background. I have been organized since childhood, and I really enjoyed creating photo albums of family vacations. It didn’t take long for me to realize that helping others preserve, share, and enjoy their photos was a dream come true. My next chapter had arrived.
As a professional photo organizer, I create libraries of memories to share and enjoy by managing lifetime collections of photos and stories. Most clients I work with have two main goals: (1) to know that their photos and memories are safe; and (2) to be able to enjoy and share them in a variety of ways. That might mean beautiful photo albums, lovely framed prints, or a digital display of their favorite moments. It’s so rewarding to see a client’s anxiety transform into relief and joy when they get the chance to see and appreciate their photos. It’s the best feeling in the world.
Since photo organizing as a career and an industry is relatively new, I had a lot to learn. I turned to trusted advisors Sherra Humphreys and Rita Norton from PPO Studio to help me hit the ground running. In addition to being trainers and business coaches, they are active professional photo organizers with VIP clients, making them an excellent resource of information. Their training proved to be invaluable in enhancing my business and technical skills.
What’s your favorite holiday photo? Can you tell us the story behind it?
One of my favorite holiday photos is of my sister and me on Christmas Eve in 1972. Christmas is such a magical time of the year, especially when you’re a child. At the time, I was five and my sister was three. There we were, standing in front of the tree in matching dresses and jumpers (and matching shoes and socks!) that our mother made for us. New Orleans weather in December is famously unpredictable—some years it’s freezing, and other years you need air conditioning to survive. It must have been on the warm side in 1972, because we were wearing short sleeves, above-the-knee dresses, and no tights.
What I like most about this vintage photo is the innocence and anticipation on our faces. If you look closely, you can see that there are few gifts under the tree. This indicates our eagerness to get on with Christmas Eve and go to sleep so that Santa could visit our home in the middle of the night to deliver our gifts. As soon as we’d wake up the next day, we’d jump out of bed, wake up our parents far too early, and rush to the tree to see what was under it.
Much has changed since 1972, but seeing this photo makes me pause, reminisce, and appreciate how sweet it is to hold on to that magical feeling.
That’s such a lovely story! We hope you’ve been able to share it on your Nixplay Frames.
Yes, and I absolutely love my Nixplay frames! I have one on my office desk and another in our living room. Sometimes when I’m working, a fun photo of my children will pop up on the frame and catch my eye. I’ll stop what I’m doing and take a little break to smile and enjoy the memories. Sometimes, if it’s a particularly silly photo, I’ll even laugh out loud.
What I love about the Nixplay frames is how the transition from one photo to the next grabs your attention in a way that a static framed photo does not. If I see a favorite photo when I walk through the living room, five or ten minutes can easily pass while I stand there just watching the show.
As a pro photo organizer, I really appreciate that I can manage the Nixplay frames remotely for my clients. I would create customized playlists for different family gatherings and occasions, and they would always attract a small crowd. One client experienced a death in her family, and she was planning a gathering at her home following the funeral. She called me to gather some photos of her loved one, but she was clearly distraught with grief and overwhelmed with everything else going on. So I told her I would handle this for her.
She was concerned it would take too long or be too much trouble, but in less than 30 minutes I was able to search her organized photo collection, select the best photos of her loved one, create a playlist, and publish it to her frame. I texted her to check if the photos were displaying, and she cried tears of joy. She was so happy to have a loving display that the rest of her family could enjoy, and I was happy to have helped her at such a difficult time.
Inevitably, people are drawn to the frames to see photos that they might not otherwise have an opportunity to view. It really is such a fun and flexible way to enjoy your photos!
