Aside from a brief stint at the University of Mississippi, Stacey Saed has never lived anywhere except Memphis — a place she loves fiercely. Her family and hometown experiences gave her a thirst to serve her community as an entrepreneur and a deep desire to nurture the space she calls home. Meanwhile, a varied career background gave her the skills and determination to start Annestasis, a relocation service with an added ingredient: compassion.
Get to know this week’s FACE of Memphis!
Tell us about Annestasis!
Annestasis is a relocation service company that brings “peace to the process” of downsizing, decluttering, and moving to a new home. We can refresh your existing home or help make the move to a new home transition less stressful.
We are a team committed to advocating for the family and homeowner who hires us. We are compassionate project managers as our clients free themselves from the resources that may hold them back from a vibrant new life. Different seasons require different amounts of “things,” and we can get overwhelmed by all of it. A healthy lifestyle requires us to evaluate our environment and see if it is working.
How did your path lead to opening Annestasis?
It was a long and winding road that led me to Annestasis. On the surface, it was a way for a single mother to support her college-aged children. Below the surface, it is an answer to prayer for someone with a varied and seemingly unrelated professional past. I have experience in wealth management, interior design, operations, administration, motherhood, and project management.
If you look at my resume with my BS from the University of Memphis in Organizational Leadership, you may wonder where to employ this person! I credit Jeremy Parks of cityCurrent, who once told me I may have to invent a position for myself. He was right. I took the skills learned, mistakes made, and wins celebrated to start Annestasis.
What lessons did you learn along the way?
Gosh, that is a long list! I learned that no one is coming — in a good way. If I win or lose, the buck stops with me. I learned that the winners are often not the most talented or skilled but the ones who persevered through adversity.
Most of all, I learned to watch people who have what I want and pattern my life after theirs. My influencers can be living or dead, and I have access to their wisdom over coffee through books or electronic means.
Can you tell us about a project that illustrates what Annestasis is all about?
[In one scenario,] we helped a realtor prepare a client’s home for staging and photographing. She was wise to call us because, instead of hiding personalized items in closets and under beds, we packed them for the upcoming move. An infant and caretaker were there as we worked, and I noticed the baby was crying for long stretches as we packed and discerned that watching us pack up her home was stressing her.
We are flexible, so we donned our ski jackets and set up shop in the garage area, only entering the home three or four times a day. By working with us, the young family made progress on their move, the realtor had a depersonalized palette to help sell the home, and the baby was no longer crying from the trauma of watching us upset her surroundings.
What is a common misconception people have about the decluttering/relocation process?
The misconception, hands down, is that it is a logistical function. It is a top five life stressor and it is emotional, spiritual, AND physical. Hiring movers and various helpers who understand the assignment is life-giving.
We are stronger in community; I see folks languishing in guilt and shame for days, months, and sometimes years. It doesn’t have to be this way.
You are also an artist! What is your medium, and what do you enjoy most about the creative process?
I am! I am wrapping up my time as a visual artist, creating pieces from acrylic paints and canvases. I have a few more to complete and sell. I am moving into my book writing and watercolor illustration phase of life. I can’t stop creating. I enjoy people, their stories, and making things that are beautiful.
Where can we find you when you aren’t working?
In coffee shops, meeting with people, binge-watching another Masterpiece Classic series at home, writing in the early mornings, or on restorative walks.
What is your best piece of advice?
What we do in life is not ours to “figure out.” I believe it is about listening and honoring the things we love to do both in and out of the professional realm.
We are called to serve one another in a meaningful way, so do what you are supposed to do with love and commitment.
Aside from faith, family, and friends, name three things you can’t live without.
Beauty, music, and love — with a shout-out to coffee and tea!
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