🗂 From Sticky Notes to Systems: How My Post-It World Became a Team Task List
There was a time — not so long ago — when my office looked like a Lisa Frank explosion. Sticky notes everywhere. Pink meant “urgent,” yellow meant “follow up,” blue was “random thought I’ll probably forget.” It was beautiful. It was chaotic. It was… very me.
But then something happened: I built a team.
And suddenly, my sticky note world wasn’t just my little chaos bubble — it had to make sense to other humans.
💭 The Problem with Solo Systems
When you’re flying solo, your brain can afford to be a little unhinged. You know where everything is, even if it’s taped to the side of your laptop with “ASK TITLE LADY FOR HOA THINGY” scrawled in Sharpie.
But once you start working with others, that doesn’t fly. My team can’t read my mind or my handwriting (honestly, even I can’t sometimes). So, the sticky notes that once kept me grounded started to become little islands of confusion.
I realized my system — as brilliant as it was — needed to evolve, we live in a paperless world these days yah know.
🪄 The Sticky Note Evolution
Here’s how it happened:
The “Wait… where’s that note?” Stage
Someone on my team would ask, “Hey Liz, what’s the status on the appraisal for 123 Main?” And I’d be like, “It’s on a sticky note… somewhere.” Not ideal.The Spreadsheet Stage
So naturally, I tried to translate the sticky world into a spreadsheet. Which worked — until it didn’t. The spreadsheet was clean, but it wasn’t alive. It didn’t remind us of deadlines, assign ownership, or track progress.The “We Need a System” Stage
That’s when we moved to a task management software (A-Frame, my beloved 🫶). It was like someone handed me the grown-up version of my sticky note wall — complete with checklists, due dates, and visibility for my team.
⚙️ How We Use It Now
Each transaction gets its own task list that mirrors my original post-it chaos — just digitized and beautifully organized.
We’ve broken it down by phases:
Contract to Close Prep
Inspection & Appraisal
Title & Lender Follow-Ups
Closing Coordination
Every step from my sticky notes made it in there. If it lived on my wall long enough, it earned a digital box to check.
Now my team but, even more importantly our AGENTS can:
✅ See what’s due and who’s handling it
✅ Get reminders automatically
✅ Track progress in real time
✅ Communicate inside the system (no more “did you email the lender?” Slacks at 8 p.m.)
It’s the same Liz system — just smarter, cleaner, and user friendly.
🌈 Why It Matters
Transitioning from sticky chaos to structured software didn’t take away my personality — it amplified it.
My team can still feel my system: the thoroughness, the order, the little bit of glitter. But now, it’s scalable. It works even when I’m not hovering over it with a coffee and a Sharpie.
That’s the magic of systems — they start as survival tools and evolve into something that gives you freedom.
💬 Real Talk
Do I still use sticky notes?
Oh, absolutely. I always will. They’re my first step — my brain dump, my quick capture, my creative spark.
But now, those sticky notes have a destination.
They grow up, move out, and become part of a system that keeps our whole team (and every client we serve) running smoothly.
So yes, my desk is still a little chaotic. But it’s organized chaos — and that’s exactly how I thrive & like it.
