Lessons Learned from the Picker Sisters

Move over Housewives.

Here come the Picker Sisters.  

In our time of all things digital, when I really want to “unplug”,  I now turn to Tracy and Tanya who teach me that just about everything has a story to tell and it’s never too late to rewrite the story.

For those who haven’t watched the show, this is not a show about some trash picking sisters.  Well.  Gosh.  I take that back.  It IS a show about trash picking sisters, but it’s so much more than that.

Case in point, they picked through some old reclaimed wood and fashioned it in to a set of beautiful Adirondack chairs.  And those chairs?  Commanded over $500 retail when they were done with them.

These sisters show that their passion for what they do, their ability to negotiate, and their willingness to walk away when the price isn’t right can lead to a fulfilling, profitable business.  Tracy and Tanya, two childhood friends, also show that humor can go a long way.  If you don’t believe me, watch the pilot episode where they talk about packing their bags.  It’s hilarious.

It’s probably no coincidence that this show airs at a time when the popularity of Pinterest seems to rival that of Twitter, especially among women.   And we keep hearing the term “upcycling” more and more, for example, there’s a whole feature dedicated to the movement in the most recent issue of Entrepreneur magazine.

Turning old things into something new and beautiful is something both consumers and entrepreneurs are paying attention to.

The Picker Sisters are doing this with interior design, creating light fixtures and furniture out of junkyard finds.  Others are doing this with clothing and jewelry.

If you’re looking to be inspired, check out Picker Sisters Tuesdays on Lifetime.  I catch them on Lifetime on demand, too, through my local cable network.

My favorite lesson from the Picker Sisters?  As they say on the show…”Nothing’s perfect, anything can be transformed.”

Check out the "Picker Sisters" marathon Monday, September 5 on Lifetime. Plus, you could win a set of one-of-a-kind chairs featured on the show!  Enter the giveaway now!