Today we’d like to introduce you to Marian Marian.
Hi Marian, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I find it disarming to start most conversations about my company by asking: “Don’t most people start a new business at age 71?”
That’s not quite as ridiculous as it might sound. My partner, Mike Stack, and I created Living in Place Solutions as seniors, but I have assisted people in beautifying their houses since I was 23 years old.
Several years ago, while I was working as a remodeling facilitator (a cross between an interior designer and a project manager), a severely disabled woman hired me to redo her house. She wanted me to make her home both esthetically pleasing and more accessible for her immediately and as her conditions degenerated.
We gutted the bathroom and a kitchen, added things like pull-out drawers in the pantry, and even installed an elevator. Doorways were widened to accommodate the wheelchair she eventually needed, and ramps or zero thresholds were installed where necessary.
I learned a lot through extensive research, but I always felt like I was missing something. Guidelines were changing, and new innovations for home safety constantly hit the market. At this point in the 7-year project, I was working exclusively with Mike Stack, the contractor who eventually became my partner. He found a Certified Aging in Place Specialist intensive class taught nearby, and we spent three days getting our brains stuffed with statistics, solutions, and resources. We were going to save the world, one home at a time.
Until a few days later, when the rapid spread of Covid forced Governor Hogan to close the state of Maryland.
For the next year, no one wanted strangers (or even friends) inside the home. So, as we banished our groceries to the front porch and then meticulously wiped them down, I got my Living in Place Specialist certification and my Age Safe America certification. Mike and I both vetted contractors by having them perform work in our own homes and those of anyone we could convince to be a guinea pig. We amassed a rolodex of senior services providers and fine-tuned our comprehensive safety assessments that identify any potential risk for the homeowners, the family, and anyone who may visit. We committed to making every client’s home safe, accessible, and healthy.
Every interaction with Living in Place Solutions begins with a safety assessment and interview, which generally lasts about two hours. Within a few days, I report back to the client with recommendations, specific resources, including vendors and contractors, and financing sources, where applicable. I am available for design and selection advice or full project management. In my opinion, these projects should be fun and rewarding, and when involved, I ensure that. And I am dedicated to suggesting upgrades that are beautiful as well as functional. Grab bars no longer need to look like something out of a filling station restroom.
My nearly 73 years render me more understanding of the emotional aspect to aging. I know, firsthand what it feels like to be unable to do what I easily could when I was sixty, and I have a personal stake in learning to navigate those tricky waters. I’m here to make the process more approachable and to remind my clients that aging can be a great adventure instead of a downward descent–particularly now, when ten thousand people turn 65 every day in the United States.
I never thought I’d love something as much as I love hot fudge sundaes. But the visceral satisfaction I get after eating my favorite ice cream treat is dwarfed by the joy I feel when a client approaches me in the grocery store to tell me how much she loves her bathroom and how happy she is that I convinced her to add grab bars.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Many people feel that my age and health issues create huge obstacles although I heartily disagree. I understand the challenges, particularly of admitting decline. Madison Avenue and Hollywood demonize aging; I embrace quoting Jonn Donne: “Do not go gentle into that good night.” I celebrate my age and that of my clients.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Living in Place Solutions offers a path to autonomy, independence, and dignity… By identifying and eliminating barriers to safety, we provide peace of mind for our clients and their families and create safe, healthy, and accessible homes.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
With the exception of my college years in Atlanta, I have lived in Baltimore my whole life and I wouldn’t live anywhere else. It’s the ethnic flavor of neighborhoods, the restaurants, steamed crabs and our communal love of our Orioles and Ravens that create that sense of home.
I have always loved telling people what to do. Is it any wonder that now, when people thank me and then pay me for that service that I prefer to work five to six days a week.
I do read three to five books a week (mostly mysteries), but I frequently forget the author’s name, which I hate.
I read digitally, and the author and title aren’t front and center.
I wish I could eat hot fudge sundaes three to five days a week, but that would definitely interfere with my ability to adhere to my preferred work schedule…
Although extremely non-confrontational, a lack of commitment to service or the needs of my clients has been known to convert into me into a snarling mongoose.
Pricing:
- Full assessment with solutions, vendors, and vetted contractors: $250.00
- Design and selection assistance: $150.00 per hour
- Project management and contractor oversight: $150.00 per hour
Contact Info:
- Website: www.livinginplacesolutions.com
- Facebook: Living in Place Solutions
- Linkedin: Marian Berman
Image Credits
Maili Godwin
Boris and Company
