Story
As the oldest of nine kids, with two working parents, I grew up having a lot of chores and responsibilities around the house. As you can imagine, our living space contained a chaotic assortment of toys, a disarray of open cereal boxes in the kitchen, and enough clothing to fill a boutique (or thrift shop).
It was my responsibility to clean the kitchen every night, which took over an hour because nothing was put back where it belonged. Every Sunday, I was responsible for tidying up the entire house, but within hours it was back to total chaos. My organizational oasis was my own bedroom, where there was a place for everything, and I knew I could find it!
“My organizational oasis was my own bedroom, where there was a place for everything, and I knew I could find it!”
Growing up, I liked school and I was happy to help my siblings with their homework. As their work became more time-consuming and complex, I experienced many stressful nights and more arguments than I care to recall. I just couldn't understand why they didn't plan ahead and ask for help earlier. I wondered why they couldn’t stay on-task and organized, so I started developing methods to help them.
I attended the Cornell Hotel School and later worked in the hospitality industry, my dream since I was ten. I had the opportunity to work for companies like Aramark, Hilton and AvalonBay, learning teamwork and motivational skills. I developed my leadership style and time management acumen and gained experience managing projects and people.
In 2015, I started watching television episodes of Hoarding: Buried Alive. This reality show featured Certified Professional Organizers who helped individuals who struggled with hoarding by cleaning out their homes and making their spaces functional and livable. It prompted me to research “Certified Professional Organizer,” and I discovered an entire industry that works with clients to help them get organized. I thought this was the coolest thing, and I needed to be a part of it.
“The concept of this business perfectly combined my love of working with people, my passion for organization, and my time management skills.”
I purchased a book called How to Start a Home-Based Professional Organizing Business by Dawn Noble and wrote a 15-page business plan to get started. As someone as risk adverse as I am, this seemed crazy. However, the concept of this business perfectly combined my love of working with people, my passion for organization, and my time management skills. I had to find a way to make it work!
In 2016, I threw caution (and regular paychecks) to the wind and launched Happy Spaces. Today, I help clients create homes and offices that feel like the bedroom I grew up in. I teach students planning and executive functioning skills that are vital to academic success. And I work with individuals and companies to create productivity systems and successful business processes and procedures.
It brings me great satisfaction to help my clients create a better life through planning, new habits and consistent systems. It’s beautiful to have the time to focus on what really matters!
