Home organizing's moment...is more than a moment! Check out the interview below!
Alright, Naomi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or
later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?
I came to home organizing, a career that doesn’t require a degree, after receiving both a BA and a Masters Degree. I spent years working in healthcare in a career I knew wasn’t right for me. Regret is a strong word and I’m not sure I would say I regret my degrees or my previous career but I do wish I would have honed in on home organizing earlier than I did. Had I known I would start this business I would have pursued different degrees and sought out mentors in the field. Hindsight is 20/20. In reality, I don’t see how I could have started the business earlier than I did. Start up costs are extremely low for home organizing businesses but I was able to start the business only when I had a partner who could support me and our kids while I took the leap (thanks hubby). I have so much respect for business owners who start out as a side hustle but I struggle with multi-tasking! I am very thankful that I was able to focus only on home organizing while I started out.
Also holding me back from starting earlier was the belief that I had to help people in a traditional way. Growing up with doctors, nurses, teachers, therapists, etc around me led me down a path that didn’t come naturally to me. Organizing has always come naturally to me but I believed it was just an “extra” and it wouldn’t actually help people. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Now, my favorite part of work is the knowledge that I AM helping people. I help people make room for people and places and hobbies and things in their life that they cherish. What’s better than that?
Naomi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
As a young girl I frequently asked my mom to pick a drawer in our home that I could organize – for fun. Free time was spent rearranging furniture, organizing toys, and categorizing Barbie clothes. Let’s just say organizing comes naturally to me. Clearing the house my parents lived in for over 30 years taught me a lot about how we relate to our possessions. Any items they could not take to their significantly downsized apartment I sold, donated, repurposed, or recycled. It was hard work and emotionally and physically exhausting at times. The experience inspires me to help my clients live a more simplified lifestyle NOW through purchasing less stuff, responsibly decluttering, and reusing their way to a more peaceful home. Shared Planet Home Organizing provides practical solutions to create simple and peaceful spaces. We focus first on “stuff” and then on solutions. Clients often want to jump to Pinterest-worthy solutions….and we can do that. But they come AFTER the hard work of chipping away at the stuff that is preventing folks from having the peaceful, functional space they deserve.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Covid inspired career and home life pivots (x10!). I went from working in clients’ homes to home schooling two children overnight. I knew most of my clients were in the same boat as me. Instead of worrying about my business I leaned into being home with my kids and focused on their needs while my husband focused on work to keep money coming in. Teamwork makes the dream work, right? I did offer virtual organizing sessions and although they helped clients, I much prefer in person organizing and am thrilled that I’m back working in homes and am physically with my clients!
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
I have THE BEST clients. One of my goals is to minimize distractions that take away from what clients want to spend their time on. Because of this I avoid email campaigns and send no more than 2 email newsletters per year. No one needs another newsletter in their inbox! My favorite way to interact with clients is through social media. I love seeing what they are up to, their families, their businesses, etc. Commenting on their kids’ first day of school photos, supporting their businesses through purchases or sharing posts, tagging them when an article or post reminds me of them. These little touches remind them that I care about them and how their families are doing AND that I’m here and ready for our next appointment whenever they are!
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