From "Declutterer" to Professional Organizer: Celebrating Five Years of Clutter Kicker

It will never be the perfect time. Sometimes you have to just take the plunge.

From a toddler playdate to a new year's resolution to a Golden Circle NAPO member...to celebrate the five year anniversary of being a professional organizer, here is the story of how Clutter Kicker came to be.

In the beginning

I first decluttered a kitchen when my now 21-year-old was a toddler. The kids were playing, the adjacent kitchen was a bit overwhelming, and I am someone who doesn't sit still very well. So we decluttered it. It was fun and the other mom told me I could charge for this service. I dismissed the advice.

This happened a few times a year: playdate, declutter, advice to charge, giggle. In 2012 I made a good old fashioned new year's resolution to charge for my services. I decided I would do this by donating to local auctions. My sister came up with the business name, I designed a logo and printed some business cards, and was even invited to speak to a few local real estate offices. I had a small handful of clients and figured things out as I went along. A fun, yet infrequent side hustle.

Career pivot

I spent over 20 years in nonprofit management, the last 15 years of them working for the nonprofit Bpeace. I loved Bpeace's mission, its people, the work, and the flexibility it allowed in my schedule as a mom to one, then two, then three children. I had an enviable lifestyle, a great career; I loved what I did and I learned a ton.

But then I was ready to move on. What to do next? With no clear path, I decided to try and make my part time side hustle of residential decluttering and organizing into my focus. On October 18, 2019, I attended my first NAPO Connecticut chapter meeting, joined the organization that day, and made it all official.

If you are pushing off moving forward on a new career path, here’s how I did it:

1. Support. I had the support of my husband and my family. My then 14-year-old told me that he was proud of me for starting a business.

2. Timing. The timing was right. Bpeace knew I had toyed with the idea of leaving, but I could never quite let go. I was running out of excuses to get out of my comfort zone, but my kids were getting older and it was time to carpe diem.

3. Accountability. My neighbor gave me a deadline by which I had to give notice. I am a woman of my word and now someone outside of my family not only knew I wanted to leave my job, but gave me a firm date by which to make it happen. I gave over four months’ notice, a win-win for Bpeace and for me.

4. Passion. I absolutely love going into other people’s homes and helping them declutter their space to make it work better for them, give them back control, and make sure they have the tools to sustain their newly organized areas. I even get to incorporate my interest in psychology and knack for understanding for what makes people act the way they do. Although I was scared…could I find clients? Promote myself? Be an entrepreneur? I knew I could because I enjoy it.

Small steps

When a large project seems overwhelming and procrastination prevents you from moving forward, the best advice I can give you is to break things down into the smallest of tasks. I often ask clients, "What is the very next thing you need to do [to move your project forward]?" Starting a business doesn't happen overnight, and neither does decluttering an entire house. But creating a business name might be a first step that leads to the next step, just like donating one shirt or entering one appointment into your calendar can lead to much more.

I have been blessed with the success of Clutter Kicker, but it's taken some time. From an auction item winner, to a few clients, and through a pandemic; from spending a whole day on one social media post, to being a regular poster and blog writer; from being a nervous meeting guest, to starting my fifth year as a NAPO Connecticut Board Member and now a NAPO Golden Circle member. And I have one more surprise to be announced soon!

Your turn?

What’s your (secret) passion project? What’s holding you back? Are you too comfortable to move on or might you be ready to jump off and reach a new goal? If I can do it, you can too. And if I can help you do it, please reach out!