F R E E D O M - from the golden handcuffs of a paycheck, from a micromanaging boss, from a miserable 9-5, from being stunted, from stagnating and staying stuck in a job.
Are you ready to heed the call to start your own business as a professional organizer?
t’s time to break FREE in your life from all the things holding you back. Staying stuck and “comfortable” in a role that holds you back and doesn’t give you any chance to express your natural gifts & talents, your creativity, and your MAGIC…. sounds like a rough way to live. It’s time to take your business dream seriously- let’s make it a reality together with this info on How to Build a Home Organization Company!
I’m Melisa Meral, CEO of Make SHT Happen LLC and owner of Let’s Get You Organized, Let’s Get You Hired, and Pro Organizer Bootcamp. Think of me as your accountability partner as you start, launch, grow, AND scale your professional organizing business! After running my biz for OVER 12 years, it’s now my mission to give back to the pro organizer community!
I have a Best-Selling Book, a Top-Rated Podcast, a Udemy Course, a Facebook Group, and an awesome Coaching program. When you work with me, we’ll create action items together, set goals, and CRUSH THEM! I have a no-BS, get sht done approach & I firmly believe that action cures fear.
Need a kick in the pants? Check out the list I’ve compiled here for you!
START SMALL- SIDE HUSTLES ARE THE WAY TO GO!
You might have a 9-5 but what’s your 5-9? I’m all about the side hustle! There’s something so energizing about trying something new, starting a new project, and building a new business. I’ve found that the excitement naturally spills over into other areas of life including relationships, parenting, work, faith, and friendships. When you elevate your energy, the universe responds. Become an energetic match for what YOU want to attract into your life as you pivot with purpose!
I left my career for my calling. After I graduated college with my degree in Sociology, I went right into Human Resources, Staffing, and Recruiting. I worked for a few different Fortune 100 companies in biotech. Made a 6 figure salary at age 28. And then I tore it all down. Going full-time in my organizing biz at the end of 2017, moving into 2018 felt like a breath of fresh air. I was craving FREEDOM, and it was so cool to finally take the leap into full-time entrepreneurship! Scared shtless? Yes. But SO worth it.
And on the topic of doing something scary and launching your pro organizing side hustle, have you EVER experienced the absence of fear in your life?! It’s so amazing how most of the time (if not ALL of the time) we’re living in some sort of state of worrying about the future, anxiety about what’s happening next, and fear about one thing or another. Recently, I experienced one tiny fleeting second of fearlessness… and let me tell you, it was absolutely amazing!! It came out of nowhere and I wasn’t expecting it, I was simply out walking my dog when it happened. But holy cow it was the most amazing feeling! What could you do in your life and your business if you got rid of fear, even if for just a moment?
BECOME ACCESSIBLE TO MORE CLIENTS- OFFER REAL ORGANIZING FOR REAL FAMILIES
While running Let’s Get You Organized for ten years, I always made it clear in my marketing and messaging that it is REAL organizing for REAL people. Yes, the Home Edit show is nice. And yes, the expensive bins at the Container Store are nice. But for most families, hiring a professional organizer is a LUXURY service, not an essential one.
I was able to tap into that middle-class market by offering real-talk advice and utilizing things they already had around the house (repurposing bins, boxes, and sometimes even Tupperware). Some jobs were dirty, some jobs included hoarders, some jobs were sweaty, and some jobs were downright HARD. But with each and every client, myself and my staff offered a highly customized approach. -Want us to use clear 6qt Sterilite bins for $1 each from Walmart? Great, let’s do it!
-Want us to seek out some fun Dollar Tree organizing tools for those on a budget? We’re down!
-Want us to coordinate pickups with local junk removal companies for larger jobs? We’re happy to do so!
The clients that would say “let me clean before you get here” would always make me laugh. The point was to see their families and their lives as they were. Messes and all, behind the scenes. That way we could come in with sustainable SYSTEMS for them to be able to make true LIFESTYLE changes.
Organizing is way more than just throwing pretty calligraphy labels on clear bins and calling it a day. For me, I’ve always loved the professional organizers with the true grit and boldness it takes to walk clients through clutter objections, shift their mindset when it comes to the emotional side of clutter, and meet them where they are in their organizing journey!
Get all my insider tips and tricks about How to Start a Professional Organizing Business in 30 Days here.
NOTICE RED FLAGS AND SET STRONG BOUNDARIES
I've found that it is CRUCIAL to notice red flags in non-ideal clients. Accepting clients that don't respect your process or your pricing is a quick route to resentment and burnout. I have learned this the hard way in my business, over and over again. Call it a niggle, call it a gut feeling, call it a message from above- if something is telling you to say NO to something, you've got to listen! Save the time and hassle of learning all these hard lessons yourself. Hire a coach to help you figure out the ins and outs of growing your biz.
Oh, and wanna know the quickest way to burn out as a professional organizer? Undervaluing yourself, your time, your services, and your prices. If you’re reading this, then it’s probably time to raise your prices! Home organizing is getting more and more popular. As a business owner, you’ve not only got to keep up with market trends but also KNOW YOUR WORTH. This is your friendly reminder that you are an AMAZING organizer, a true expert in the field, and it’s time to SHOW IT! I’d hate to see you burn out before you even get started.
Join our exclusive community for accountability and encouragement from other home organizers as you continue on your journey to entrepreneurship as a professional organizer! Check out the Pro Organizer Bootcamp Mastermind here.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO PIVOT IN BUSINESS
I’m basically the queen of pivoting at this point…. I started Let’s Get You Organized in 2011 with just a few Craigslist ads and a Blogspot blog of before & after photos (it still exists somewhere on the interwebs!). Then in 2018, I decided to make it “legit” and create a full LLC, get a professional website & branding, and hire a team. And I got caught up in the rose gold and the rhinestones. The fiddle leaf figs and the boss babe sales hacks. The fancy events where you lift the curtain only to find out no one really has a business. You know the ones.
So I started my networking group in San Diego called Networking for A**holes (with over 400 members pre-pandemic) and went deeper into branding out my company, Make SHT Happen. And then this thing called a pandemic hit. So I went into hiding for a bit and wrote a book, created a third DBA under Let’s Get You Hired, and started career coaching & resume writing for those jobs and industries affected by the pandemic.
And now? I’m loving the energy of Pro Organizer Bootcamp! I’m still learning what pivoting with purpose means to me, on a daily basis. It’s okay to pivot. It’s okay to change your mind. It’s okay to know that all the bumps and twists are getting you closer to that big vision, big dream, big goal. Keep on pivoting on.
Grab Pivoting with Purpose on Amazon here.
HIRE A COACH TO TAKE YOU TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE
Shrink the timeline of trying to figure it out yourself! When you put skin in the game, you SHOW UP for your damn self. When you invest, magic happens. Seriously- every time I’ve launched myself into a container for growth, I’ve seen RESULTS. Yes, it’s uncomfortable. Yes, it’s scary. Yes, it feels like you might wanna puke. But guess what? When you finally start taking your side hustle or hobby or budding business seriously, the universe sees it and honors it.
When I first hired a coach for a SIX THOUSAND DOLLAR program that ran for 90 days, I was filled with alllll the feels. How terrifying. But in that 90-day container, I finally got an LLC and made my biz “legit”, I finally hired an organizing assistant (and figured out all the business insurance and payroll rules along the way), and I finally became the true CEO of my business- not just a fledgling, one foot in one foot out kinda vibe.
It KILLS me to see organizers that are so. damn. talented…. And yet, their potential is unrealized. They’re on the fence, not having the confidence and clarity to continue creating the business that is their CALLING. I’m always in awe of the ladies that join my programs because guess what? They show up to level up and BOOM, next-level magic happens!
Fun fact- you don’t need a certification to start a professional organizing business. That’s a really fun way to get you stuck in the “I’m not good enough” feels and the analysis paralysis hamster wheel. Are you good at decluttering spaces and organizing them? Fantastic. You can have a business.
I absolutely hate the fact that in this industry there are so many “Karens” running around telling amazingly talented women that they’re not good enough. Cut the noise. Stay in your own lane. Get tunnel vision on your own business.
I’m here to tell you that you are GOOD ENOUGH even without some letters after your name. Get out there and help your local communities declutter, downsize, and minimize. You’re already great at it, and you know that deep down.
Learn more about my private 1:1 coaching for intermediate to advanced organizers here.
NOW GET OUT THERE AND GO MAKE SHT HAPPEN! I'm cheering you on.
xx, Melisa Meral
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