Diversity Among Clients
Diversity Among Clients
One thing I love about being a professional organizer is the diversity of clients. Recently, I worked with what you may consider complete opposites.
On day one I worked with a couple. They were in their 80’s and moving to the West Coast. I helped them pack up for their move. Although they were excited about moving, their new place was much smaller than their current residence which meant that they had to do a lot of downsizing.
They looked at the huge task of moving as a positive thing,
so I was able to reason with them about why they could not take many of their things. I found them to have a mature view of the process. They were more interested in being with family, in California than saving things. Even at their age, they were looking to the future with anticipation.
We look at the process from a positive point of view. Share on X
The next day, I worked with a young girl, who struggled to keep her bedroom clean. She is a very smart and creative lady who sees every day as a great adventure and attaches importance to the everyday objects that cross her path. For her, the process was not about downsizing. She has her whole life ahead to explore and gather from the world around her. I really thought that she would fight the process of letting go. So we focused on the positive aspect of making her room beautiful and easy to keep clean. She identified homes for her and things that made sense to her and we were off and running.
Although these clients are in different stages of life, they both value their possessions for what meaning they bring to their lives. On both days, my clients had to make tough decisions about items they were emotionally attached to. But we looked at the process from a positive point of view. What’s in it for them? For some, it’s being closer to family. For others, it’s the ability to do the mundane task, so you can move on to the good stuff!
I love the Diversity Among Clients!
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Janet Schiesl
Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.
She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.
Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
Janet Schiesl
Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.
She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.
Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
This is lovely, Janet. One of the things I love most about being a professional organizer is the range of people I meet. And, that while organizing tasks in general may have similarities, each job brings new and different challenges.
Absolutely, different backgrounds too. We have nationalities from around the world in our community and lots of stories they share with us. Makes our work more interesting and fun.
A positive perspective makes EVERY project better! I love how you were able to help clients in two entirely different stages of life. Our belongings should serve our lives, not detract from them, no matter our stage of life and personal goals. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by big decisions, but I always tell clients that organizing is a “very positive process.” I always want to leave with my clients feeling better than when I arrived.
Love that we are on the same page here.
I agree Seana. Decluttering is a big task. Explaining to our clients that we can enjoy life by having less stuff, and less worries, makes a huge impact on their decision to get rid of items in a positive way. I love what you said about “our belongings should serve our lives and not detract from them”, can’t agree more.
It’s beautiful to walk with people where they are and help them with what they need. The contrast between your two clients is wonderful. It’s a privilege to be able to help people at different ages and stages of life. And how wonderful it is to notice the varying perspectives about the meaning of things.
One of the things that stuck out was how you helped both clients focus on their ‘why.’ With that clarified, you helped them make decisions that honored what was most important to them.
Every day is different, and every client needs help and listens to what we have to offer. And we help them with love, whether they are 80 or young, they struggle to make decisions and/or stay on top of their mess. It’s rewarding to see that we helped them achieve their goals, and always in a positive way.
Thanks Linda.
You really show how you care for your clients and try to pinpoint their goals so you can be their guide in meeting those goals. I also love that about professional organizing. Figuring out our client needs is a fun puzzle and once we solve it we can understand them and help them. Every client is special and I learn from every one of them!
Thank you Jill, all clients are special for sure.