This May marks a milestone birthday for me — the big 4-0. But May is also the 10-year anniversary of reSPACEd. I started reSPACEd the year I turned 30. 2008 was the year of “hope and change,” the year Obama was elected president. I was working at Geranium Lake Flowers and wanting to start a business of my own, one where I could set my own hours and be home more with my then-2-year-old son, Nathan.
At Geranium Lake Flowers, I was the “creative director” and “head flower girl,” (a phrase I really hope they have stopped using by now!) We pulled together many high profile events, some of the city’s biggest parties, weddings, bar mitzvahs and fundraisers. As a result, Geranium Lake had a huge store room filled with party rental items like vases, tablecloths, candelabra, candles, etc. I liked to work a lot in this storage area, organizing all the props. And I realized it was something I was good at, and something my co-workers really appreciated. Furthermore, I seemed to be unique in enjoying organizing because nobody else ever wanted to work in that space! I wondered if it was possible to make a living organizing spaces such as these. A quick Google search for “professional organizer” taught me that this was a path I could pursue. So I did.
At the same time I started reSPACEd, I was taking a stroller exercise class called Baby Boot Camp. I would talk about my business plan with the moms in the class and bounce ideas off of them as we ran around and did countless burpees. All of my first clients were moms from that exercise class, so most of my first organizing projects were playrooms, nurseries and kids’ bedrooms. I was always so nervous starting a new project, but I really loved it once I got the creative juices flowing!
One of the moms in Baby Boot Camp, Amy Drews of SimplyFine Design, designed my website. Things really started to take off after that. I started seeing more and more families. I was fortunate enough to be contacted by Real Simple magazine to contribute to a couple of their articles and to receive some local press from The Oregonian and AM Northwest. It all helped.
But I received SO MUCH help from other people in my life too. So today I want to thank my blog readers, my followers on Facebook, Instagram, Google Plus and Pinterest. I want to thank my tireless and relentlessly cheerful employees: Maia, Christy, Amy and Jen. To be able to have such intelligent women to rely on is a blessing. I also want to thank vendors and referral sources who provide additional help to my clients. And I want to thank anyone who has let me speak, write, or blog for them.
Finally, a HUGE thank you goes out to my clients who have let us into their homes, trusted us with their stories and possessions, and allowed us to work a little organizing magic on their behalf. We are honored by your trust in us, and we wouldn’t exist without you. So THANK YOU!
I know this is going to be a great year for me and for reSPACEd. Time to celebrate!
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