Guest Post: Interview with Professional Organizer Cynthia Murray

A few weeks ago I asked you what you would ask if you had the chance to interview a professional organizer, and you came up with all sorts of goodness for me to send her way!

Of course, I couldn't ask her everything, but I took the most popular ten questions and sent them her way!

Here is a little more about our lovely friend stopping in today:

That's right, Cynthia is both a Professional Organizer and helps others with how to become a professional organizer!  Love that!

So lets get started!

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"Once good storage solutions and systems are in place, it’s so much easier for anyone, any age, to learn where things go. Even little kiddos. Labeling bins with pictures of what’s inside (rather than writing it out) makes it easy for kids to see where toys and crafts belong. Kids are quick learners, so cleaning up after themselves should come easy, especially once everything has a clear home."  

"It’s important to have everyone in the household contributing and willing to make changes. Come up with a fun reward for the family if everyone does well each week. If during the week kids need a boost, you can create a chart with fun stickers where they can “check off” a task once completed. Make organizing fun through treating it like a game."

"The best advice I can give someone wanting to become a professional organizer is to take that leap of faith and just do it!  There is enough information out there that can keep you busy for months or even years learning everything there is to know, but the best way of learning is to actually get out there and begin taking on clients.

The best way to get clients when starting out is through setting up a professional looking website and getting it out in front of the people who are already looking to hire a professional organizer in your area.  More information about getting started as a professional organizer can be found at my website, profitableorganizer.com"

"Creating routines is the best way to get into good habits. Create a chart of nightly/weekly to-dos. Such as, designating one day of the week to clean out the car and straighten up before going to bed every night. Before you know it, it will become second-nature."

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"Multifunctional spaces are key when organizing in small spaces.  For example, using an ottoman with storage, rather than a simple coffee table, can help hide toys or blankets.  Or in a nursery, put the changing pad and diaper station on top of a long dresser rather than having a separate changing table.  That's what we did!"

"My favorites are:

• Better Homes and Gardens 
• IKEA: Great for small space storage ideas
• Org Junkie
• DIY Network
• IHeart Organizing"

 

"For the longest time it was my label maker, which it still is, but recently I found a great link on Better Homes and Gardens website with cute labels.  So, I usually print those out on cardstock and use self-laminating tags from Target to protect them.  It's all about the details!"

 

"It can be very overwhelming making a big change, even if it's for the better.  The first step is making a commitment to yourself that you're ready and believe it.  Stomp that bug!  Take it step-by-step and start at one section of a room and work your way around.  If you focus too much on how HUGE the mess is, you won't even want to get started.  First step in any organizing job is to purge.  Get rid of everything you don't and won't use.  Then, categorize what you have left and assess what you need for storage.  Organize and label and you're on your way!"

"The biggest mistake I have seen people make when trying to organize is their lack of knowledge on setting up good systems, and not using the space they have to it's full potential.  And if they feel there is not enough storage space, not knowing how to "create" more through systems or using multifunctional furniture."

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"It is extremely important to my clients that we remain budget-conscious on any project.  One way to keep costs down is to re-use what they already have and if you do need to purchase additional storage, shop smart.  I often shop at Target, Home Depot, Lowes, HomeGoods and IKEA."

A very special THANK YOU to Cynthia for stopping by with such great tips and answers to all of your brilliant questions!