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On-Air with Dr. Pete
From Chaos To Calm: How A Pro Organizer Builds Systems That Last
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Whether it's been your goal to re-organize your life or simply get rid of the excess clutter weighing you down- this episode is for you. Join Dr. Pete & Katie Koentje, The Regional Director for the NEAT Method, a professional organizing company sure to help you build organizational systems that will last.
Learn more about Katie & The Neat Method Here:
On Air With Dr. Pete https://officialdrpete.com
Meet Katie And Neat Method
SPEAKER_00Hello, welcome back to On Air with Dr. Pete. I'm your host, Dr. Pete Economo, and I hope that your new year, this new year, it's no longer new, is off to a great start. Uh we were joking at a basketball game recently where people were still saying happy new year. I'm like, no, it's done. That's just it's another day. Let's get into it. Uh inside, but I know it's it's busy. And uh one thing, you know, as we talked about New Year's resolutions, I don't love them, um, but it's just, you know, stick with some sort of behavioral change. And this is why you want to live in the now and make your intentions clear. Uh, but if you're the type to do the, you know, if you have an intention about about you know being neater or you just want to um, that's okay too. So I uh I just want you to ask yourself, uh, what are you actually trying to make space for this year? Uh and so with that question of mind, we have an amazing show today uh for you that listening at home. So whether it's been your goal to reorganize your life or simply get rid of excess clutter, uh, our guest today will have amazing tips for you. This is Katie Kanji. She is the regional director for the Neat Method, a professional organizer organizing company. And we are thrilled to have you here. Welcome to the show, Katie.
SPEAKER_04Thank you, Pete. Great to be here.
SPEAKER_00So tell us a little bit about yourself.
SPEAKER_04Um, okay. I am a busy mom of two boys and a business owner, and a I'm currently the regional director for Neat Method. Um, so I help manage and support uh half of our owners. We actually have a hundred Neat Method markets nationwide. Um wherever you're listening from, there's probably a Neat Method near you and someone that you can call on as a resource to help you. Um I don't do much on my spare time other than shuffle my kids around.
SPEAKER_00But I feel like you're an Uber.
SPEAKER_04Exactly. I am an Uber. Um, but because of that, I feel like being organized in just like the day-to-day life, it just is like interwoven into everything I do. Um and just you know, having those systems and efficiencies helps me.
SPEAKER_00How many kids do you have?
SPEAKER_04I have two boys.
SPEAKER_00Oh, nice. Okay, cool.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so that's handle more than that. I don't know how people do it.
SPEAKER_00Well, I was one of three boys, so I could tell you that that's probably why you developed the neat method. That might be part of it, because boys are not always that neat.
SPEAKER_04Exactly. My I mean, my boys have grown up with such like systems at our house that I kind of a couple years in was like, oh, maybe I should let things like not be so rigid here and like they can have some fluidity in what they do in their rooms at least. So I don't have to see the clutter.
SPEAKER_00So how from zero to a hundred, how much do you practice what you preach?
SPEAKER_04Oh, like a hundred. For real? Well, okay, 90. Okay, yeah, that's I would say that I have always been really type A and being organized and just having clear spaces has always been something like as a kid, I would stay in my room on a Friday night and like reorganize my room and make sure that everything was like color-coded and all of that. So getting into professional organizing was very natural and organic for me in that way. But over time, I feel like I've gone from like a type A to a type B minus, and I definitely have areas that I let go of, and just like things that I'm like, okay, it doesn't have to be perfect.
SPEAKER_00So I uh my sister-in-law is like fangirling about this episode, and uh her name is Katie too, and uh she does some of this, and it's I I always say, and I I hope you don't get offended by this, but it is the it is like the type A, but with with with her household, along with my brother, who will never listen to this episode, so it's fine, uh but she will. Like, I think what the beauty of it is like OCD can be really productive when it's when it's constructive. And I'm not diagnosing anybody, I'm just saying, as somebody in recovery with OCD and perfectionism, we always I say I'm a recovering perfectionist. Uh it is, you know, but the chaos is helpful to have the neat. So tell people even about Neat Method, though.
SPEAKER_04Absolutely. Um, and that's interesting too because we do try to really make sure that you know we aren't like clinically diagnosing any of them. Like we're perfectionists, and we kind of you know, try to preserve anything else for an actual doctor to, you know, diagnose.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
How A Luxury Organizer Works
SPEAKER_04Um, but I love it, a little, a little organizing. So Neat Method is a luxury professional organizing brand. As I said, we're in a hundred markets nationwide. Um, our owners, so all of our markets are um, it's a female founded company. Currently, all of our markets are run by women. That isn't always the case. We have had male owners in the past, we have male owner or male team members on some of our teams as well. But definitely a lot of women power happening at Me Method. Um, we come into people's homes, we always work in teams of two at least, um, and we really can organize any space. So we come in, we evaluate the space ahead of time, provide estimates, all of that good stuff. When we come in and really do the job, we are there until it is completed. So sometimes that takes a couple days in a row. Um, the clients are not necessarily have to be hands-on. They're hands-on in decision making of if we suggest things that they're going to toss or edit, we obviously get that approval first. But for the most part, we they let us kind of do our thing and we're our magic. So we pull everything out, we categorize, we suggest donation items, suggest items that should should get tossed. Yeah. Maybe we're relocating something to another area of the home. Then we actually have our own product line as well at eMethod. So oftentimes our clients want the aesthetic that they've seen on our Instagram or our website, and they're looking for that finished result as well. So we're bringing in our products, we're making sure that they're fitting, they're fitting their items, they're fitting their space. Yeah. And a lot of times there's a misstep where people just go and buy a bunch of bins wherever they are. I mean, it's just that's gonna solve the problem.
SPEAKER_00I was just I was just thinking that. So, like product-wise, like are we talking like draws that pull out? Like what what would you do?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so we would have like draw like drawer inserts, so something for your silverware to go into, or we have a really beautiful pantry line that has several different color, um, like different colorways, different metals, natural fiber um products for the pantry. So we would really be systematic in what we're bringing in. We're measuring the drawer, the um shelf that the items are going on, but we're also taking into account how large the category is, because we don't want to have, we're not just bringing a basket and saying, okay, whatever breakfast food you have has to fit in this basket. We're evaluating the category of breakfast first and then saying, okay, this is the best basket that's gonna fit that, or we're gonna maybe microcategorize it even more and say, this is kids' breakfast, this is adult routine in the morning, you know, whatever it is that way. Uh the baskets do help in just containing and creating a system and some structure around it. We also label everything typically at the end, which really just helps with that accountability in the household, holds everyone accountable for, you know, the breakfast items aren't in the dinner bin and the dinner bin items aren't in the snack bin, and all that good stuff. So I think that really helps. And it also just aesthetically kind of puts that finishing touch on it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it always looks so much better that way. Um, I'm what like the the scientist in me wonders how many people maintain this and for how long.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Um, you would actually be surprised. Uh, most of our clients are really maintaining the spaces, which is actually um evident in a lot of our clients are repeat clients in additional spaces. So oftentimes there's this like family buy-in of like, oh, like, yeah, is this worth it? Is this gonna work? This is you know an investment. And then once we do a space, they see that they are able to maintain it, then they're like, okay, that works. I need these systems in the next area of my home and the next area of my home.
SPEAKER_00So you re you recently transitioned to regional director and provided. Um, so prior to that, what was your role?
SPEAKER_04So I was the owner of Neat Method in San Diego and in Orange County for um April will be 13 years with Neat Method. So essentially for like 12 and a half years. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Wait, so how long has Neat been around then?
SPEAKER_04So Neat was founded in 2010. Uh yeah, 2010.
SPEAKER_00So you're OG.
SPEAKER_04OG, I know. Wow. OG. So it was founded in San Francisco. Our co-founders um met kind of happenstance and both independently were interested in the organizing world.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_04At that time when they launched the brand and when I joined the brand, it really was not a known concept. It was so new to the industry, wasn't established yet. I mean, Instagram and just like the visual of organizing was just kind of getting started there. Um, so we really have paved the way for a lot of other independent organizers as well and the company as a whole. When I started, people would say, like, what is professional organizing? And now it's almost shifted to who is your professional organizer because in the space that we service, it's it is just a service that people look for. I think we do a lot of unpacking and organizing people when they move into their home, which I think conceptually most people can understand like how that would be.
SPEAKER_00Total sense.
SPEAKER_04That's such a like a heavy lift and can be such an added stressor for people's lives. So that was the part my husband could really wrap his brain around. Like, oh yeah, people want to get out of boxes right away.
SPEAKER_00I I feel so revved up right now because I have 5,000 questions in my head.
SPEAKER_04Okay, let's go.
Systems, Products, And Labels
SPEAKER_00I was I was literally walking around by my house this morning because I I have this in my i mean, this is I love it. I I have this, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Lee this is a Virgo by chance, no Aries.
SPEAKER_00Like, I'm so fire. So, like, for me, it's like so. I I literally today, this came these words came out of my mouth because we're about to get the snowstorm, which we talked about before we started recording. And I was like, snowstorm Sunday, we are going into every room with bags and getting rid of stuff because I so I practice Zen now, and so I as a recovering perfectionist and all the stuff that I mentioned at the beginning, and I love a little OCD, and you know, all the high performers I work with have a little bit of OCD. You have to be obsessional about things, you know, to to be successful, frankly. Um I so now with Zen and minimalism, I don't want anything. Yeah, I I've I what do you think about this, Katie? There is not one every one of my bathrooms has a floating vanity now.
SPEAKER_04Oh wow.
SPEAKER_00I like I the the clean that's a challenge, the cleanliness of that, just the line, like you see the floor, like nothing is gonna be under that floor, like uh in the living room.
SPEAKER_04Where's your hair gel?
SPEAKER_00It's well the drawer.
SPEAKER_04Oh, that has a drawer. Okay.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The floating vanities have like storage in them, totally.
SPEAKER_04Okay, okay.
SPEAKER_00You need something. Yeah, I'm not I'm not like come on, let's not get it. I mean, you need toothbrush, the toothpaste, the you know, the tongue scraper. I got all my wellness stuff. I got it all. Yeah, it's all there. But you know, the idea of like just you know, lines, but you're doing that for people. You're going in and you're giving people lines.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, it luckily I didn't realize that it was such an like in an innate talent that people just don't have. Like so many people just don't see it, they don't know where to start, they get overwhelmed by the process. So I think having someone come in and like do that process for them, then once it is done and the systems and the structure is in place, they are able to maintain it once they have that big bulk of the work done for them. And if they aren't able to maintain it for whatever reason, that's when we realize that the system that we've put in place doesn't work for them and that we need to kind of reevaluate what a new system could be. Because it as much as we would love for it to be a one-size-fits-all, it's not. So we do a lot of work with our clients pre-project, during the clock, during the project to really find out what their day-to-day routine is, what their own needs are in their lifestyle, you know, what their kids are used to accessing, what they don't want them to have access to, all of those things. Yeah. And then, you know, a kitchen is the easiest to kind of conceptualize, but just like thinking of the flow of the kitchen and what the routine would look like in unloading the dishwasher. Right.
SPEAKER_00The dishes need to be by the dishwasher. Yes, yeah.
Minimalism, Flow, And Family Buy‑In
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Creating systems for like a T-zone or your coffee station or your smoothie bar and like all of those things so that it's just very purposeful and in place for people ever try to return like this. Not typically, no. I mean, there will sometimes be a like, oh, this one thing isn't, you know, isn't working, or you know, my kid keeps dropping this basket or whatever, but no, not typically.
SPEAKER_00I mean, this is just the thought I have because like I know people are challenging to work with, people just you know, people in general. And this is like so the other thought that comes to mind is the emotional connection that people have to things. So your work, how much of it is creating systems versus emotional attachment to things?
SPEAKER_04I mean, it's really dependent. Every client is so different, but we definitely get those clients that are, and every space is different. Like people might have less attachment in their kitchen than their closet. But sometimes a kitchen is a place where people have heirlooms or they have something that someone gave them. They feel like, oh, I have to keep this because this person gifted this to me, or they're gonna come over for a dinner party and I have to pull out this bowl that I actually I mean how ridiculous.
SPEAKER_00Yo, everyone that hears that, listen to that. Like, that's ridiculous.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But we've all said it.
SPEAKER_04Yes, or you know, all the parents that are holding on to all this stuff to like give to their kids one day. And trust me, your kids don't want it. Like, maybe we can limit this to one bin, etc.
SPEAKER_00Oh my god, that's what I say. One box. That's it. One box of memorabilia.
SPEAKER_04One box. That's what we would definitely try to do. So, I mean, there is an emotional pull. Um, you know, we really do try to like encourage our clients. We're not gonna force them to get rid of things um that they're not comfortable with. Yeah, but that is part of the evaluation process, is like, okay, are we going to be getting rid of a lot or are we gonna have to like really get creative and keep everything that this person has in this space and just kind of put it in order of priority? And obviously, you know, harder to reach storage areas or upper storage areas are what we would put those items that they're using less. And we use that prime real estate for their really true everyday items, and then you know, over time people start to be more open to the concept of getting rid of things.
SPEAKER_00I I mean, I love the aesthetic of it. And so another thing I love that I found on social media, which I don't spend a lot of time on social media, but people that go into like hoarded homes and then clean and like see.
SPEAKER_04So we definitely don't do that.
SPEAKER_00I know, I know. But have you seen those though?
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Okay. Yeah, does it do anything for you? Like, do you excite do you get excited by that too a little bit?
SPEAKER_04I mean, no. I mean with the athlete with the end result, yes. I just don't want to like touch any of that.
SPEAKER_00They could put hazmat suits on.
SPEAKER_04I mean, it's wild. I mean, that's obviously much more of like a mental health situation than someone who just wants to have like their systems and processes in their house and have it look beautiful at the same time.
SPEAKER_00It does make me think that you have had to work so I'm let me rephrase that because I know like you've probably so you've never gone into like a hoarded home.
SPEAKER_04I have gone into a consultation where I was like, oh, this is a more of a hoarding situation. And at that point, I actually have resources and local um organizers who deal with that clientele because it is just such a different barrier. There's a different barrier to entry there with like what they need to work through. So I would put most of our markets would just because that's not what we're trained or specialized in, they would point that to a true professional.
SPEAKER_00I love that. It's always you got to work with work as a team. Well, you guys work as a team. There's always two of you that go into one project. I heard that.
Customization And Emotional Attachment
SPEAKER_04It's just so much helpful. It's helpful for efficiency purposes, bouncing ideas off each other. You know, everyone has different strengths in the in the organizing world. I'm not the best folder in the company. So higher, higher to your weaknesses, right?
SPEAKER_00I hate folding. Uh anyway, so tell tell me more about the theory of removing the obstacles to make the goals possible of organizing.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. So I mean, I think at the end of the day, like the functions or like this efficiency in your home is so important. So removing all of the excess clutter and the things that you just don't need, and really thinking systematically of like how am I using this space? How is this space working for me? Just like getting out the door in the morning, like having an area designated for, you know, whatever that looks like. That's your your keys, the tooth, the last-minute toothbrush or comb for your kids' hair, or your lunch bags and all of those things, like just really getting rid of the things that aren't serving you in that space and making room for the things that you need to access in such an efficient way, I think is really important. And even in like, I know we've talked a lot about your like the kitchen space, just because everyone has a kitchen, it's kind of that heart of the home. Totally. We always recommend our clients if they're interested in several spaces in their home, if kitchen's one of them, we love to start there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Um, I always say too, like, your very best friend could never ever see your closet or bathroom, but they are absolutely seeing your kitchen. And it's just like one of those spaces you can't avoid. Like you're in it, everyone in your family's using it. So for that to be organized as like the first space, yeah, is ideal. But even in your closet, like if you have all of your jeans in three different spaces, then like your morning is so stressful, you don't know what you're grabbing, you're you're keeping things that don't fit you anymore. Like, that doesn't feel good to like pull on a pair of pants and be like, wait, what? Yeah, I was three sizes ago or whatever. You're like, get rid of them, even if you don't want to like get rid of them because you might use it as a goal to like get back into them, like remove them from the space so that you're not seeing them and they're not taking up that prime real estate.
SPEAKER_00So I'm gonna ask you for like three practical, easy steps to get started in cleaning, but like it's to set to set that up. It's obviously because it's a new year, and so people probably, you know, I'm I'm you know, if you look at like the spikes of when your guys are hired, I'm wondering. So I'm wondering when that happens, is it the new year? And two, that's so I'm putting three questions into one. I'm sorry. And then like you're you're with it. I don't know. I'll help. I probably won't either, so who cares? Um, but also I'm wondering like how many times should people do this, like per year, like to reflect on what their stuff is. Yeah. So three practical steps. When does this people usually do it? And what's your recommendation for how often people should do it?
SPEAKER_04I mean, people should do it every single day. Like you should really throw something every day. Donate something every day. Honestly, um, the beginning of the year typically can be obviously a time where people are setting these intentions. I still feel like it takes a little bit of time because everyone is just in this craze of like this mad down. From the holidays, and then we're all like, wait, I have to figure out like a resolution or reset my life for the year. And maybe I'm not drinking now either. So I really like who knows.
SPEAKER_00Dry January. Tune in for that episode.
SPEAKER_04Right. The fall, I actually think is our busiest time of year. And I think that's because like kids are going back to school and they've run amuck all summer. And they're like, okay, now we really need to get these systems in place for like a really good school year. So the fall actually is one of our busiest times. And then obviously, this like new year time frame. We see a lot of moves and relocations happening in the spring. So that is also a busy time of year for us. But honestly, we would say too, like, once someone comes in and you do the organizing, first of all, my first tip is just to start. Like, just start somewhere. Start small, open up one drawer. You probably everyone listening has a quote unquote junk drawer.
SPEAKER_00Everybody.
SPEAKER_04We, any method, call that a useful drawer. So we want to turn that drawer into things that are actually needed and it's that you need to access in your you know kitchen. It's oftentimes becomes like a really big drawer. So I would say also challenge yourself to move that to the smallest drawer in your kitchen, not the largest.
SPEAKER_00Beautiful.
SPEAKER_04That large drawer can be really useful for probably a bunch of other kitchen gadgets and things that are overcrowded right now, anyways. Keeping the idea of eliminating things that you're not using and that you can donate and get rid of in general. So we oftentimes will give clients a donate bin that is empty in their like kids' closets, their closet. Maybe it's near in your laundry room. And just anything that you see, you're like, I am not using this. I am never going to use this. This got gifted to me and I don't want it. Put it in the donation bin. And once those bins get, you know, a few items in them, you can just get one bag and take that to donate, or do a donation pickup or something so that it's not just sitting and living in the space, and every day you see it and you're like, I don't need that. You're just moving it to that donation bin.
SPEAKER_00Moving stuff around. Do you like uh cabinets or drawers?
SPEAKER_04Oh, that's so tough. Um I like, I would say I'd like drawers because I just recently did a kitchen remodel at my house, which as a professional organizer, you can imagine was.
SPEAKER_00I would have loved to have I would have loved to see that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it was very fun. And I honestly, I got us like moved back in in like two hours after the remodel. I was so excited about it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Um, but I I went for a few, I went for more drawers than cabinets.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_04Um, that being said, I don't love like a pull-out cabinet because I feel like it loot you lose a lot of space in it.
SPEAKER_00Um like those corner ones.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04I mean a corner like turns out.
SPEAKER_00Oh, they're so annoying. Garbage. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yes.
SPEAKER_00We inherited one of those uh in our house, but uh yeah.
SPEAKER_04So is it the annoying thing is those spice drawers that come out, like the long vertical, like the long ones that come out by a stove or oven.
SPEAKER_00Is that good or bad? That's bad.
SPEAKER_04I don't like them.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04They're hard to use.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Like the first row is really nice and accessible, but then below that, it's not really that accessible. So we would either do our spices on a teared riser in a shelf, yeah. Like on a on a shelf, um, or in a drawer where you can like lay them all out. And of course, we would decant all of them into our neat method matching spice jars so that they're all the same.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, beautiful aesthetic. I would not like my spice drawer, but okay, I'm okay with that.
SPEAKER_04We can help you. That could be a good winter storm project. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I have uh higher things in the priority list.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because I don't spend too much time with the kitchen pen. Um, I guess it's helpful for people to realize that. So accountability, how much do you see accountability kind of coming into uh you know the the people your client's process?
SPEAKER_04Yes, I mean accountability is crucial because as much as we like can come in and do it all and but put that system in place. I always do tell people, I'm like, this isn't magic, like it's not going to maintain itself. So I think it's a matter of staying in a routine once that work is done to get in there and just like every Sunday you're doing a reset for 20 minutes, or every night you're doing like a five-minute reset. So it really just kind of depends. Um, I mean, I personally wouldn't be able to sleep if there was something like in my sink or on my counter. So I'm doing it nightly.
SPEAKER_00So do you have a kitchen closed? Is that does that happen in your house?
SPEAKER_04Right, no, I don't, but I should. That was my mom.
SPEAKER_00No, we with three boys, my mom, the kitchen was closed because you know the boys eat more.
Routines, Kitchens, And Daily Efficiency
SPEAKER_04I mean, it's wild. My oldest son will sit down to watch, like, we watch shows as a family every night, and he eats so much food between that like one hour that has just like followed dinner, yeah. And my husband and I are like, you know, like you can go to the pantry but before 7 p.m. Like, what is happening?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and and you could eat more, but he's probably growing. Yes, you know, this is what this is what happens. It's why boys go out, boys. That's why they just eat a lot. Um, how have you seen this clutter kind of affect people's well-being or just your own experience? And then I'm gonna add a second part to the question because how were you during your kitchen remodel?
SPEAKER_04Like, yeah, yeah, that's good. That's a good question. Um, I mean, we do the resounding feedback after people work with Meat Method is that they just like feel this weight lifted. They're so thankful, they're so appreciative of it. It's oftentimes things, I mean, we've been told that like we've saved marriages and you know, they couldn't have done this without us. And a lot of it is true. I mean, we come in there and we really like our head down and get the job done. And a lot of people come to us, they're busy working professionals, they have you know, kids and families, and there's a lot of maybe other service providers, nannies, and other help in their home. Um, but it's kind of like people are putting band-aids on it until we come in and we really just like address and assess the entire space, not just like one drawer or one cabinet that feels problematic. It's like looking at the space as a whole and really getting rid of as much as possible and creating those systems. And sometimes we're totally changing where things have been over time. So we do get, you know, a lot of people that are the ultimate feedback is like, you know, just that it has lifted a weight off of their shoulders, it has become just an easy space for them to live in that they enjoy their home again or their closet again. They're excited to go get dressed in the morning, you know, they can find their bathroom items, all of the things.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Um is there going into my kitchen remodel? I, as like a high functioning anxiety-ridden person, am like, I don't deal well in chaos. Like, that's why I'm clearing my count every night. And our floor plan is open too. So, like doing our kitchen meant like we did not have access to essentially like our entire downstairs for the months that that happened in. Um, and I was really mentally prepared for being very unstable during that time. And I almost think because I was so prepared for it, I was actually fine. I that being said, it probably isn't surprising that we were very organized and systematic in our like off-site kitchen, which was our essentially our garage. So all of the pantry baskets went from the pantry to the garage on tables. We had, you know, all of the like hot plates and microwave and all that good stuff.
SPEAKER_00Well, and that's the benefit of being on the west coast because it was warm. You know, our our garage would be cold.
SPEAKER_04Yes, this is true.
SPEAKER_00So shout out because I know you're from the east coast originally. So that was so you you can you can appreciate all that.
SPEAKER_04I can relate. We did it in like August, September, though. So it would have been warm there too. Would have been too hot.
SPEAKER_00It would have been too hot, actually. Yeah, everything would have spoiled. Um, all right, we're we're wrapping up. Uh a story that stands out, like anything that you could uh, you know, in all the years, 13 years you said.
SPEAKER_04I know in all my 13 years, I mean we actually really do pride ourselves on not needing and telling. So our clients like I love it, you know, personal situations. It's so personal, like we're invited into these people's homes and we see everything and touch everything and all of those things. But overall, it's just it's been really interesting to just see how other people live overall. Um, you know, I couldn't have done it without my team of organizers for so long as well. It's very much like a group effort. I'm trying to think if there's any any great stories.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I don't want like people's names or gossip like that. But I just thought, you know, if there was some kind of like, oh, these like jars change this person's life, or I found like, you know, uh$2,000 in a couple of things.
SPEAKER_04I know it's interesting. We we have actually we did have a client where we found her engagement ring.
SPEAKER_02Wow.
SPEAKER_04And it was like had been lost for forever that like her husband replaced it. Like she was married now, but she had already lost this ring, and like we found that. I mean, I think too, like, I feel like the most impactful spaces. Um, we actually just moved a family in my like last big project with Neat Method, was probably like the best project to date for me, which was such a great like ending moment. Um, we had been working with this family, a young couple, for like two years building their house and helping with them with the designs with their interior designer. And we finally moved them in after a lot of planning. They actually had welcomed a new baby in that time, which they hadn't necessarily like known that was going to happen when they were building the home. And they were just so appreciative and so thankful for us getting them to that finish line. And essentially they got to just move into this brand new home that was perfectly organized with all of their stuff in there, and they were just so appreciative. But I think that the nurseries also are just one of those spaces where, especially as a mom, it's it's so nice and helpful. We often are working with families where it's their first child and they're setting up their nursery. So just having this like knowledge of these are the things you're actually gonna use. Yeah, these you know, pajamas with buttons you just need to donate. Like, you're not gonna be buttoning this baby's uh onesie at two in the morning, you know, all of those guys' shirts are maybe woman's shirts too.
SPEAKER_00They come with like an extra button. It's like, really? Like, I how many of those do we need? And I'm probably not gonna remember which one shirt it came from anyway.
SPEAKER_04We have a lot of clients that are unfortunately holding on to every single button and tiny little piece of thread that has come in those little pouches for their shirts. Like, you're not gonna use this, you can just bring it to the tailor and they'll figure it out.
When To Organize And Where To Start
SPEAKER_00No Taylor will figure it out. Wait, okay, so where can people find I do have two questions? I'm asking you like a lot of questions about it. Yeah, no worries. But like on the website, are there prices and like are there sort of averages or like because I know that there's people who are like, oh, this is rich people stuff. Like I guess.
SPEAKER_04Yes, I mean, yeah, it if it obviously is a luxury service in that not everyone can, you know, afford to do something like this. Um, our rates are different nationwide because they're obviously kind of market dependent. Um, so meatmethod.com is where you would go to find any organizer and you put in your zip code and you'll be directed to the person that's your closest, Meet Method Market. Um, all of the rates there are obviously, like I said, market dependent. Our products are available to shop from like direct to consumer, so anyone can go on and buy the products themselves. The rates are the same for those, so we just do a pass-through. There's not a markup on our end. Um I think. Did I answer all your questions?
SPEAKER_00You sure did because I keep throwing a lot of of them at you. Uh, I also just started, I wanted to find who's my near me. My market together. I love it. There you go.
SPEAKER_04Keep me posted, I'll put a good word in.
SPEAKER_00You keep me multitasking. I actually really enjoy this, but I would love uh this would be fun. Uh so yeah, so um this was fun, Katie. Thank you so much for being here. Yeah, Katie.
SPEAKER_04Everyone needs to be organized.
SPEAKER_00So everyone does need to be organized. I will, you know, I think what I'll end with is just like obviously emotional well-being is something that I'm committed to, and I've never met a healthy hoarder, frankly. So yes, it just I I mean, I non-judgmentally, like when we're our external environment represents our internal experience. And so you've honored your anxiety. Um we have to honor that because we need to be constructive around it, it keeps us alive, it's been a career for you, right? Um, you know, so this is what I always say. My they call my brother and my sister-in-law, the house is called the museum, uh, amongst their okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_04I mean, I've let that's where I've gone from like that a type A to B minus. It's like living with other people, including, you know, my husband and kids. So I'm like, okay.
SPEAKER_00That's right. They have two girls. So that's uh the girls are but they're yeah, they're engaging in the in the organizing.
SPEAKER_04I love it. I love it. I mean, my kids are very color-coded, like trained. Like they color code everything. I'm like, okay, well, you did that, mom. I know.
SPEAKER_00That's I'm proud of it. Embrace it. Well, uh Katie, thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate it.
SPEAKER_04Thank you.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Uh, and for you listening at home, thank you for being there. Um, I'm excited to reorganize this weekend. I am motivated. I hope you are too listening to this so you can declutter your declutter your life. Uh, so we'll see you all back here next week. Until then, spread a little kindness. Stay well.