We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melanie Seaver. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melanie below.
Melanie, we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?
The term self-care has become very trendy and actually a phrase I don’t use, but I do try to be mindful of how I am doing in mind, soul and body. As a business owner, there are a lot of demands on my time. But I also have the luxury of setting my own schedule for the most part. I am a wife and mom to four, so I want them to get the best of me. I am super careful with my calendar and honestly have to say “no” to a lot of things in this season of life.
I’ve learned that I need to be intentional about carving out time for exercise and rest. Those two things go a long way. And I also put up some strong boundaries around the weekend and try to not do any business related work if possible.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Many years ago I heard about the professional organizing industry. I learned that I could be paid to do something I already loved to do for fun! It stayed on my radar for a few years while I was at home with small kids. As they got older, it became a goal of mine to start my own professional organizing business. Professional organizing wasn’t very popular back then, but I started it slowly in 2017 as a little side hustle while my youngest was still in preschool. I played around with it for about three years until I finally decided to go all-in in 2020 and I’ve been learning and growing ever since.
I truly love helping people make major changes in their homes in regard to their “stuff.” I walk into a room that is overflowing with clutter with a client and they feel overwhelmed while I get excited and see the potential. I love to paint the picture of how they might feel when a space is livable again and they start to get excited too. We get the ball rolling and before you know it, we’ve cleared out enough stuff that we can actually see the floor.
For me, it’s not just about creating a picture-perfect pantry. Those are nice and fun to do. My jam is more about decluttering and breathing new life into a spaces. There are lots of reasons why our homes get to over-flowing. Some people just really get stuck and can’t make progress on their own. I love being able to relieve that burden. With the focused work of an organizer, it’s amazing how fast a space can be transformed.
One of my favorite parts about this business is that we never get bored. Every client and every project is different. Our process pretty much stays the same, but every day is an adventure! Knowing that we get to meet new people all the time and hear their stories and really connect with them as they share, is such a perk of working in their homes. The exhaustion is still there at the end of the day, but we keep going so we can help the next person transform their home.
As my business started to grow, I realized that I would burnout if I didn’t get some help. There’s only so much that one person can do at a time. I made the decision to hire an assistant organizer in 2021 and it was the best step in moving forward. The two of us accomplished so much and I decided I never wanted to work alone again! Having a team of talented organizers really keeps me going. They are so eager to get in there and get the job done. They come up with great ideas and solutions and I love the collaboration. Plus we really have a fun time together!
Another change that came along was a re-branding and new name. In spring of 2022, we officially launched our new brand as Nashville Home Organizers! We are excited to continue with our same mission, serving the city that we all love!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
There is a lot that goes into being a successful professional organizer, but I think there are at least three critical qualities one must aim for. Being a creative problem-solver, having compassion for clients, and having intuition to really understand clients are key.
When working with clients, asking lots of questions is important to get down to what they are really looking for. Asking, “what does organizing mean to you?” will go a long way.
Being compassionate with clients is important because you never know what journey life has taken them on. Sometimes as organizers, we are a listening ear and clients share with us things they don’t share with others. Handle with care!
And of course, solving space issues is at the top of the list! Organizing isn’t always one size fits all. Sometimes we need to get creative in how we organize a room and that comes with lots of practice!
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Professional organizing is still an up and coming industry that many are still learning about. One of the services that we offer is helping clients unpack after they move into their new home. We also love to help clients declutter BEFORE they move so they don’t move things that are eventually going to end up in the trash. We would love to partner with real estate agents, home stagers, designers and builders to help their clients either before or after they move!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nashvillehomeorganizers.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nashville.home.organizers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nashvillehomeorganizers
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-seaver-0a16b81b6/
Image Credits
Jessica McIntosh Photography
