Meet Valerie Ruha

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Valerie Ruha a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Valerie, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I’ve been organized my whole life. I just thought that was normal.

I had been working in marketing for over 20 years and then COVID hit. I had a great job but going through a pandemic made me start thinking more about what makes me happy and what I want to do for the rest of my life. I knew for years that I wanted to become a Professional Organizer. As a kid I loved spending time in my room organizing my drawers and redoing my closet. This ability resonated with me my whole life. I love organizing my home and found organizing as a way to destress as well. At Christmas I would rummage through my aunt’s cabinets because I knew I could organize things better for her. I’ve just always been drawn to organizing. And I’m good at it. And I love helping people. The two just went hand in hand.

While working my full-time job I decided to start working part time as a professional organizer to make sure it was what I wanted to do, and boy was it ever! I knew instantly this was my purpose and I never looked back. I dove in and started taking classes, reading up on everything organizing, joined NAPO (National Association of Productivity and Organizing), got my certificate in Residential Organizing. I also became a member of the Board of Directors for NAPO to underline the importance and my dedication to the profession.

Great business mentors and support from family and friends gave me the extra push to start my own business. I launched Very Organized by Valerie in January of 2023 and it’s been an amazing adventure so far. I’m good with people so my approach when working with clients is to make sure their goals and needs are met. Not everyone organizes the same, so finding a process that works for them guides us to creating spaces that work for them too.

I love what I do, and I love helping people, so this profession is a perfect fit for me. It’s my purpose hands-down.

Valerie Ruha
Very Organized by Valerie

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I specialize in residential organizing so kitchens, pantries, bedrooms, closets, home office, mudrooms, basement, garages, etc. People often need help during life transitions, so helping empty nestors, seniors that are downsizing, packing/unpacking, etc. I also work with a lot of clients that need neurodivergent support such ad ADD/ADHD and Chronic disorganization. Project Management is also a field I lean into. People are busy so if I can step in and organizing home projects it’s just another thing that I take off their plate. I also have a love of books, so I often organize home libraries, book collections and other collections.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The three things most impactful in my journey is my natural ability to organized, that’s a given. But also patience and sympathy. I can’t be helpful to people if I can’t understand their story or why it is that they hired me. It’s important to listen to what the client needs, understand their goal and not impart your bias. I know I’ve done my job when the client is excited about their new space and the weight has been lifted from them.

If you like organizing and have thought about doing it, my advice would be to get experience. Organize for friends and family and get used to organizing OTHER people’s things. Organizing your own home is very different than organizing for other people. Build those skills and read up on all the different ways you can organize.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me was to instill a good work ethic. I got my first unofficial job when I was young, just cleaning out a pet boarding facility, but it taught me to be thorough, patient and detail oriented. I had a job throughout high school and college, and it gave me the ability to be self-sufficient. Not only could I support myself, but I could help support my family too. I love my job and love working because it doesn’t feel like work. I’m helping others by doing what I do best. And it makes all the difference.

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