We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Devon Fegen-herdman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Devon, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
When I was in grade school I heard a quote that was out of Harvard and it went something like this “do all your work all of the time” and you will be in the top 10% of your class! It was many years ago, so some of the details may not be accurate. I have always been a very competitive person, and I really liked the idea that if I worked hard I could be at the top of the class and it had said nothing about how smart you are. At that point, I made a decision to do all of my work all of the time. I carried this mantra with me through high school and college and it served me well. We have since come to learn as a society about “growth mindset” and that we actually do get smarter and smarter as we give full effort on harder and harder things. I think this small bit of information was effective for me because I love to question and research things. I highly recommend Gretchen Rubin’s free personality quiz, the Four Tendencies, where I learned that about myself. Once I have all the information and evaluate the best choice, it’s easy for me to move forward with my plan. Lastly, I feel I tend to be a higher energy person naturally, which helps me get a lot done each day.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I started Declutter with Devon LLC due my love of tidying up and purging unneeded items which has brought me ease and joy. I love working with people and wanted to share this experience with others. With a background in social work, I am familiar with helping folks with difficult emotions. Often it is how we feel about something that is getting in the way of letting it go. At Declutter with Devon, we provide hands-on caring and nonjudgmental assistance in someone’s home to help them declutter, simplify and organize. We especially focus on empty-nesters and seniors as they reclaim space and begin to think about the future. The ability to downsize in place brings peace of mind, and we handle everything including taking away a carload of donations, if desired. When I started this business it was a side hustle, now I am excited to announce that I am doing this work full-time and am beginning to add team members to take on larger projects!
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?
A decade ago, I was a co-founder of a non-profit, Upcycle Parts Shop, with an amazing leader Nicole McGee. She really knew how to network and leverage connections to build a business whereas I had only worked in direct service jobs. I highly recommend in-person networking groups as you start your business and learning how to make the most out of the connections you make. I had an early coffee chat with a woman who worked in marketing who gave me lots of advice. Without good marketing it can be extremely difficult to make sales. Your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) should provide free resources for any gaps in your knowledge. I met with a social media specialist over the course of several months there. Lastly, making sure you set work/life boundaries can be really helpful. There’s so much to do when you have a startup that you could easily fill every waking minute of the day. Creating some boundaries so that you are taking breaks to enjoy life is extremely important.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
The book “We All Should be Millionaires” by Rachel Rodgers inspired my to start my business. I found it extremely motivating and encouraging. On her advice, I evaluated what I was truly passionate about, not just what I had a lot of training in, and attempted to figure out how to turn that into a business. I think women are not encouraged enough to be business leaders. One nugget from her book is to make million dollar decisions. As an example, I went with a very nice paper for my business cards. It was not the cheapest option, but when you hold the card in your hand, it feels very soft and does not bend easily. I believe it is showing my potential clients that I care about small details and value high quality work over saving a few dollars. This is a million dollar decision. You have to invest money into your business to get the higher value outcomes you are looking for. The main nugget I got out of her book was believing that I could start a business and the motivation and inspiration to do it. I highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of starting their own business, it is full of practical advice as well as Rachel’s own story of starting a business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.declutterwithdevon.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/declutterwithdevon/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/declutterwithdevon
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devon-fegen-herdman-272a358
Image Credits
Maggie Newton Photography
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