Meet Meg DeLong

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Meg DeLong. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Meg below.

Meg, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Such a great question!! I think the main thing is looking at everything you’ve done and accomplished. As professional organizers, we aren’t certified through NAPO (National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals), we didn’t study organizing and home design in college, so there are times we have felt like “OH NO! Should we do those things… are people going to think less of us?!? Are people going to think we are legit?” But then we take a giant step back and realize, wait, we have done SOOOO much. We have built a very successful business on our own, organically. We have gained not only clients, but hundreds of thousands of followers who trust us. We bring in income that can support our families and our dreams. We wrote a freaking book!!! We have met so many people, and once we weigh those things out, the imposter syndrome melts away. You have to look at what you HAVE DONE, not what you HAVEN’T done.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

We are sisters who are actually best friends! We really wanted to work together and start something that could give us more time together and with our families. We are both prone to being a little nit-picky when it comes to tidiness, we get it honestly from our parents, so we were like “Hey! Let’s start an organizing business!” So we did! We just started, and have had the BEST time growing our business together as sisters and with our team of lovely women. We really do believe you can make your dreams come true, and be so happy working if it’s something you love to do. We have traveled to Brooklyn, New York for work, as well as Seattle, Washington. It’s been so wonderful and we feel so lucky to do what we do. And now we have a book coming out!!!! It’s crazy to see where we started and where we are going.

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

I think the number one thing is being a hard worker. You cannot run a small business if you aren’t ready to work your butt off, and lose some sleep. You will get to the point where you can rest, and not run on fumes, but the beginning is pretty rough! But you’re running on endorphins and excitement because you’re doing something you love. I think the other skills that have helped us is my sister and I are both very creative. Creativity gives us the guidance to figure out what to create for social media; it also gives us the ability to transform spaces. We can walk into a room and know what it needs, and what we can do to make a space even better. I think knowing how to measure (hahahaha!), knowing how to adapt and pivot, and knowing how to deal and communicate with people will always be our strongest skill sets. When we start projects, we know we can plan, plan, plan but there’s ALWAYS something that pops up to through a wrench in the system. So being able to pivot in those times keeps our heads on straight!

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

I wish I would’ve done this sooner (because I’ve had plenty of meltdowns at work), but take a break. If you’re elbow deep into a project and something pops up, and you may not know how to solve it, take a break. Go for a walk, go grab lunch, or tell your client something unexpected pop up and you need the evening to brainstorm a solution. What we’ve learned is that client’s are generally very understanding as long as they know you have their best interest at heart. But being able to calm down, walk away, and take a beat can truly save you from so many tears, anxieties, or becoming a monster at work! Take it from me, take a break when you feel so overwhelmed. It will do you brain, heart, and body good.

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photos by Kindful Photography

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