We were lucky to catch up with Beth Ickes recently and have shared our conversation below.
Beth, appreciate you joining us today. When you were first starting out, did you join a firm or start your own?
My husband, a Charlotte FireFighter and small business owner himself had a client who explained she was a “professional organizer” in Charlotte. Our youngest would be turning 5 and I was looking to get back in the workforce. He came home excited, explaining her profession while saying, “This is the perfect job for you! You’d be great at it!
Quite honestly, I had NEVER heard of such a profession. My previous job in the workforce was a position as a litigation paralegal at the largest law firm in the state of NJ. I managed many large litigation cases going to trial so had a lot of organizational experience under my belt.
My current job at the time consisted of effortlessly staying home and managing our busy household of 3 small precious children (under the age of 3 1/2!) for 10 years and was looking to get back into the workforce. Our life was an organized chaos full of busy schedules, substitute teaching, to-do lists, processes, and maintenance plans, all while my husband worked a 24 hour shift at the firehouse. I had a true sense of what worked for our family and have a natural ability for bringing order to chaos. I’ve always had a desire to “clear the clutter” and had a comfortable living space for friends and family to enjoy. Could I really help other families achieve order, peace, & tranquility, while restoring physical and emotional order to their lives?
After doing much research I applied to a few Professional Organizing Companies in town. With that, I got a job with one of the leading companies. I INSTANTLY FELL IN LOVE with Professional Organizing and ALL that came with that. Helping people in their overwhelmed and most vulnerable of states, bringing ease and regaining order to them and their spaces became a passion.
After 7 years of professional organizing experience, I decided to take a leap of faith and start my own business and on March 1, 2019 Accomplished LLC was born. It was never an initial desire to start my own business, but I started feeling the tugging on my heart to create something authentic, reputable, and something I would be proud to call my own. It was an unsettling but most rewarding decision I ever made. I am passionate about simplifying, organizing, and restoring order to people’s lives!
I have immense gratitude to ALL who believed in me and helped me launch. I am beyond grateful for my amazing clients. I appreciate them all. I would not be where I am without them! Living my passion of helping people organize and simplify is the most rewarding job ever and it is never taken for granted.
The first years were a bit of a juggling act as I was learning to balance being still a full-time mom, wife, and new small business owner. For the most part the transition was smooth. It evolved at a reasonable pace which was helpful. It became very clear, very quickly this was truly meant to be. Everything fell perfectly into place. I’m so very grateful!
Beth, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Beth Ickes and I am truly honored to be highlighted in Canvas Rebel Entrepreneur Magazine. I am a professional organizer in (South) Charlotte, NC. The name of my company is Accomplished LLC. I am passionate about home organization and simplifying people’s lives. We want to remove the physical clutter in people’s homes and in turn wipe away the emotional clutter that it brings. We love taking away the anxiety and the overwhelming feelings that a disorganized space can bring. Removing setbacks and roadblocks to give our clients time back in their lives so they can enjoy what truly matters most to them in life.
We are a home organization business. We can declutter and restore order to ANY area of the home including pantries, closets, kid’s rooms, playrooms, and kitchens to name a few. We assist clients moving by decluttering to get homes staged and “picture ready”. We also help seniors sift through a lifetime of memories and help them decide what to bring to their next chapter. Unpacking services are a large part of our services as well, getting all your necessities streamlined into your new space. We have helped other small business owners organize their stockrooms and store fronts. Storage unit clean outs are another big one. Holiday decorating/gift wrapping is another fun part of the business. Lastly, we offer a home maintenance plan for those who would like us to keep up the system for them. Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly plans are offered to fit your needs.
People seek our services for a variety of reasons. Typically, they are at a point in their lives where they are in a transition of some kind. Many are referred to us because of a move, renovation, an empty nest, divorce, illness or loss of a spouse. We help seniors downsize and assist busy working moms and dads. We also help a large population of people with ADD and for those who are chronically disorganized. Really just life in general can get in the way of everyday functioning, causing breakdowns in their system or maybe there was never a system put in place to begin with. Ironically, I grew up in a somewhat disorganized home as a child so I can empathize with my clients, as I can understand the unsettling, and overwhelming feelings clutter can bring. For most people, life is moving faster than they can keep up with. Then “organizational paralysis” sets in. “The more you have, the more you have to manage” I always say.
The request comes in. We set up a phone consultation, and then an in person visit. We walk the space, discuss priorities and strategize a clear and organized plan on how to execute the project. Time is set up to tackle the project. We purchase containers and supplies. We can set up trash removal and take donations to where they can best be utilized. There are SO many great non-profits this day in age out there! You can feel SO good about donating to!
We provide a clear vision. We are an extra set of eyes and give clients a new perspective. We are the extra set of hands. We restore order, physical order to a space. We are patient, focused and calm. We are motivated, professional and passionate about streamlining, simplifying, bringing calm to the chaos.
Most people don’t connect their emotions to their spaces and “things”. Question, how does your garage make you “feel”? Get my point? Many open their doors to us on the verge of tears and by the end of the project happy tears and hugs are shared! It happens so often. We give hope, peace, and clients say they can “breathe” when we leave. This is the most rewarding part of my job, having people feel accomplished, orderly and hopeful. People tell me how much value I have added to their lives, but they truly have NO idea how much value they have added to mine. We have helped some incredible people. I thank them for trusting us. I am truly honored and blessed and have the best job ever. I hope you can “feel” my heart and soul in this article. Organizing is a true passion.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I would say the number one thing our business reputation is built on is trust. Our clients trust us to take the lead on their projects, many of whom are in their most vulnerable state. Typically, they are at a point in their lives where they are in a major transition and all that goes with it. Many are referred to us because of a move, renovation, an empty nest, divorce, illness or loss of a spouse. Really just life in general can get in the way of everyday functioning. We genuinely listen to the “whys” of their stories. They trust us with their stories, some of which are hard to tell. There are a million reasons why there can be a breakdown in their system.
There is ALWAYS a back story leading up to how things became disorganized. We give our clients the compassion, patience, understanding, and empathy they deserve to move forward in the process. Our services are non-judgmental and confidential. From the beginning, it is so important to develop a relationship which is solely built on trust and communication. I feel my passion for simplifying and restoring order is evident to my clients and is conveyed through my work ethic and reliability.
Lastly, I am committed to keeping my business small. Growth is good but I want to stay small and intimate and personally be on every job that comes. I LOVE what I do! This is how trust is formed and relationships are cultivated. They trust us to open every drawer in their space, seeing all the things they may never even let friends or family see. When was the last time you let a friend open your bedroom drawers? We have keys to many homes and storage units. Trust. They trust us and therefore refer to us.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
I belong to several networking groups and that has been a huge blessing in bringing in new clients. I have met some amazing people in these groups and developed and cultivated many strong relationships with these small business owners as a result. The referrals from those groups have been a tremendous way of growing my business, which gives us the opportunity to exercise the passion we have for the work that we love to do. Referrals also continually develop from the clients we serve.
In addition to that, my web site accomplishedclt.com is a place I can direct potential clients. It explains our list of services, illustrates who we are, and answers many frequently asked questions. It has been a great tool and resource with its simple style and wealth of information.
We can help anyone for any reason. We can help a broad scope of people, from the high school/college student to the senior downsizing and everyone in between.
Contact Info:
- Website: accomplishedclt.com
- Instagram: @accomplishedclt
Image Credits
Wesley Woodley Photography