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

Jennifer, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry

One of the biggest trends I see in the organizing industry is the focus on products for storage. Beautiful storage can make a huge difference in how you see, feel, and use the space. Absolutely. However, without a good system for getting and staying organized, the products will only be a distraction.

Marie Kondo, the author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, and the founder of the Konmari Method has said, “Clutter is caused by a failure to return things to where they belong. Therefore, storage should reduce the effort needed to put things away, not the effort needed to get them out.”

I agree and disagree with these statements.

Storage products should absolutely reduce the effort needed to put things away, and that’s going to be different from person to person, as we all have different motivations. Some are going to be very motivated by putting their crackers and cereal into beautiful containers on the pantry shelf. Some are going to find that burdensome. Neither is wrong. It’s truly about what works for you and your family based on what you value the most in that space.

Where I do sort of disagree is that “clutter is caused by a failure to return things to where they belong”.

Some clutter is absolutely caused by not putting things away. More often, however, I see that clutter is caused by indecision. Indecision of whether or not to keep it, where it goes, and what it will be used for now or in the future. Having to make decisions like this for every single thing we own can be exhausting, and that decision fatigue invites indecision.

Setting the values for the space will minimize that decision fatigue and allow you to more easily and intuitively maintain it, as well as handle the backlog.

Jennifer, 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?

I’m Jennifer and I am an intuitive life organizer who helps heart-centered and/or energy healing women who feel overwhelmed by the chaos in their lives and homes, are tired of being “busy”, and are ready to make long-lasting changes in their life and business they really want. My mission is to help you have your own back through supportive systems built around your unique values and needs. Because I believe we all deserve clutter-free spaces and more time for naps and money.

You may know me as an organization pro, lover of tacos, and all things green. What you might not know is that I own multiple businesses, love collecting antiques, and have had 17 surgeries.

My life doesn’t always look perfect. Between marriage and divorce, kids and medical issues, and everything in between I’ve seen firsthand what supportive systems can do to help you when the sh*t hits the fan.

That’s why I’m so passionate about helping my clients create a bit of structure to fall back on when times get tough, instead of systems that break down at the first sight of a curveball. I believe that we all deserve to feel lighter and in command as we build our lives and businesses with ease and fun.

That shame and burden you feel to be organized and great at time management aren’t yours to bear. It’s courtesy of the patriarchy and it’s time to set that shame down. You can choose to be better at organizing and time management because it benefits you. Period.

So come as you are, mess and all, and we’ll help you get where you want to go. Along your journey, I will guide you, celebrate you, offer silliness and support when things feel hard, and always remind you that ten minutes can change everything.

I can’t wait to get to know you and I’m so glad you’re here. Join me in my free FB community where you will find free weekly tips on Taco Tip Tuesday (and who doesn’t like tacos?), tools for getting organized, and support from the community.

On a personal note, Jennifer loves to cook, garden, and spend time with her family.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resilience is apparently a key in my business, as I’ve had many challenges over the years to overcome. The most recent and most significant was a fall and injuries in September 2021. From one day to the next, I went from a capable and independent business owner, wife, mom, friend, and daughter, to a completely dependent woman. I had to live with my parents when I wasn’t in the hospital because they were available to take care of me around the clock. I couldn’t do anything on my own, as I had broken my left arm and shattered my left leg below my knee. It was brutal.

And I was in the midst of a relaunch of my brand and offers.

There was nothing I could do about it. I posted something on social and sent out a quick email at some point in the first week, but that was about it. At that moment, my business was the last thing on my mind.

My 1:1 clients waited until I was ready a few months later, and my membership ladies coached each other until I could join them. Slowly, after about 6 weeks, I was able to start joining them on the membership calls each week. Their kindness and support allowed me to remember why I was working my way back to my business. It’s about the humans that I serve, not the dollars I make.

So now, more than 9 months after my fall, I’m back in my business part-time and still recovering physically. It’s been a lot. And I’m so grateful for the journey. It’s a journey that has had me layering parts of my business in 30 minutes at a time because that’s what I can do.

Two things I have learned in this really hard season:

Routines make a huge difference. I’ve truly learned that much of my strength and resilience come from routines. Reminding myself each and every day that I’m strong, capable, and willing to do the hard work. It doesn’t always happen every day, and that’s real life. Though I know that it is there when I need it the most.

It’s about interdependence, not independence. None of us are truly independent. We are interdependent on others, some of whom we know and some we don’t. It’s critical to know who your people are and what they are capable of when it comes to helping you. Then you’ve got to be clear with your communication when you ask for help.

No matter what you’re going through, there will be another side and you get to decide what it looks like. Lean on your people and your routines to get you there.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media is a blessing and a curse. It’s the way that we connect with others in the world that are looking for what we are providing. And it’s the way we can get ourselves so distracted.

I’ve taken tons of classes and had several coaches for marketing and social media. All of them have provided me with valuable information.

What I’ve learned from all of it… follow your instinct. Do what feels good for you. If you want to show up every day, then show up every day. If you want to do video, then do video. If you don’t, then don’t. Are there negative consequences to all of these choices? Of course. There are also lots of positives.

The more authentic you are and the more you feel good about what you are putting out there (and how), the more you will attract your people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cultivating-you.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.cultivating.you/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cultivatingcommunity/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferrmajor/

Image Credits
Camille Percy Photography Kelly Buckner – Bee Bold