We were lucky to catch up with Samantha Volmuth recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Samantha thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

Coming up with the appropriate business name is always one of the most difficult things starting off. It has to be unique, tell a story about what you do, and encompass the personality of the business. After much brainstorming, I decided that Illuminate: Art of Order was the perfect fit for the company. Illuminate is all about shining light onto how to structure both physical and mental spaces. When most think of organizing, they think of a general order that things should be put in. What typically isn’t thought about is the psychology and emotions that go with this process. It takes time to understand what a person holds dear, and how to best integrate that into their lives. This is where the art part of the name comes in. Put all together, the name is meant to tell the tale of a business that sheds light on how to organize according to each personality/situation.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Samantha Volmuth, and I am 25 years old. I’ve always known that I wanted to run my own business, although younger me was never sure in what. After graduating from USF with my Bachelors Degree In Management at the age of 19, I decided to try my hand at hotel management. I quickly discovered it was not for me, and it was the push I needed to brainstorm and figure out what business was right for me. I decided to begin by opening a babysitting and pet sitting business-something I had plenty of experience in and knew I could grow. That quickly morphed into babysitting, pet sitting, tutoring, and personal assistance. It was in the personal assistance category that I first discovered organizing. Up until that point, I had no idea that it was a separate service, and I immediately knew it was for me. I’ve always had a natural talent for organizing, and getting to do that for work was a dream come true. After seeing how much of a need there was for professional organizers, I decided to make Illuminate purely organizing services. That’s when Illuminate: Art of Order was born.

Illuminate: Art of Order specializes in all facets of home and office organization. The categories we focus on include residential organizing, downsizing & transitioning, unpacking and organizing a new home, garage and outdoor storage organization, productivity & time management coaching, and paperwork organization & management.

There are two main things that separate us from every other organizing business. The first differentiating factor is our passion. Every single one of our organizers is here because they love the field and helping others. It isn’t just a job for them, it’s a lifestyle. The second differentiating factor is our method. We believe that the art of organizing is a combination of mental, emotional, and practical components. We are not here to force people to throw things away-we are here to gently guide them through a decision-making process to figure out what they truly hold dear, and to tailor a system that will benefit each individual/family in the way that they need.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

The biggest piece of advice I could give for managing a team and maintaining high morale is to listen and provide space for open communication. It may sound elementary, but it’s oftentimes the simplest things that can make the greatest difference. I can’t tell you how much I have been able to grow my business by taking into consideration ideas my contractors have had, and allowing them to have a voice in how to implement these things where appropriate. Not only does it give me perspective as a business owner, it allows them to be a part of the process and feel more valued.

Have you ever had to pivot?

As a business owner, one thing I’ve learned is that you consistently have to pivot. Learning how to adapt, change, and grow is what keeps a business thriving. As far as memorable pivots are concerned however, there are two I can recall that were especially noteworthy. The first was the choice to go from a one-woman show to a multi-person small business. Learning how to take a step back from being on the front lines was especially difficult for me, as I am very used to taking charge and doing everything myself. What I learned from expanding was that taking a step back allowed me to focus on the business and myself in other ways. It also allowed different people’s talents to be utilized to help the business flourish.

The second pivot was the decision to go from a one-stop-shop kind of business with four categories to a business more focused on one category, home and office organization. It was difficult for me to make this decision as I always liked the idea of having multiple ways to help people, however, I realized after a period of time that the best way we could assist people was by being there for them strictly as organizers. Since this field isn’t as well known, I felt it would be in our best interest to spread the word. Organizing is something that everyone needs in their lives, and though there are other organizers out there, what our organizers and myself hope to “Illuminate” is the fact that organizing is an art form, not just a function.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.illuminateinc.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/illuminate_your_mind/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Illuminate-Personal-Services-281641385887809

Image Credits
Noah Grundish, Lois Romaine, Mary Huffman