Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carrie Peeples. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Carrie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
I spent years working in the Corporate World before venturing out as a solo entrepreneur. I kept thinking I’d never be able to make the same amount of money with a full time job than I would make in my own business. I held myself back waiting for the perfect time to leave and that just never happens. I did finally leave when the company I worked for was bought out but I wish I had started 10 years earlier when I had the initial thought to start working as a professional organizer. There is no right time to start, there is no right time to leave, there is no right path to owning and running your own business. You just have to do it. And not stop.
I think we hold ourselves back waiting to have all of the correct and proper information and the permission to move forward but I’ve now learned that you just create and figure it out as you go. There is no blueprint.
Carrie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I started my professional organizing business, Neatsmart, in 2012 to have an outlet for my creative passion of organizing. For me, creating an organized space is creating functional art. It has to look beautiful and be easy to maintain. There is a fine line between styling a space to look pretty for a picture and making it functional for a family to use.
I wanted to create structure that was missing in today’s busy households where parents are engaged in their families and in their careers, trying to enjoy their lives but lacking the time or talent to get their homes organized. Having these systems in place means they can spend their precious free time enjoying their family and activities instead of trying to create order out of the chaos.
I believe we all have gifts and talents and mine is the ability to see order in the chaos. I create custom systems for each client that works uniquely for them and enhances their home. I love helping people figure out what they can let go of and what they need to have easy access to so they enjoy being at home. I follow their aesthetic when picking out products that will work for their organization needs so that their closets, pantries, drawers, and spaces are all cohesive. It has to work as well as be beautiful.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
While organizing may not sound like a typical creative business, I see it that way because every solution is different for each client. While we all want a home that looks nice and is organized, we all have different ideas of what that is. I listen carefully to what pain points and frustrations clients have with the way their home is set up currently so I can best design a system for maintaining and storing everything that makes sense to them. Hearing how much their anxiety has gone away or they feel more relaxed and calm in their newly organized home is the most rewarding part of my job. I feel like I was able to wipe away a big part of their frustration and they can feel more at home.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I had not only ventured out sooner, I wish I’d talked to more business support people like accountants, book keepers, and attorneys prior to starting. I think the business of running a business is very unappealing to most creatives and they skimp on their professional services because it’s not interesting and doesn’t resonate with them. By the time they really need the business support it’s a much bigger task. I think creatives and all entrepreneurs need to understand that doing and running your business are 2 different skills. You really need to hire the right business support professionals if you thrive with the creative “doing” part of your business more. It’s a delicate balance!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://neatsmart.com
- Instagram: @neatsmart
- Facebook: @neatsmart
Image Credits
Angie Webb Photography https://angie-webb.com