Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Baer
Hi Maria, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m Maria (Pronounced Ma-RYE-a) Baer and I’ve had an outright obsession with organizing for as long as I can remember. Seriously, I was that 5-year old kid who asked for matching hangers for Christmas (circa 1989). I still find myself pulling everything out of closets in my home on a rare quiet Friday night after a week of organizing in other people’s homes. It truly is my stress relief and I feel very lucky to have turned it into a business.
In 2017, I left Corporate America and launched The Baer Minimalist®. My goal was to provide assistance to busy families who were looking to have a more organized home with the philosophy MINIMAL CLUTTER. MAXIMUM STYLE. It started with singular spaces: pantries, closets, bathrooms, playrooms, but has grown into much more. Initially, I worked alone or alongside the client, but in 2019 I started to grow a team.
Today, we have six organizers and strive to run two jobs every day of the work week. I’ve been able to provide our organizers with a flexible opportunity to help others, all within the hours of their children’s school day. This is one of the most rewarding pieces of building a business – seeing the impact you make on your clients and those who are gracious enough to work alongside you.
Today our services include concierge moves, wrap-around services for interior designers and realtors, a very cool collaborative service with a local fashion stylist, as well as the in-home projects that helped us build our core business seven years ago.
One of the most incredible parts of this business is how my organizing philosophies have translated into my approach as a parent. My husband and I found out we were expecting twins (born in March 2019) and having systems in place and a great method for donating items once they no longer served us has really allowed our house to function well. It’s still messy, but the messes are easier to clean up when everyone knows where things belong (including our kids).
The other piece of my business that I love is the way we give back to the community. We call this Donate + Do Good. One of the first marketing initiatives I took on was creating a Donation Guide for Indianapolis. It turned into a really cool print piece that is available at many local retailers, has a blog component where we deep-dive into the “Why” with non-profit interviews and has allowed us to help our clients feel great about letting go of items that are no longer useful in their homes.
Owning and growing a business takes grit and determination. It can feel isolating at times and you find yourself being called to lead through adversity, wearing all of the hats and knowing when you’ve gotten to a place where you can lean on others for support through outsourcing. I will say that Indianapolis is a city that champions small businesses and unique service offerings are celebrated! I am proud to own and grow a business here.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I think the biggest obstacle I had to overcome was moving to Indianapolis after college where I didn’t have a single connection (outside of my boyfriend, who eventually became my husband). We met while studying abroad in New Zealand and after living apart for the remainder of college, decided to make Indianapolis our home.
I had a degree in television broadcasting, with a minor in sociology and ended up working for a company that did meeting + logistics planning for pharmaceutical companies. While at that organization I saw a few gaps within our process where I proposed roles that would streamline the communications to meeting attendees and give our Program Managers time back in their day to focus on big picture pieces of the logistical puzzle.
I realized while creating and executing these new roles for the organization that I really enjoyed the process of developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), figuring out efficiencies for the company as a whole, and enhancing the customer experience.
From this point forward, I jumped into developing roles for two different start-ups prior to launching The Baer Minimalist.
Over the last seven years, challenges have included pivoting our services to virtual offerings during a global pandemic, working through a twin pregnancy (again, having to modify services) and figuring out how to grow a brand when the majority of our income comes from our time in client’s homes, which can be somewhat seasonal.
All of these challenges and obstacles have allowed us to become a business with a stronger foundation and a firm idea of growth opportunities for the coming years.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Baer Minimalist?
The Baer Minimalist® transforms cluttered spaces into stylish, functional environments with a fresh approach: Minimal Clutter. Maximum Style. Our Indianapolis-based team provides hands-on organization, customized systems, and education to ensure your space stays streamlined long after the project is complete. We believe in conscious consumption, guiding clients to prioritize quality over quantity to maintain the systems they’ve invested in.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thebaerminimalist.com
- Instagram: @thebaerminimalist
- Facebook: @thebaerminimalist
Image Credits
Southern Sky Photography