Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Sachiko

Hi Nicole, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

Up until I was 18 years old I lived in a hoarder home. The level of hoarding was decently severe. Every surfaces and floor was covered with piles upon piles of stuff. Growing up in this type of environment, I asked myself – What is all of this stuff? Why do I always have to clear the table every night before dinner? Why can’t I invite my friends over? The hoarding was a physical limitation to be able to do basic tasks such as laundry, moving freely, and cooking. It also had a psychological effects on me and my family members – many of us felt embarrassed and ashamed to invite anyone over.

When I went to college, I decided to study Psychology, Child Development, and Health Education. I had an innate curiosity to understand what intrinsically motivated people. I didn’t realize at the time that my degree would become very handy for my career later on. Let’s fast forward to the pandemic. My parents who were 70 and 72 years old were sheltered in place in their hoarded home. To me, it was not question of if but when – when would a pile of boxes fall on them or when would they trip and injure their hip. With love, time, and patience I convinced my entire family to embark on the journey of organizing and cleaning their entire home – all with the hope that my parents could simply live safely in their home. It took one very intense week of tidying to get their home in order and a few months to get used to the newfound space and routine. On one ordinary day my mom came to me and said something to me I will never forget and will hold on to for the rest of my life – “Nicole we are so thankful for you and everything you did. In no way did we realize how bad it truly was, until everything was gone. We couldn’t have done it without you.” I told this story to my friend who recommended reading Marie Kondo’s book. From there I went on to read all of her books and was thoroughly convinced Marie Kondo was the only person who could help my parents maintain organization, for good. When I went to her website I realized she was so famous, she doesn’t go to people’s homes anymore. Instead, she trains people with how to organize using the KonMari Method. Today I am a certified KonMari Consultant and have been running my business full time for two years. To me, organizing is a personal experience and if done with the right method, patience and passion – can truly change someones life for the better and help them fulfill their biggest dreams and goals.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

One of my favorite parts of having my own business is the constant challenges I face. Every day represent a learning opportunity about how to be a better person both personally and professionally.

I would say the biggest struggles today have been finding the right work life balance. Some days it is really hard to stop working when work doesn’t feel like work. I also have to be mindful of how much social energy I put out – I’ve learned very quickly I am not a true extrovert! My personal time is really important in restoring my energy.

Perhaps one of the biggest obstacles I’ve faced was when I was first starting my business. I used to feel really scared and unsure of being a professional organizer. Simultaneously I had also just moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and wasn’t sure if this career path was a viable business.

As each month passed, I continued to impress myself and hit my quota over and over again. I’ve never regretted my decision and looked back. If anything, I always ask myself – but how can I be better?

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

I celebrate what makes each individual unique. When I work with a client, I treat them as any of my friends. I listen to them. I hear their needs, goals, and dreams. I try to understand their lifestyle and habits. What I do is so much more than just decluttering and physically making space for items in a beautiful system. I really try to observe the patterns of their choices for what they keep and discard. Every decision a client makes tells me a story of what they value or don’t value. It is when we bring these patterns to light that we can become more self aware and discover what the core reason we hold on to things are. Honestly, most of the core reasons we hold on to things and have trouble letting go are fear based. Fear of losing ourselves, our identity, security, failure, change, control, etc. When we acknowledge this part of ourselves, we are able to move forward and make healthier and happier decisions. Most importantly, we are able to align our physical environment with how we feel and prioritize the most important things in life such as loved ones, experiences, and hobbies.

What were you like growing up?

I love this question because it is really a great reminder of how much I’ve grown. Growing up in a hoarder home with two hardworking first/second gen parents in Lafayette, California meant being alone a lot of time. My parents were usually very busy working and at school a lot of the kids were mean because I was overweight. I remember feeling really unhappy and depressed most of my childhood.

Most of my joy was in my room – it was the only room in our entire three bed two house that was completely free of clutter. With help from my brother, I was able to install curtains instead of having blinds. All of the furniture was a nice light solid wood color. I’ve always loved the color white so all the linens and curtains were white. I hung the art I would make in art class. I also had my two cats since I was 3 years old so it was important to me to have open floor space for them to play and run around. I also remember doing drawings of different business ideas. Since before I can remember, I always dreamed about having my own business. Honestly, this was always more of a dream than any big wedding or partner.

Pricing:

• Home Consultation $200
• Office Consultation $200
• Virtual Consultation $200

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tidylife.style/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolesparksjoy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TidyLifestyleOrganizing
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBV2ue27mDUFfUCk0g49T9w
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tidy-lifestyle-organizing-services-lafayette
• Other: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tidy+Lifestyle+Professional+Organization+Services/@32.8242404,-117.3891746,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0xacc549350ed7cf41:0x2d253fa34ee8fe13!8m2!3d32.8245525!4d-117.1089784?shorturl=1

Image Credits

Nicole Sachiko, Professional Organizer & Minimalist Coach at Tidy Lifestyle Organizing, Certified Bronze KonMari Consultant, BA in Psychology and minor in Health Education, based in San Francisco Bay Area, Contra Costa County