Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alison Kero. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alison, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?

The first client I got was when I was a member of a networking group known as BNI. I had been a member of a specific chapter for a few months and a fellow member trusted me enough to believe I could help his friend so he recommended my services.

At the time, I lived in Queens, New York, and the client was in Jersey City, NJ. That meant taking a long subway ride into Manhattan to then changing trains to the PATH and it was a very long trip as we both lived at the end of our perspective trains. I may have spent up to 2 hours traveling in one direction and had no idea where I was in Jersey City. It felt scary but also really exciting to finally have the ability to showcase my abilities.

My networking colleague had recommended the client to me and I was nervous about traveling so far to a place I’d never been, meeting someone new at their home, and whether I could do a good job. Until you begin working with a new client, especially as a professional organizer/decluttering expert, you never know what you’re going to encounter.

At the time, I made house calls and did the work for them. I wanted to help people transform their homes from chaos to calm by helping them get rid of items they no longer needed. I also wanted to help them set up a system that they could use long after I had departed to help them stay organized.

But I was also very green and didn’t quite understand the psychology that lead to disorganization nor why it was so important that a client be involved in the process.

With this client, the challenge was that he hadn’t gone through his mail in 5 years. And in Jersey City, it’s incredibly easy to get a parking ticket. This client had many. I assume he paid them online, but he had never once opened any of the mail that accompanied the ticket.

I spent the better part of that week going through milk crate after milk crate of unopened mail while he tended to other work. The worst part was sitting on the floor as it was uncomfortable. But it was easy to determine what documents he needed to keep and which could be shredded.

In the end, he had far fewer documents to deal with and they were left in an organized manner for him to find them easily. But because he wasn’t as involved in the process as I should have had him be, I don’t believe I set him up for a new system to lower the amount of mail he was receiving. I was satisfied but did learn a few important things along the way that I now implement in my current business such as no travel time, making sure the client is fully engaged in the entire process, and creating a system to help the continue to cut back on clutter and keep up with the system long after I’ve finished working with them.

Alison, 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 was born and raised in Vermont. I grew up skiing, hiking, and swimming. I went to college in North Carolina so I could experience life in a different region. After college, I moved around a bit and ended up working at a dental office, and two associations, then found myself working in finance in NYC. While I loved New York, helping wealthy people acquire more money wasn’t really fulfilling.

I also found myself most days with little work to do, bored and unchallenged, and wishing I could be anywhere else. Unfortunately, most of my managers, instead of encouraging me and helping me to move upward, wanted to keep me where I was because of my skills.

In 2004, I had had enough of feeling stuck so I decided to go out on my own and create my own opportunities rather than waiting for someone else to grant them. I started a concierge business called Gotham Concierge. Soon after, I was approached by a professional organizer who suggested I add it to my business. I had never even heard of a professional organizer before.

And honestly, being raised by a mother who was so neat that she can literally tell when someone has moved something by even an inch and a father who was raised by a hoarder, I was somewhere in the middle of neat and disorganized. But soon found I loved the work and had a knack for understanding why and how people found themselves disorganized. I loved walking into a home or office and finding solutions for them.

I also realized how vital decluttering and organizing were to my own life. And that I loved that work much more than any of the concierge work I was providing. After a few years, I gave up on the concierge part, moved a few times, and just focused on being a full-time decluttering expert and professional organizer.

But organizing and decluttering is a lot of physical work and I found that when I did the work for the client, it enabled them to not take responsibility for their own clutter. They often learned very little and would sometimes quit partway through or would revert right back to where they started. It also often became financially too difficult for some to continue, which was frustrating as those were often the people who needed my help the most.

Over the years, I’ve come to realize that it’s really important for a client to do the work themselves. That’s why I created an online program that takes them step-by-step through the process. They can go through the program at their own pace and there are action steps and tips to help guide them along the way.

But that’s not enough. Every person has a different way of approaching things. They come with their own set of traumas, triggers, and roadblocks which requires personalized support and guidance.

That’s why my program offers a 1-hour virtual session with me. They also receive an entire week of unlimited access to me via text, email, or DMs. If they need more help after that, they can buy more virtual one-on-one sessions at a discounted rate.

I also just added a new program where it’s the same type of offer but there are 12 sessions instead of just one and is a 6-month program. Some people learn quickly and only need a little guidance and support while others need more. Now they have that option.

It’s also priced affordably, but high enough that they’re forced to put some skin in the game. It’s a way to help them show up in their own life, take stock of what they’re surrounding themselves with, and learn that by decluttering the stuff that no longer serves them, they’re learning that it’s about quality, not quantity. That they deserve to live in a home that makes them feel in control, calm and loved.

They also learn how to set up systems to help them stay organized that begin to feel effortless and even fun because it soon becomes a habit that helps them thrive. And they learn that they’re worth having a life that helps them focus on what’s important with the skills to set boundaries on what, and who they let into their lives.

I also teach that the most important step is decluttering. I see many organizers focusing on buying products to help clients get organized and while it does look pretty, some of it feels like a waste of time and money. I only recommend buying organizational products after they’ve decluttered because then they can find the right products, but only if they need them. Often, they don’t.

I think it’s most important to take a look at what you’re letting into your life. And taking control of what you buy, who you spend time with, and the thoughts that are in your head. When you begin focusing on these things, it enables you to make stronger, smarter decisions for your life. And that’s empowering!

Along the way, I’ve dealt with my own fair share of clutter. I battled a chronic illness, ended up a caretaker to a parent, and struggled with a lot of mental clutter. It hasn’t been an easy ride, but the more I invested in myself, the more I set and kept boundaries, and the more I realized that I deserved a great life just as much as everyone else does, it became easier for me to show up in my life, my business, and for my clients.

I love that I can give my clients permission to remove the judgment, shame, fear, and guilt that keep them stuck so they can empower themselves with love, acceptance, and freedom. And I love that I get to provide guidance and support while allowing them to do the real work. I’m excited about my future and to continue doing what I love.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

At the beginning of February 2014, I got sick with the flu. And I never got fully healthy. The flu triggered what turned out to be Lyme disease. I don’t ever remember getting bitten, but at the time I got sick, I was dealing with a lot of stressors. Mostly, because while I knew how to remove physical clutter, there was a lot of emotional clutter I was ignoring.

My illness left me barely able to function and while I kept one client, most had disappeared. I would work sporadically and ended up having to take a side job as a blog writer. I mostly wrote blogs while in bed. It also took me years to find a doctor who could diagnose me properly and help me.

For a long time, I just kept finding people who were angry and took advantage of me. Including medical professionals. I now realize it was because I was struggling with my own internal demons that I kept calling these types of people in my life. And that I didn’t think I deserved help, guidance, or support. I felt as though I needed to be self-sufficient and that asking for help was a sign of weakness.

It took me many years to realize that no one gets anywhere in life without support. And that we all deserve to be supported by kind, loving, non-judgmental people, including and especially ourselves!

I also realized I no longer enjoyed going to clients’ homes or offices to do the work. It was fun but exhausting and not all environments were very healthy.

Thankfully, I started working with a great business coach who helped me realize that I could set up a business exactly how I wanted and that it was okay. And that marketing could be not only effective, but fun, and it didn’t have to cost a ton of money.

I gained more confidence in myself and began creating videos to help people learn decluttering and organizational skills. There are some people who need help but will never pay for your services, and that’s okay. But there are plenty of others who will realize you’re exactly what they need to make those lasting changes and I’m here for them when they’re ready.

I also started working with a new health practitioner whose program is helping me regain my energy and my life back. I feel excited every day to see what I accomplish, and I’m also learning that when I need to rest and do some self-care, it’s not only okay but necessary. And I’m worth it.

I’ve learned that sometimes life forces you to make pivots because it’s not working for you any longer. And that’s okay – you should be learning and growing and changing. That’s the whole point of life.

Staying the same isn’t healthy for anyone. As a professional organizer, I see a lot of stagnation which results in clutter. I now feel I’m in a much better place to support my clients as a result of the experiences I’ve been through and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned and to let others know that while change can feel scary, the end result is feeling freer and more empowered than ever before. And that we all deserve to live our lives feeling joyful, free, and abundant.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I’ve talked to a lot of people who have tried to become professional organizers but couldn’t find enough clients. And I’ve experienced that myself quite a lot.

Owning a business is not for the faint of heart. But with organizing, there’s often a lot more going on with a client than just having too much stuff. Often, there’s trauma hiding behind that clutter.

Not only that, but while working inside a home or office, it’s not uncommon to encounter, bugs, dirt, dust, and even a few dead animals. Or unpleasant smells, all of which can affect our physical health. It can feel overwhelming at times. Especially since no two clients have the same struggles.

People can feel judged or scared and they take it out on you. And that’s not easy. I’ve also encountered a lot of people who seem to think we’re not worth the price of our services.

And you know what? That’s okay for them to think like that. It used to bother me, but that’s their own fears and judgments talking. I don’t have to buy into their belief system.

I think if you’re going to enter the field of professional organizing, having an understanding of what causes and triggers disorganization is incredibly helpful. Taking a few psychology courses or reading books about trauma and how it manifests is helpful.

What’s also helpful is believing in yourself. Believing your work has value and that you deserve to be paid for your services. This tends to be a female-dominated field and women often don’t price their services that reflect how hard we work. We tend to think we’re supposed to be in service for little or no money, but that doesn’t help us feel supported or support ourselves or our families financially.

When we begin to believe in our own worth and that we have great skills and knowledge to share, it becomes easier to find clients who mirror back that value to us. And to price our services at what we truly deserve.

The belief that we can and deserve to be successful is incredibly powerful. So is understanding how to market our business. Marketing is a huge part of our business and we need to learn how to do it properly and set up a marketing system so that we don’t spend all of our time working on our business.

Also, understand that success rarely happens instantly. It takes time, knowledge, and faith in ourselves to keep going even when times get tough.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alisonkero.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisondecluttershomes
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alison.kero
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonkero
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/AlisonKdecluttershomes
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/alisonkdecluttershomes