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

Hi Anne, thanks for joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I LOVE to help people in all aspects of their lives. I was a teacher for 19 years because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of students; to help them grow as humans and help them see the world through a different lens (I was a Spanish teacher so this was a great way to teach a culture as well as a language) and HELPING was my calling in this career path. Now that I’ve changed careers, I find I am still helping people; only this time, with organizing their lives. As a professional organizer, I’m here to help people declutter, organize and stay organized. This can take a lot out of the client as it is very hard for some people to let go of “things”. I hope and pray that what I do is making a difference in the lives of my clients. I hope that when I’m gone, people talk about how I always helped and always wanted to help all people. It’s in my blood and I am so satisfied when I get to do it!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Since I was a little girl, I’ve always loved to have my spaces organized and sorted into the ways that work best for me. I feel that if your space is organized and clear, you have more room to work, think and even relax. I was a Spanish teacher for 19 years, and being organized is a huge part of being a successful and great teacher! My students, parents and administrators always appreciated it. As a single mom with a very busy child, I had to be organized — there wasn’t really a choice. I have taught my son the importance of organizing all of your spaces as being organized allows you to work on other parts of your life or just have fun. I helped people organize their homes and other spaces while I was still teaching and decided that I really wanted a change so in 2020, I started orgANNEizer, LLC.

I leverage my experience as a single mom, a teacher, and now a professional organizer to partner with people to create the stress-free home they’ve been dreaming of. I truly believe that the more organized you are in the way that works best for you, the more successful and less stressful your life will be. I believe that when everything has a place, your life is much easier and you can focus on what really matters. I believe I am different than other professional organizers because I don’t tell you what works best for you, I ask. We work as a team to make the spaces in their homes or businesses work well for them. It’s their home or business and it needs to work for them. I just come up with suggestions and whatever they choose, I help them implement and then teach them strategies to keep their spaces organized. That’s the key!

I am most proud of the fact that I have MANY repeat clients. I love that they continue to have me help them in all aspects of their lives. We might start on their pantry and continue through the house and then I do things like help plan showers, weddings and celebrations. I become friends with a lot of my clients as they trust in my skills and I get to help them with some of the most important days of their lives.

I would love for potential clients to know that I will work hard with them to create the organized spaces for which they are wanting. I would also like them to know that I not only organize but I offer personal assistant services and party/celebration planning. As stated above, I love to help people so however I can do that with my small business, it will be a success and make someone smile.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients for me has been my networking groups and social media. I have been involved in networking groups from the start of my business. I find that when you’re involved in said groups, you learn more about how to run a business and how to gain more clients. A lot of the people in my groups are great small business owners so we get to run things by each other and help each other with concerns or questions. We learn from one another and as we get to know each other better, we can better refer one another which is amazing! We do a lot on online referring and that has been the best source for me building my business. As people get to know you and your business, they refer you in Facebook groups or just do a shout out about your business. My clients also will give me good reviews or refer me to others on social media with before and after pictures and how I’ve helped them. Social media is one of the best ways to advertise and create new clients.

Another thing I do to make sure people recognize my name is not just post about my own business but do shout-outs and referrals for other businesses. People will see my name and know that I am not just advertising for myself. I also am highly engaged in the groups I’m in. I will make sure to not just comment on business wants but even to someone asking about a good place to buy jeans or where to go this weekend with kiddos. I find the more you’re involved in these groups, the more people see your name (or business name) and they recognize you and your business. I have had more new clients tell me (when I ask where they found my business) that they see me posting all over Facebook groups and see that I am always helping others by answering questions and making comments. Social Media is amazing for a small business!!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The past 7 or so years, public education has started to change. As a former educator of 19 years, I knew I had to leave when I was crying almost everyday on my way home. My son was in the car with me one day and said, “Mom, if you’re so miserable, you need to leave teaching.” He was correct! My mental health was so much more important to me than a career! As much as it hurt me to leave the career that I loved, it wasn’t the career I had wanted anymore. I really miss the kids and the teaching. I don’t miss the rest of what teachers have to put up with and so I’m happy I left. I had a plan to take my side gig (organizing) and make it a full-time business. The change from getting up at 4am, getting to work at 6am and working until 4:30pm was a very positive one. The pivot from the everyday grind to creating my own schedule was and still is amazing! As time has gone on, I find it is the best decision I ever made. I get to create my own schedule, be my own boss AND the best part, I still get to help people!!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.orgANNEizer.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/organneizer/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/organneizer.messerli.5
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-messerli-60580b46/

Image Credits
BennyAni Photography (headshot)