Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Beth Venable . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Beth , thanks for joining us today. What’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?
Most professional organizers work very hard to maximize space and use every inch to fit items in a home, but I am the complete opposite.
I have been incredibly organized my entire life, but my spaces were always full. I knew how to squeeze every possible container in an area and how to pack in as much as possible while still being able to know and see what I had. I was the teacher on campus that everyone came to for a miscellaneous item, and my peers envied my meticulously organized and labeled room.
In 2017, my home flooded in Hurricane Harvey. It was a pivotal point in my life; we lost everything. Due to financial limitations, I was able to replenish the things in my life slowly, but it took time. At that point, I had a realization. I learned that it was quite nice to be able to move the hangers on the racks back and forth because they weren’t packed. I liked being able to easily get dishes from the cabinet without needing to move something first. I loved opening my bathroom drawer and not finding old, expired Chanel and Mac make-up that I didn’t want to toss. I learned so much from the experience. During that phase of my life, I reflected on all of the “things” that I lost and why I held onto them. Being a teacher and budget-friendly, it was mostly due to money. I held onto items because I spent money on them, and I felt like I needed to keep them as a result. What I didn’t realize was that the money was already gone and there was a cost in keeping all of these unnecessary items. Clutter, even organized clutter, drains us mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Ultimately, my experience from the flood changed me. Most importantly it changed my shopping habits. Before I buy anything, I will ask myself a few questions such as do I need this, where will I put it, how often will I use it, do I need to buy a bin to organize this, and how will my space look as a result of having . Believe it or not, this 10 second mental reflection activity often prevents me from making the purchase. I love open space, and I love an organized home way more than I love things.
The benefits of being organized help me so much more than the satisfaction of having something, and it has totally changed my life. Who knew that many years later, I would be a professional organizer implementing these principles in the homes of others!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am an educator with years of experience teaching elementary students, coaching teachers, and working as an assistant principal. I absolutely love working with people, and teaching others is so incredibly rewarding. Like teaching, I also love to learn. My top five strengths on the Clifton Strengths Finder Assessment are learner, achiever, focus, strategic and responsibility.
During my entire life, people told me that I should be an organizer for others. When my husband and I sold our last home, our realtor shared the sentiment. Well, we were moving to a new part of town, and it made sense to give it a try. I started Side By Side Design Texas, and I haven’t looked back. I am a professional organizer for homes and businesses, and I help my clients declutter, sort, and organize their home in a way that is pretty and functional with systems and habits that are easy to maintain. My all-inclusive services are customized to their home, their belongings, and their needs. I continue to be a teacher working with my “students” to help them grow and achieve success in their household so that they can spend their time and energy on other things like quality family time. In addition to in-person organizing sessions, I offer virtual organizing sessions, DIY training sessions, holiday decorating, and packing/unpacking services.
My goal is help my clients feel great about their day to day systems and habits in their space. It’s imperative to understand that getting organized and staying organized is a process, and it takes time to implement and maintain. As your life changes, your needs and systems must change too so the organization is never really done. If you commit to a system and tweak it as needed, it is far easier to live your day to day life. The benefits of being organized are endless; you are less stressed, sleep better, have more time to do other things, have improved personal relationships, save money, feel better, etc.
An important piece to understand about organizing is that it’s much more than the pretty pictures that you see on Instagram. The work is hard, messy, and sometimes stressful. I value the work so much because I love being able to help people. At times, I get in my car to drive home and think “wow, I cannot believe how much we accomplished”. One misconception is that organizers will make you throw things away. In order to declutter a space, you need to remove items from an area. If a client wants to purge, then we’ll facilitate the process. Other times, we relocate items to an assigned space that makes sense. At the end of the day, we work tirelessly to help our clients achieve goals that meet their specific needs so the service is customized to the client.
Although I have great ideas and a clear understand on how to best utilize a space, there are items or areas that can be hard to organize. I work hard to be transparent with my followers because I wouldn’t want anyone to think that I am perfect or that I don’t have to implement the same principles that I teach. A client hired me recently and told me that she loved how honest I was in a post about nerf guns. They’re big and bulky and a pain to organize. It’s ok to share with my audience the tips that will change their life and the struggles that are real for everyone collectively.
A crucial piece to living an organized life is your shopping habits. Every household must evaluate the space and items, and how much room you have to store your things. I cannot tell you a specific number of items to purchase because it is so dependent on your storage, what you currently have, etc. When I work with my clients, we establish parameters. For example, we might discuss the “one in, one out” rule for storing shoes in the master closet, or we might discuss that there is only enough space in the laundry room to store two extra Tide detergent bottles.
The benefit of working with a professional organizer is the opportunity to learn better ways to utilize a space, get fresh ideas, and have help tackling challenge areas. My ideal client is someone that is busy who will benefit from and appreciate my insight, ideas, and action plans.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Social media is my primary source for leads so it’s a crucial part of my business. When I first created my Instagram and Facebook page, I worked to create content for them. I posted before and after pictures and shared them with my family and friends. When I realized that I needed to do more to grow my audience, I knew that I was going to have to put myself out there much more in order to gain a following. Social media is all about making connections. I highly recommend focusing on your ideal client and working really hard to connect with that person. All of a sudden, I was posting selfies, silly videos, and content that made me cringe a bit at first. I wasn’t used to talking into the camera and sharing my knowledge in that way, but I quickly learned that my potential client was able to get to know me that way. Aside from seeing my work, my followers are getting to know me personally which I believe is a really important piece. Branding my page was a learning curve, but it’s made a huge difference in increasing my audience. My biggest piece of advice with social media is to be you and stay true to who you really are as a person and business owner. I am happy to share a little secret too; I recently hired someone to help me with my social media so that I can focus on other parts of the business. Social media is so important, but it can take over your life. Balance is key, and you should know when to delegate or ask for help!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Being an organized person doesn’t make you a great professional organizer. When you organize your own home, the circumstances are vastly different. I learned that the work can be challenging physically, mentally, and emotionally. The process of helping a client organize is sensitive and requires lots of balance. Each client has specific wants, needs and challenges that define the path of the job. Most importantly, I work in a session to help my client achieve goals that are helpful to their home and family. I do not try to implement systems that work for me just because that’s how I do it. My clients ask questions like, “will I have to throw everything away?” or “will you judge me?”. I work really hard to help my clients understand that we all have our ups and downs in the process of being organized, and I love being able to help others with this journey. I don’t make anyone throw anything away, but I will guide the process of purging and decluttering to meet their personal goals. When I walk into a client’s home, I don’t judge them. In fact, I find myself connecting and relating to them because I too am busy and find it hard to stay on top of every aspect of my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sidebysidedesign.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sidebysidedesigntexas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sidebysidedesigntexas
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-venable-2b1602b/
- Other: https://www.sidebysidedesign.org/links https://www.pinterest.com/SideBySideDesignTexas