Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cassie Thompson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Cassie, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?
I think the jobs that have had the biggest impact on me currently are from working in case management for adults with mental illnesses and working as a social worker for children in foster care. Both of these positions really helped me problem solve and triage when deciding what cases to work on first. There were always “fires” to be put out. These positions dealt with people who were hurting or having some struggles in life that they needed help with. I greatly enjoyed helping to lift people up and provide help and solutions to get them back on track where they were wanting to be. These positions were hard but also deeply personal. I know in Professional Organizing sometimes we are going in and helping people who are carrying shame and embarrassment due to their current situations or maybe they had some trauma which lead to disorganization and I feel these past jobs helped me to provide the empathy and support that is needed so they realize they are not being judged and we are simply here to help and support them on their journey.
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?
I am a born organizer. When I was a young girl I would reorganize my room regularly. Growing up I would help my siblings and friends get their rooms organized. I absolutely loved the show Clean Sweep on TLC and it planted a seed in me to work as a Professional Organizer long before it came to fruition. After my first son was born I decided to take a leap and start my own Professional Organizing business. I joined the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and The Institute for Challenging Disorganization to meet other Professional Organizers and learn any and everything through the education they offer. I think my background in social work and case management gives me a personal perspective to how our spaces and clutter can drastically affect our mental health. Now I have a team and we are able to really make a big impact for people in their spaces in just a few hours. I think the thing I am most proud of is starting my business on my own 10 years ago and seeing the difference we have made for numerous people and families over the years.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Some of my favorite books are Essentialism by Greg McKeown, Atomic Habits by James Clear, and a recent favorite The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. These books all have similar themes of slowing down and simplifying. I really just want to stay mindful of what is truly important in life. I absolutely love helping others by giving them a more simple organized life. When we declutter things that are no longer serving us and are organized there is a lot less time wasted on looking for things and cleaning up messes. I also think it is fair to say that anyone that works with me knows that I wholeheartedly believe family comes first and am big on being flexible and having fun. Business ownership is not always easy but I try to stay grounded. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in all the things and I try to come back to why I originally started my business. I want to help others but I also still have young kids at home and I want to be home with them after school and be available for them as this time with them will be over before I know it.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I started my business in Savannah, Ga. After owning my business for 5 years my husband received a job opportunity in St. Augustine, FL so we moved and I chose to move the business with me . I was worried about moving my business and starting over but I stayed faithful and started putting it out there that my business would be moving. After moving and getting our family unpacked and organized I tried to network in Florida as much as possible. I was only here a few months when I started working with clients and things started to move pretty quickly from there. There are so many opportunities for everyone out there, I am a huge believer of community over competition and have made some very good friends with other local Professional Organizers as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.serenespacespo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/serenespacesbycassie/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/serenespacesbycassie/?ref=br_rs
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassiethompsonpo/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/serene-spaces-professional-organizing-and-consulting-st-augustine
- Other: https://linktr.ee/serenespacesbycassie
Image Credits
Leigh Gough Photography for my headshot