We recently connected with D’nai Walker and have shared our conversation below.

D’Nai, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Often the greatest growth and the biggest wins come right after a defeat. Other times the failure serves as a lesson that’s helpful later in your journey. We’d appreciate if you could open up about a time you’ve failed.

Failure isn’t something I often talk about openly, but it’s an inevitable part of life. My career journey is a testament to that. I’ve been fired and laid off from several sales positions over the years. At first, it felt like one setback after another. I had “ended up” in sales without much thought or intention, and the truth was, I didn’t enjoy it. I wasn’t passionate about pushing products or closing deals, and I often let opportunities slip away because the work didn’t align with my values.
Looking back, I realize the issue wasn’t just the jobs—it was my approach to my career. I had no clear vision, no goals, and no sense of direction. I floated from role to role, feeling increasingly stuck and unfulfilled. My last corporate position was the breaking point. I was miserable, with no work-life balance and little financial reward. I completely checked out mentally, and it wasn’t long before I was let go.
Losing a job is always a blow. The financial and emotional stress can be overwhelming. At the time, I felt like I had hit rock bottom. But each time I found myself in that position, I made a choice: to grow from it. I invested in developing my skills, volunteered, and gave back to my community. I truly believe that the energy you put into the world comes back to you.
Finally, I paused to ask myself an important question: What do I truly want? The answer was simple—I wanted to help people. That realization changed everything. I took the leap to build a business centered around my passion, and it’s been one of the most rewarding decisions of my life.
What felt like failure at the time turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. It was the push I needed to stop drifting and start creating a career and life I genuinely love. My journey taught me the power of intention—of being deliberate about the path you take and the impact you want to make.

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’m the proud owner of D’Clutter by D’Nai, a professional organizing and relocation management company. What started as a side hustle during my corporate career has blossomed into my full-time passion. I specialize in helping busy professionals and retirees navigate the often-overwhelming process of decluttering and creating functional, harmonious spaces.

Clutter can bring stress and anxiety into our lives, but I believe that a well-organized space can be transformative. My role is to help clients let go of what no longer serves them and design systems that bring ease and order to their homes. It’s such a joy to see the relief and happiness on my clients’ faces—like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders.

What sets me apart is the personal touch I bring to every project. I spend one-on-one time with my clients, guiding them with empathy and patience, especially when they’re dealing with emotionally challenging tasks like sorting through a loved one’s belongings or navigating difficulties with executive functioning. For clients who prefer to step back from the process, I also love the thrill of a good reveal—there’s nothing like seeing their smiles when they walk into a transformed space.

Every home tells a story, and I’m honored to help my clients write a new chapter—one that brings peace, functionality, and joy to their lives.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Word of mouth is key in gaining clientele as a professional organizer. I do my best to ensure that my clients are happy with the results of our project and thus more likely to share their experience with their network. I am quite active in local networking and buy-nothing groups on Facebook and have gained several clients simply from referrals from neighbors.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I started my career in luxury consumer goods sales. I’ve worked for several big name brands, yet was never really happy in any of my roles. After being laid off from a spirits brand I had worked with for seven years, I was seeking something to do as I looked for a new role.
At the time, there was several popular shows about home organization that came out on Netflix, so after decluttering and organizing my own home, I decided to try to generate income helping others. I ended up going back into the corporate world for a while until I was let go from my last position.
At this point I was completely exhausted with sales and feeling expendable to these companies, so I decided to go all in and create D’Clutter by D’Nai. The first year was extremely difficult trying to find clients and create a steady flow of income, but I stuck it out and kept trying different things.
I am still currently a solopreneur, but my goal is to bring on a few team members in 2025 so we can help more people have more peace of space and peace of mind at home.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dclutterbydnai.com
• Instagram: @dclutterbydnai
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dclutterbydnai/
• Other: Newsletter: Space & Mind Matters
  https://spaceandmindmatters.substack.com/

Image Credits

Photo 1- D’Nai Walker
Photo 2-Tanya Sulima
Photo 3- Tanya Sulima
Photo 4- Varvara Demidova
Photo- 5- D’Nai Walker