We recently connected with Donielle DeClou and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Donielle , thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I’ve always been drawn to beautiful things and while attending the Art Institute of NYC I started working at Anthropologie after falling in love with their home decor assortment and creative lifestyle merchandising. I spent over 8 years growing, learning, and deepening my love of home life with a goal of becoming a Visual Merchandiser which I eventually achieved. Customers would always ask me if I could do what I did in our store in their own home. After several years, I answered the call and passively took on clients from my close circles and realized that I not only got to help highlight the beautiful aspects of my clients’ homes, but it had a significant impact on their mood, their stress levels, and even their habits. I was inspiring real change and it felt so rewarding. The more homes I went into, the more I was hit with the reality of how little time homeowners have to actually enjoy the homes they spend so much money on. Everything I learned in my time at Anthropologie made things like decorating and cultivating a feeling of comfort so easy to me, and I finally got the courage to pursue it full time and left to forge my own path bringing feelings of order and contentment to clients on a more personal level.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Organizing has always come very natural to me. In childhood, as the oldest daughter of immigrant parents and a large family, I took a large amount of ownership in helping my mother keep order in our home. As I got older, I became dedicated to finding easier ways to do everything I had to get done so I could have more me time. After years helping to create compelling shopping experiences for customers, I finally took my talents from the corporate level right to my clients doors. I provide Home Services that include organizing, decluttering, downsizing, managing donations, and even some light home staging and what I like to call beautification. Simple put, I make homes more functional, effortless, and inviting. The thing that I am most proud of is deciding to take the journey itself. I’ve realized that being an Entrepreneur is an attitude as well a career choice. It takes a certain amount of courage and self belief that I think is so important for women, and I’ve met some amazing female business owners who are such a big moral booster just to even know. What I want my customers to know is that the interest I have in turning houses into homes is more than just a business venture, it’s truly a passion. You know that feeling you get when you see a before & after on the home networks? I live for what happens in between. The brand that I am creating is more than just decluttering and getting things into place. It’s about taking a deep dive into our clients goals, pain points, and intentions and creating flow that works for them so they can truly own their possessions and re-claim some time to make the most of home life.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

For sure my biggest hurdle has been the pandemic. My business is centered on creating change inside different homes, so to start this journey right before the entire country was on lock down and households were now their own bubble who were instructed to keep those bubbles closed was a big blow, especially because we weren’t able to see it coming, or for it to last as long as it did. In hindsight, I see it as one of the many hurdles I’m likely to have to jump over. Knowing that I made it through and I’m still excited to go forward makes me feel like I am definitely on the right path and If I can make it through something this big, I can make it through whats to come.

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

Definitely current and past clients. Something that I took from working in the retail world was the importance of taking care of those who already rely on you for a service. As my circle of clients has expanded, almost all of them are in someway connected by a past client or word of mouth, though a small percentage have discovered me through social media. I’m not only grateful for this but I use it as business fuel. one of my brand values is integrity. Having someone go through and sort all your private possessions is incredibly intimate, so to be able to build that kind of relationship and have my clients trust me and be happy enough to share their experience is priceless. It’s something I want to hold on to for the entire life of having this little business.

Contact Info:

• Website: launching in summer 2023
• Instagram: @lifestylehomeorganizing
• Facebook: Lifestyle Home Organizing
• Other: Email [email protected]