We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Holly Trepka. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Holly below.

Holly, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you as a business owner?

My first job our of college was in real estate working for a new home builder. I will never forget a unique phrase taught in one of our trainings, MOPFI: Make Other People Feel Important. This is really a flashy way to remind a young sales person to start off strong by building rapport and giving a compliment to a potential customer. But to me, it was really about building a foundation to create a relationship with that potential buyer.

Relationships are the basis for our human interaction, and can impact our decisions (rather big or small). Making people feel important is not only kind, but a way to connect to each other as we realize we have more in common than you might think.

I have carried this motto throughout my careers, whether selling houses, pharmaceuticals, and most recently home organizing. There is nothing more personal that letting someone into your home, and then exposing every hidden corner, cabinet, and drawer! We value the trust that each client gives to us, to provide solutions to their home for a more efficient way of life without passing any judgement.

It is crucial that my clients, partners, and team members know how important they are the the success of my business. And that all starts with the relationship.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I spent 13 years in a corporate job before deciding what I wanted to be when I grow up. While a corporate job has many perks, it never allowed me to feel truly fulfilled in how I spent my days. It took a lot of “no’s” in my previous job, for me to finally say “yes” to myself and pursue something that would make me happy.

It only took one month after leaving my job to stumble across NEAT Method, and it was love at first sight. I was shocked to see there was not already a Nashville market and felt called that I was supposed to open the franchise. In 2018, there were about 35 NEAT Method franchises across the country and now in 2023 we have over 100 markets in US and Canada. It is remarkable to see how fast and far this company has grown.

Being a franchise owner allows me to feel supported by our corporate team while also flourishing my entrepreneurial spirit by owning my own business. We feel that we have a “better together” approach with the connection of so many women-owned franchise owners across the country. NEAT Method has elevated the overall process for our clients with the expansion of our luxury organizing product line.

I don’t think I could have imagined this level of job satisfaction before making the leap almost five years ago. Yes, it is exciting to grow a successful business. But the true satisfaction comes from the relief, joy, and impact we give to our clients with each project. There is an intense sense of gratification to see a drastic before and after of a space, that is not just Instagram worthy, but life changing for the way a family operates their day to day life.

Our success would also not be possible without the incredible women that make up “NEAT Method Nashville”. Every project requires multi-tasking, teamwork, and sometimes a little magic to make each one a success. I am so thankful for each one of them.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

This is my first role to have anyone report to me, let alone a whole team! Sometimes I turn my head around looking for the boss to give us direction and think of myself as a peer more than the person in charge.

It is important to have continual check in’s with each team member to ensure job satisfaction, performance, and growth opportunities. I also like to find unique ways to show appreciation like surprise lunches, coffees, and birthday gifts.

I would also never ask an employee to do anything on the job that I would not do myself.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Our best referral source is our current clients as our work speaks for itself. The highest compliment our customers can give is to invite a neighbor over to show off their beautiful new pantry! We also find that once a client experiences the initial organized space, it is easy for them to find another project to start on next.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.neatmethod.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/nashvilleneat_holly

Image Credits
@Laura Moll Photography