We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Janine Morales a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Janine, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Before I became organized professionally, I wasn’t always so tidy. When I moved into my first home I felt the need to fill up every cabinet with stuff, because something was always on sale and, you know, I might need it someday. I became very overwhelmed with stuff and credit card bills. One day I came across the book “the life-changing magic of tidying up” by Marie Kondo. Her minimalist approach to decluttering really spoke to me and I decluttered my home, sold lots of stuff (including a car), paid off my credit cards, and moved with my husband and dogs into a smaller apartment in a bigger city. My actions were finally aligning with my values; less stuff meant less maintenance, fewer storage needs, and more freedom and flexibility for experiences. Organizing my home turned into organizing my life, hobbies, relationships, and goals and I am happier for it.
Janine, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Becoming a Professional Organizer was not an overnight change. It took years before I mastered organizational techniques and systems! This lifestyle change has inspired me to help others with their organizational needs. I started my Business Tidy Closet in 2018 and since have worked with dozens of clients. I offer in-home tidying sessions, virtual consultations, group tidying, and creative workshops. A holistic home organization is more than just cleaning out your closet of clothes that don’t fit. It is about examining who you were, who you are, and who you want to be in the future. What items are supporting you in that journey and what things are holding you back?
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
When COVID hit, I was not able to tidy up with my clients in their homes anymore. There was still a need to get organized, especially when people were working from home and managing to homeschool, and work from the living room or kitchen table. That’s when I decided to create a 12 week online course that teaches the basics of organizing while taking action steps to get organized right away. This was a great way to connect in a safe matter (via zoom) while also educating about the benefits of a tidy home environment.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
The lesson I had to unlearn is self-doubt. Especially as women, we are constantly told not to take up to much space, to be “nice” and to not be so “loud”. I wanted people to like me. I was terrified to make mistakes and fail. I always second-guessed myself, because I never had to make business decisions before it was all new to me. I am lucky to have found a circle of successful and supporting entrepreneur women who have shown me that failure is essential to learning and that being myself unapologetically is the only way to create an authentic brand with impact
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tidycloset.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tidyclosetsd/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TidyClosetSD/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janinemorales/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9o79YUg1AxCCDTDc4rOk7w
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tidy-closet-el-cajon?osq=tidy+closet