We recently connected with Karen Eskin and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Karen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My passion for organizing anything and everything started when I was very young. But it wasn’t until I became a wife and mother that my skills were truly evident, even to me. My house was organized, we ate a home cooked meal every night, my kids were at school on time every day with everything they needed, and our schedule ran like clockwork. My friends loved to tease me about it but they all asked for help at some point.

Word spread about my love of organization and I was asked to create a library at my children’s preschool. I was happy to do it and learned very quickly that there’s a reason someone can get a degree in library science. It’s much more complicated than just putting books in ABC order. At the same time, two of my real estate agent friends started sending me pictures and asking me questions about how they could best help their clients get their homes sold. I gave them advice on organization, decluttering, and décor. Several people suggested I start a business that showcased my talents and that’s how The Organized Advantage came to be.

This business is truly an expression of who I am and what I love to do. There is no greater satisfaction than having a client tell me how good it feels to be organized, how much money they’re saving, or how much more relaxed they feel. To me, it’s all about finding solutions to your organizing problems, refining your routines, and harnessing the advantages that come along with being organized.

Karen, 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?

As a Professional Organizer with over 16 years of experience, Karen understands that we aren’t all wired the same way. Despite wanting to live in a world where the books are arranged in height order, the papers are all put away in color coded files, and everyone knows exactly where their keys are, Karen understands that we all see the world differently and face unique challenges. Her goal is to help clients control the chaos in their lives and bring order to their world. She ultimately wants them to find more time to do the things they love, no matter what they are.

Whether it’s reorganizing your kitchen, setting up a filing system, managing the challenges of everyday life, or even planning a move, The Organized Advantage is your solution to getting, and more importantly staying, organized. With a team of expert organizers, we offer both residential and business organizing services focused on you. We help you create order by setting up systems tailored to your specific needs and space making it easy to stay organized. We will inspire you to reach your organizing goals and will be by your side every step of the way.

The Organized Advantage has been in business since 2006 giving us years of experience finding creative solutions that work for our clients. We have been featured in FIX magazine, The Commercial Appeal, and Memphis Parent. We work with families, seniors, students, professionals, business owners and are excited to work with you! Our organizers have a wide range of skills and are ready to meet any challenge you have. Our goal is to rid your life of the chaos and uncertainty that so often come from being disorganized. Getting organized will reduce stress, save you money, and give you more time to do the things you love.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Meeting clients where they are and understanding their needs has helped us build a great reputation. Disorganization can be a shameful thing for many and doing our best to understand each individual client and empathizing with their situation goes a long way in making them feel comfortable and ready to tackle their space. We talk them through the process, letting them know there is absolutely no judgement and keeping their goals in mind. We work to make their home and life better organized while being sure we set up systems to help them stay organized long after our work is done. We want clients to feel long term improvements and feel good about all they have accomplished during the process. Saving time and money by being more organized is a bonus!

Any advice for managing a team?

Managing a team can be a daunting task if you don’t hire the right people for the job. As a service based industry, we must be able to relate to our clients and move them to action. Organizing is all about psychology and getting people to try new things and develop new habits. Not to mention, we spend a lot of time convincing people that less is more and they don’t need multiples of every item in their home. The key for me is hiring likeable, empathetic people who care about helping others and are passionate about changing people’s lives through organization.

With the right people in place, managing a team is easy. My advice, spend time on the hiring process and don’t rush to just fill an opening. Talk to potential candidates and find out what makes them tick. Ask senerios specific to your industry to see how they would handle different situations. Be mindful of how likeable they are and assess whether they can be flexible if a client resists their ideas.

Let’s face it, there are lots of ways to organize a space and no two people would do it exactly the same. My team openly shares ideas and are encouraged to speak up if they see another option. Clients often gravitate to one person on the team and we love that! Certain personalities work better together and no matter how new that person is on the team, we want them to run with it, heading up communication and generating excitment with the client. Managing in this way keeps morale high and the workdays fun.

Contact Info:

• Website: orgadv.com
• Instagram: @organizedadvantage
• Facebook: @organizedadv