We recently connected with Katherine Picott and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Katherine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a customer success story with us?

I start each of my clients journey by setting objectives. This allows me to guide my client(s) in imagining his or her ideal lifestyle. During their first tidy session, I ask my client(s) questions to help them identify their ideal lifestyle.

This client in particular shared that she has always loved writing. She had mentioned that she began to write a book years ago but she never finished. During the decluttering process we came across so many of these attempts . Due to the pandemic, all of her sessions were virtual with exception of 2 sessions that I did in-person. With my guidance, we decluttered and organized her midsize New York city apartment. It was such an amazing transformation.

Less than 6 months later, I received a mms message from my client. It was a picture of her holding a book. It was her book. She wrote the book!

It’s moments like these that remind me of why I do what I do. Decluttering and organizing your home is a form of self care, it allows you to focus on the things that matter and it helps you make more space for joy!

Katherine, 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?

My name is Katherine Picott. I am a Professional Home Organizer, Certified KonMari Consultant and proud Army wife. I offer Professional Home Organization and Move In Services primarily in the state of Maryland but I do travel. My services include donation drop-off, product sourcing and space planning.

While I launched my business in June of 2020, Tidy Milso was in the making long before that. In February of 2017 my now husband was away at basic training for the Army. During this time I read a book as so many blogs and videos recommended. I came across “Live More, Want Less” by Mary Carlomagno and it was so compelling that I finished reading the book in a matter of days. With motivation from the book and in pursuit to stay busy, I re-organized and decluttered our home. My mindset was that this would not only occupy my time as I waited for his homecoming but it would be beneficial in case we had to relocate. Through several phone chats and video calls we managed to get rid of 20+ bags of clothing and miscellaneous items. I can still remember the freeing feeling in keeping only the things we each desired.

So when I stumbled upon “Tidying up with Marie Kondo” on Netflix and she defined that feeling as #SparkJoy everything clicked. Throughout my life others have described me as detailed, organized, an over-achiever and…the BIG ONE a perfectionist. gasp lol

While the definitions of those words are positive, it always seemed to have a negative connotation. In fear of being labeled by those crippling words, I cowered at leadership opportunities, at being the best at work, in school and in my personal life. However, opportunities seem to constantly call me to use my gift.

I organized spaces for friends, family and even at work. When I decided to start the business, the thing I struggled with most was my business name. I knew I wanted it to relate to my experience as a military significant other. After all, I wouldn’t have started my own decluttering journey if my husband didn’t join the Army, therefore I wouldn’t have discovered my passion for organizing. The business name was almost called Tidy Nomad but I decided to name it Tidy Milso. Tidy meaning arranged neatly and in order and Milso standing for Military Significant other.

Since, starting my business, I have been a podcast guest on “Moments with an MEO”, “The Life Curated”, and the “Plastic Couch.” In 2021, I was a guest speaker at the How-to Summit, a conference “for organizers by organizers”. In 2022, she was a guest speaker at the Independent Wellness Summit, a week-long conference for military and first responder spouses.

I’ve also been featured in magazines like The Spruce, Goop, Columbia Life and Military Families Magazine. However the magazine that I am most proud of being featured in is Essence Magazine.

I have been organized for as long as I can remember—my mom even keeps my school notebooks to show her future grandchildren how immaculate the pages were. I am often asked what spaces I like to organize, and to be honest, I can’t pick a favorite. I enjoy helping others transform their lives—and the look on my client’s face at the end of a tidy session is “avocado on toast for me.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson that I learned is not to trust verbal agreements when conducting business regardless of how well you know someone. I created a Digital Declutter Program. The program took me months to build. Due to the nature of the workshop, I thought it would be wise to add an additional expert to help moderate the program. Everything was proving to go well until it came time to sign the contract. Despite my efforts to reconcile it didn’t work out and I had to pull the program.

It took me a while to conciliate the matter but it is a lesson I will never forget.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Clear branding and a consistence presence on social media helped me build my reputation. However local networking groups and word of mouth have helped build my reputation within my market.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tidymilso.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/tidymilso
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tidymilso/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinepicott/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/tidymilso
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXiEAvBcj_hSA2X8Fyn9R5A

Image Credits
Belle Imagery Portraits