We were lucky to catch up with Kristina Marler recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kristina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
Success is achieving a goal. It requires motivation, time, and a plan and that is how I assist my clients. I help them define their goals, and achieve them. Decluttering, organizing, and reinventing a space can be challenging and even emotional when it involves letting go of cherished items. Often people are too busy to take on such a project, overwhelmed by where to start, or can’t visualize the end result. I listen to my clients to understand their goals and suggest a comfortable place to start. Once trust is established, it’s almost like we’re deconstructing and reconstructing a space together one step at a time. I also introduce efficient systems to fit the lifestyle of the individual, couple or family. When the project is completed, I want them to feel successful, capable and calm.
Kristina, 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?
I’m outgoing, creative, and a good listener. I have a supportive husband, three kids, three dogs and two guinea pigs. Like many parents, I am often running in a thousand directions, so being organized saves me time. Time to relax and do the things that I enjoy. Neat Freak SoCal was started in Covid when I needed to get out of the house and offered to help a friend move. I quickly realized my attention to detail and my knack for having a sense for where things should go could help other people. One client led to another and so on. Two years after that, Neat Freak SoCal was born with the idea of presenting a clean and authentic service to those pressed for time who needed organizational help and encouragement to address those nagging home projects.
That’s where I come in. Decluttering is a form of self care. My house isn’t perfect 24/7, but I’ve learned that everything has a place like keeping socks for kids near the front door in a basket or bin so it’s quick and easy to grab shoes and run, or doing laundry throughout the week rather than waiting to do 6 loads on one day. I also help clients to use logic when reimagining spaces in their home so they can be more efficient. I tackle kitchens and pantries, closets and bathrooms, playrooms, garages and offices. My clients are working professionals juggling a work-life balance, families grappling with too much stuff, retirees on a journey of downsizing and anyone looking to declutter.
Every situation is different, but what we all have in common is the fact that our needs change throughout life. I may have a client who had an unmanageable pantry that I reorganized and now they can quickly get dinner on the table. Or the client is moving into a new house and wants to start out with an efficient system of organization. Or it could be an empty-nester couple looking to downsize, and they want to make sure the things they’ve acquired over their life together make it to a good home and see a productive second or third life. It is important to revisit and ask ourselves questions like, Why do I own this? What purpose does this item have? Do I still need this? Who might use and enjoy this more than me? Everyone can learn to get organized and it excites me when I can set my clients up for success!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I had a strong career in my 20’s and 30’s as a corporate event planner in New York City. When my family moved to Southern California, I decided to become a stay at home mom. I freelanced here and there for various food and wine festivals over the years but ultimately knew I wanted to go back to work in a different capacity. This was a definite turning point as I had thought about a few jobs that would have provided a paycheck but wouldn’t have allowed me to reinvent and challenge myself while maintaining flexibility to my schedule. I decided I wanted to explore the road less traveled and help people create a more minimalist lifestyle so they could have more time doing the things they enjoy doing. My next job was to figure out how to package that. I threw myself all in once I decided I was going for it beginning with the name of my business, registering for an LLC and business licenses etc. Next I applied and received a grant from the California Dream Fund that helped me tremendously my first year. I joined a women’s business group in my town, the local Chamber of Commerce, started my website, posted on social media and began advertising in the local paper.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
My social media has been a place for me to share helpful tips and suggestions for staying organized as well as stories that follow my day to day client projects. Who doesn’t love a before and after? While most of my clients haven’t come from social media, I still want to continue to grow this area of my business. My hope is to create a social media space that is authentic and encouraging on how to declutter, organize and simplify our lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.neatfreaksocal.com
- Instagram: @neatfreaksocal
- Facebook: neatfreaksocal
Image Credits
Lara Jenkins (two head shot photos only)