We were lucky to catch up with Lauren Hass recently and have shared our conversation below.
Lauren, thanks for taking the time to share your story with us today How did you get your first job in professional organizing?
After over twenty years of working in nonprofit administration, I decided I was ready for something new. Could I make my decluttering side hustle an actual full-time business? Luckily I found my local NAPO (National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals) chapter and learned that I am called a Professional Organizer! I took tons of classes, networked with colleagues from around the country and learned as much as I could to help my clients even more effectively.
My first job was a fulfillment of a classic new year’s resolution. It was 2012 and I resolved, after years of helping friends for fun, to find one paying client in 2013. I made the transition to starting my business by donating organizing sessions to local auctions to get my name out there and make Clutter Kicker official. I was very nervous, so a friend came with me in the beginning. The first auction winner was that friend’s mom, and her brother became my first paid gig. The second auction winner was someone I didn’t know. During the session she had won, she asked me what I normally charge for my services. She hired me to come back multiple times and I was hooked!
As a new business owner, it was very comfortable to start with an auction donation, and even more comforting to have a friend by my side. I’m so happy my journey started as it did…and thrilled with where it is now!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Hi! I’m Lauren Hass, a declutter coach, professional organizer and collectibles advisor. It is my passion to help my clients take back control of their homes.
Our culture is so dependent on acquiring, and we are not very good at cycling things out. So, we accumulate and accumulate, and eventually our spaces become so out of control, so overwhelming and so stressful, that we don’t know where to start. I love helping people dig out from under that and get organized; I believe our homes should be a source of rejuvenation, rather than a space that is overwhelming when we walk in the door.
I consider myself an Organizer/Advisor/Friend/
An organized home makes people happy, decreases stress, saves time, saves money, and even improves sleep and eating habits. There are so many benefits to kicking clutter and getting organized and I am honored to be invited into people’s homes to help them achieve that success.
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
I was a psychology major in college. I was so interested in learning why we do what we do, how we interact with others, what motivates us…all about personalities and how our minds affect our behaviors. I never pursued psychology as a career, but with professional organizing I use that knowledge and those skills every day.
I was definitely meant to be a Professional Organizer at this time in my life. I am learning so much by owning my own business, setting my own schedule, taking classes and trainings in productivity and organizing, networking with new colleagues, and meeting such interesting people. And I get to spend my days using my interest in psychology interests and enjoyment of manual labor to help my clients.
I absolutely love what I do. Many people, especially women, are overwhelmed when their surroundings aren’t in order…and that makes them less productive, more stressed, and unhappier. My goal is to provide the knowledge, resources, support, and accountability to kick the clutter so my client can start enjoying their space! I’ve seen people crying with happiness, dancing for joy…it warms my heart.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Most helpful to being successful in this field, other than training/knowledge, is having a personality that is empathetic, non-judgmental, fun, supportive, creative, vulnerable and a healthy balance of firm and flexible.
My clients are letting a stranger into their home, showing me their vulnerabilities, trusting me to guide them through this process that is, at times, fraught with emotion. I am always honored to be trusted in this capacity.
I’ve also had to learn a ton about finance and social media, writing and public speaking. It’s been essential to take risks, go outside of my comfort zone, and put myself out there (like agreeing to this interview with you!) to help my business grow and be successful. I am so grateful for this opportunity!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ClutterKickerCT.com
- Instagram: @clutterkicker
- Facebook: @clutterkicker