We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nancy Curtin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nancy, thanks for joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

It’s been interesting to see the professional organizing industry grow and change over the last decade. When I first ventured into my business in the early 2010s, the biggest hurdle was trying to explain to people what an organizer even did. In the last five or six years, popular TV shows about organizing have made the profession more familiar to customers, but it’s also inspired a lot of people to pursue it as a career. Now that there are so many companies to choose from, it’s the perfect time to focus my business on all the things I do differently.

Before I became an organizer, I was a designer in the fashion industry for fifteen years. I researched trends, designed and oversaw clothing collections from sketch to production, and even styled the outfits both in showrooms and for fashion shows. When I left New York City, I knew that finding a fashion job elsewhere in the country would be challenging, so I branched out to become a Visual Merchandiser, and later a Closet Designer.

All of these skills combined have made me an expert in what I call “Closet Makeovers.” Specializing in closet makeovers means that I can offer a full-service experience for my clients for getting their closet organized. The reason it matters is that you would normally have to consult separate people in order to organize, style, and design your closet. I can do more than just group your clothing into categories – I can give advice about what pieces will be the most versatile to keep, help you put new outfits together with what you already own, and even go shopping with you (or send you shopping links if it’s virtual). And since I have closet design knowledge, I can help create an initial layout of a new closet that I think would be most beneficial, and connect you with closet companies for designs and quotes. Then, once you receive those design quotes, I can guide you in the differences in the designs and types of systems. I can also help you to adjust and get the most out of the closet you already own, too. I understand all the facets to what makes a closet easier to navigate and more visually pleasing. This unique background is not something that a typical organizer has to offer.

I have received a great response to my niche business model, which has been very reaffirming. I ended up with a large demand to offer my fashion styling services virtually, so now when people find me organically online and want my styling services (in the US), they get a personalized experience even when they live outside my local area of Tampa Bay.

Nancy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I provide my clients with organizing services which are focused on fashion styling, closet makeovers, and estate organizing. Closet makeovers can be as in-depth as the client would like it to be. I can provide in-person services which include advice for keeping or getting rid of items, styling outfits, suggesting new wardrobe items, trend research, creating better closet organization, and even helping guide clients in the process of designing a new closet. I also offer virtual styling services for anywhere in the United States which include trend reports, a personalized style analysis, and online outfit shopping. Additionally I offer services to help clients who are preparing for a garage or estate sale. I can help sort items by category, create spreadsheets for inventory lists, and refer clients to services related to estate sales.

I got into professional organizing because it’s something I genuinely love to do. I had begun to realize that my favorite part of every job was the organizational aspects, and also one of the biggest reasons I’ve been so successful at those jobs. One of my biggest motivations in life is to feel like I am helping people in some way, and lending my expertise about organization and style is something that feels like truly making a difference in someone’s life. My goal is to empower people– to give them new confidence to accomplish their goals, and to free up more time for themselves for all the things that matter.

Here’s something interesting about finding this career path, as someone who has always had a lot of creative interests. There are a lot of activities I enjoy, and several that I have tried as paid jobs, but most of them leave me feeling completely drained (even when it’s been satisfying on some level). Organizing is the one activity that actually energizes me by doing it. I can get in the zone organizing for 4 or 5 hours and suddenly realize that I forgot to eat or drink water because I was hyper-focused. And when I drive home at the end of the day, I feel excited. I catch myself smiling and thinking, “That was awesome!” Sometimes I’ll even come home and want to organize something in my own house that same night.

What I would love for people to know about my business is that I strive to create a personal experience that involves compassionate listening, understanding someone’s goals, and helping to solve problems in a way that is unique to each client. I feel so proud when I hear from a client that they feel more motivated and that they see a real improvement in their day after we have worked together. That’s how I want people to feel after my guidance.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My time since leaving New York City has been an evolution of learning more about who I am and what matters most to me. I have had to reinvent myself and learn new job skills from the ground up. All of those experiences have taught me to be versatile, adaptable, and to believe in myself even when times are hard. The reason I left New York, however, was what launched this journey for me.

When Hurricane Sandy hit New York City in 2012, I was displaced from my apartment due to flooding and downed utilities. My friend and I bounced around the city sleeping on friends’ sofas while the bridges were closed. Eventually we were able to leave the island in her car and crash with friends in New England. Everything felt uncertain. Even when I returned to my apartment two weeks later, it took another week to have reliable heat and hot water. As soon as I was back in the city, I started volunteering for disaster relief. All I could think about was that other people were still in desperate need of help while I was able to return home. Three weeks later while I was out of town, my apartment caught fire from a roommate’s candle. I lost most of my stuff in the fire, but my roommates and I didn’t actually know the full extent of the damage until a month later because the insurance company prevented us from entering. I crashed on a friend’s sofa and had only a small duffel of clothes from my trip out of town. I was again left with an uncertain future. I still had a great freelance fashion job at the time and I could have chosen to stay and try to rebuild my life there. However, I couldn’t ignore what felt like a bright neon sign from the universe telling me that it was time to move on. I chose not to view it as my life being ruined, but as a giant arrow pointing toward a path I was meant to take instead. It was a catalyst for pushing me to pursue a life outside my chosen career, and take the road less traveled.

I learned from that experience that possessions can be replaced, and the memories attached to sentimental items still live in our hearts even if we no longer physically own the item itself. What matters most is that we keep going through the dark times, and ideally with the help of our friends and family. I got through that time because of my attitude toward the loss and because I had so many people around me who offered to help out. I was given a place to sleep, a sympathetic ear to listen, and even a partner for digging through the rubble to look for salvageable belongings. When I look back now, I’m so grateful that I have taken this path for the last decade, even thought it hasn’t always been easy. Now I live in a beautiful place, I have my own business that fulfills me, and a supportive husband who cheers me on.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

My best client source has been through word of mouth. With referral clients, it helps a lot with establishing trust from the start because it’s a person who can vouch for my services and for my character based on their personal experience. It’s great having reviews from my previous clients online, too, but it means so much to me when people also tell each other about my business first-hand.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sortseekers.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sortseekers/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SortSeekers/

Image Credits
All photographs by Nancy Curtin.