We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Renee Brown. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Renee below.

Renee, appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I did all the things I was told to—got a college degree and started working. There’s really nothing wrong with all of this. I worked in advertising and public relations. I met tons of cool and interesting people and learned many important skills. As life ticked on, I ended up as a single mom to two very young sons and very little child support. I kept the lights on, the lawn mowed, the kids fed, but somewhere inside of me I started to feel a very strong yearning. I had heard about professional home organizing and was intrigued. I looked into it, went to some industry events and ultimately decided I could not pursue entrepreneurship as a single parent. The years ticked by, my boys grown & flown. The idea of starting that business would pop up now and again but to be honest, I was too afraid to make that bold of a move. Flash forward to 2023 – I was laid off from a marketing executive role that was killing me. What a blessing; I gathered up my courage and created a website, learned what I needed to run a business, and launched Renee Brown Organizing in January 2024. It’s all working out so well and I couldn’t be happier about my second career!

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?

I was raised in Iowa and moved to Minneapolis with a Journalism degree. I have worked in advertising, public relations, marketing, and publishing and enjoyed my career. But I have always had an intense yearning to do something completely different. I was very interested in professional home organizing, but as a single mom of two sons, I kept tabling the idea of doing it. The time finally came when I was laid off and refused to return to the corporate world. I was an empty nester now and there were no excuses left! I launched Renee Brown Organizing in January of 2024 and it has been so much fun! I work with clients who need help decluttering items and setting up customized systems so their homes work more efficiently. Sometimes, clients have absolutely no idea how to begin – they are paralyzed and overwhelmed, and my job is to listen to them and determine the best ways to help. I love what I do! People have so much shame about how much stuff they have and I work hard to help diminish their shame and comfort them. We work together to find the best ways to turn their homes into a place of calm and comfort. It’s so rewarding to get a hug and a thank you from clients at the end of our sessions!

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

Before I became a professional home organizer, I was a public relations executive. I was always on the go, working at events with clients and vendors and that helped build up my network. In addition to working with clients, I collaborated with media partners, small businesses, and nonprofits. The more projects I worked on, the bigger my network grew. I have strong people and relationship tendering skills and was known for efficiently spinning many plates and taking care of all the details. As I transitioned out of that world and into being a business owner, I sent out a “coming soon!” announcement on social media. My friends and colleagues cheered me on in such a lovely way. Many people wanted to meet for coffee to hear all about this new business I created. Suddenly, my phone began to ring with people needing organizing help who had heard about me from someone in my network. Since I was referred to others from those who had worked with me in a completely different capacity, there was already an established trust. Then those new clients began to recommend me to their friends and family, and the business really took off!

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

After working with a client, I send a handwritten note expressing my gratitude and joy. I will also ask for referrals and see if they’d be open to writing a Google review about my services. About a month or so after that, I check in to see how things are going in their homes. I ask lots of questions about the status of our projects and if there’s anything else they may need help with. I also ask about their kids, pets, or other important areas of their lives. It’s very important to me that each client feels seen and heard by me and that there’s a strong level of trust. Often during a follow-up, a client will schedule more sessions with me to tackle other areas of their homes. Working sessions are so fun; sometimes we sing, dance or crack jokes, all while decluttering years’ worth of items. I have the best job in the world!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.reneebrownorganizing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reneebrownorganizing/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reneebrownorganizing
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reneelynbrown/

Image Credits

Caitlyn Abrams (headshot)

Other images – Squarespace and Creative Commons