We were lucky to catch up with Toula Adu recently and have shared our conversation below.

Toula, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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.

One of the common misconceptions about professional organizing is that it’s easy. Social media is full of “before and after” photos, but there is so much that happens in the middle of an organizing project. Actually, projects often last weeks, similar to a home renovation project.

Career wise, I have two loves. I love organizing, but I also work as a speech-language pathologist. After trying to juggling both jobs, and struggling with feeling exhausted after each organizing project, I knew something had to change.

I took the time to analyze what was and wasn’t working well, and made the decision to work in client homes only 1-3 days a month. This felt scary because I was moving against the grain. Typically, professional organizers are working at least 1-3 days a week. I worried that I wouldn’t get any business, because of my limited availability.

However, that hasn’t been the case. Making this decision has helped me to identify my ideal client and offers me the opportunity to complete a project within a timeframe that feels doable, not exhausting. In addition, I get to continue working as an SLP and spend time with my family on the weekends.

I learned that I get to choose what success looks like and I have become more intentional about the decisions I make for my business.

Toula, 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 Toula and I’m the owner of BizzyBee Organizing, a home organization company. I have always been an organized person, but struggled to stay organized once I had kids. Initially, I started this business to make extra money while also doing something I enjoy. However, over the years, I have learned how to organize from a place that focuses on what matters most. When I meet a lot of my clients for the first time, they apologize for the way their home looks. After reassuring that I can help them, I also remind them that getting organized is not about perfection. I help my clients use organization to create more order within their homes, by implementing solutions that everyone in the family can use. Whether it’s putting snacks at a level that the kids can restock and grab on their own, or adding storage to a frequently used space, my goal is to help other moms feel less overwhelmed.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’m so excited to answer this question, because it hits close to home. While I love organizing, I noticed that the process of owning a business didn’t feel that joyful. I joined a lot of organizing groups, followed the ‘rules’ of growing a business, and increased my income each year. Yet, something just didn’t feel right. The more I did, the more tired I felt. In addition, I noticed that I had a hard time celebrating my growth, as it was so easy to compare my success to other companies I saw on social media. I took some time to step away from the business and really thought about what I wanted it to look like. I worked with a coach that didn’t focus on growing my business, but instead we focused on my ‘why’. This helped me realize that I was so busy following what I was supposed to be doing, that I missed what I really wanted to be doing. I recently made the decision to focus my energy on growing my online presence and turning my ideas into my brand. I barely do any actual in-home organization, because my passion lies in helping moms set realistic goals for their homes, while giving them space to rest and relax in the process. Initially, this pivot was scary. I thought, “What is a home organization business that doesn’t physically organize?” However, making this change has allowed me to only accept clients that can work with my limited schedule (I also have a separate 9-5) and I’ve also been able to make decisions from a more genuine mindset, rather than from a place of comparison.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

This may seem like a challenging question, but I think it’s the simplest answer of all. I posted content that I thought was interesting and it was because I felt like I had something to share. That was years ago, when social media was less confusing. Now, it may feel like you have to dance, sing, or do a crazy stunt to gain others’ attention. If that’s not you, social media will always feel hard. People will tell you there are rules to social media, I like to say there aren’t any. Focus on what you’d like. Write lists about content ideas. Think about what you have to say and share with the world, then post! Post, post, post. Try not to care about the followers, viewers, your numbers. If you post from a place of authenticity, the right people will follow.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bizzybeeorganizing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bizzybeeorganizing/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bizzybeeorg