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

Alright, Tracey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with 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.

NEAT Method was founded in 2010, before there was really much of a home organizing industry. As a franchise we are the largest, but also each small business is run uniquely in their local market!

I have owned this small business for three years. Although I am proud to embody our NEAT values, each owner in every market also brings their own talents, experience and expertise. Collectively we’ve seen it all, heard it all, organized it all, and are always obsessed with seeing a perfectly NEAT space.

NEAT is known for combining both style and function. We create clean looks that don’t distract from your home but flow with the home’s aesthetic. We are experts at product selection, implementing the materials that serve the spaces best, as well as look best. We are making a difference in client’s lives, plus the satisfaction of making them a beautiful kitchen, pantry, closet or any space.

We truly get to know our clients and their needs, so we can create solutions that make sense for their families and lives, and will be sustainable for them moving forward. Sometimes it is to bring order to their chaos, or make their busy lives run more smoothly, or to just simply be able to find everything they need when they need it. We provide clutter free and simplified home environments. We also always do this with an elevated look. We combine style and function with every finished client home space.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

NEAT Method is a luxury home organizing lifestyle service. NEAT handles the organizing, unpacking, and downsizing or expansion of homes to provide smartly appointed living spaces. We design customized solutions that are effective and sustainable long term. We take clients through the organization process with discretion, confidentiality, and humility, and sometimes a little fun.

I definitely did not always know this is what I was meant to do, of course, now I couldn’t imagine doing anything else!

I was born and raised in San Diego. I went away for college, earned my MBA and followed my career in sports, until a few years ago. I realized I had a desire for order and having everything in its place. I personally understood the feeling of how clutter on the outside (your home) feels like clutter inside (stress, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed and unsettled). I would see beautiful homes that could serve the owners so much more if they just made some edits. The dream kept growing when I would think of more ways I could help impact homes and therefore lives positively. Then I found NEAT Method! My perfect professional purpose realized.

I launched NEAT Method Manhattan Beach in the summer of 2020, last year I moved back to San Diego and I am enjoying working with clients back in my hometown with NEAT Method San Diego East! Organizing brings new life to your home and way of living, being able to do that for both familiar and new faces is exciting. Our market includes areas such as Poway, Alpine, Blossom Valley, Lake Murray, Mt. Helix, Jamul, La Mesa and more.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I didn’t expect it to be easy, but it has been so worth it to truly help clients and love what we do. Getting started, with my background in business, I knew my chances of success weren’t great for creating a new small company, in an industry that I didn’t yet know existed. NEAT is a franchise model, exactly what I was looking for.

Launching a new business and leaving my corporate job in the middle of a pandemic was probably not the most risk averse thing I have ever done. Our work cannot really be done virtually, we are hands-on in our client’s homes. Our level of service is that we come in and handle everything in the space, so we don’t ask that our clients have to always be present, that helped make it work during that time. I did not know if it would be successful, if I would be able to support my family, or if I could live up to the standards I set for myself. The first six to nine months were hard to be patient, there were ups and downs of self-doubt and excitement. Then our business picked up, and the highs and lows were figuring out how to manage stress, schedules, a growing team, meeting client needs, all while staying on brand and servicing clients at the level we expect.

What has led me here today after establishing the business, is that we needed to move and somewhat restart. I was the caregiver for my dad with Dementia for many years and the needs of care increased. Relaunching the business and caregiving were definitely a balance to manage. My dad recently passed away, the experience obviously changed my life, but also put into perspective that professional stressors are things I can handle.

Can you talk to us about making products?  We’d love to hear the story.

NEAT Method has our own product line handled by the corporate team and as market owners we utilize the products for our clients. Although I am not part of the design and manufacturing, it has been amazing to see our product line be created and grow over the last couple of years. There have been changes and growth in our industry and NEAT has been at the forefront with game-changing, stunning products. The elevated look is set apart from other products on the market, and it is designed by professional organizers, adding the perfect necessary touches.

Again combining style and function, the products come in natural neutral colorways, are high quality, and include touches like foam pad feet and fabric bottoms. This is for ease of accessing the contained items and to prevent damage of your home surfaces, avoiding scratching shelves or countertops. These built in features also avoid the hassle of having to purchase and implement on the products separately. Our label holders are also a patented design.

“Our in-house product design team poured over every detail to create products that are exactly what we would want in our own homes. With NEAT’s extensive experience on the services side of the organization industry, partnered with product design and manufacturing experts, our product development team, collectively, has all of the expertise necessary to make upscale products that meet the organizational needs of every home. We help you experience more calm and less clutter in your home with our innovative products designed to simplify your life.”

Check out some of the products in the photos!

Thank you so much.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://neatmethod.com/pages/san-diego-east
• Instagram: @sdeastneat
• Other: Email [email protected]

Image Credits
MVP Detroit (Pantry photo)