We were lucky to catch up with Whitney Jeski recently and have shared our conversation below.
Whitney, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
I had debated going back and forth on launching my business for a few weeks. I couldn’t decide if I should wait a little longer, just make the jump, etc., but I also knew I had plenty of details to still work out, including the name of my business. I was sitting on the couch, debating cliche business names, none of which I loved, and then it was like a lightbulb went off. It’s SORT. That’s the same of the company. That’s all organizing really is, it’s sorting. Maybe it’s the way my brain is wired but I immediately thought, “those are very common letters, I bet there is an acronym in there somewhere to explain what SORT is/does”. And sure enough, in a matter of seconds I had my business name and what is it I would do for clients. The acronym is Sort, Organize, Rearrange & Transform.
Whitney, 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 Whitney. I’m a Utah native living in Montgomery, Texas. I’ve been here since 2014. I’m a wife and mom to two daughters. I love cooking, true crime & the mountains. I went to school for criminal justice, and it is still a huge passion of mine, but organizing has my heart. I’ve always been organized, ever since I was little. I remember LOVING organizing my stuffed animals by size, my cereal boxes always had to face the same way, etc. I had debated starting SORT for awhile but I knew it was best I waited until my youngest started kindergarten, so about one month after school began, SORT launched!
When most people think of a professional organizer, they think of Pinterest perfect spaces, coordinating bins, pretty labels, etc. But that’s not the case. Having all that won’t make you organized. What we do at SORT is create a system. A system allows you to know where things belong, brings functionality to a space, and doesn’t stress you out. You should want a space that is not always tidy, but easy to tidy. So when you watch shows or see pictures of these gorgeous organization projects, just know… if there is no system, it will not work. That’s where our expertise comes in. We love getting to know our clients and customizing spaces just for them and their needs. It’s definitely not a one size fits all in this industry.
I’m so proud of the business I’ve built, and will continue to build! Honestly, entrepreneurship does not come natural to me, and I’ve failed in many ways. But I’ve learned! And thankfully the internet is full of knowledge and resources that have helped me succeed thus far. I love the team I’ve surrounded myself with. I love the clients who have trusted me with their personal spaces and items. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for SORT.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Word of mouth! That’s how SORT gets 90% of clients. That’s why it is so important to us to be respectful, professional, and confidential of our clients and their spaces. We genuinely LOVE our clients. We love having a relationship with them, getting to know them, etc. We often miss our clients when a project is complete! We hope a little piece of them misses us as well.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
I’ve made it a point to hire other moms to work along side me. I don’t know if that’s how it will be forever, but for now, it’s very important. I want to provide other moms the same thing I craved, good pay, flexibility, and fun! When you’ve been a stay at home mom for 10+ years and you’re looking to get back to work, you have to ask yourself “What happens if my kid is sick? What happens if I need to take my kid to the dentist that day? What if I’m drained and just need a mental break?” At SORT, my response to all those questions is “I get it!” and “I got you!”.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lets-sort.com
- Instagram: lets.sort
- Facebook: sort.withwhitney