Like many great paths in life, one does not choose it. Instead, it chooses the individual. True to suit, professional organizing chose me. But it was founded upon something immensely strong. Something pure. Invaluable even. It began with my father.
In late September 2014, my father Bruce became very ill with heart issues that were eerily unidentifiable at first and most certainly unexpected. He would have small heart attacks and become very faint frequently. After many doctor visits, we discovered that it was a malfunctioning heart valve due to a childhood illness’ aftereffects. This faulty valve was in such bad condition that it could cause a fatal heart attack at any moment. Luckily, doctors were able to uncover the source of the problems and prep my father for heart surgery in November 2014.
I am extremely happy to report that my father made an extraordinary recovery from the surgery and is doing well today. During this scary, worrisome, and solemn time I honestly did not realize how serious my father’s heart issue was and tried my best to put it at the back of my mind. My father is Superman to me, so even considering the fact that he was not 100% strong or in good health was unfathomable for me. Yet, when I even start to imagine how life might be now if he was no longer here; if he didn’t make it thought the surgery, it brings me to tears. Needless to say, I am so very thankful and ecstatic that my father is still with us today here on this earth.
Similar to myself, Bruce is an extremely involved, hard-working, and busy individual all the way around. He grew up working on his father’s farm and now is a very accomplished psychologist among other things. So when the doctor ordered him to take 3 months off of all work and rest at home after his surgery, he wasn’t too pleased. But during that time the biggest blessings occurred! Fortunately, my work schedule was flexible enough to stay at home with my father much of the time that he was on bed rest and during this period we organized!
Several rooms and areas in my parent’s home had become extremely cluttered, dysfunctional, and stress inducing. Or, as I like to call it: “mega junk-drawers.” So I took it upon myself to begin and finish their major home organizing project with their help and input of course. It was time. My father and I finally sat down, got focused, and PROFESSIONALLY ORGANIZED. We were able to sort through, purge, sell, donate, give-away, repair, containerize, systemize, and appropriately store all of his belongings, some of which were over centuries old. Now this process with my father was not all rainbows and unicorns – it certainly had its tough moments and hardships. But something amazing, almost miraculous happened because of it. I discovered my deep love and passion for organizing! I realized that professional organizing is what I craved to start my own business in and do for a living!
Starting out, I did not have much knowledge of business principals, concepts, or much else related to running a successful business. None of my close family members or friends are entrepreneurs and I did not earn any degrees in business. But I did not let this stop me and instead, used it as fuel to teach myself how to become a successful business owner in professional organizing. There are many things I have done (and am continuing to do) to legitimately build and grow my business, but one of the main ones was taking and successfully completing a “Plan for Profit: A Guided Process for Developing Your Business” course at the Women’s Business Development Center in Chicago from March 2015 – May 2015. Through this course I was able to create my own thorough business plan and receive constructive criticism from classmates, all on top of gaining all the foundational business knowledge a new entrepreneur should know. BoneClutter LLC became an official professional organizing business as of September 2015 and since then I have been committed to the steady, balanced growth of my business with the goal of being the best professional organizer I know.
I love so many things about professional organizing and being a business owner in this industry. But the thing I love most is the joy, peace, and satisfaction it provides for people on so many levels. Professional organizing is transformative not just for rooms, houses, papers, or even time – it transforms lives for the better! This is what’s most important to me.
What’s more, my relationship with my father has been strengthened and deepened through this experience (which I did not think was possible as we have always had a fantastic father-daughter relationship). My father Bruce is, and always has been, one of my best friends, wisest mentors, and most admired role models. Not to mention that he is the best dad a girl could have. I thank my dad so very much for allowing me to discover this deep passion of mine and always supporting it. My father is in many ways the seed that sprouted BoneClutter LLC and this alone is invaluable.