Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiera Malowitz.
Kiera, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
What started me on this journey was really when my husband and I combined households. We were in love and engaged to be married, but neither of us had downsized our belongings that we each had accumulated individually. Looking back, we like to joke now how we spent the first few years of our marriage going through the history of our belongings. It was hard to let go for both of us because ironically, my father and his mother were hoarders. We were somewhere in between trying to define how we would live our lives together with all our “stuff.”
We learned so much together about what was important and what wasn’t and why, and then we had our first child. We were blessed with everything we needed for her and then some, and we were living in a house that was much bigger than what we needed. Therefore we filled it with more “stuff.”
Somewhere along the journey of being new parents, we realized we were spending so much time picking up, cleaning, and taking care of our house that we were missing out on quality time together as a family. We were also trying desperately to have another child and experienced three miscarriages. I found my solace in decluttering our home. It was like therapy, letting go of the past and allowing me to heal and move forward. I remember talking with my husband about how we never know what will happen and that all our stuff was preventing us from enjoying the one child we had.
We found out we were pregnant with twins and four days later, on March 4th, 2014, my husband was laid off from his job. That day we made the decision to move back to Texas to be closer to my parents but we also realized that all our hard work of decluttering our stuff was not going to prevent us from the adventure that laid ahead of us.
We downsized our house in the move, my husband found employment and I delivered two healthy baby boys. Over the next 4 years, I helped many friends declutter their own lives so that they too could feel less stressed and overwhelmed by the things they owned (or that owned them). This year, on March 4th, 2019 I officially launched DFW Decluttered and it has been the best gift I could give to overwhelmed parents, busy professionals and senior citizens looking to leave a different legacy to their own children.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Balancing business and raising three kids is definitely a challenge, just like many of the busy professionals I’ve helped that struggle with a work-life balance. Because my heart is fully invested in what I’m doing, it’s hard to say no to a potential new client when our schedules don’t align. I started this business because I know what I have to offer, but it also allows me to be there for my children first.
I also took the route similar to most professional organizers to quote hourly. I soon realized that people like to know a finite number and because I don’t just organize a space, but instead declutter to make a space organized for the long-term, I needed to give my clients a finite number. I now charge by the project so that as we work through the hard stuff, they know it’s not about the hourly dollars. It’s about helping them get to a life less cluttered and filled more with what’s important.
I’m in the process of rebranding the name of my business, Real Life Decluttered to DFW Decluttered. There is a lot that goes into setting up a business and all of my business so far has been from referrals. It’s been amazing! My goal is with the rebranding, my clients refer my business as a whole because I’m already looking ahead at the expected growth and training needed for more Declutter Coaches. Growing pains are real!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the DFW Decluttered story. Tell us more about your business.
DFW Decluttered provides a service to help others declutter and organize their homes and/or small businesses. As I was researching other professional organizing companies in the area, I found one common thread amongst many of them. The focus is not on clearing the clutter as much as it is on organizing. As a Declutter Coach with DFW Decluttered, we most definitely will work through letting go of things that are causing stress and overwhelming their house or small business. Hence why I call myself a Declutter Coach. It resonates with many and it gets to the route of the problem. We clear the clutter first; then we organize, and then I coach on tips for long-term maintenance but also things to think about why and how we got to this place. And I use “we” because I’ve been in the same place as my clients, maybe for different reasons but life happens and time gets away from us.
I think I’m most proud of the moment we finish a space and my clients realize how far they have come. I share before and after pictures with them and even though they had a busy space, they are always surprised and pleased by the difference.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck which is probably why I don’t gamble. I leave that to my husband and my mom! I do believe in making your own destiny and pushing forward until you get the life you want. I met my husband late and we had kids late, but I don’t think I would have the business or life I have now without having patience, goals and perseverance for what I wanted. It’s not to say this journey has been easy and without risk. The key has been to look back and know that everything I’ve gone through was for a reason. And now, with that experience, I can help others clear the clutter to find the life they want and live more simply.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dfwdecluttered.com/
- Phone: 682-651-5532
- Email: dfwdecluttered@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kieradecluttered/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dfwdecluttered/
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