Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Hall.
Sarah, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Organizing has always been a hobby of mine. I am constantly rethinking how a space can be more efficient, items placed in a better spot, or a collection possibly paired down. However, it was my husband who encouraged me to think about it as a career. One afternoon, after we recently moved into our new home and I was organizing our kitchen cabinets, he suggested I consider it. I remember texting our realtor that day to see if she knew of anyone who could use some organizing help, and she referred me to my first client. After working in finance and accounting for over fifteen years, the idea of changing careers and starting from scratch was exciting and overwhelming. I was still working part-time in accounting when I got a call from my first potential client. She asked if I could come by for a consultation, so we scheduled time to meet later that week.
One of the first challenges came right at the beginning of my journey. Between the time I was referred to this client and the time she called, I fractured my right foot and was unable to drive for two months. I knew I could have explained that I couldn’t work right away, but I was so excited about the opportunity and I was determined to do my best to make it work. After we met for the consultation, she asked if I could start the next Friday, and we would work through different areas of her home each week. My husband and friends drove me to her home on Friday mornings and helped me unload any organizing products, and I scheduled an Uber ride home when the project was finished after each appointment.
Just a couple of weeks later, another client reached out for a consultation. Since I was already working Monday-Thursday at my accounting job, and on Fridays for my first client, my only availability was a couple of hours in the evenings and on weekends. She was so gracious and understanding and hired me to organize areas of her home as I had time. She also encouraged me to create a business name and helped me with social media posts. By the grace of God, word spread, and more clients began calling. Just a couple of months later, after a lot of prayer and consideration, I took a leap of faith and left my previous career and started a new business.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been an amazing journey, but it has not been easy. I have never started a business before, and there was so much to learn. I have made several mistakes along the way, but I try to learn from each one and not make the same mistake twice. Even as an organizer, work/life balance was a challenge for me during the first several months. If I wasn’t in someone’s home organizing, I was working from home, planning spaces, researching items, or ordering products for upcoming projects. Deciding to set aside two planning days each week has helped, and I feel like I am better for my family and my clients. Last summer, I had the privilege of meeting another amazing organizer, Anne Holstead, with The Room Reset, and she gave me so much encouragement and advice. She has become a dear friend, and we have been able to work on some fun projects together. It helps being able to discuss the challenges we’ve experienced and share solutions!
Please tell us about your business.
Cultivating Order is a home organizing service. Helping to bring order to peoples’ homes by organizing their spaces and creating systems is what I am passionate about. Areas I have helped with include home offices, pantries, kitchens, closets, bathrooms, garages and play spaces. When clients say how much they love their newly organized home, or that they are saving time and money because they are not buying more of something they already had, but they couldn’t find it before, it makes me feel like I’m making a difference.
Working with products (bins, baskets, etc.) my clients already have, that reflect them, is just as much as fun as purchasing new items that can help with their space. One of my clients has an amazing wine collection, and we were able to re-purpose some wine crates for storing items in her pantry. Not everyone needs a lot of organizing products; sometimes, just clearing out what you don’t need and organizing what you do is the best solution! Equipping my clients with the know-how to sustain their organized space is so important to me. I always try to express to my clients to give themselves grace in the process.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Good work ethic. Treating others how I would want to be treated is how I try to operate my business. Working hard and communicating with my clients regularly is so important and it builds trust. I want each client to have the best experience, so I try to be thoughtful on how I handle each situation.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 318-347-8703
- Email: cultivatingorder@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/cultivatingorder
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/cultivatingorder
Image Credit:
Family Picture, 15 Minutes of Fame
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