Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Littlehale.
Hi Shannon, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Most people have at least one space in their life that feels completely out of control; the kind of space you avoid because it’s just too overwhelming to deal with. For some, it’s a garage. For others, it’s a coat closet. For others, it’s the inventory room in their small business.
And the frustrating part is, it’s usually not for lack of trying. You’ve reorganized it before. You’ve bought the bins. You’ve tried to reset it. But somehow, it never quite works and it never stays that way.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been able to look at spaces like that and immediately see what they could become and more importantly, how to get them there.
When I first realized that professional organizing was an actual career, it instantly became my dream job. But I didn’t go straight into it.
I worked in retail, in church administration, in a medical office and in every role, whether it was part of my job or not, I found myself organizing, rearranging, and rethinking how spaces functioned. It was always the work I naturally gravitated toward.
For a long time, it stayed that way, as something I did instinctively, but not something I pursued. Until I finally realized that if I wanted to do this, I had to create the opportunity myself.
That’s how Make Space started.
Today, I work with clients across Central New Jersey to transform the spaces that feel the most overwhelming, whether that’s inside the home or within a small business.
Sometimes that means reworking what’s already there. Other times, it means redesigning the space, managing a move, or building out better storage entirely. No matter the starting point, the goal is always the same: creating something that actually works for how the space is used.
Because this isn’t about making a space look good for a moment.
It’s about turning something that feels frustrating and out of control into a space you can actually use, maintain, and enjoy…day after day.
Alright, 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’s been slow growth – initially reactionary, then intentional. Entreprenuership was not something I ever imagined or even gravitated toward – and it’s been a really challenging road. Learning how to run a business – especially one that I didn’t really know anyone else doing – was the biggest initial challenge. I could figure out all the admin things from my past jobs – but the marketing, relationship building, client experience – even just getting the right clients – was the biggest challenge initially. It took me awhile to really figure out who I served best, what my unique offering was in the industry and my area, and working with experts to help me actually market to that.
Some really challenges have been consistency – in my efforts in marketing, showing up, and growth specifically – and that’s been the challenge I’ve been leaning into most this year.
We’ve been impressed with Make Space Organizing, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Make Space works with busy households and small business owners to transform the spaces that feel the most overwhelming; the ones that create constant friction, add to the mental load, and make everyday life harder than it needs to be.
What I specialize in isn’t just organizing. It’s system design. Most organizing approaches focus on what’s already there; sorting it, containing it, labeling it. What I do is look at why the space isn’t working and redesign it around how it’s actually used. Sometimes that means working with what a client already has. Sometimes it means rethinking the layout, building out better storage, or coordinating vendors and installations to fix the space at a structural level. Either way, the goal is always the same: a space that works, and keeps working, long after the team is gone.
I do this work across Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex Counties, primarily in the shore-area communities I know well. My residential clients are usually high-capacity people; working parents, business owners, people managing a lot; who are organized everywhere else in their lives but can’t seem to get their spaces to reflect that. My business clients are small business owners whose back-of-house spaces haven’t kept up with how their business actually operates. In both cases, they’ve reached the point where they know the problem isn’t going to fix itself.
What sets Make Space apart is something I feel pretty strongly about: function comes before aesthetics. Always. The organizing industry has a tendency to lead with how things look; the rainbow-sorted pantry, the perfectly matched bins, the showroom closet. And those things look incredible in photos. But if the system isn’t built around how a real family or real team actually operates, it’s going to fall apart in two weeks. What I’m most proud of is that my clients don’t need to call me back because something stopped working. The systems hold. That’s the standard I build everything around.
This work is also deeply personal, and I don’t take that lightly. When someone lets me into their home, their closets, their business, they’re trusting me with spaces they haven’t shown many people. I show up with full discretion, zero judgment, and a genuine understanding that what looks like “just clutter” is often connected to something bigger; a life transition, a season of overwhelm, a business that grew faster than the space could keep up with. My job is to meet people where they are and build them something that gives them a sense of control back.
What I want people to know is this: if you have a space that feels like a lost cause, it probably isn’t. It’s just a space that hasn’t had the right system built around it yet.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Workwise, I tend to find myself listening to podcasts like The Kate Show and Pro Organizer Studio, reading business books (the book “10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less” by Benjamin Hardy & Dan Sullivan changed how I think about and run my business!), and following creators in the home industry for inspiration. Personally, I love reading & listening to historical fiction – specifically WW2 era books. I also really love and anxiously await the Tuesday drops of the podcast Good Hang with Amy Poehler!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.makespacenj.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makespacenj
Image Credits
Delucia Digital, Joyce Dayan Photography and Shannon Littlehale
