Turns out my Tetris obsession wasn't just a quirk; it was a business blueprint!
Hi there and a Happy New Year to you! My name is Denise. I am the creator of GoClutterless, established in 2015. I am a full time home organizer which means, I pretty much play tetris for a living!
GoClutterless helps folks who seem fine on the outside but secretly struggle with clutter behind closed doors.
Cluttered rooms are like puzzles waiting for me to solve them! I remove the pieces that don't belong, and strategically re-arrange the ones that do, to reveal a clear, functional space.
Slow start & A glimmer of Hope
Back when I started, home organization wasn't exactly a well known field. I remember pitching my services, giving out flyers, with absolutely no success.
One of the first calls I received was a woman telling me to never leave a flyer at her door again!
People thought decluttering and organizing sounded interesting, but some figured they could do the work themselves (understandable!), while others who were eager to book, just never did.
Despite this initial discouragement,
I had an inkling that many who could help themself, wouldn't! ...and those who didn't know where to start would eventually send out an SOS!
"Aut inveniam viam aut faciam"
So, instead of waiting for the phone to ring, I volunteered!
My first project? Taming the chaos at a local senior center's office and storage room.
With my daughter by my side as my very first assistant, we worked in that office a couple days a week until completion.
(Images: my daughter sorting paper at the center)
Unexpected Detours
I actually did land a partnership early on, with a national company that referred corporate clients to me. It was a step in the right direction, but not enough to support myself and my ambitious goal of maintaining my daughters private school education.
(Images:early days)
Though I continued to accept those corporate referrals, over the next few years, most of my time was dedicated to rotating my weekdays, nights and weekends between working administrative positions in real estate offices where I held my license
(Images: Real Estate)
...and providing private care to seniors with *Alzheimer's.
Caring for that fragile demographic of seniors was both challenging and deeply rewarding. When my last patient passed away at the age of 96, I received an unexpected call from the JCC, offering me a position in their Alzheimer's day program.
They were impressed by my dedication to improving my patient's quality of life and I was honored to join their team. I was there for a while however; the salary shift made it difficult to support my daughter. I left on good terms and with a letter of recommendation.
Daughter Departs, Dreams Take Flight: GoClutterless Gets Its Wings!
Fast forwarding to 2019, my daughter was becoming an independent, young adult and made plans to leave the nest. That's when I knew,
...it was time to put all my eggs in one basket; my own!
I remember the morning I met with my 9-5 employer for the last time. I returned the keys, said goodbye and headed to a new GoClutterless client in the city.
It was onward and upward from there but certainly not without challenges.
From having to fire one assistant to gaining two reliable ones.
From no work during covid to a flood of new clients immediately after quarantine.
From seasons of slow business to months of our whole schedule being referrals, and the biggest victory yet?
From doubling my home as an office/storage to officially moving GoClutterless to its very own office. For all these things, I am grateful! (By the way, that national company from way back? They still refer clients to me!)
My heart is full for this Tetris inspired dream, come true and I am thankful for the opportunity to continue to do this work I love as well as to provide work for others. GoClutterless is more than just another business, it is a channel of God's love and a platform used to spread peace in overwhelmed, stressed homes.
*The struggle is real for family's with loved ones diagnosed with Alzheimer's. I got a glimpse of the challenges while caring for my last patient. My years with him impacted my life so much. My daughter and I raised funds and walked to show support for other familiy's and to honor his memory. Here are a few photos from the walk.
(image #1) The Alzheimer's Association asked me to be a speaker at the walk.
(image #2) My daughter(left) invited one of her friends to walk with us.
(image #3) Memory wall.
