Today we’d like to introduce you to Missi Mckown
Missi, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I came to organizing by growing up in a messy home (and later creating one myself) where we “hid the piles” when company was coming. I learned this skill, which was great for spur-of-the-moment hosting, but my husband asked if I could look into “taming the piles.” This was way back in 2008, so I went to my local library for help. I read an inspiring book about letting go of clutter by Peter Walsh.
I began working through my own home and noticed the freedom I felt. My spaces stayed tidier and the home felt calmer with less stuff. Friends and family noticed and asked me to help organize their homes. One day a family member lovingly encouraged me to help more people, and Clear Spaces was born.
I’ve come to have a soft spot for people who have experienced grief or a family member with ADHD or Autism (We’ve helped SO MANY neurodivergent folks get organized!) With that said, we’re honored to help anyone brave enough to reach out for help to experience more peace and calm at home.
I take the trust it takes for folks to invite me into their home very seriously. The team and I treat everyone we meet with the utmost care and respect. We’re judgment-free and ready to bring more peace and calm to homes in the Twin Cities and beyond!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Making the shift to organizing other people’s homes besides my own was *way* more fun and rewarding. I still love seeing the stress melt away from client’s shoulders.
The hardest part was learning to manage my own schedule once I became “the boss.” Showing up for clients to do the work was the fun part! I was struggling with the admin tasks behind the scenes that need to get done but are less fun to do. One of my clients with ADHD kept saying, “Missi, you think like me! You might have ADHD.” I didn’t look into this for almost two years.
During a particularly full season, I was feeling overwhelmed, and I thought, well, what can I lose? I got evaluated and lo and behold I *did* have ADHD. Suddenly, everything in my life made sense in reverse. I felt so much relief in knowing my brain worked differently and that’s why I felt more overwhelmed than (what I guessed) others were experiencing.
In general, folks with ADHD can direct a ton of focus toward tasks that excite them (for me, this is helping others). And tasks that are repetitive (like cleaning or administrative tasks in business) tend to be less exciting, so it’s hard to get our brains to start or finish those types of tasks. This is exactly why some folks reach out for help to get organized. They’ve usually tried on their own and gotten stuck.
The upside of my diagnosis is I deeply understand and relate to our clients with ADHD or AuDHD. Anxiety and Depression often join up with ADHD, and we get that, too. About half of our team is neuro-diverse. Or, the more fun term we prefer: neuro-spicy!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We help people identify what’s working in their home and what’s not working when it comes to organization. If piles of paper keep gathering on the countertops, we’ll ask questions to learn what they need and help create a simple system that works for them. Everything is super intentional, and none of our projects look alike because no two people are alike. What works for one person’s brain may not work for another! So we do a deep dive of questions to understand the unique needs of each person, and also how they use their space, so we are creating an organizing system that is easy for them to maintain.
We also talk a lot about the strong connection between our physical space and our mental well-being. Visual clutter releases the stress hormone cortisol. It also affects our mood, our sleep, and decreases motivation and productivity. Creating an organized space is self-care for our home and for ourselves! When our space is clear, our minds are clear, too.
I’m also proud of how we show up with no judgment when we enter a client’s home. Most people are nervous about letting someone into their home. We get that, so we come full of compassion to meet people where they’re at. We’re kind and compassionate first, with our organizing skills second. That’s what people tell us the most. “I felt so comfortable, and my anxiety wasn’t triggered once!” We try to make the process simple and fun!
Oh, and we take away donations at the end of the day, that’s a client favorite!
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is the experience of the client. We could come in and organize a space the way we think is “best,” but that’s not the way we do it. We partner with the client and ask questions to ensure we’re organizing for a way that makes sense to their brain, not ours.
Our goal is to create an organizing system tailored to the client so they can take it, run with it, and maintain it.
We check in frequently to ensure we’re on the same page and also that we’re not going too fast. We want the client to feel in control at all times because it’s their home. We’re a guest. Many times the client has visualized exactly what needs to be done. They either lack the time or the ability to get organized. So we ask questions to understand what they need or want. And then we make it happen!
We love taking a space that’s been causing stress or weighing on a client’s mind, and turn it into a functional, organized space that makes their life easier. In our country, we’re often told we can do it all, but we can’t! We need each other. At Clear Spaces Organizing, we’re happy to be an extra set of hands to help get the job done. Because everyone deserves a peaceful place to come home to and go out from each day.
Pricing:
- Listed on website www.creatingclearspaces.com/services
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.creatingclearspaces.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clearspacesorganizing
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clearspacesorganizingmn
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clear-spaces-organizing
- Other: https://www.creatingclearspaces.com/email
