Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Messerli.
Anne, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was the child who never lost a game piece, Barbie shoe, or colored pencil. I LOVED to organize all of my things and always thought that they looked so much better when they had their own “space”. Fast forward to adulthood, my teaching career and being a single mom and BAM, that skill came in handy for sure. You cannot be a good teacher without being organized and single parenting…yup – have to be organized there too! When Covid hit, I decided to leave teaching (after 19 years) and focus on what I was the most passionate about – organizing! I started my business in the middle of the pandemic and it’s been growing ever since. I had a goal in 2021 to have at least 2 clients/week, and I surpassed that and had an average of 4. Come 2022 and my goal was 3 clients/week and now I’m up to 5 to 6 clients/week. I LOVE it! I get to help people declutter, and organize their spaces and teach them systems to keep said spaces organized. It’s so much fun! My favorite thing about what I do is that I am still helping people. Teaching was so good for my soul because I was changing lives and guess what? I still am! I love it. My clients end up having more time in their lives for family, friends and fun because I helped them orgANNEize their spaces! What a great feeling!!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been fairly smooth. Some struggles I’ve had are because I tend to give away too much time. I am learning how to see my worth and stick to it. I’ve been taken advantage of by a few clients but I’ve also learned from these situations.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a professional organizer. My business is named orgANNEizer (because my name is Anne). 🙂 I organize homes, businesses, move-ins and move-outs, wedding/event planning and I also offer what is called my personal ANNEssistant services which are catered to clients’ individual needs. The ANNEssistant services are like those of a house manager: laundry, errands, calendar management, food prep and the like.
I am known for my non-judgmental approach, my friendly demeanor and of course, creating orgANNEized spaces that work for my clients, I am most proud of helping my clients become organized in their own way. There is no one way to organize, it has to be what works for my client. I believe this sets me apart from other organizers because I don’t do it the way it works for me – I ask a lot of questions and make sure whatever I do works for the client and his/her family. I don’t live in their space so it has to work for them in order to keep it organized!! Also, I am very budget conscience. I will give my clients (optional) homework to save them money. If they can do things that are easy (ie getting rid of all of the expired food in the pantry) before their appointment, they will save time and money better spent on me organizing. I love to help!
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I think if you’re willing to contact a professional in the same business you’re in, take them to coffee or ask to zoom and pick his/her brain, that will help you out a lot. I reached out to a professional organizer that I knew was moving out of state and she really helped me with ideas, business decisions and how to price! I follow a lot of professional organizers on social media and can/have learned from them as well. I am in two networking groups; one I joined about 18 months ago and one I recently started with some really great networking partners and friends. Networking groups are great because you can help other businesses become successful and learn a lot from your fellow networkers.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.orgANNEizer.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/organneizer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/organneizer.messerli.5/
