Hi, my name is Jen Obermeier, I’m a professional organizer turned career coach showing others how to become a professional organizer.
For over four years now I have helped thousands of professional organizers start and grow their business, helping them to turn their passion into a reality.
Teaching, coaching, and instilling confidence in my students is by far my greatest passion and strength.
It’s through the pursuit of my dreams that I’ve been able to help thousands of others do the same.
Organizing is so much more than just a Pinterest addiction, and I live for that moment when my clients realize that they can turn their natural skills and abilities into a profitable and meaningful career.
The professional organizing industry is hot right now, growing at an exponential rate.
If you’re organizationally inclined and want to learn how to become a professional organizer, listen up because today we’re going to tell you how.
Turning Your Knack For Organization Into a Dream Career
For those of us who are naturally inclined to organization and tidiness, it may come as a surprise that others struggle with it.
But, NEWS FLASH, not everyone is organized!
For some people, it’s a real struggle to stay on top of things and create, manage, and maintain systems that make for an easier, more streamlined life.
While your natural ability to organize and structure spaces is certainly a major factor in determining your success as a PO (pro organizer), there’s so much more to this profession than what meets the eye.
As a PO, you’re a friend, cheerleader, confidant, counselor, and sometimes even a shoulder to cry on.
Those who come to you seeking professional help for their home or office space are coming to you waving the white flag.
They’ve tried time and again to get organized, to be more efficient, to eliminate some of their stress, and they haven’t been successful.
They may be stressed out, anxious, and at their wits end.
It’s a professional organizer’s job to step in and take control of the situation.
To allow your client’s mind to ease and show them that your experience and expertise will offer them a way out of the clutter.
To be successful as a professional organizer, you’ll need to possess the following skills and personality traits:
- Empathy
- Communication
- Time management
- Problem-solving
- An eye for design and spatial organization
- A non-judgmental attitude (this probably isn’t a job for introverts)
- A deep desire to help transform lives
Sound like you? Keep reading!
How to Become a Professional Organizer: Getting Started
Once you’ve determined that you have the skills required, your next step is to fully commit to the process of learning everything there is to know about organizing.
Regardless of whether your professional organizing career will be a full-time gig or a side hustle, you have to dedicate the proper time, energy, and money into becoming the kind of PO that has a waitlist for their services.
If you’ve started researching how to become a professional organizer, you’ve no doubt seen that there are professional certification courses that will allow you to become a Certified Professional Organizer (CPO).
Do you need to be certified to run your own business? Not necessarily.
There are plenty of clients out there right now that are willing to pay you top dollar without any professional credentials.
That said, obtaining your certification can help to position you ahead of your competition by giving you legitimacy, experience, and additional training that you may not otherwise get.
You can check out NAPO (National Association of Productivity & Organizing) for more information about becoming certified and to decide if that’s the right path for you.
The requirements are not easy, however, your hard work will pay off.
You can also sign up for coaching or mentorship from professional organizing career coaches like me.
My program, Inspired Organizer, is a dedicated program and community that’s designed to help you get your business up and running quickly and start landing your dream clients.
5 Tips For Getting Started as a Professional Organizer
If you’re obsessed with all things organizing, you want the freedom of running your own business on your own terms, and you know that you have what it takes to make a positive impact on the world – here are our tips for getting the ball rolling towards your dream career beginning right now:
1. Practice, practice, practice
Even before you decide whether or not to pursue certification or join a coaching program, get to work practicing your skills.
Take some time to dedicate understanding your skills, testing new solutions, and discovering your talents.
2. Do the research
Before you make the full leap to becoming a professional organizer, be sure you research the you-know-what out of it.
There’s tons of free resources and information out there that will be extremely helpful in your understanding of the industry and deciding if it’s right for you before you ever spend a dime.
3. Understand the balancing act between function and aesthetics
Being a PO means that you’ll have to not only tidy things up and make them pretty, but that you’ll also need to know how to design and implement sustainable systems that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Your client needs to be able to maintain the organization you put in place and they need to love the style, look, and feel of their space, too.
4. Don’t ignore the business side of things
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of being a PO and helping people realize their dreams while also pursuing your own.
But don’t forget, you’re also running a business and that requires skills and attention, too.
Learning the ins and outs of the business side of things may not be as glamorous at the actual job, but it’s vital if you want to run a profitable and sustainable business.
5. Put together your business plan early on
Don’t make the mistake of diving into your business without a solid plan and foundation under your feet, that’s a sure-fire recipe for failure.
You have to decide how you’ll market yourself, what your branding will look like, whether or not you’ll specialize in a specific area, and more.
Want to Make Money Using Your Natural Skills and Talents?
If you’ve dreamt of using your natural inclination toward organization as a career, or we’ve just piqued your interest, there’s never been a better time to get started.
The professional organizing industry is growing just as fast as the to-do lists of the busy professionals you’ll be serving.
If you have the skills, the drive, and the passion, you can become a professional organizer and make anywhere from $50-$200/hour on your own schedule and on your own terms (the dream situation for a parent).
I’ve personally witnessed thousands of people just like you turn their passion into a reality.
And the best part is, you get to do fulfilling work that truly has the ability to transform the lives of those you serve, it doesn’t get any better than that.
If you feel a desire to serve others while stepping into your purpose and feel that professional organizing might be the right path for you, my advice is to dive right in!
You already have everything you need to get started, now it’s time to make a plan and get to work.
Bio
Jen Obermeier is the entrepreneur behind Pro Organizer Studio.
She has helped thousands of students around the world grow their own successful professional organizing businesses by coaching them through her unique Inspired Organizer ® program.
You can find Jen on Instagram and Facebook.
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