Meet Jen Robin of Life in Jeneral in South Bay

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Robin.

Jen, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Founder of the organizational design company Life in Jeneral. Although Life in Jeneral’s main vein is organizing, it’s about much more than that. The heart of what we do is transformation, and ultimately teaching people to hold onto only the things they need & love. From there, we create functional, easy, and aesthetic systems around them to help keep track and maintain their everyday lives. When I started Life in Jeneral, I could have never guessed it would evolve into what it’s become today. In all honesty, I became an entrepreneur not even fully understanding what that word meant. What I did know, however, was that I grew up watching my dad take his passions and build companies out of them. I knew I wanted to help people create a better life for themselves, but I had no idea I’d create such a unique business from this intention at the time. Before starting Life in Jeneral, I was working as a celebrity assistant where I coordinated & managed my client’s everyday life. From moving him multiple times to making sure everything was always in order, this was when I realized I loved what I did so much that I couldn’t imagine not doing this for a living. Seeing someone’s life change because of systems that you put in place—there’s truly no better feeling in the world. Doing this also allowed me to see the opportunity in the marketplace for a company that organizes your life for you.

Great, 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?
Of course, starting a business from nothing is never smooth sailing. There have been many challenges along the way, but I’m a firm believer that setbacks and challenges make you better in the long run. Just the initial entrepreneurial challenges of starting a business from scratch and learning where strengths and opportunities lie were huge in the beginning. Learning how much time and work go into starting it was certainly a challenge at first, but having a clear vision of my goals made it possible. Making sacrifices—long days/nights, weekends, missing moments with families and friends—for something I believe so strongly in has never come easy, but it’s something that I understand is worth it. Of course, navigating the pandemic this past year has easily been the biggest challenge thrown my way as a small business owner. Having to make tough calls like when to stop going into people’s homes to organize, how to move forward in a service-based industry, how to continue to help my employees thrive, when to move back into the field, and so on. I think that the key to being a great leader is to know when to make difficult calls for your business, and this year has truly been an example of doing that for a greater outcome down the road!

Please tell us about Life In Jeneral.
Life In Jeneral is a full-service lifestyle organizational design firm. We believe that the marriage of organization, aesthetics, and function are the solution to living a more simplified and joyful life, and this is at the heart of everything we do! Transformation begins at home, and the things we surround ourselves with are all-encompassing. That’s why with every project, we specialize in taking the style, pursuits, and aspirations of our clients into careful consideration when designing a simple & functionally organized space for them to live in. Although there are other organization companies out there, I truly believe that what sets Life in Jeneral apart is our care, compassion, and connection.

We’re known for our keen attention to detail in that when we organize, we really like to understand why we were brought on in the first place. Does the client want form over function? Where can we really help them streamline their routine? Do they want a thoughtfully curated style incorporated into their existing home design? We really make it a point to get to know our clients and establish a relationship with our clients from the moment we start talking. Then, when my team walks into their home, we want to bring in a warm, calming, and inviting presence with us as we are otherwise strangers handling personal items. It’s important to build that relationship and find a thing or two that builds trust between us and our clients. This is something that I am so proud to say we’ve mastered and I truly believe it’s unique to Life in Jeneral.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Of course, as a company with so much growth in its first five years, we’re looking to keep the momentum going! Ultimately, my goal is to make life simple and beautiful for as many people as I can reach, and nothing makes me happier than doing that day after day. The best way to do that is to create connection wherever possible and to really expand our services and offerings. Two years ago, I started doing just that when I established Life in Jeneral’s in-house custom cabinetry line, Closets in Jeneral. Our mission with this line is to create custom solutions for any space in your home. CIJ is a great example of how I’ve taken my learnings from organizing in years prior and found a way to make lives even simpler. I created Closets in Jeneral because I wanted to be able to help people maximize the use of their closets, cabinets, etc. and I knew that the best way to do that was through the eyes of an organizer! Going forward, I’m hoping to continue to expand in places where I know I can genuinely make someone’s life the best it can be. Whether it’s product lines, incorporating full-service interior design, or anything in that realm, I’m so excited to see where Life in Jeneral is headed long-term!

Contact Info:

• Address: 500 E Franklin Ave, El Segundo, CA
• Website: www.lifeinjeneral.com
• Phone: (310) 421-8074
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: instagram.com/lifeinjeneral
• Facebook: facebook.com/lifeinjeneral

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