Rising Stars: Meet Amy Friedman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Friedman.

Hi Amy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I went from having a law degree and recruiting for a large, international law firm to a stay-at-home mom after the birth of my second child. There was definitely a loss of identity to some degree and I started thinking of ways I could feel more like my old self without returning to a desk job that would keep me away from my kids. I knew I needed flexibility and control over my schedule. I also knew I loved being organized and keeping an organized home. Seeing how organized my own home was, mom friends started asking for my help with their own homes. Then I had a friend who was starting a blog and she offered to let me organize her pantry in exchange for featuring me on her blog. One of her friends saw the post and told me she had “pantry envy” and wanted me to do to her pantry what I had done for her friend. Word of mouth is a powerful tool and things just started taking off from there.

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?
It’s definitely been a challenge to juggle two kids while figuring out how to run a business. There were definitely struggles along the way. I’ve had to learn how to space out my work schedule so that I balance time with my family and time spent organizing for clients. I try not to take on too many clients at one time so that I can really focus on each client and give them all of myself. I’ve had to learn how to say no and set boundaries so that I can be there for my family and take care of myself as well. I feel fortunate to have a supportive husband who has definitely helped on days when I need it. COVID presented its own set of challenges as I was mid-project with clients and gearing up for new ones. Everything got put on hold and I have had to navigate having two kids in school from home while trying to work with clients.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a home organizer. What that means is I come into your home and help you edit, organize, and style problem areas. We discuss what’s working for you and what isn’t and your specific goals for the space. From there, we edit what you have, organize what’s left in a more efficient or streamlined way, sometimes adding organizational products and labels to make the space more functional and look beautiful in the process. All sessions are different and tailored specifically to each client’s needs. Usually, time spent with me involves editing, decluttering, and purging some of your belongings.

Despite what people may think about organizers, I don’t pressure clients to throw away everything they own. I only guide the decision making process by asking questions like, “When was the last time you used this?” or “Can you think of an instance where you would need this?” or “Would you buy this in a store right now?” Those kinds of questions lead people to make their own decisions and I am supportive of whatever they ultimately decide. I’m not judgmental and am by no means a minimalist. I understand and support people’s attachments to things and the desire to hold onto them. So much of my work with clients involves offering solutions to problems in their homes that only a fresh set of eyes can see. Sometimes it’s difficult to change the way something has always been in your home and it takes a new person with a new perspective to help create meaningful change.

Ultimately, my goal is to create organization in your home, which I firmly believe brings a sense of calm to your life. No more late night runs to Target. No more wading through piles of clothes you don’t wear. No more rebuying the same things over and over again because you didn’t realize you already own them. When we’ve finished our work together clients have the tools to keep clutter out and maintain the systems we’ve put into place.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
With each client, I learn something new. I think the most important lesson I have learned along the way is that everyone is unique in the way they value their belongings and the way they keep their home. That unique value system influences how I approach my work in their home in every way from how we declutter to how we style the space. And just because something might work for one client, it may not work for another. Sometimes thinking outside of the box is needed to achieve a client’s goals.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.clutterawayla.com
• Instagram: clutterawayla

Image Credits:
Paige Ray Creative Photography