[Fully Managed] Janet M. Taylor from Totally Organized Ep. 171

Daniela: Hello, everybody. Welcome to the Fully Managed Podcast. This is the podcast where we discuss marketing tips, business tips, all kinds of tips to help assist you guys in your business journeys. I’m your host, Daniela, and I’m Penji’s Partnership Coordinator. I’m joined here today with a very special guest, Janet Taylor from Totally Organized. Hi, Janet.

Janet: Hello, Daniela. How are you? I’m excited to be here.

Daniela: I’m so excited to have you today on the show. I really like, I am very interested in learning about your business because it’s so particular. I feel like I talked to a lot of business owners who are in very traditional type of B to C, B to B type of things. I’ve never really talked to someone who’s in an organizing business. So I’m very, very looking forward to learning from you.

Janet: I’m excited to be here and to share.

About Janet and Totally Organized

Daniela: Awesome. Well, Janet, just to kind of break the ice a little bit and get us started and just to give context to viewers who don’t know who you are. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, what you do about Totally Organized, everything that we need to know about you?

Janet: So I am what they call a professional organizer, but I really transitioned to a life organizer. I basically go into people’s homes and do the closets or help them with the paperwork in their home office. But I also go into businesses and really help them create systems, whether it’s for inventory or just those important documents. And of course, like as you do, I also have a podcast and that just really helps people better understand that there are a lot of areas where they can be organized and they can truly actually live a life where they can manage their time as well as your space.

The Origin Story

Daniela: That’s so, I think it’s such a, like, I’m curious to ask how you ended up having a business like this. Cause it’s so unconventional. I feel like it’s not something that I’ve heard of a lot.

Janet: So I really started this business because I wanted to really control my finances because I was in a job, which I loved. I was doing customer service for a transportation company. Another company had taken over that contract and they were not going to take the existing staff with them. So therefore I was laid off and I’m like, you know what? I don’t like the feeling of this. And I was about ready to move out for the first time during all of this. So of course I had to go to my mom and tell her what was going on. And of course she was the loving mother. She’s like, well, you know, you really can’t, you don’t have any place else to go. So I stayed with her a little bit longer and I just really began to better understand and hear what people were saying about me. They kept saying, you know, we want something, we can always find it on your desk and you’re so organized. And that’s when I started doing research. And I connected with a local group of professional organizers, but also got connected with the national group of organizers as well.

Business Evolution and Scaling

Daniela: So you’ve done like, I mean, when I was doing research for the interview, I saw that you’ve done so many different things. I mean, I know you’ve dabbled with social media. You’ve also had eBooks, you’ve had courses. I mean, it’s been like, you’ve sort of been able to scale a lot from when you got started, right?

Janet: Oh yes. Because like when I got started, it was just flyers and word of mouth, which really kind of really helped me better understand my market. And that’s why I got into doing webinars. I mean, webinars were actually onsite workshops and communities because those communities had my ideal clients. So therefore it was like, okay, this community has these little workshops. They send them out to over two hundred thousand homes. You know, I need in that booklet. And that’s how I got a lot of my clients as well. But yes, everything kind of transitioned because then the workshops, I would give out notes and somebody said, oh, you know what? I would pay for these. So that became like a little handout, which I began to sell, which was a big name back then and then it’s just like every time I’ve been able to really look at what the need was and really transition like now I’ve got ebooks because that’s the popular way and it’s short it’s to the point and it just really helps people with strategies on really how to organize their life.

Marketing Evolution Since 1994

Daniela: So what to me is insane is that you started this in nineteen ninety four, which is so long ago. I mean, I wasn’t even born then. And all I can think of is that the landscape was probably so different when it comes to marketing. And a lot of people don’t realize that when you’re starting a business as a small business owner, marketing is probably one of the most important things that you’re going to do, because the way that you market that is going to really influence whether your business takes off or not. And I’m just so curious to know how that was. I mean, how different was your marketing back then? And how have you actually been able to adapt? Because I feel like since nineteen ninety four, so much has changed, you know, like how people market businesses.

Janet: Yes. And like I said, it was flyers. It was basically taking on any and every speaking engagement that would get me in front of a group of people that I knew were my ideal clients. So, of course, a lot of groups and organizations were always looking for somebody to speak at their monthly meetings. So that’s how I did it. I did a lot of networking back then, meeting people, passing out my business cards. And then of course, you know, as I began to work with clients, then I started like what I call a referral program, which basically I’m like, well, if you refer me and this client actually utilizes my services, I will give you an hour of organizing. One of my clients actually racked up five hours because she just kept referring me. She’s like, look, I need you. So I’m going to just keep referring you. So that’s how it really got started is just those basic, just almost just, you know, handing out flyers, getting in front of people. Of course, now it’s a little different with social media, but still it’s really the connection because people have to feel comfortable with me either in their home or in their office going through their stuff. So it’s really about once I get in front of people, then building that connection.

Building Trust with Clients

Daniela: That was another thing that I think was at the forefront of my mind with my questions, which is how important trust is for you. Because I feel like with your business, having someone all up in your business, basically, right, figuratively and literally, whether it’s your office or your home. And, you know, this person is basically going to go in and pass a judgment of how your organization is most likely not good. And I’m imagining that a lot of people who are messy, who struggle with organizing. I mean, I felt ashamed when I’ve had friends over to my house and it’s not like, pristine. I can’t imagine having someone come into my house if I have like a problem with with having organization and then sort of having that person being like a complete stranger and being like, you need to like get rid of so many cups or like you need to put them in this one thing, whatever it is. So I feel like how have you been able to sort of navigate that part of the relationship or with client versus, you know, the person offering the service?

Janet: So, again, it’s a lot of marketing because, again, it’s that referral, because when somebody refers me to someone, they really like, okay, this is somebody I can open up my home to. I can trust. And of course, you know, I have confidentiality clauses in my contract when I work with people and let them know that. But really it’s just about that initial contact. It’s that initial me coming in the home. And also I let people know I am not in there to judge. I let them know I understand. Life happens. And sometimes things don’t get put back. Sometimes people just don’t, you know, they have a system, but then it’s not working. So I make sure that they understand. And of course, again, that’s all in part of the marketing is let people know I’m not coming in there and tell you got to throw everything out. I’m coming in there to help you really maximize your space. So when you walk in the door, you can enjoy it. But also when you’re in your office. You know that you can find things the first time you look. And it is. It’s building that trust. It’s letting them know I’m not going up and down the street telling everybody your business. Whatever I see here stays here.

Making the Process Fun and Comfortable

Daniela: I also think it’s just like for someone who struggles with organization, I’m imagining that it’s already a huge step to sort of reach out and ask for help. You know, so like, I guess like making the process just as easy for them as possible is highly appreciated when it’s, I think it’s just, what’s amazing to me is how vulnerable of an experience it probably is for a lot of people. I think it would be for me, because I would be like mortified that you’d be going through my stuff and then even if you’re not saying it, I think it would just be going through my head like, what is she thinking? Is she judging me?

Janet: And I make it fun. I try to make it really fun, Danielle, when I am in there. Because I remember one time I was helping a client clear out some storage units. And tucked in the corner was a dot matrix printer. And I shared with them. And as I approached, I said, oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness. And they were like, what? What’s in the corner? I said, it’s a dot matrix printer. And he’s like, yeah, but I can. And I says, but can you get ink? Can you get paper for this thing? They were like, well, no. And so I truly make it just kind of fun and just like it’s a journey. And it’s not like you’re getting rid of stuff. You’re making room for stuff. And, you know, and it’s interesting when I see the dynamics specifically with couples, you know, one woman wanted to save a high chair. Well, her daughter was already living and working in New York. She’s saving a high chair for the grandchildren. And I just shared with her, I’m like, well, I’ve only been working with you for a moment, but I think knowing you and your husband, you’re going to want to buy new things. And the husband was like, Janet, I’ve been trying to get that thing out the house forever, but you, thank you. And actually one time he was actually on his way to work and he’s like, oh no, you come, I’m staying because I want to work with you. So that makes me feel good as well.

Communicating Value Through Client Success Stories

Daniela: Yeah, I can imagine because I feel like, I mean, I also wanted to ask because I feel like organization in your home, in your office, in your space is really important. It really kind of sets the tone of how you work a lot of times. But I feel like it’s something that’s overlooked or kind of put in the back burner because other things get prioritized. And that’s kind of how you end up with really cluttered homes. And, you know, like when you realize you’re hoarding a bunch of stuff that you’re never using, all of these problems that happen. How do you actually, how has your experience been with dealing with people to actually feel like the service that you’re providing is going to give them value? I don’t know if that question makes sense. I think it because it can be sort of like, put in the have just be unpacked. people’s minds, I imagine that a lot of people are like, man, do I really need a service? I could just clean up one day. And, you know, like, how have you been able to sort of work with your marketing and all of that to sort of explain that it is important, and you can provide a lot of value.

Janet: And I think with that, in regards to the marketing, I always use my client testimonials. And that really helps because one client, she was able just by really creating a structure for her. So each month she already knows what bills she needs to take care of, what things she needs to do. She was actually able to get rid of a car loan. So she doesn’t have any car payments anymore. She paid off a couple of credit cards, you know, and now she has like a spreadsheet that I created for her and she could just go down and just check things off. But not only is it helping her, if anything should happen to her because she’s retired, she says now she can just hand it off to her son. And he could just, you know, he’s like, he’s not fumbling and trying to think, okay, mom, what are your bills? So it helps them that way. But also it does, it just relieves stress. And I think sometimes when I share with people and in my marketing, like we’re talking about reducing stress. We’re talking about when you open up a closet for, that you’re not standing there just wondering what to wear because everything in there you love and you can fit. And you’re not going trying on things, can’t fit this, I don’t look good in this and doing things like that. Or even something, Daniela, as simple as just creating a system for the shoes when you come home so that you’re not tripping over shoes by the front door or the entrance. So, or finding your keys the first time you look.

Personal Connection: ADHD and Organization

Daniela: Yeah, I know. I think like, you know, I have raging ADHD. I got diagnosed when I was a kid. So it’s kind of just something that I’ve always been aware of. With that, I think a disorganized mind is a really big, I don’t know if it’s a symptom, but it’s like a part of having ADHD. So I’m the type of person that just like, my thoughts are like scattered. And I think like, and I think that it really affected me when I started to sort of realize that that was also how I operated in life. I would do my schoolwork that way when I was a kid and I was in school. I did my job that way when I started working. I organized my life like entirely because my brain operated that way. And I didn’t realize how much it didn’t help me because it was so messy. And I had like one of my former bosses kind of sit me down one day and he was like, you need to like get your organization in check. And like, he was like, because you are so scatterbrained and I wouldn’t say like scatterbrained that I don’t think of stuff, but like my brain was just so all over the place that she was like you need to sort of like hone like sort of like make it more more streamlined and organized in order for you to be successful because you’re starting a bunch of stuff and never finishing it you’re forgetting about it like you know she kind of just like sat me down and made me kind of like realize that it was such an important aspect of my life and I think like what you do is great because even though I was able to sort of pinpoint that that was something that I needed to work on, it was not like I could just be like, okay, I need to be more organized. I’m just going to do that. Because then it was, okay, how do I do that if I’ve been living my entire life just being just completely chaotic? And now from going from chaos to organization is also not a thing that you just do like this, right?

Janet: Yeah, that’s right. It’s like a process. And what I try to tell people… And it’s specifically now that we have social media and the tips that I share is that, you know, you just do little things. You know, you don’t necessarily have to, when you want to get organized, you know, people think, oh gosh, I got to give all weekend or a whole day. No, sometimes it’s just doing one thing, clearing out a junk drawer. Or, you know, I give tips on how you can just kind of organize your day professionally. Sometimes it could just start by you know, before you end your official work day, it’s just like, okay, what are some of the things that I need to focus on that next day? So really it is about doing little things, not thinking about the big thing. And sometimes even when we do have those tendencies to procrastinate, because we see the big picture and it’s just so like, it’s so many things. And it’s like, you know what? I got to do that later. It’s just pausing and sometimes getting out a simple blank piece of paper and just writing everything down that needs to be done and just doing, okay, this is the first thing I’m going to do. Okay. I see number two, but you know what? I think I want to move down to number three because I want to get these phone calls out the way and then maybe move, but just moving up and down the list, just simple things.

Small Changes, Big Impact

Daniela: Yeah. And I think it really, it really does make a difference. What’s insane to me is how much sort of doing small changes to organized your life is going to really affect the way that you sort of handle things. I did something similar. Like I kind of was like neglecting a lot of my emails. It was my first job ever, by the way, because I didn’t like, I would think sometimes I couldn’t reply right away because I had to figure out the answer of the email that I was getting. Right. And so I would forget that I didn’t reply to the email because it’s not like I could just email a person back. And then I think sort of having an organized thing of like, okay, I, in order to reply to this email, I need to do one, two, three things kind of just help me focus more than if I was just like opening my inbox and then forgetting about them and then letting them get buried.

Janet: And that is true. And it is really just kind of creating a process for yourself. Like some people, they come in and they just automatically in the morning, look at all the emails. Maybe that works for some people, or maybe some people just need to kind of look at their day, look at their schedule, like, okay, these are the things I need to do, but it’s creating your own process.

Common Client Challenges and Patterns

Daniela: Yeah, totally. And I think like, I mean, that onto to add on to the fact that you were creating your own process, I wanted to ask you, since I think organization is such a personal thing and it’s such a like it’s tied to your own idiosyncrasies, I would say, and like people’s whatever life you live, you know, the way that you were organized or disorganized or whatever is probably going to be like influenced by a lot of those factors. But I’m one, I’m curious if there’s like any kind of like things that you notice or patterns or things that generally speaking, you see your clients being challenging or challenges that they faced a lot of times.

Janet: I think a lot of times the challenges is the overwhelm because they’ve got so many things going on and not just taking a moment again, just to sit down and see everything, see when things are due and creating a list because a lot of times people keep everything in their head and just putting it down on a list, whether it’s a digital calendar, whether it’s a planner. But also I see that if there is no structure or order, you can get overwhelmed. And of course you don’t even know what to do because there’s some clients I have to work with. I have to keep them focused. they will turn around and they will close completely. And I’m like, no, we got to focus on this. I know you see that over there, but let’s stay focused on this. So a lot of times it’s the focus. A lot of times, you know, and I tell people, sometimes we have to learn how to let go of things because we just have so much. And when you have less to manage, then that’s less to organize, less to put away. And sometimes, Daniela, it’s really trying to getting ourselves in the habit of if we take something out of a drawer, just putting it back, hanging things up, you know, putting things away. So sometimes it’s just those things because we feel like, you know what, I’m tired. I don’t have time. I don’t want to do this. And sometimes also it’s really knowing how much time things take. For example, laundry. We put the laundry in the washer. And then we may even put it in the dryer. We take it out. But then for some reason, that’s where it just lands. And it’s really looking at the whole process. It’s like, okay, I’m going to take them out of the dryer. I’m going to fold them and I’m going to put them away instead of a week later thinking, okay, I don’t have anything to wear. Oh, yeah, it’s in that pile. But it’s just creating time for those things.

The Rachel Ray Show Experience

Daniela: Yeah. I also wanted to ask you about when you appeared on Rachel Ray. I know you appeared in which I mean that must have been so surreal. I think for me at least it would have been like crazy it was it was I’m curious if that actually helped boost your career I mean obviously you were doing pretty well by that point if you were on Rachel Ray but you know from the amount of exposure did that sort of help with marketing or was it you know just like passing how did that really affect you professionally

Janet: That was a really good time. Actually, they found me via social media. That’s how they reached out to me. It’s via social media. The turnaround time for that, it was surreal because the turnaround time was quick. On a Friday, they made a decision, Janet, we want you in New York next Wednesday. Which meant I had to get something to wear. I had to do all of that stuff, but it got done. It did add a lot of different things. It added I got a lot of recognition specifically here locally. I got a lot of exposure, more exposure in papers and things like that and radio and a few different little awards that are given. So it did help with that type of exposure.

Daniela: Awesome. And I think was it like surreal to just do it? I mean, were you nervous before you were actually going to go in and film or was the experience in and of itself fun or was it more just like nerve wracking and, you know, you don’t remember it?

Janet: I think when I got there, I was nervous. But then, of course, you know, it was a contest. I was up against another professional organizer. But we were in, I guess that’s what they call the green room. So we were really having a good conversation. You know, it wasn’t like it was, oh, I’m not going to speak to that person. But at that time, and it’s interesting, it’s interesting the timing of that as it is now. So the Eagles had just won a Super Bowl. Villanova had just won a championship, the baseball championship, our college, our local college. So my mindset was like, I gotta come home with something. I can’t not come home. But you’re right, it was surreal because when one of the producers, she put her hand on my shoulder, which I knew that was a signal I needed to go out and it was like, I don’t remember any of that. I don’t remember being in front of all those people, the audience. I do remember at least meeting Peter Walsh But then when he crowned me, that was just unbelievable. Because I didn’t, I wasn’t even thinking that. When they put that crown on my head, I was like, what? What?

Daniela: Yeah, I can imagine. Which is actually, wait, it’s on this side. It’s on this, yeah, you see it right above me?

Janet: Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I see it. I see it. It’s hard to look at the cameras to like.

Daniela: Yep, but yeah, there it is. Yep, I keep it right behind me. But yeah.

Janet: That’s, I mean, I think it would have been, I’ve never really been like invited to a show like that or done anything like that. I think whenever I’ve been in whatever situation where I’m in front of a big crowd, it’s always a bit intimidating. I had a friend ask me to help like model for this. She was selling clothes and she was like, I want you to like, just like put the clothes on and pose. And it was like a whole photo shoot. And I’m not a model. I didn’t even like, think I was pretty enough to do it at the time so I was like girl what are you doing and I was so intimidated by the whole thing like the whole time just being on the cameras like so I mean I can’t imagine doing something on such a large scale like an actual show like that

Daniela: well it was it was it was interesting I mean I had my moments where I was there but then other moments where I just felt like is this real and then I really once when I was on my way back home it was like everything just like I was like, really? And of course, because of when it was aired, I couldn’t tell anybody what actually happened to me that day because, you know, so, but I was able to tell at least one person who I knew wasn’t going to tell anybody. And then when it, and then of course, when it came out, other people were like, well, why didn’t you say anything? I’m like, cause I couldn’t.

Janet: Yeah. Yeah. documentation. It’s like a spoiler for the show.

Daniela: Yeah, and I’m like, do you know the documentation? I had to sign in order not to say anything. And then it was interesting the day of, I forgot that some of my friends are in different time zones. So they were saying what had happened when other friends within the group chat hadn’t even seen the episode. So that was an interesting time too. But it was all a wonderful, wonderful experience. And like I said, you know, the, between the local news and I, you know, I received a wonderful recognition. It was really, it was really nice and like changing.

Staying Organized as an Organizer

Daniela: That’s so cool. I also wanted to, I think this is the last question that I have for you, but you know, with someone, I think a lot of times I’ve noticed that this happens with myself, which is why I have this question. I think I’m really good at sort of fixing other people’s lives in, in, whatever way, right? Like I can give you really good advice. I could probably tell you where you’re doing wrong. I’m good at proofreading something that, and I’ll tell you what you need to like rewrite, planning out someone’s strategy for something, but I’m not good at it for my own projects for myself. It’s like, it’s when I’m, when it’s, when it comes to me, it’s like blank, you know? How do you stay organized in your life? When you’re I mean, your entire job is to organize other people’s lives. I’m I’m wondering how that sort of like bleeds into your personal organization.

Janet: Well, I mean, I am I feel that I’m organized the way that that it makes me happy. And I let people know there are times like if I’m traveling and stuff like that, you know, stuff all over the place. I recently and I got so excited and I shared it with another organizer that I actually organized my freezer that just made me happy because now I know, you know, before everything was in there. But now it’s like it’s really in the organized. So, yes, those of us who help other people get organized. Yes, we have our moments because we’re so busy helping other people. We come home. That’s the last thing I really want to do is like really go and tackle my closet. But I do have moments. But I also know just like, you know, my clients, sometimes I need help. I remember one time I just really wanted to do a clean sweep of my closet. There were so many pieces in there. I just wasn’t sure. So I asked a friend who was a stylist to come over and really like, okay, I know I got these pieces. You got to let me know. Yes, they stay or do they go? And he was like, nope, you don’t look good in it. Nope. Doesn’t fit right. Nope. And so sometimes we need that support as well.

Daniela: Yeah, that’s true. I mean, I like, especially with clothing. Oh my God, that has happened so much where like I have had way too many pieces of clothing that are such like unnecessary in my closet because I bought them on a whim or it was a micro trend and you know I bought this shirt that was really cheap and it doesn’t go with any of the stuff that I have so it’s just there it does it happens to all of us I mean because statistically they say eighty percent of the stuff we keep we never reference again again and we wear twenty percent of our clothes eighty percent of the time so

Janet: And you can really think about that. Like, yeah, I always grab that pocketbook. I always wear those sneakers. I always wear that coat. Even though I’ve got a whole closet full of coats, why am I only wearing one? So, yeah, it happens to all of us. It happens.

Daniela: I think, yeah, being able to reach out to other people who probably know more about that is always a great thing.

Janet: Always.

Closing and Contact Information

Daniela: I think it’s a great note to end this podcast on. It’s been such a joy to have you on today, Janet. But before we end it, I do want to give you the space to plug anything that you want to plug. If anything that we spoke about today resonated with our audience, if somebody would want you to organize their life, the space is yours.

Janet: Well, of course I would invite everyone who’s watching, listening to definitely go to my website at JanetMTaylor.com. And of course, you know, check out, I’ve got some new eBooks that I’m very excited that I just launched. And then also, you know, listen to the podcast, Got Clutter? Get Organized, because there’s every area, like if you’re a pet owner, if you are possibly maybe taking care of somebody who is elderly, or if you are just really challenged with just organizing a closet and everything else in between, we have got like an episode for you.

Daniela: Awesome. Yeah. I will be adding those links to the description of the video so that people can easily click them, go and find you. And Janet, it was such a joy to have you today.

Janet: Thank you so much, Daniela. It has been a pleasure. I appreciate the opportunity.Daniela: It was great having you today and guys, I will see you on the next episode.

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