Today we’d like to introduce you to Keri Elliott.
Hi Keri, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have always been an obsessive compulsive organizer. As a kid, I would hang out with my friends and clean their rooms while they played video games. I guess that was a little nerdy but as we all know, “Nerds rule he world!”. It wasn’t just a childhood thing though. Throughout my entire life, I’ve found so much joy and fulfillment in helping people declutter and organize. For most people, it’s not easy to stay organized and in the busyness of life, they get overwhelmed. When I get the call to organize someone, I know it’s really a call to bring peace to their chaos. In reality, I’m not just an organizer, I’m a peacemaker, and what could be better in this crazy world than bringing people peace! I just love it! I actually love it so much that I never even thought of it as a business opportunity. My husband actually encouraged me to turn it into my business. We had recently moved our family of six to the Austin, TX area to start a new church. Shortly after arriving, we had the unexpected opportunity of adopting a beautiful baby girl. This is an amazing story that won’t fit into this answer but let’s just say God knew our organized family needed our little Kira Joy as much as she needed us. Moving to a new area while growing our family meant we needed more money.
At first, I started looking for a job but it was tough to find a job that fits around the busyness of our family, a new church and a new baby. It was actually my husband who kept encouraging me to start Austin Organizers. At first, I thought it was crazy. Organizing is fun and comes so naturally to me it was hard to imagine anyone would pay for me to do it. Eventually, he won me over. I agreed to let him create my brand and start marketing me. Before I knew what was happening, my schedule was packed. I started with a few clients and they all wanted me to come back. Then they started referring me. It’s been two years and I’m blessed to have been able to hire the incredible Courtney Snailum and several more OCO’s (Obsessive Compulsive Organizers). Who knew there were more people like me!!! We are just having a blast!!! We started the business for the income but we have found God had a greater purpose. The greatest thing about the business is how many opportunities we have to bring peace to beyond decluttering or organizing people’s things. Often our clients are going through a major health crisis, a family tragedy, a broken marriage, the loss of a loved one, or some other significantly challenging season. We love this part of the business and embrace the opportunities to love and support our clients.
Alright, 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?
The biggest challenge was to overcome my own doubts about my value. I knew I was good at organizing but I doubted others would value what I had to offer. Honestly, I think many people struggle with the same doubts. I’m thankful there were people in my life who pushed me to believe in myself and take the leap into launching my own business. There have been other challenges; juggling responsibilities, nearly sweating to death while organizing garages in the Texas heat, finding amazing people to hire, managing the schedule to name a few. But the biggest challenge was accepting my value and taking the risk of getting started.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an entrepreneur and professional organizer. I started Austin Organizers, and my team helps people find peace with our decluttering, organizing, downsizing, prep-to-sell services. We love organizing and we do what we love so you don’t have to!!!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Never be ashamed of your mess!!! Clutter happens. There are so many reasons people fall behind and get overwhelmed. We never judge. We are here to help you climb out of the chaos and find your peace.
Here’s a shortlist of the reasons many of my clients have struggled to keep their homes organized and decluttered:
1. Children – You’re not alone; anyone with children has experienced being overwhelmed with the busyness of life.
2. Messy Spouse – We all know opposites attract. Some of our clients would do quite well on their own, but they’re married to someone who can’t tell the difference between their floor and their dresser.
3. Work – Long gone are the glory years of a simple 9-5 workweek. Nowadays, people juggle schedules, work multiple jobs, and even work from home.
4. Moving – Many of our clients are either preparing for a move or set up their new kitchen, pantry, bedrooms, and garage for the very first time.
5. Health Issues – Every day, someone like you experiences a health issue or even extreme crisis that results in losing control of their home living space. Whether it’s mental health, physical health, or emotional health, the struggle is real. We never judge. We come alongside our clients and help them climb out of the clutter and reclaim their living areas.
6. Divorce – Dissolving a marriage is messy, and the mess often extends to the home. If you’re going through a divorce, you have enough stress on your plate. Don’t let your home become another pressure point on your already exhausted emotions.
7. Downsizing – There comes the point in everyone’s life when they need to downsize. Whether you are downsizing your loved one, a senior, or yourself – we are experienced at gently walking our clients through the memories and letting go of items you no longer need.
8. Death – Emptying a space when a loved one has passed can be the most difficult of all organizing jobs. We take the pressure off and allow you the freedom to grieve and process your loss while we work on organizing and downsizing what they left behind.
We not only love organizing, we also love people. Every client is unique to us, and we find fulfillment in helping them reclaim their cluttered spaces and their peace of mind. We have many before and after photos of the areas we organize. What you don’t get to see is the before and after of our clients’ emotions. Watching them move from stress to peace is what keeps us motivated. We would love to help you get organized, and you can trust us to do it without judging you, your space, or your circumstances.
Contact Info:
- Email: kerianna4@gmail.com
- Website: www.austinorganizers.com
- Instagram: austinorganizers
- Facebook: austinorganizers
