Caryn Weber, owner of Organized Chaos
Keeping spaces organized came naturally to Caryn Weber, owner of Organized Chaos, but it wasn’t until friends and family asked for her organizing services that she realized she had a genuine business opportunity sharing her gift for creating clutter-free environments with others. Caryn’s non-judgmental approach allows her clients to relax and get comfortable with the process, which is rooted in Caryn’s ability to embrace “the mess” rather than getting overwhelmed by it.
As part of our #ShopSmall series in December, get to know Manhattan-based owner of Organized Chaos, Caryn Weber, learn how she got started in her business and discover her unique process for taking her clients from overwhelmed to peaceful in their homes and offices.
Tell us your entrepreneur backstory – how did you get into your current business, Organized Chaos?
Looking back, I guess I was always organized. I just thought keeping similar items stored together and keeping surfaces cleared off was ‘normal’ for kids and teens. It just made sense to me. Now being married and having 4 kids in 7 years, I’ve realized that is not the case. Having natural organizing skills has helped me tremendously with keeping kids’ stuff and schedules in order, but I’ve also learned that different personalities and those with different skill sets organize differently. I’ve learned that how I like things organized doesn’t work or make sense to everyone. There is no “right way” to organize.
I had friends along the way recognize my skills and wanted my help. So, I launched Organized Chaos in 2012 when we were living in Iowa. I absolutely loved it. But with kids that were ages 12, 10, 7 and 5, I just couldn’t keep the business going very long.
Fast forward, we moved back to Manhattan, Kansas, lived through a pandemic, and people started to talk about the stress the clutter in their homes was causing, either stuff all over the place or hidden in overstuffed closets, drawers, pantries, etc. So last year with my kids being [almost 10 years older], I decided to relaunch Organized Chaos to help people work through the clutter and get their homes and offices back. And I am loving it again.
What is unique about your business and the services you offer?
As we sort boxes and piles, I am also getting to know what makes sense to the client. I also don’t usually have any history with them, so I can be more objective and ask tough questions. But what a client decides to keep is ultimately up to them. Then we work together to organize what they’ve chosen to keep in a way that works for their style.
My purpose is to offer my skills to help families decrease the stress and chaos that clutter causes. That way they can spend more time using THEIR skills and strengths to bless their families and the community.
Everyone’s definition of clutter is different. Basically, if you don’t love it or use it, it’s clutter. Clutter can become a heavy weight that slowly piles on you. It causes stress, embarrassment, and it can cause arguments, unmotivation and guilt. Some will waste money buying replacements for items lost, waste time searching for things or miss deadlines because of buried papers. Clutter is costly.
Tell us more about the services your business provides.
The process starts with a phone call where a potential client shares their frustrations, and then I explain how I work and what I might have to offer. We usually chat for about 15-20 minutes and then decide if they’d like to move to the next step, an in-home tour. This tour allows the client to point out specific frustrations and stressors and it gives me a visual of the situation. One question I almost always get asked is, “Have you seen anything this bad?” People are always embarrassed by their space and that they haven’t been able to get it cleaned out by themselves. I remind them that I don’t judge, and I actually love the mess. My motto is: “Working with you to defeat the clutter.” Probably a more accurate job title for me would be “Declutterer” vs. “Professional Organizer”.
Weekly I continue to seek out training and classes to gain a better understanding of what it looks like to work with different personality types or those that struggle with issues like ADHD. Many sessions I’ve put on a “counselor” hat as a client finds an item or article that brings up a lot of emotions. And sometimes they just appreciate someone they can talk with and share old memories or hopes and dreams for their young family.
Where is your business located and how do you serve your clients, in-person, virtually or both?
I serve mainly Manhattan and the surrounding communities. These are the areas where I can physically work in-person alongside clients. I also offer virtual organizing to anyone in the U.S. We work by Zoom, and I become more the coach and accountability partner. I’m still there on camera offering suggestions and motivation but just not actually moving things around. I am also available to speak to organizations and clubs about organizing topics that are relevant to their group.
For organizing thoughts and tips, follow Organized Chaos MHK on Facebook. To see before and afters of clients’ homes/offices Caryn has helped with and to find out more about her services, visit her at her website.
