218 | 1095 Days Of Organizing: My Third Year In Business with Kim Snodgrass of Rustic Home Organizing
The Pro Organizer Studio Podcast
Release Date: 02/26/2025
253 | I am building a GREAT team!
The Pro Organizer Studio Podcast
Melissa kicks off Pro Organizer Studio's 10th year with a reintroduction of Cabri Caldwell — mentor, coach, and now a formal part of the Pro Organizer Studio team leading the Inspired Organizer Teams program. Cabri shares her full entrepreneurial story: from an early-twenties safety and risk management job at a trucking company, to RV living and discovering minimalism, to launching Minimize Then Organize in Lubbock, Texas. She talks candidly about finding Inspired Organizer in 2019, the "energetics" of investing in herself, building a team with her right-hand woman Lara, and the multiple...
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252 | What Really Sells Clients on Hiring You?
The Pro Organizer Studio Podcast
Do clients really want the “perfect” organizer? (Or are they ACTUALY looking for something you might not expect them to??) In this episode, I'm joined by my friend, organizer and Inspired Organizer mentor Sarah Brent of Practical Harmony in Illinois. We are getting vulnerable and honest about why showing your personality may be the most powerful marketing tool in your organizing business. We really, truly get the pressure organizers feel to look polished, perfect, and put-together—but we're breaking down why the (overused buzzword!) authenticity is what actually attracts the right...
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251 | "Ask for Help When Life is Kicking Your Butt." | Hiring your team for your own house with Missi Mills!
The Pro Organizer Studio Podcast
Do professional organizers need help getting organized too? YES WE DO!!!!! I am excited to welcome back my friend Missi Mills of Clear Spaces Organizing to talk about what happened when she hired her own team to help pack, unpack, and organize during a recent move. It quickly became a powerful reminder of what our clients experience every day: overwhelm, embarrassment, decision fatigue, and the huge sense of relief that comes when someone steps in to help. We are diving into the reality that even people who organize for a living can get stuck in their own spaces, why asking for help can feel...
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250 | Current Events + Trends + Social Media Fast + Lots of other topics!
The Pro Organizer Studio Podcast
What’s actually happening in the organizing industry right now? Today we're tackling a bunch of things, from clients taking longer to book, to what a “trust recession” means for your business, to why follow-up matters more than ever. We break down what we’re seeing across the country, how buying behavior is changing, and how to adjust your consults, sales and messaging without feeling pushy. Plus--social media! What happens when you step away, how it impacts your focus and creativity, and how to keep your business running without being glued to your phone. If things feel a little...
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249 | Container Store Sold: What does this mean for organizers?
The Pro Organizer Studio Podcast
we're doing a quick CURRENT EVENTS pod to talk about the Container Store being bought by Bed, Bath & Beyond.
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248 | The One Where Melissa Needs a Lecture
The Pro Organizer Studio Podcast
Sometimes burnout doesn’t come from the big things. Sometimes it comes from one bag of client stuff in your garage…and then another…and then another...and then you realize organizing has taken over your house and your life and need to make some changes. I am sharing a real-life story about how years of over-helping one longtime client led to a garage full of client belongings and a major realization: sometimes the problem is not the client’s stuff, it’s the dynamic we’ve created. In this episode, Cabri and I talk about boundaries, expectations, people-pleasing, and the very...
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247 | "Professional organizing is about PEAK HUMAN PERFORMANCE!"
The Pro Organizer Studio Podcast
In Part 3 of this Minnesota Organizing Besties series, Melissa is back with Cori, Missi, and Kielyn for a conversation that’s equal parts hilarious, heartfelt, and deeply real. This episode goes beyond bins and labels and into the heart of what organizing actually does for people. From helping clients sleep better to navigating hoarding situations with compassion, the group talks about the mental health impact of this work — and why what organizers do truly matters. They share stories about setting boundaries (yes, including bed bugs), knowing when to say no, and knowing when to lean in...
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246: I am officially AN INFLUENCER (I quit! No, seriously, I do)
The Pro Organizer Studio Podcast
Melissa has officially become…an influencer. Except instead of influencing you to buy something, she’s influencing you to do something wildly radical in 2026: delete social media from your phone. In this late-night minisode, Melissa shares the unexpected challenge she took on for the new year—and why it’s been one of the best decisions she’s made for her mental health, focus, and overall life. In this episode, we talk about: The Japanese concept of “misogi” (doing something so hard you have less than a 50% chance of finishing) Why Melissa deleted Instagram, TikTok, Facebook,...
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245 | “Sometimes entrepreneurship is just…accidental.” | Building a multi-6-figure business with Cabri Caldwell
The Pro Organizer Studio Podcast
Final takeaway: If you’re burned out, stuck doing everything yourself, craving support, or dreaming of scaling (even with one hire like a VA), Inspired Organizer TEAMS is designed to help you do it with structure, confidence, and real systems instead of guesswork.
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244 | Do It Scared (but do it anyway) with my MN organizing besties
The Pro Organizer Studio Podcast
In this episode, Melissa is back with her Minnesota organizing besties (Missi, Cori, and Kielyn) for an honest conversation about fear, authenticity, mistakes, and doing business scared anyway. If you’ve ever: Frozen because you were afraid to make the wrong decision Stayed in a bad situation because you feared a bad review Wondered if you’re “professional enough” to be yourself Procrastinated something small but important (👀 invoices, SEO, phone calls…) …we FEEL YOU! This episode is part mindset reset, part business strategy, part group therapy—with a lot of...
info_outlineAfter three years of being a professional organizing entrepreneur, one of our most popular guests is back to give a recap of what she learned in year 3 and what she has happening with big changes coming for year 4. Kim Snodgrass of Rustic Home Organizing in Oregon is here to have a refreshingly honest take on what her year was like.
If you want to listen to the past years' retrospectives with Kim, starting at Epsiode 177, all three of her prior episodes are there if you'd like to take a look back!
LINKS FOR LISTENERS:
Connect with Melissa: hello@proorganizerstudio.com
Connect with Kim: www.rustichomeorganizing.com
Year Four Reflection: Trials, Triumphs, and Transformations
In this episode, Melissa reconnects with Kim Snodgrass from Rustic Home Organizing to discuss her journey through her third year as a professional organizer. They delve into the ups and downs Kim faced, including major life events, business dynamics, and personal growth. Kim talks about the importance of adaptability, the evolution of her business practices, her passion for supporting women, and her ambitious new project, The Daydream Project. The conversation offers an honest, raw, and insightful look into the realities of running an organizing business, emphasizing resilience, learning, and the necessity of ongoing self-reflection.
02:51 Year Four Recap Begins
04:35 Challenges and Reflections
07:43 Business Struggles and Personal Growth
12:44 Organizing Philosophy and Client Relations
16:32 The Realities of Organizing
27:25 Product Use and Ethical Considerations
39:20 Facing Ethical Dilemmas in Organizing
40:19 The Power of Saying No
40:57 Staying True to Your Why
42:53 The Joy of Downsizing Projects
45:43 Balancing Multiple Responsibilities
46:52 The Importance of Automations
48:08 Reflecting on Personal Growth
59:13 The Daydream Project: Empowering Women
01:02:43 Event Planning Challenges and Successes
01:10:52 Final Thoughts and Encouragement