This week on Sunbound Asks we sat down with Betsy Dmitruk, professional organizer and founder of Simply Done Organizing, located in Holland Michigan and servicing the surrounding West Michigan communities. We had a great conversation with Betsy, covering everything from how she got started in professional organizing, to what tips and tricks she uses from her professional organizing career in her own life. To learn more about Betsy and Simply Done Organizing visit her website here or read our interview below.‍

Q: How long have you been a professional organizer?

A: I started right before the pandemic in February of 2020, so about 2.5 years.

Q: How’d you get into professional organizing?

A: I was transitioning from being a teacher. I was a teacher for 10 years, but then became a mom at which point being a full time teacher became super challenging. I had always had a knack for organizing – I was always known for having a very organized classroom. Upon having kids I really saw the importance of having everything organized. I really saw that organizing is about more than aesthetics, it also makes you more efficient, especially when you add all the things kids come with.

Q: What’s your favorite type of project to work on?

A: I would say kitchens or pantries. I like that I can do them without the client being right there having to answer questions. I can’t organize a closet for you without knowing things about your favorite clothes to wear. With a kitchen I only need to ask a couple questions like – what do you cook with? what do you use most often? But I can do productive things without having to ask like knowing to put the dishes next to the dishwasher so they’re easy to put away. So there are a lot of things you can do intuitively to make a kitchen run smoothly. Plus you’re in your kitchen all the time, so I feel like there’s really good bang for your buck hiring an organizer to help there.

Q: What’s your favorite memory as a professional organizer?

A: Just a couple of weeks ago we did our first full house in just 2 days. So that was a favorite memory just because I was able to see my business grow. It was a house up north for a client I’ve worked with a lot. There was a lot to prepare: we had to drive two hours and ship a lot of supplies to their house which is in kind of a rural area of Michigan. I had my team of 3 people plus me, and we did the bathrooms, bedrooms, storage rooms, crawl spaces, pantry, and mud room all in 2 days. It was super exciting, and cool to know we could do it in just a couple of days. 

Q: What’s your most unconventional professional organizing tip or trick?

A: A lot of people assume that as a professional organizer I’m going to tell them to keep everything related to a room in that room. So for example, keeping everything kitchen-related in the kitchen. But sometimes that isn’t the most efficient solution. For example, kitchens are such a valuable part of the real estate of the house, we’re always in our kitchens and using them. But sometimes we keep so many things in there that we barely use that we make the kitchen space super inefficient. If you’re only using the turkey baster or the things to make cookies twice a year, then move them somewhere else so that your kitchen has plenty of room. Some people disagree with taking things out of the space they’re supposed to be in, but I’d rather the space you use every day be more efficient. 

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Q: What professional organizing practice do you use most in your own life?

A: I would say labeling. I have three young kids and they know where everything in our house belongs and that’s hugely helpful as a busy mom. It’s also helpful for anyone else who ends up in our household – from nannies to my brothers and parents. When they come over they can find where everything goes. My kids are messy (they’re kids!) but when it’s time to clean up it’s not just me wanting to put things back. Now everyone knows where everything goes, and labels make that happen and keep it that way.

Q: What’s your favorite new professional organizing trend?

A: I would say that the idea of a professional organizer coming to your home is a new trend in and of itself. Two years ago when I started I did a lot more explaining what a professional organizer is than I do now. Between Pinterest and all the Netflix series, there’s a lot of light on my world. I think it’s really great professional organizing is getting more of a spotlight. We’re all not good at everything. I’m not good at a lot of things, but I’m great at organizing. So let me come help you organize. If my dishwasher breaks, I call a dishwasher repairperson to help. It should be the same if you’re unorganized. Just call in a professional to help you out. 

Q: What’s one thing you wish more people knew about professional organizing?

A: I wish that more people knew that it’s very accessible. We save for all sorts of things in our lives. We save for things like art for our walls or new kitchen appliances. But we should also save for something like being organized. If our lives and our homes can run more efficiently, it’s worth the cost. And that’s not just as someone promoting a business. I’ve seen what organization has done for my own family. It’s such an incredible service to have your home in order and can be great for your mental health.

Q: If you weren’t a professional organizer, what else would you be doing?

A: Teaching of some sort. I like the idea of being a life coach as well. Supporting people, cheering from the sideline. I love finding out what’s bogging you down and what we can do to fix that and be in a better space. 

Q: What professional organizing resources would you suggest for our readers?

A: I would suggest using visual aids, they can really go a long way. So rather than just buying a book about organizing, try and get some pictures of really great examples of organizing. I see a lot of books on organizing on peoples shelves, and the shelves themselves are a mess. So I always suggest people look at Instagram and follow professional organizers. It’s really great for inspiration, and I think a lot of people are very visual learners (I know I am!). Also, if something looks good we’re more likely to keep it looking good!

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