From getting paid in eggs to $10,000+ months: 2 years in business with Kim of Rustic Home Organizing (part 2)
“I think I’m getting more long term clients, whereas at the beginning, I had a few more people that wanted to dabble in it— more of the come do my pantry, come do my bathroom.
And I think a little bit of that had to do with the price point I was at. And so now I have a little bit more of a consistent client and I have figured out what my favorite things are, at least right now, and that took time too. That is definitely something that I didn’t learn that first year that took a whole second year to really learn.”
If you have been here for more than two seconds, you know I've been interviewing Kim of Rustic Home Organizing in Portland, Oregon, every year, since she brand new in starting her professional organizing business out. This is her year two recap what she has learned.
Kim has so much wisdom to share. And one of the things that I love is that Kim has stayed really flexible about her business. She has changed when she needed to. She has pivoted when she needed to, she has admitted her mistakes. She has a lot of great lessons for people, whether you are brand new, starting out, or whether you've been in business for a long time.
I always enjoy catching up with Kim. She has a great sense of humor. She's a great person and more than anything, she loves to help other organizers really realize that this is a business that they can start and that they can be a part of.
One of the stories that I loved of Kim was she got a dozen eggs as one of her first payments. And then she moved up to having multiple $10,000 plus months. And that's a part of a journey in organizing—just reminding you that you can start small and then end up big. There are so many ways that you can work this business to make it work for you and to achieve your goals.
This interview originally aired as an episode of the Pro Organizer Studio Podcast. If you would like to listen, You can INSERT PODCAST EPISODE HERE or find us on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you love to listen to podcasts!
Melissa: One of the things we talked about last year when we did this was, what are the perceptions you had your first year that you went, “that was hilarious that I thought that,” like, do you have anything this year that was kind of from a year ago that you're like, man,
Kim: first of all, my very first client ever, I think you got a phone call about four hours into it. I was so in over my head. I had no idea what I, I knew what I, I know how to organize, I've always known how to organize, but I did not know what time was involved, you know, you think, okay, everybody's doing four hour sessions, six hour sessions, great, I'm going to do your kitchen in four hours, your basement in three hours, right? No, that's not it. And now I've pulled everything out and now I don't know what to do, right?
So I have learned how to look at the project objectively and be able to communicate realistically on what we're talking about time wise.
Melissa: One of the common things that happens in our Inspired Organizer group, where we have our coaching thing, where you can ask any question you want.
One of the very common things with newer organizers is like, this kitchen took me 12 hours. Am I a bad organizer? Or like, do I not know how to organize? And everybody will be like, no girl, that's how long a kitchen takes. It just takes a long time.
Kim: That's very real.
I mean, I'm at, I quote, 16 hours minimum now for kitchens. They're a beast. And you figure out what, like bathrooms—those are like black holes of terrible stuff. Yeah, so I definitely have learned how to look at a project. It's really hard to estimate time. I'm right with you on that.
I know you say that all the time. I'm getting better about giving a range because there are some people that it's like, well, if they can't fall into this range, then I just don't want to do it. So I'm really, really trying hard to focus on a range.
Product is another obstacle that 1st year I had products is tough. Product is really, really tough to learn to get over that learning curve of product and knowing what is actually good and what isn't and what's garbage and what isn’t useful. I mean, some of the systems that I see in place for clients, there's no way they're going to be able to keep it up. There's just no way and that's too bad.
So that I've also learned how to realistically approach, so when you've got the busy mom with three boys and can barely keep things going that has their own business, the last thing you're going to do is show them how to roll towels and file fold, right? You're going to come up with a system that will sustain itself.
And so learning how to adjust.
It's not something that just happens overnight. You can be the most amazing organizer in the entire world, but learning how to adapt to other lifestyles is, it takes time and I'm feeling a lot more confident. In that arena.
Melissa: I think being flexible and being able to give a lot of different ideas and being able to look around a house and be like, wow, I can't do the same system that I did for the person last week. Yeah, different.
Kim: This is a whole different ball of wax. Yes, I've also learned that truly with the exception of pantry, some pantries because there are some that are pretty much the same, like the 1990s houses, all of the same pantries around here is making sure I set the expectation that this is a two part job.
This is we're going to do this, and then a week later, we're going to go ahead and put the product in. Whereas before I was trying to get it all done in one day, I would go buy $1,500 worth of products that I was hoping would all work. And then I found myself having to just come back to swap out a couple pieces.
So I've now wasted that time because I'm not charging them for that. That learning curve, giving myself a little bit of grace time to allow for product implementation on that final stage. And then I just, I don't use as much product as I did in the beginning. I'm learning how to utilize as much as we can within the house. And then learning how to use the product that is actually product that is good, not just pretty.
And don't get me wrong. There are plenty of clients that want that nice elevated look and I will go for it and bang it out. But going into each project, not thinking that mindset has been a shift for me as well.
Melissa: What have you learned about clients working with them, and it's not on a product front, but just like the clients that are coming to you now. Have they changed a little bit too? Or do you have kind of the same type of people?
Kim: that I think I'm getting more long term clients, whereas at the beginning, I had a few more people that wanted to dabble in it more of the pantry, come do my bathroom. And I think a little bit of that had to do with the price point I was at. And so now I have a little bit more of a consistent client and I have figured out what my favorite things are, at least right now and that took time too. That is definitely something that I didn't learn that first year that took a whole second year to really learn.
What I enjoy, what caused me to want to throw up when I got home and what caused me to be so excited that I was just like jacked and I couldn't stop talking about it and I would sit on the couch with Chad every night going, Oh my gosh, I just loved today. Like today was so amazing. And then I had those days where I came home and I was an emotional mess and frustrated and like I hated everything about today that did nothing for me, it overstimulated me, I soaked in all of that person's energy and it just like dropped me to the floor and so I'm learning how to navigate to those consultations with clients and looking for those, I don't want to call them red flags, but just things that just might not fit for me.
Melissa: I would call them yellow flags. Have you started to get better about saying no? Like, do you say no to people or do you refer them out to other people? Like, if you have one of those yellow flags.
Kim: Yeah, yeah, I do. I've referred out and I've also told people I don't think they're ready.
Because that's the case too. There are people that will think they're ready and they're not ready. You are not ready. I know you're not ready. And this is why I don't think you're ready. And this is why I want you to work on. And then let's reconvene in a month and see where you're at.
Melissa: How do those conversations go? Tell me a little bit more about that.
Kim: I think they're pretty good. I had one that had a really tough time with it. She got pretty upset, but I held my ground. It was nothing personal and it just, she just wasn't ready. And it's the ones that think that because I'm coming in there and they're going to book four hours that everything's going to be fine.
I have to let them know that is not, everything is not going to be fine. And if we do this is what you're going to have to change. This is a mind shift. This is for those that are really knee deep in crap. Now, it's not a mind shift for the woman that just wants a pretty pantry that we don't have to have those same psychological questions and conversations, but the ones that you walk in and it is total disarray. And I'm not talking hoarders, I'm talking real life just majority real life chaos. Four hours of my time for what you're trying to accomplish and what I'm hearing from you isn't going to work. Sometimes it does, like we talked about that person that's just like, I just need help. I just need you to sit here with me and show me that's a different story.
But the one that wants you to come in and fix all the chaos in four hours. That's just not, it's not going to happen. And so it has to be a, I can do this, but it's going to take a lot more than four hours. And it's going to take you and I talking, it's going to take conversations that I'm going to have to have with your kids.
I really like to talk to the kids one on one from my mouth, not the mom. And the husbands, I like talking to the husbands. I like it when they start to warm up to me and I'm not this stranger walking around, spending their money.
Melissa: a bossy lady coming in with a bunch of bins.
Kim: Yeah, so yeah, like I said, I haven't had to do it a lot, I think three clients I've had to do that. Three of them, two of them were like, you're right, you're right, you're right. And then one of them just wasn't really happy, but that's okay.
Melissa: Yeah, and that's okay because the person that isn't happy, it's a hard conversation to have, but it would be a harder job to do if you just said, okay, and you ignored the feelings that you were having.
Kim: And Melissa, I take pride on my Google reviews. That is another thing I work really hard on. I work really hard on my Google reviews and I just want to tell everybody out there, it is not that difficult. And I pride myself on my five stars and I will never ask for a review unless I think I'm going to get those five stars.
So taking a job that I know is not going to end well, is not going to help either one of us.
Melissa: Tell us a little bit about your Google review game, like how, what, do you have anything that you, any magic solutions, because I know a lot of people come to us and say like, I've asked my clients like a bunch of times and they're not doing it, and what's your magic, magic sauce on that?
Kim: Here's my magic sauce. First of all, I think everybody, well not everybody, the majority of the people overcomplicate it. So there's what,
Melissa: wait, I'm sorry. Are you trying to say that organizers overcomplicate things? That's a craziest thing I've ever heard.
Kim: I know. So first of all, you know that I have had a wild rollercoaster relationship with Dubsado. And we're still dating.
Melissa: Oh, oh, you're back together.
Kim: Aw, yeah. We are dating. It's just casual. Okay, just casual. It's very casual. We are not, like, super deep. We're not exclusive. Yeah, it's friends with benefits, maybe. Um, so, there's so many automations you can do. And I think automating an email to send out for a Google review is a big fat fail.
So I do not do that. I send a text to my client. Usually before I bill them. And it is, oh my gosh, I had so much fun in all. First of all, I go to my Google business. I have copied the link. Everybody has it on their Google business, whatever it's called now. I copied that link and it's in my notes on my phone.
I text my client once the project is done I tell them, and I'm always honest, I loved being in your home today. I was really proud of you for doing X, Y, and Z. And I am so excited to hear how it works for you. Make sure you let me know if there's anything you want tweaked, if there's anything you want to talk about.
And I'm also going to put a link here for a Google review. And I always say Google is a necessary beast in my business and it really helps people find me in the search where I land on the searches, and I would be so grateful if you would just do a quick review.
You don't have to say much. One sentence is fine. And I got 30 reviews last year. Just off a text. Every, I text every single one. Usually they do it immediately. Sometimes I have to do, I will never remind more than twice. They're not giving me a review and it's not because they don't like me. It's just.
They're busy, or they just don't want to do it.
Melissa: That is the key point that I would like to make, because I think a lot of organizers take it personally when someone doesn't do a review, and they'll be like, well, they said they loved it, and they said it has nothing to do with that. Leaving a review is a very separate thing than whether they loved your work, because they probably loved your work, but they might be not wanting to leave a review for a thousand reasons.
Maybe they don't know how, even though you made it easy, they might still not know how. I'm just imagining a lot of people in my life that would be like, wait, what? Like, I don't understand.
Second thing is some people like you do have to put your name out there when you leave a review.Some people are interested in telling people that they had an organizer and you know, letting that information out. Very realistic thing too.
It also could just be, it slipped their mind even though you texted them twice, it slipped their mind. And then you start to be like annoying.
I have been on the receiving end—here was a service I used last year. They did a great job by the way. It was a carpet cleaning service. They did an exceptionally great job. What they failed on is, they spammed me so hard after asking me for a review, that it made me not want to give a review. Right. And like, nobody wants that. So just, I like that, I like that philosophy of two times and then let it go.
Kim: Right. And I just think in this day and age with the phones and the texting, you know, if you're, and Google makes it easy to leave a review from your phone, they make it really easy. So I have had the best luck with that. I have gotten no reviews off any emails I've sent.
It's always been off the text. And. I had one that was just not tech savvy and she said, I won't do that, but you send my information to anybody that wants a verbal review and I will tell them and I use that. I had one other person that wasn't savvy with the Internet. And I said, if you want to talk to my other client, she would love to tell you about her experience.
So, I think getting Google reviews is important. I mean, don't we all. Don't we all look at reviews? Don't we all go to Amazon and look who, who has the five stars and 85,000 comments. I mean, it's just like, we've been trained to think that way. So the reviews are very, very, very important to me.
A huge part of my whole process and I will continue to do that. And I make little goals for myself, you know, like Oh, I want to get, I want to make sure I get five, you know, next month, or I'm going to get two right now. I'm going to reach out to two old clients. I'm just going to get two right now.
I just play little games with myself, but don't overcomplicate it. It's so simple.
Melissa: And again, I'm going to repeat myself. Don't take it personally. If someone doesn't do it it's okay. My guess is that you had more than 30 clients last year. There are clients that did not leave you a review, right?
Like that is okay. And you're not going like, wow, I'm a terrible organizer. Cause the, you know, no, we're going to be real, real happy. By the way, if you can get even 10 reviews, 10 total Google reviews, great. You do not need a million. You do not. No.
Kim: No, no, absolutely not. Again, it goes to find what you want to put your energy towards and just do it.
Tell me a little bit about what your first $10,000 a month felt like.
Kim: Well, it was very bizarre. I didn't see it coming and then I saw it coming and I was like, Oh my gosh, this is actually going to happen. And they're still like, 10 days left in the month and I still have clients booked and I remember that that very first five figure month was like 11,000 and some odd dollars and I'm the youngest of three.
My brother's seven years older than me and my sister's five and I still to this day when I'm around him I feel like I'm two. Like I literally cannot get out of little Kimmy sister mode. I just can't. And I remember I showed Chad, I said, come look at my computer.
This is where Dubsado and I were dating that day. That was, that was a friends with benefits day. They have, yeah, they have a little like chart thing I found. I'm like, oh my gosh, this shows me what I've done. And then I called my brother. And I said, yeah, I said, guess what I did and he was so excited for me and it just was the coolest thing ever. It was very liberating for me after my journey that I've been through the last seven years.
I can feel it as almost like a, like a hit adrenaline hit. Like I was like, I'm going to, I'm going to do this again. And I did it again. And then I did it again. And then I decided that I wanted to just do a monthly dollar goal that I never even thought was achievable. And it's going to be a challenge this year for sure.
I'm going to have to work really hard for it. And there might be some months that might be a little bit lower, but we'll make up for the other months. But as an average it's double what my first and second year I wanted to make every month.
Melissa: when I remember when we first talked a really, really long time ago, you're like, Here's what I have to cover. I have to cover and you had a certain amount of money. Yeah. Like I have to cover this $2,500 a month. That is my key. You wanted to make more than that, but that was your number. And then you realize, I just think that all of us have this point where we realize like our goals can be bigger and yeah, there are.
Again, tradeoffs for that or your reality might not work with that, but
Kim: yes, yes, my first my first year. I think I said it was $4800 a month is what. What would just feel really good to me? And I know somebody listening to this might be like laughing at that dollar amount because it's so low compared to what they make, or that could be something so big, but again, I am, I refuse to hide talking about money.
Cause it's just something that I think we need to do too, as women, but, my now current goal is $8,400 a month is what I need this next year. But also I have one in college and so I, a chunk of that goes to college and then I have one getting married at that I am walking down the aisle and, and so I want to, I'm giving her some money for the wedding as well.
So there's those. And then I am building that studio. So that this year, that number is slightly inflated. I won't do that to myself every year. Give me such a high number. That I work myself to the bone so I can shift that number from year to year, but this year, yeah, it's, it's a little bit high.
I'm gonna have to work really hard, but so far we're doing good.
Melissa: Well, so I'm reading, I'm reading one of our texts. And this is, this was when you were in one of your not so spectacular times. It was after, so after all the good stuff you had November, you have already said was a little tough. And you said, and I directly quote, I will say in the past, this hiccup would have made me drop my rates and bow down to whatever the client wanted just to make some money.
I've been scared to raise my rates and set boundaries with my existing clients, but I'm seeing a trend with all of them. You know, it's time to take back control. And so this was actually, I think like a major breakthrough moment of you of going like, no, I'm staying the course.
And I, I have these goals that I want to reach and I can't sacrifice that because I'm having a momentary situation.
Kim: Yes. Oh my gosh. Thank you for reminding me of that moment. And yeah, I did make some shifts. I, I do take a deposit now. If you book more than one day with me, I take a deposit. It is not the entire amount.
I take a $200 per day deposit. And now I take if product is involved, I take a 100% deposit two weeks before product install of what we are estimating. So if I say I think it's going to be $600 to $800 in product to do your pantry, I take an $800 deposit. To go towards product, anything above that, or I didn't, you know, if, if the product was only $600, I just put it towards the hourly that needs to be due.
So those were a couple of my changes and then I did raise my rates and I love it. I feel so much better about it. So much better about it. You know, carrying the cost of the product, that was a, that was a tough one. I did, you know, I, I did that for two years and there was a lot of juggling and it was I don't recommend that unless you have a really good streamlined system.
I did not. And I think I ate a lot of money, but yeah, so those are just some changes that I made that just felt good. They weren't major, but they felt good and I did it at the right time. That's another thing that I really am proud of myself. I have slowly progressed into being a little bit more my boundaries a little bit more strict, but I did it in my time.
I didn't do it right off the chute where I felt uncomfortable with him. I did it when the time was right.
Melissa: This is another thing that I like to remind people a lot in this conversation, I think really proves it is you do not have to decide on day one, everything you're going to do. You can change it. You change your pricing every five minutes.
Kim: It seems I do.
I might even go on there today. So don't put an inquiry today. If you want to hire me.
Melissa: But you have made the changes that fit with who you are and where you are at that point. And that has actually, I think, helped your confidence is realizing that, Oh, I can change this. I can change it, experiment with it, see what happens. I can switch it back or I can double down on it. There are a lot of options and that flexibility, I think, has made you be able to be successful.
Kim: Yes, absolutely.
Melissa: Tell us a little bit about your favorite client that you've worked with this year.
Kim: This year, I was able to work with a couple ladies in their 70s downsizing and the stories and the humor and the life experiences that they share and the stories behind some of their things that we go through and just how they can laugh so many things off.
And share so much wisdom, I would do that all day long. Absolutely my favorite is to sit there for hours and go through their things with them. Just so rewarding and they have so much appreciation for me. So much appreciation. The things they say when I leave. Life changing. I couldn't have done this without you if it wasn't for you.
And I mean, those are things that we all need to hear. Oh, for sure. So definitely my 70 year old ladies are my favorite.
Melissa: I love that. I think there's something special and, and sometimes it can be really hard, but I think there's something extra special when you help someone downsize, because, there are some things wrapped up in that, right?
Like, You know, there is reality wrapped up in that and there is, you know, the path of life and the journey and all of those things, but it is really special for them to be able to go through their things and have that timeline moment and that you're a part of that. Like, I think that's a real gift of what we do is people invite us into some pretty personal parts of their lives.
I've organized a lot of people's photographs and things like that. And I think sometimes those are even the more personal things that you really see someone's story from beginning, middle and end.
And I, I think it's amazing.
Kim: Yeah, seeing these ladies at you know, I'm sitting in front of them and they're in their 70s and they're showing me pictures of them at 16 with their friends. You know, these old old photos. It's so cool. So cool to see them in a whole different light. Yes. Awesome.
Melissa: Well, and I think that's another example.
Like when I think about one of the projects that I've had that makes me feel like what you're describing that's an example of I just said yes to something that I had no idea how I was going to accomplish. And I just figured it out. It was like this huge digitizing, you know, thing. And I'm like, I'm so grateful that I said yes to that because, and there might be people who are like, Oh, I don't really do senior downsizing.
Maybe you should try it because you might end up deciding it's your favorite thing you’ve ever done, right?
Kim: Yeah. And especially for the solo organizers because they don't want the teams of people in. They can't handle that.
Melissa: What kind of entrepreneur do you think you want to be this year?
Kim:I want to continue to grow my confidence. I want to be a little bit more financially conscious of making sure I'm not a hobby business. I, I really truly don't know. I don't think I'm a hobby. I'm trying not to be a hobby business. But I understand it's really important to look at your financials to see where you're at.
Because I definitely don't want to waste money. But this year is really important for me to create strong relationships with more Women own businesses in my local area. It's very, very, very important to me. It's very passionate part of who I want to be as a business owner. I don't know if that's really going to make me any money, but that's not what it's all about all the time.
That's, I would say that is my ultimate goal this year. It's not so much having to work so hard. I'm finding all the clients, even though I do, but I can, I can do that without overthinking it now at this point. So I really want to work on being a part of of our community. It's, it's important to me.
Melissa: So my word of the year is consistency. And I think that's one of the things that I can say about you watching you over the last two years is through all the peaks and valleys, you are extremely consistent about showing up doing the work. Knowing what work it takes and knowing that there are some hard things that you have to do.
There's hard work you have to do yourself. We all have hard work to do on ourselves. And I just love having seen that consistency really pay off for you. And I remember I told you at the very beginning when you're like, where are they, where are the clients? And I was like, there's going to be a magical day and it happens to all of us.
We're like, all the pieces start to fit together and the wheels start to turn. And like, it starts to happen and. But that happens through consistency and you have done that work. And I think it's, it's really awesome to see.
Kim: And if you would have told me that networking, was going to be my main source of finding my clients, I would have laughed in your face.
I think I had this picture of networking as going into a room with a bunch of people in high heels and suits, and that is not what networking has to be. It can be so many different. Things and it can be accomplished in so many different ways. So, if that is something that interests someone else, figure out a way to make it work for you.
I'm not always the one in the room that wants to talk, but on social media, I can go 1 on 1 messaging so simply and effortlessly and that I realized was networking as well. There are lots of ways to network.
And a lot of people, maybe they're going to get their business from Google ads.
I don't want to do Google ads anymore. I did try them for a while and it just. I didn't, I don't want to do that anymore. I wish I was better at like the pretty marketing emails. That is one thing that I wish I just had an influx of money to be able to pay somebody to do that for me.
But again, it takes off, takes that personal aspect away of my voice. So that is something I need to work on as well as just tweaking my newsletter a little bit. To make it a little more aesthetically pleasing, I think.
Melissa: And two years ago, you I guarantee would have not been saying like, Oh, I'm going to, you would have been really, really, really scared of how do I do it? And how do I put it together? And how that like, wouldn't be talking about I need to make it pretty. You would have been worried about a lot of different other things. And so that is growth too.
Kim: Like the things that look different. Exactly. Well, the growth happened is that I can now get on there and I can piece together an email and I can get it sent out.
No, all the links might not work. No, it might not be pretty, but I can do that. And now I can go on to a blog. Thanks to you. You have helped me with these two things, but I can go on and I can create a blog and I don't overthink the blog. Now, if I want to talk about something that really isn't even organizing related, I just do that.
It's getting that consistency, getting yourself to do that action, and I think then it just will get better in time, just like my networking, just like my organizing. Everything will just get better in time.
Melissa: Practice. And that's all there is to it. Yeah. So I know the answer to this but could the person that I talked to in January of 2022 imagine the person that you are right now?
Kim: Absolutely not. No freaking way, if you would have told me at the end of year two. What I would have done like the money that I made in year one versus the money I made in year two and the growth in my confidence and just people knowing about me, knowing what I do the people I've met, the relationships I've made starting to build a studio on my property.
I mean, it's crazy. Absolutely nuts. Absolutely.
Melissa: I absolutely love it and I'm just excited to be along for the ride, and I appreciate that I have been invited, a neighbor in your roller coaster car. Okay. So we're going to be doing this 20 years from now. Is that your solemn vow? Or maybe could we just promise on January of next year?
Kim: I think we're going to shoot for January of next year, and I would love to do 20 years from now, but probably won't even be podcast then.
There'll be some other weird thing that we'll do.
Melissa: Well, I'll be like, just be able to talk out in the universe or something. Right.
Kim: Yeah. But yes, for sure next year. After I probably apply for maybe one or two jobs during the year, but I'll be
Melissa: You have to have a yearly breakdown.
It's fine. It's part of the process. One of the things that I am hoping gets invented in the next 20 years is some sort of teleporting because I would love to be able to sit there and raise a glass of wine and cheers to you because I am very, very, I have loved seeing your journey every second of it.
Kim: So thank you. And do you want to know something else really cool? I just realized the other day I missed my business birthday. Cause I was so busy. That's awesome. I know. Isn't that crazy? I would have never thought that I would actually, Oh my gosh, I passed my business birthday and forgot about it.
Melissa: Missed your business birthday because you were too busy.
Kim: I was too busy.
Melissa: I love that. I really am proud of you. You're awesome. And I really hope you're proud of yourself.
Kim: I am proud of myself. I know I have a lot I have to accomplish still, and I know that I have to keep moving. I can't slow down. And sometimes that overwhelms me, but I'll do it. I'll get there. Yes, you will. Yeah. The end. Thank you.