Meet Shannon Loe of Live With Less in Midtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Loe.

Shannon, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
At an early age, I discovered my desire for everything to have a place. My books were displayed by height, my bedroom closet was organized, and the stickers in my sticker book were categorized, and so on. I enjoyed rearranging my parents’ furniture and discovering other options for the space, removing all of the items from the kitchen cabinets so I could display them like a store’s shelves, neatly arranging my family’s shoes in the hall closet. You get the idea.

Fast forward through those formative years. I graduated from South Dakota State University with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a minor in psychology, and then worked in education (university and adult literacy settings) for 15 years. All the while, I possessed an innate knack for organizing, rearranging and paring down.

Not surprisingly, I’ve been the go-to person to help friends and family with organizing, downsizing, unpacking, sorting, and donating. I’ve even turned my simplifying/organizer’s eye on myself. Two cross-country moves instigated getting rid of most of my belongings, which was an opportunity (and a challenge) to evaluate/assess/determine which items were the most important for me to keep and which items I could easily donate or sell on Craigslist.

These opportunities were breadcrumbs along a trail toward starting my own business as a professional organizer. I was really good at helping people pare down the items they owned and organizing what remained, and I realized that not everyone knew how to do this. When I took part in a photo organizing workshop presented by a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) Georgia Chapter, she invited me to attend a NAPO meeting. After that meeting, I knew I had found my answer. I met and networked with successful entrepreneurs, who were helping clients get organized. It was exactly the push I needed to shove me far outside my comfort zone and into entrepreneurship.

Throughout the years and through these experiences, I’ve learned that clear, calm spaces offer room to breathe and creativity to flow. Indirectly, clear spaces also allow people to focus on what matters, whether it’s time with family and friends, time to focus on a new business venture, or time to explore new hobbies. Sharing my ideas and knowledge helps my clients gain control of their lives, remove the chaos, experience the joy of letting go and clear space for what matters to them. It’s a win-win situation!

Great, 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?
When I started my professional organizing business in January 2014, it was a huge leap of faith. Even though entrepreneurship runs in my family, I had absolutely no desire to be a small business owner. NONE! However, as I became less and less happy in my career, I knew I needed to make a huge change or risk slowly dying on the vine.

Once I jumped, there was no turning back! But it hasn’t been easy. Balancing work and life has been a huge challenge because I work more hours than a regular 9:00-5:00 job, so I need to make a conscious effort to make time for me and my relationships. Three years in and I’m still trying to find and maintain balance.

Guess what I titled 2017? My year of… you guessed it …balance.

Please tell us about Live With Less.
Live With Less is a professional organizing business that specializes in helping people clear their clutter and change their relationship with their stuff. I work one-on-one with clients to create a sanctuary – a home that doesn’t stress them out, but instead fills them with joy. It’s about creating breathing space and letting go of things that don’t serve them. We also discuss mindful purchasing and viewing their stuff from a fresh perspective.

I’ve been given the opportunity, time and time again, to help change people’s lives and their relationship to their things. I’m incredibly passionate about helping people ditch the stuff that’s not serving them and create a retreat they will love to come home to.

What’s most gratifying for me is hearing what an impact my work has had my clients’ lives. Here are a few things clients have said to me recently:

“My house finally feels like my home.”
“I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for me!”
“What we did in a day would have taken me five years.”
“I had no idea where to start, and you have been a lifesaver.”
“Thank you! My closet has never looked this good!”

I mean, c’mon – how awesome is that?!? Having the ability to make such a difference in people’s lives is so rewarding. I love my job!

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
When I was growing up, my family was really close. We genuinely enjoyed spending time together (and still do), so we played a lot of board and card games, worked on jigsaw puzzles, played football in the backyard, shot more rounds of golf than I could ever count, and ran in circles around the dining table while the theme from Zorba the Greek blared from the record player. Those times taught me that experiences are more important than stuff, and I’m eternally grateful.

Contact Info:

• Website: LiveWithLessLLC.com
• Phone: 404-808-4086
• Email: Shannon@LiveWithLessLLC.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livewithlessllc/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/live-with-less-atlanta