Today we’d like to introduce you to Becky Avery
Hi Becky, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Thank you so much for featuring Kickstand Services! My name is Becky Avery. I grew up in Marietta and have lived here all my life. I am a typical firstborn with six siblings and a large crew of nieces and nephews. I have a beautiful family of grown-up kids. And, yes, that makes me an empty-nester, or as I prefer, a bird-launcher!
How I got here? Lots of twists and turns, but the bottom line is: I finally got tired of telling myself, “Wait.” I’m not a resolutions kind of girl, but in January, I declared that this year, I would get to know myself. Finally free of so many obligations, I wanted to figure out who I am and what I want (other than endless bowls of Mexican cheese dip, anyway).
I knew I had it in me to do this intimidating self-discovery work, and, like a dark, messy closet that felt too crowded with junk I didn’t need, I felt overwhelmed. I wasn’t sure where to start. After a few weeks of getting nowhere, I realized I had to tackle this self-inventory like one of my organizational projects: pull everything out, examine it, assign value, let go of what wasn’t working, and restructure what was left. That gave me a ton of courage. Because I know I am really, really good at organizing!
So, to that end, I began to look at everything my life was about. I sorted out the things that weren’t working for me anymore (like perfectionism and expectation) from the things that do work for me (like the joy I feel at problem-solving and the satisfaction of having completed a project on my own. Also, clean closets. Definitely clean closets). As I focused more on what gave me purpose or what I was good at, I began feeling less anxious about letting go of the things in my life that I didn’t want.
Suddenly, it became clear that my very safe but unfulfilling full-time job was on the wrong side of the Pros and Cons list. With encouragement from those who know me best, at the age of 58, I walked away believing that my skills could be more beneficial in other ways. I leaned in and founded Kickstand Services, a home organization company that helps others dig through their messes and create a more organized and peaceful life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Other than leaping off of the Corporate Train and potentially destroying my 401k, it’s been a breeze!
Seriously, my biggest obstacle was myself. Security is a strong and comfortable bedfellow, right? It’s taken me a long time to learn to value my own abilities. When I finally began to understand what my “why” was, I wrote it down in a big bold list and hung it on my wall. I look at that daily.
The other major challenge I face is helping people understand what we do and how we can help.
It’s fairly easy to recognize the stress that our jobs or relationships create, but it’s much harder to realize how much we add to that stress by the length of our To Do lists and how we live at home. Did you know that clutter can trigger low-grade flight or fight reaction? And, if this is where you live – with papers on every counter, for example – you are living in that fight-or-flight state. It’s so stressful!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
It’s super personal to invite someone into your mess. I talk to women who believe they are supposed to be excellent wives, mothers, and homemakers while also maintaining their fitness, financial, and family objectives. I talk to women entrepreneurs who don’t have time to enjoy their lives because after they’ve worked a 60-hour week, there are still things that need to get done. I talk to folks who no longer invite friends over because they are embarrassed that “the house is always such a mess.” We all get it, don’t we?
I think one of the things that sets us apart is our compassion. There is Zero Judgment here. If you don’t know how to declutter or if you’re having trouble getting through your To Do list, you just need help. And if we have learned anything about mental health and life satisfaction in the last twenty years, we’ve learned that there is no shame in needing help!
I am most proud of our clients, honestly. They are the ones doing the hard work. They are the ones who have reached out and said, “I’m not good at this. It’s too much. Can you help?” That’s hard!
I’m also proud of the community we are building. I believe we are meant to help and encourage each other. If I need to shop for something sparkly, I ask my friend, Bridget, to help me. If I need to do math, I reach out for my husband’s assistance. If I need encouragement, I call my sister. It’s about recognizing where we can contribute to another person’s peace.
There are so many ways that Kickstand Services can help, it’s hard to list them all. For example, we currently work with an independent senior whose adult children live out of town. She doesn’t need medical assistance; she just needs help with her computer or her phone, loading things into her car, staying on top of groceries, and small household projects around her house. We swing by a couple of times a week to help and to give those “kids” reassurance that their Mama is well. I also have a real estate client who just relocated her office to her home. We’ve been working together to get the absolute most out of the space she has. (Ever turn a linen closet into a document assembly station?) We have a couple downsizing their home – lots of decluttering happening there. Oh! And last month, we created a travel itinerary for a pair of sisters who were headed off on a trip of a lifetime. They just didn’t have the extra bandwidth to research points of interest or unique excursions.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Leaving a paid position to launch my own business was pretty high risk. Some people might even say it’s crazy! And yet, after all that soul searching, not doing what I felt called to do seemed equally risky.
I believe that I am here to do good work. Truly embracing my God-given talents, what I’m good at, makes my life joyful! I think about all the time I “should” myself, thinking I “should” be better at this or that. I wasted so much energy trying to be a square peg and, in the end, I risked the most precious thing I have: my time. Maybe it’s a symptom of aging, but I don’t want to waste my time anymore. It all goes by so fast, doesn’t it? I only have so much sand in my hourglass!
It’s okay if sorting out pantries isn’t your thing. It’s okay to need an extra pair of hands. It’s okay to be overwhelmed by an upcoming project! If you are good at these things, hear me: GO, GIRL! Get it done! But if you’re someone who needs help in these areas, if you’re tired of living in flight or fight mode, if you are looking ahead to your (or your parents’) downsize, check us out.
Save the sand in your hourglass for the good stuff. Lean on Kickstand Services for the rest.
Pricing:
- $65/hour
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kickstandservices.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kickstandservices/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564423410269
