Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Kathryn LaVallee.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Mary Kathryn. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started my professional organizing business, OrderUp Design, in May of 2018 when I moved back to Atlanta, Georgia after finishing my Master’s degree in Social Work. Like many young adults, I was ready to take on the world! I had a glorified idea that when I graduated from college, I would easily be able to land a well-paying job because of that college degree. My entire life, the goal was to get through school and go to college, something that was incredibly challenging due to the fact that I am dyslexic. In my head, that meant I would be successful, so when I started to fill out countless job applications, that I felt less than passionate about, only to not even get an email back, I felt defeated. For the first time in my life, I did not have a plan or goal.
I remember vividly, sitting at my desk scrolling through job application that didn’t require a degree, hoping I could score at least an interview when I went to open my resume to try to adjust it one more time and I opened notes from a CE class I had taken months prior on helping clients with hoarding disorder. When the notes popped up, it actually felt like the world stopped for a moment! In the class, they had briefly mentioned professional organizers being part of the process. I thought it was purely a dream job, and thought maybe it could be something I did part-time until I found more permanent work. I spent the next hours researching and reached out to a few organizers to see if they were interested in free help, hoping to get a better understanding on how it worked from a business perspective. A week went by and I didn’t receive a single reply, so I decided to use go for it, what did I have to lose?
I spent the next week reaching out to family friends and offering free organization in exchange for a review and before and after pictures. After the long days of organizing, I spent all night researching marketing techniques, business necessities, and how to build website. After two weeks, I had my obtained my LLC, completed a website I was proud of and was ready to launch my business. The hard work paid off and I landed a few clients that day! After I worked for them, they told their friends. The snowball effect took off and I kept landing new clients and jobs, to the point I was making more a month than any of the jobs I was previously looking to apply for. After two months, I decided to make it my full-time job, and this January I hired my first full-time employee! We have even hung in there through the COVID shutdown, and I am happy to say business is picking back up! While it can be stressful at times, nothing beats doing what you love every single day.
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?
One of the biggest obstacles I face is being a young female business owner. People tend to not take you seriously and think you are going to be bad at your job based on your age. One of my first clients opened the door, looked me up and down, and promptly said, “well…I thought you were going to be older.” Another referred to me on the phone to a friend as “a little girl helping her out around the house”. My first year working, I felt anxiety going to client’s houses, knowing they would most likely be shocked by my age and question my experience and ability before they even gave me a chance to prove myself.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about OrderUp Design – what should we know?
OrderUp Design is a luxury professional organizing service in Atlanta. We specialize in creating tailor systems based on each client’s priorities, personality, and lifestyle. The goal is for the organization system to be logical and easy for the client to follow, enabling them to maintain it longterm. Our professional organizing team primarily works on in home organization and spacial planning. However, we also offer to work with clients directly to help teach them how to be organized in their daily lives.
One thing that truly sets up apart from other professional organizing companies is our foundation for organizing. We believe everyone deserves and can become organized. Many of our clients state they feel scattered brained and overwhelmed when trying to organize on their own. As someone who has diagnosed ADHD, I completely understand! Organizing is a key coping mechanism for combating the daily struggles that ADHD can have on your life, and I love to work with clients to help them achieve organization. With my background being in social work, I take on each client from the perspective of “starting where the client is”, so whether the client is ready for the magazine worthy pantry, or they simply need someone to be their “organizing personal trainer” I am ready to take on the task.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
As crazy as it sounds, I credit being dyslexic to the success I have made today. “Being dyslexic meant every single day, I faced a challenge. But through facing those challenges, I gained tremendous resilience. I owe dyslexia for my unbelievable problem-solving skills and reasoning capabilities. I made it through because every day, from the first day of pre-K to the last day of my master’s program, was equally as challenging, but my determination was continuously growing.”
Organization and dyslexia do not typically go hand-in-hand, it’s actually one of the challenges for many people facing dyslexia. I always knew I was going to do poorly on tests, from elementary school to college my plan was the same! I always stayed organized and as a result, made sure I never missed a homework assignment and took incredible notes. The determination to succeed along with utilizing organization skills is what got me to the point I am at today.
Pricing:
- $45/hour for one organizer
- $80/hour for a team of two organizers
Contact Info:
- Website: https://orderupdesign.com
- Phone: 678-799-5147
- Email: orderupdesign@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orderupdesign/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orderupdesign/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/orderup-design-atlanta
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