cleaning – The Woman Wednesday Blog

Woman Wednesday: Camila

June 3, 2020June 8, 2020Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged advice, blogging, Canada, Christianity, cleaning, journal, Marie Kondo, news, organization, organize your life, organizer, organizers, organizing your life, travel, truth, Uruguay, womenLeave a comment

*Note: Woman Wednesday is a part of our blog. Each Woman Wednesday post will feature a woman who would like to share information in the hopes of inspiring and motivating other women. Comments are welcome below.

Q and A with Camila, Uruguay–>Montreal, Canada

“Sometimes, I just want to stay in my comfort zone and ignore what might help me and my business grow. However, the outcome is so positive that you will be proud of yourself.“

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: My passion is to help people live a simpler life. As a professional organizer, I love to bring solutions to clients’ spaces by decluttering and organizing in a way that is functional and aesthetically pleasant.

Growing up, I admired my dad’s taste in interior design (he was a notary though) and my mom’s sense of minimalism. I hadn’t heard of my profession until 2016 when I read Marie Kondo’s book and started researching about it. I studied to become a Certified Professional Organizer at POC (Professional Organizers in Canada), and I quit my full-time job as a daycare teacher to open my company Tidy Up.Solutions in Montreal.

I also combined my two passions—teaching and organizing—by teaching workshops to kids and adults.

I can’t wait to go back to clients’ homes! But in the meantime, I am giving webinars and virtual organizing sessions.

Photography credit: Laurence Campbell

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I grew up in a beautiful tiny country with the best beaches in South America! Uruguay. I’m the second oldest of 6 kids. Both of my parents had full-time jobs, and my house was always in order. Yes, believe it or not. But I’ll tell you why: First of all, we didn’t have any clutter at all—very few toys and clothes. Secondly, we had help at home, so when my parents arrived from work, the laundry was done, dinner was ready, and the house was clean. What a privilege!

I got married in 2006, and one year later, I moved to Montreal, Canada, to study and have the experience of living abroad. Life is different here in many ways. Having help at home is not as common and a lot more expensive. I always thought of having 6 kids, but 3 is a good number.

Having an organized home is key for living with less stress and more joy.

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Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: In 2016, I knew I wanted to become an organizer. But there was an inner thought that didn’t let me ‘jump in the water’ for two years.

That was fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of ‘what if…’; what if I fail?; what if no one hires me?; what if I suck?; what if I don’t make money and have to go back to my previous job?…etc.

I learned and I am still learning to confront and overcome my fears. It’s not easy. Sometimes, I just want to stay in my comfort zone and ignore what might help me and my business grow. However, the outcome is so positive that you will be proud of yourself.

Believe in yourself and work hard.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: For me, feminism is having the same rights and opportunities as men.

Thank you for reading!

I’d love to connect with you!

Click here to connect and check out my site.

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Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Ashlee

November 27, 2019Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged business, business blog, clean, cleaning, cleaning services, Inspirational, inspire, woman, woman blog, woman crush wednesday, woman empowerment, woman in business, woman wednesday, woman's story, women, women and sports, women blog, women crush wednesday, women in business, women wednesday, womens blogLeave a comment

Q and A with Ashlee, Boca Raton, Florida

“When you have the strength to ask for help, you will see how far you can go.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: Passion is what makes you persevere through setbacks, unhappiness, and fear of failure to achieve your dreams. It is the core drive of your motivation. There are two things I am passionate about: mediation and yoga. I love practicing yoga because the act of relaxation makes me remember what I value the most in life: happiness and independence. Unfortunately, with so much clutter in today’s society, it is hard to concentrate on your mental health. The reason I enjoy cleaning is that I become less stressed and breathe again. When I clean, I create a welcoming environment every time someone walks into that home. As Marie Kondo says, “The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment.”

Currently, I am working on optimizing google analytics for my home cleaning business, Aurora Professional Cleaning Services. I started out naive about online marketing. However, by studying educational courses and reaching out to seasoned veterans, I am becoming more confident knowing I can be a strong business owner. When you have the strength to ask for help, you will see how far you can go.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: My parents, extended family, and friends were very supportive of me and my younger sister growing up. I am grateful for the experiences my parents provided for me. We had Sunday family dinners and neighborhood pizza nights. I would volunteer at church and school events. I would attend local small-town fairs and support local businesses. It is about family. My father was my soccer coach, which grew my love for sports and friendly competition. And my mother was constantly dedicated to her career, which I admired.

I was fortunate to have traveled around the world to learn about different cultures and my own ancestry in Norway and Sweden. After graduating from Kean University with a B.A. in communications/public relations, I backpacked across Scandinavia–couch-hopping at family and friend’s homes, learning about how I became who I am today. It was an eye-opening experience that will forever be imprinted on me. Plus, it was an amazing experience before I started building my career and life in Southern Florida.

Pictured below are some photos from homes that utilized Ashlee’s Aurora Professional Cleaning Services.

Q: What is something valuable you’ve learned that you’d like others to know?

A: There are TWO valuable lessons I have learned through building this cleaning company. One, create homemade products. Keeping it eco-friendly is a safe way to clean and live because you know exactly what you are touching every day. Plus, combining your own ingredients is cost-efficient. Yes, sometimes you need brand name products, but consider DYI first and foremost.

Two, do NOT sell your services for less than you are worth. There are too many stories, some of my own, that after the service is done, you do not ask for enough money. This is a physical labor service, so take pride in your work and make sure you let the clients know it is about quality. Since each job is different, I have learned to pay yourself by the situation NOT by the hour. The person behind my rise in confidence to become an entrepreneur told me, “Give me 1% of your trust, and I will prove the other 99%.”

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Feminism is about having the opportunity to speak up and have a choice without fear of animosity. Women should hold their heads high with respect for themselves and value the strengths of other women. Feminism means (to me) there are no boundaries, we are all human. One of my favorite songs/quotes is by John Lennon–

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you will join us, and the world will live as one.”

I’d love to connect with you!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/auroraprocleaning

Instagram: www.instagram.com/aurora_pro_cleaning

Website: www.auroraprocleaning.com

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Marie

November 6, 2019November 7, 2019Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged blogger, Charlotte, Charlotte North Carolina, Charming, Charming Charlotte, cleaning, decluttering, generosity, give back, healing, inspirational woman, inspire, inspire others, North Carolina, organization, organizer, organizers, organizing blog, organizing your life, pinterest, timeLeave a comment

Q and A with Marie, Charlotte, North Carolina

“We live in a self-absorbed society where it’s all about the selfie. It’s natural to think about ourselves because we are human, but we must fight that urge and continue to put others before ourselves. Live in your gifts; when you do, service will come naturally.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: Organizing is my passion or like my obsession. I’ve loved doing it since being a kid; my room was always neatly organized. It’s something that’s always come naturally to me. After having kids, I started realizing I wasn’t living in my gifts and set out to figure out how I could best utilize them. That’s when I discovered blogging and how I could teach others to get organized. I truly believe life is better lived when you are organized. It’s my mission to help women live a better life by being organized. Currently, I’m working on a meal planning course to help women save time, eat healthier, and live better.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: Fargo, North Dakota, is the place I call home (even though I no longer live there), it’s where I was born and raised and wouldn’t change a thing. The roots and people there taught me the importance of hard work and humility. These principles are the foundation of who I am today. My parents taught me many things, including never give up and the importance of having an education because no one can ever take that away from you. I am the oldest of three girls, and we all graduated from college from the same university. Sports were a big part of our lives growing up; there was a sporting event almost every weekend throughout the year. Sports taught us to be resilient and how to work with others because when you get out into the ‘real world,’ that’s what life is all about.

Q: What is something valuable you’ve learned that you’d like others to know?

A: When you are serving others is when you will truly find success. We live in a self-absorbed society where it’s all about the selfie. It’s natural to think about ourselves because we are human, but we must fight that urge and continue to put others before ourselves. Live in your gifts; when you do, service will come naturally. Also, live out of your comfort zone, nothing great comes from there. If it scares you, you are on the right track. Keep showing up, do the work, consistency matters. Everything will fall into place.

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Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Feminism to me means going for your dreams—no matter how big they are and to not let anyone or anything tell you differently. It’s also standing up for what you believe in regardless of others’ opinions.