Dream Jobs: Personal Organizer
For many in Washington, D.C., and Maryland, Kay Keyhani of Tidy Paradise is their personal Marie Kondo.
LEARN MOREPosted: 8:24 p.m. EDT Mar 29, 2023
If your home is orderly, the idea of sorting and labeling your stuff isn’t new. But there seems to be an increase of more people interested in becoming the Monica Gellars of the world — through organizing.
On social media videos of people organizing their pantries, drawers and removing their food from boxes and putting them into labeled clear containers has created millions of posts on social media with the hashtag #organization.
A video of Khloe Kardashian stacking up cookies in her cookie jar in an orderly fashion has received over six million views.
"People always ask, do I replace them every time someone eats them. No. I’m not crazy. I’m just organized," Kardashian said.
Amy Tokos, founder of Freshly Organized and president for the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, said the industry has drawn drastic interest in recent years from when she started her own company in 2008.
"When I started, it was almost an embarrassment to say that you needed help with this. And now it's almost like 'I have a professional organizer.' So, it's almost a badge of honor to say 'I have someone helping me do that,'" Tokos said.
She says especially during the pandemic, professional organizing companies were getting more inquiries, website traffic and scheduling more appointments than ever before.
She adds social media has inspired many to straighten out their home.
"Instagram has done a lot for what's in it because people like things that look appealing," she said.
More than ever, people are entertained by watching people organize. TV shows like Tidying Up with Marie Kondo have inspired people to declutter their spaces. And the Home Edit has made color coordinating, backstocking and labeling must-haves for any closet.
Tokos says not only does an organized space look aesthetically pleasing, but a decluttered space inspires a decluttered mind.
It can also help your wallet.
"It saves money. That's a huge one because people don't buy more than what they need and they know what they have and they have systems set up to replenish things they run out of," Tokos said.
However, Tokos warns that if you’re thinking of organizing, to not be overwhelmed with the content of polished perfection – and adds it’s unrealistic for everybody to create those spaces and maintain them.
As for the future of organizing, Tokos says one thing is crystal clear — the industry is continuing to thrive and has no signs of slowing down.
