"Don't chase a client" and more first-year business lessons from a successful entrepreneur

How did you get into the home organization business?

I was the director of a rehab hospital, and a physical therapist. I worked in a more corporate world. 

In 2021, many people were spending more time at home. Marie Kondo and the Home Edit were larger names that put home organizing on the map as a career. I'd either be at a friend's house or my sister-in-law's house, and before you knew it, I’d have the cabinets emptied and I'd be like, ‘Wait, why are your plates here?’

Some people can have a difficult time parting with things. The skill and art of getting someone from a cluttered space to a more organized and intentional one came easy to me and brought me joy. So I spoke with my husband, put pen to paper with ideas, and launched.

What QuickBooks products do you use?

I use QuickBooks Online for all of my invoicing. I learned on the fly, so I'm sure there's more depth to the program that I haven't tried. That's one of the limitations when you’re the only employee. I can’t go explore QuickBooks for a bit and report back.

What other digital tools do you use in your business? 

I use the LTK affiliate program. I use Instagram for marketing and content creation. And then I have a website that acts as a landing page. It's an area that I'm looking to improve‌ on. But as a startup, it just wasn't my initial focus. My portfolio is in my Instagram feed.

Do you use artificial intelligence or GenAI in any of your work?

I do start with ChatGPT to create a rough draft of a social post and then revise from there. It’s been helpful for creating captions when my brain is mush¹.

Do you spend more time doing your job or running the business?

I spend more time doing the job for sure, but it's not lost on me that running the business takes time. There's social media, marketing, invoicing, and that’s after a six-hour day shopping for and working with a client.

Have you faced any financial hurdles?

This job can be seasonal. It slows down through the holidays. During those slow times, I have to be prepared. What helps is that it’s only me — if I had a team that depended on me, that would add to my stress. That’s another reason I’m a solopreneur right now.

Have you made plans for the next several years, or are you just taking it as it comes?

I’m taking it as it comes. I think I’m going to stay a solopreneur, but I have a very open mind. I would love to collaborate or develop an item with a big brand. It'd be cool to try to bridge a gap, or fill a need in the industry.

What advice would you give other entrepreneurs just starting out?

Don't wait for the perfect moment. And you never have it all figured out. The people you look up to, you may think they have it all figured out, but they’re in the same space you are. Stay open to learning. Have a mentor and a community you can reach out to and use as a sounding board as you evolve. I had two business coaches when I started, and they were super helpful. I was able to‌ grow quicker with some of the advice and wisdom that they gave me early on.

What was the biggest lesson you learned in your first year?

The biggest lesson that I learned in my first year was to try everything. Don't say no to anything. There's no job that's beneath me. I just focused on the client in front of me, and making them happy. 

What's something you learned this year as compared to that first year?

Don't chase a client. The right person will find you. Not everyone is a fit. If someone has a 10,000 square foot house and they're trying to move in a week, I'm just one person. So that's a very quick referral for me. I think I can refer people out better today than I could when I started.

Why did you name your company Olienna Home?

The name comes from my two daughters' names, Olivia and Sienna. They're the reason I started this business. My one daughter said, ‘Hey mom, you don't seem happy doing what you're doing.’  So I made a transition to something that really makes me tick. 

Describe yourself in three words…

I would say I'm compassionate, I’m a connector, and I'm a helper.

What perspectives do you bring to your job from your life? 

I lost my dad when I was 14. I tried to control my environment early on, to cope with a lack of control in other areas of my life. But at a young age, his death also instilled in me that things are only things, and we're not here forever. So I choose to live my life not always managing items.

I find that the fewer items you have, the more of you there is to go around. Depending on the client, I try to add that into our sessions, so they might have a little bit of an a-ha moment.

When your kids have 50 shoes as they're growing, then you have 50 pairs that you have to weed out as they grow. Instead, you could try to capsule their wardrobe a little bit more.

How does running your own business make you feel?

More often than not, it fills me with joy. I’m proud that I built something of my own, but running your own business can be challenging. You can be your worst critic. You can get stuck with impostor syndrome. Certainly, the good outweighs the bad. There are stressful days for sure, but I'm content. And I think because this is a second career, I have clear boundaries.

Have you ever had a client where you walked into their house and were just like, No, I can’t fix this. How do you handle that?

If someone's a true hoarder, I would definitely refer onwards, because there are a lot of levels to that and psychology that's involved. I've walked into situations where it's a large job, and I have to be very clear upfront about expectations, and costing. As long as you set expectations up front, it’s OK. 

When you're having a tough day, who or what inspires you to keep going?

My family—they're my reason. They're my sounding boards. I also like to tell myself this is a luxury business, and I'm not doing open heart surgery. If my biggest issue is that the Container Store doesn't have a product or something, that’s a workable issue. And ‌when I manage client expectations, I try to overcommunicate throughout the process so there are no issues.

¹Disclaimer: AI is not intended to replace professional advice. Always consult with a professional regarding your particular business needs.