Audrey Lavine, CPO®
Life•Support Systems - New York, NY - www.LifeSupportSystems.biz
President, Board of Certification for Professional Organizers - www.certifiedprofessionalorganizers.org
Member, National Association of Professional Organizers
1. How long have you been a professional organizer?
I started doing business as Life Support Systems in 1988 so that puts me in my 21st year. I guess that means I’m legal now.
2. What inspired you to become a CPO®?
I’ve been involved in the effort to create a certification program since it began in 1997. Being a Professional Organizer is sort of like being an actor – anyone can say they are one, but that doesn’t mean they are necessarily good at it or even experienced in any tangible way. As more and more people are attracted to this new industry, I wanted to champion the effort to make sure the seasoned professional could be distinguished from the novice. There is a large population that still does not know what a Professional Organizer is. When I first started in business, I had some large corporate clients who were not comfortable with the fact that I had no traditional training or credentials. Those days are over now that I’m a CPO®.
Of course, not being certified does not automatically make one less of a Professional Organizer. Some long-time organizers who have transitioned out of hands-on client interaction, or those who are highly specialized, may choose not to become certified. This does not mean they are any less professional, experienced or talented than those who are certified, but the CPO® mark does give some distinction for the consumer who can’t decide who to hire.
3. What is the most common organizing project you’re hired to do?
I love being a generalist, because my clients are all very different. I work with a lot of entrepreneurs and artists navigating space constraints, living and working in cramped NYC apartments, studios and offices. So I guess the common thread is too much stuff in too little space, usually aggravated by too little time and not knowing how to break it all down into manageable systems.
4. What is the most common organizing challenge people have?
Getting started. Without a natural ability to organize, with no systems in place, people often can’t make the decisions that present themselves so that things pile up to the point where they’re intolerable.
5. If you had to pick ‘your’ biggest organizing challenge, what would it be?
After a long day of organizing with a client, I don’t want to do it for myself when I get home! As a “recovering clutterer,” sometimes I become my own worst client. I come from a long line of craftswomen, so I have a large array of knitting, quilting, beading materials that demand my visual attention. And yes, I have piles of papers, too, but they are organized! Oh, and a colleague gave me a sign for my office that says, “Stop me before I volunteer again!” So just like my clients, it’s time, space and stuff.
6. What one tip would you give to people who are trying to get organized?
It probably took a significant period of time for things to get the way they are, so don’t think you can solve it in an hour or a day. Be gentle with yourself and just start by doing a little at a time until you get in the groove. Start with something you can actually accomplish, something that will make your “now” better. Don’t worry about things that used to be important or might be important in the future, focus on what is important to you today.
7. What one tip would you give to people who are thinking about becoming a Professional Organizer?
It is serious and gratifying work, but it’s not easy. Just because you love to organize things or are naturally organized yourself does not necessarily mean it’s the right job for you. Imagine that you speak one language and your client speaks another. In order to effect change in their situation, you need to find a way to communicate in their language and hopefully to eventually teach them some of yours. Aside from knowledge of industry best practices, it takes patience, understanding, and communication skills beyond language until a common vocabulary is found and what you know can be transferred to the client. I started my business with a partner who left the profession after a year because she couldn’t stand that our clients were so disorganized. She realized that she was only interested in organizing, not learning the language of someone who did not yet have the skills.
8. How can potential clients get in touch with you?
www.LifeSupportSystems.biz- Email: Audrey@LifeSupportSystems.biz - Phone: 212.362.4228
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