Business Name: Room To Breathe
Profession:
Home Organizing
Years in Business: 2
Website: www.roomtobreatheorganizing.com
Phone: 604.834.1618
Email: emily@roomtobreatheorganizing.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roomtobreatheorganizing/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roomtobreatheorganizing/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilycherin/
Describe the perfect referral.
Seniors who are downsizing and need help sorting, purging, organizing, packing, orchestrating move, settling in to new home.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Unequivocally: famous, an actor.
What has been the most important aha moment for you in your career?
Usually it happens when I’m in the midst of the work. All of a sudden I realize I am profoundly happy, peaceful, on fire and focused. It’s an incredible feeling. I am in the zone. Recently, In the process of a large downsize project I took note that I was loving this particular niche of the organizing profession. Managing all the moving parts from beginning to end, seeing the fruits of months of labor was deeply gratifying and reinforcing.
In addition to building a thriving business, what’s important to you?
Laughing. Laughing. Laughing. Personal and spiritual growth, Laughing, my health, public story telling or simply being on stage being me, and my extraordinary friends.
What do you hope to learn in the coming year?
A lot about A lot
For the blog:
How did you get started?
I started organizing as an extension of a home cleaning business I used to own: Immaculate Projection. I was hired by an IBM executive in NH from the website Thumbtack. She was a huge crafts person and hired me to help her rethink and re-organize her art studio. The entire process was amazing. I had no idea I was capable of doing this. When I moved to Jersey City and began working for Task Rabbit in NYC I spent most of my time in and out of incredible closets all around Manhattan, organizing them. I LOVED it.
After a few years as an organizer for Task Rabbit, a very savvy single mom and client said to me, “why don’t you go out on your own.” And I said, “yeah..why don’t I go out on my own.”
Is it something you’ve always wanted to do or has it evolved? Anecdotes are great.
It never occurred to me that this is what I would be doing. I went to school to literally become a talk show host.
What services do you provide?
I will organize all home living spaces.
I provide daily living support for busy people
I help people prepare for big and small moves
I can orchestrate the entire move or simply the preparation for a move
I help people pre and post construction
I have long-time weekly and monthly clients as well as one shot wonders.
Any favorites or specialties?
I love the variety of my work, and really love each new project. I love the challenge of the giant downsize project and the hyper focus of let’s just make this closet work as well as the personal assistant/errand running work. Each type of work and client feed a different part of my creativity. It’s all very fulfilling.
What makes your business stand out amongst your competitors?
I make my business stand out. I am really my brand. There is no other Emily. With me you get deep commitment. I am thinking about the client and the job from the second they make contact to well after the job is done. I have great integrity, intuition, creativity, sensitivity, ingenuity and seriously good humor.
What makes you different?
With my most recent client, 95 year old Bernie I was aware throughout the process that his immediate family wanted nothing to do with helping him. After I had moved him into his new home; a postage stamp in a senior living center in contrast to his 25 years in a full house, I wanted to make sure that he was okay; that he didn’t simply feel dropped off and that was the end of my job; see ya. Thanks for the work. So the next morning I called him and told him I wanted to come for a visit. I went to TJ Maxx and bought him two pillows, a hamper and a number of really beautiful fake plants. He knew I was coming for a visit but had no idea I would be bearing gifts along with the pillows and hamper that I knew he needed. He was so surprised and touched, as I knew he would be. This was so important to me; that he feel loved.
What type of business/customers/clients are you seeking?
I am seeking people that are downsizing particularly from big homes in the area.
Any mentors or inspiration along the way?
Everyone in this room. I am inspired and invigorated every week; Always revived. What I have witnessed, heard, learned has been invaluable and immeasurable. The people in this room have helped to solidify what has always been the core of me and how I was raised. This group has elevated my confidence and commitment to my work.
Anything personal you would like to share (hobbies, interests, family life)?
Family life: massively challenging and complicated and something I work on constantly. Probably what makes me uniquely good at what I do.
Hobbies/Interests: I have been live storytelling once a month for the past few months in Arlington. I love it and plan on doing it as much as humanly possible.
