Today we’d like to introduce you to Birdie Brennan.
Hi Birdie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started an organizing business in 2001. I did research in 2000 and found the National Assoc of Professional Organizers (NAPO). I went to my first NAPO conference in the spring of 2001 with business cards, a brochure, and a business phone line along with a yellow-page ad. I came home from that conference and opened the doors to “Birdie Brennan Professional Organizers.” I offered organizing services for homes and small businesses. It was a slow start because the industry wasn’t well known in the Midwest. I worked out of my home. I started the business because I wanted to do something on my own. I had been working for a company that re-engineered and helped with start-up medical and dental practices. In working for this company, I realized I was always the one responsible for physically organizing the front office, the lab, and also the workflow. I felt I had something to offer people who struggled with disorganization. I had built a good reputation and was the local NBC’s organizing expert doing organizing segments. After about three years, I had a full-time business. About a third of the calls I was getting were inquiries about how to become an organizer and if I was hiring. In the spring of 2007, I had a call from someone wanting to work for me. We had a great conversation, and a nugget of an idea was forming. I went to the NAPO conference that year and sat in two workshops that spoke to me. I realized that I had this great reputation but couldn’t get any bigger because there were only so many hours to work. I came home from that conference, called the woman who was interested in a job, trained her, and hired my first team member.
At one of the conferences, I was introduced to a closet system that I liked. I came home from that conference and recommended the closet system to a few of my current clients. To install the closets, my husband helped me. We demo-ed the current closet, patched, painted, and installed the new one. The closet system was very well received, and my husband and I really enjoyed working together.
I was approached by a national relocation company to help with unpacking and organizing homeowners moving in and helping homeowners pare down that were moving away. My territory grew to cover the entire state along with Northern Kentucky.
I changed the name of the business to Birdie Brennan Custom Closets & Organizing, LLC to highlight the service of closets. The closet part of the business has continually grown. My nephew, Jon Krabill, now has the closet division. He employs five full-time installers and two full-time designers.
Fun fact, during my organizing career, I’ve been on Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive.
I have the best job! I love helping people regain control over their life. I also love mothering the team.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think the biggest struggle has been growing pains. It is hard to find good people. It also take a lot of time to train them.
I also got in the business because I loved organizing. When you start getting clients, you realize there is a lot more to a business. In the beginning, I had to wear many hats. I was the worker bee, but also the bookkeeper, the marketing department, social media person, etc. It was hard to start, run a business, and have life balance. As the business grew, I could afford to hire people to do some of the “business” work. The worst for me was marketing and social media. When I started, the only thing I had was a yellow-page ad. There weren’t websites, so that was a huge change and a huge expense, but a necessity to grow.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I grew up organized. When I was little, I took great joy in sorting my Barbie’s clothes and accessories before graduating to my own closets. It is a passion of mine, and that comes through in everything I do.
I believe my business has grown because of my customer service. Organizing is such a personal service and I’m truly honored that my clients let me into their home or business to help. I listen to their goals, and that is what we work on. I only want the best for my clients, and they can see that.
I believe the closet part of the business has grown because we look at a space with the “eyes” of a professional organizer, not a closet salesperson. We can make the most our of their space and make it work for their belongings.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
We love Columbus. It is a great, vital, growing city! It has something for everyone; great restaurants, arts, sports, green space. We live in the Arena District and love that we can walk to most.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.getorganizedcolumbus.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdiebrennancloset_org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BirdieBrennanCustomClosets
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/birdiebrennan
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BirdieBrennan
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BirdieBrennan
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/birdie-brennan-custom-closets-and-organizing-columbus
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/organizecols/
