Today we’d like to introduce you to Devon Fegen-Herdman.
Hi Devon , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Declutter with Devon started in Dec 2022 as a dream. Professional organizing was my passion. I had been following minimalism, the tiny home movement, and Marie Kondo for about a decade. I had been watching, reading, and listening to everything I could on these topics in my free time. I had decluttered and organized our house several times over, getting rid of thousands of items. I was already experienced at working with people in my social work career. I was ready to go and work with others in their homes focusing on their “stuff”! When I started, I wouldn’t sure if there would be much demand for professional organizing, but what I have learned is that it is actually a little-known and underutilized service! In 2024 I was able to quit my day job and focus on decluttering and organizing full-time. In 2025 we grew to have a dedicated team which has been magical. Now we have focused our superpowers to especially helping busy professionals and seniors, the folks who seem to need it most!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In any business there are struggles. At first, when I was working part-time the business could only grow so much because I only had so much time to dedicate to it. Being able to focus on my passion full-time over the last year has been amazing. I have enjoyed seeing the business grow and meeting lots of new clients. When you hire others to go out and represent your business that is always scary. You hope that they will represent the business and conduct the work in the way that you would, but it’s hard not being present. That was a big mindset shift for me that allowed the business to grow: when I realized that I couldn’t be present for every organizing hour. I am so glad I have a team that I can trust. I am continuing to learn and grow: how to be a good leader and also how to ensure smooth operations. Is the team communicating enough to get the job done smoothly? How do we organize our backend operations so that staff know where to go and what to do. How do we improve and streamline our marketing and outreach. These are all challenges and then you begin to take baby steps towards improving in each area and grow with time.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Declutter with Devon provides in-home hands-on assistance. We especially help busy professionals and seniors with decluttering, downsizing, simplifying and organizing their things to find convenience and peace of mind. Sometimes we are helping folks downsize or move. We can assist with packing and/or unpacking. We have also prepared homes for an upcoming renovation or remodel by packing up the items and then we can return and put them away after the construction is complete. Many times folks feel nervous, ashamed, or overwhelmed when they call us. We are friendly and nonjudgmental, and truthfully, we’ve probably seen worse! Sometimes people think our homes must be perfect, but the reality is we are regular people with families, dogs, cats, and too much stuff just like you! The first step to receiving services is a phone call or video chat with Devon to learn about your project. Sometimes clients send in pictures or Devon visits the home to give a quote. We sell services both by the hour and in large packages for bigger projects. Our most popular package is a whole home declutter/organize package that consists of 100 hours of organizing services. This is a great way for us to get the whole house sorted and streamlined. Clients tell us that it’s life-changing. We want you to breathe easy inside your home.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck is a very interesting concept to me. There is lots of research pointing to overestimation and underestimation of luck in our view of success. I think rather than luck, many times people are really talking about privilege. As a cisgender heterosexual white woman, I have benefitted from many privileges throughout my life. Fortunately I have not had the burden of being the primary financial support for my family and had the privilege of taking the risk of starting a business. That being said, I did take time and built the business slowly, working 2 jobs for a time until this business was financially viable. I also had the privilege of growing up locally and benefitting from both personal and professional networks such as business women I went to high school with. I had the privilege of being able to attend both college and graduate school and had that education as a solid foundation to build my career aspirations on. I believe all of this privilege contributed strongly to my success. As a woman business owner, my goal is to be the type of employer that I would like and to raise up other women through employment and development opportunities. I will say that I was lucky in love, marrying my high school sweetheart and happily we settled close to home!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.declutterwithdevon.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/declutterwithdevon/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/declutterwithdevon
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devon-fegen-herdman-272a358
