NEAT SPACES PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZING SERVICES - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Trained Professional Organizer, Transition Specialist

Colin is a patient, relaxed, confident home organizer who works well with seniors and families during transition. His Master of Education degree and 20 years in the banking industry prepared him well to care for the needs of each client as an individual and take the time to work with them to achieve their desired goals. Looking for a career change, professional organizing was a natural fit. In 2015 Colin joined Professional Organizers in Canada (POC) and completed the requirements to be a Trained Professional Organizer. He is passionate about continued industry education and makes attending the POC National Conference a priority. He currently sits on the Executive Committee of the Halton/Peel Chapter of the Professional Organizers in Canada. His attention to detail, excellent communication skills with a wonderful sense of humour thrown into the mix make him easy to work with. Colin welcomes all organizing challenges from entire homes to specific projects including basements and outdoor spaces but admits book organization and home libraries are his passion. Personally, he is a lover of history, reading, collecting books, cooking, and organizing cookbooks!

Job Titles:

• Board Member and Committee Chair
• Member of the Professional Organizers

Edie Michel's enjoyment of project management, and her love for homes, décor and neat spaces drew her into professional organizing as a career. On a personal level, Edie has developed a high level of compassionate understanding through her journey of caregiving and the stress of the sandwich generation. She knows from personal experience the comfort and peace of mind a trusted advisor can bring to the table in times of stress and transition. She has held the role of primary caregiver, executor and trustee for her mother, sister and other family members and knows first hand the amount of energy, time and sincere compassion is demanded during these times. Edie found herself balancing young children, elderly and ill family members, downsizing with her mother twice from her family home and then from a condo into her own home. She recalls the emotional strain and feeling overwhelmed during those periods wanting to be everything to everyone "It would have been wonderful during that difficult time to have had someone I trusted and who brought compassion and understanding to the process. Downsizing my mother meant discarding many sentimental items that told my family's story - both good and bad. When my mother passed away, although she had downsized already, I remember how hard it was to pack away her clothes, remaining decor and mementos for the final time." Edie is a member of the Professional Organizers in Canada, currently serving her second term as the Treasurer of the Toronto Chapter since April of 2018. Through its association with POC, Neatspaces embodies the best practices of professional organizers nationwide, embracing professionalism, code of ethics, and collegiality. During her decades-long membership, Edie has served as a board member and committee chair. For almost a decade, she project-managed volunteer teams to roll out high-profile designer show houses for philanthropic initiatives, including Ronald McDonald House 2 and The Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf. Her signature accomplishment was the Graydon Hall Showcase, setting record profits and attendance numbers, raising half a million dollars and attracting 20,000 people through its doors.

Job Titles:

• Lead Professional Organizer, Transition Specialist, Hoarding Specialist

Jane specializes in downsizing, chronic disorganization, hoarding, and helping individuals & families reduce their clutter and stress. Jane has completed 15 courses in chronic disorganization, where she has learned to help her clients reduce the chaos that surrounds them. Jane provides the support you need to reach your goals in a non-judgmental and patient manner. Jane had a long career in the senior care industry as a retirement home marketing manager. Jane may insist that a certain piece of furniture is too large for a retirement suite which is at first disappointing for the client but understand that it comes from her years of experience understanding what a safe, aesthetically pleasing retirement home suite should look like. She goes that extra mile to make sure that your shelves are nicely decorated, cords and other tripping hazards are managed, and the environment feels like home instantly. Jane's superior project management skills, attention to detail and understanding the stress of transition, make her the ideal choice to manage a move of any size. Jane is a lover of animals, is the mother of four daughters and enjoys time at the cottage.

Job Titles:

• Trained Professional Organizer, Transition Specialist

Leah is truly passionate about the wellbeing of individuals and supporting them in reaching their goals. In her previous career as a Certified Credit Counsellor, she helped people reach financial wellness with a focus on day to day money management and budgeting to pay off debt. In this capacity she learned that people's environments and stress levels have a huge impact on their wellbeing. Looking for a change, she realized that a career in professional organizing could advance her ability to help people beyond only financial wellness by bringing order and calm into their homes and offices. Leah loves helping clients declutter items from their past that no longer serve them in their present lives. Leah has a steady, focused approach to organizing a client's space, helping to simplify their life with the overall goal of reducing stress and increasing wellbeing. In the absence of the chaos and stress that an environment surrounded by clutter brings, Leah takes pride in setting her clients up for personal and professional success. Whether it's helping someone to declutter, organize, downsize and/or settle into a new home, Leah does it with empathy, compassion and patience, while making sure the client's goals are being fulfilled. Trained Professional Organizer and member of the Professional Organizers of Canada, Toronto Chapter, Leah maintains a foot in the corporate world working part time as a Business Support Manager for a corporate health and wellness company.

Job Titles:

• Organizing and Transition Specialist

Growing up Nicole was always extremely organized, to the point where she was the "go to" kid when it was time to clean up your room. "I would constantly find ways to organize and reorganize things until it was perfect." Nicole demonstrates this level of passion for order in the attention to detail she brings to all her client projects. "Even now every item of clothing in my dresser is folded the same way, my closet is organized by colour and by season. I have always felt that decluttering and maximizing the space I was provided relieved a "weight off my shoulders" and brought me tremendous satisfaction when it was completed. I enjoy finding ways to organize small rooms enabling me to hold all the necessities while still allowing the room to be functional." Nicole's career began with a five year tenure as a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN), demonstrating genuine concern for her patients with a calm, soothing nature. When she found herself at the nursing station, she began to find ways to organize the space to ensure staff was able to complete tasks effectively and efficiently. "I found myself enjoying the organizational aspect of my job more so than nursing itself. It was at this point that I decided I needed a change and entered the world of Professional Organizers in Canada." Nicole's favourite organizing project would be decluttering and organizing a master closet but her experience in administration makes creating and organizing a file system an easy task. Her past work with seniors makes her an ideal choice for helping seniors downsize and organizing superfluous items for auction, consignment, or donation. In her spare time she loves to collect antiques, particularly relics from the medical world, read non-fiction, travel and pilot a four seater plane! Her calm, friendly nature makes her a natural team player and puts the client at ease.

Job Titles:

• Trained Professional Organizer, Transition Specialist

Renata looked back and realized she had been organizing family and friends most of her life! Sorting and organizing spaces have always been a passion. She has a keen eye when making spaces neat and aesthetically pleasing, and several years ago decided to turn her skills into a profession. She joined the Toronto Chapter of the Professional Organizers in Canada (POC) and now residing in the Burlington area, is a valued member of the Halton/Peel Chapter. Renata specializes in residential organizing, decluttering, and downsizing as well as organizing home offices. Clients love Renata's calm, professional way of working through a project. She brings both a passion for organizing and sincere interest in helping the client. In her own words, "I love helping people find order in their homes."