ABUNDANCE ORGANIZING - Key Persons
Hi, I'm Abby and I am so excited to be a part of this incredible team! After relocating from across the country and re-entering the job market I discovered Abundance Organizing. Immediately I was drawn to their core values and approach to helping clients through a compassionate and non-judgmental lens. I took it as a sign to try something new and finally explore this interest I'd had my whole life.
My interest in organizing started at an early age. I was a latch key kid, so I saw plenty of afternoon shows discussing the topic of disorganization and hoarding. I was instantly transfixed seeing the ‘before and after' transformations and the significant change in people's lives. This is when I realized organizing was something that could truly help people! On top of this I come from a large family where organization isn't everyone's priority. Organizing allowed me to control the chaos around me and create order in my tiny world. I soon became the one to call when family members were going through a life changing event. Whether it was moving, downsizing, birth of a child, or garage/estate sales, I was always ready to jump in and help and let my neat freak tendencies shine. Now I am ready and excited to share my talents with clients!
While organizing and downsizing can be emotionally draining and stressful, you can count on me to insert a joke or sarcastic quip especially when times are difficult. I am a strong believer in finding humor in every situation. When laughter, empathy, and kindness can be infused together, then we all potentially have an easier and more rewarding experience.
When I'm not organizing you can find me doing anything that involves nature and/or animals! I love being outside and appreciating nature, with my dog by my side. I am a staunch animal advocate and enjoy giving my support to local sanctuaries in the region.
Job Titles:
- Account Manager and Professional Organizer
As long as I can remember, I've always loved organizing! Whether I'm organizing my own space or helping others, there's something very satisfying about creating a more peaceful environment where you can find what you're looking for right away. When I discovered Abundance Organizing, I realized I could turn my skills for helping people into a rewarding career.
Before joining Abundance, I worked in corporate accounting and then transitioned to the real estate and mortgage industry. This background helped me hone my attention to detail and customer service skills, which are really key to my work as an organizer. I know from my own life that chaos and clutter can really weigh you down and stifle your energy and focus. My busy household includes my husband, two kids, two dogs and two cats and life can get pretty chaotic! We enjoy staying active, traveling and being outdoors. I try my best to keep life simple and enjoy the moment, and staying organized really helps with that effort. One of my favorite tools for keeping everything straight is sticky notes-there's so much to remember and they really help me stay on track. I also love using acrylic turntables to maximize hard to reach cabinets and corners and over the door shoe organizers which can be used to organize a multitude of things . . . from the pantry to the hall closet and beyond!
Whether I'm helping people who have struggled with chronic disorganization their whole lives, those who have had a major life event throw them off their routine, or empty nesters ready to downsize, I truly enjoy being part of the process of helping others lighten the load. It's very fulfilling to transform a client's space and help them maximize the possibilities. Seeing them happy at the end of the day is very rewarding.
Organizing is part of my DNA. My whole life I have been drawn to minimalist decor with intentional placement of everything physical in my home. I have only been able to achieve this by being organized and living a very low clutter life.
Seventeen years ago I hired Mindy Godding, now Partner & Founder of Abundance Organizing, to help organize my home after a major renovation. Mindy's passion strongly influenced me and led me to pursuing a career as a professional organizer. Having started my career out of college as a nurse, I have a servant's heart for people and have always been passionate about helping people feel better, so transitioning into home organization has been a natural and perfect fit.
I find energy from being with others which is why I love the Abundance Organizing team approach. Realizing the different strengths of our team members and where we each shine makes for a gratifying day for both the team and the client. The results at the end of a session with our team are so rewarding.
I love to cook and host holiday meals so one of my favorite spaces to organize is a kitchen! Good food from good ingredients doesn't require a lot of kitchen doodads. If you have good technique and a few quality items you can have great success with less.
Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my husband and two grown children. We have a family love of baseball and follow our son's team everywhere they go. I am a very active member of my church and sing in two different choirs. I love group exercise and shopping with my favorite farmers at the market.
I will leave you with one of my personal life mantras: Life is for the living. Don't waste a day and do something for someone else on a daily basis!
Job Titles:
- CPO® Account Manager & Founder
Ever since I was little, I've enjoyed organizing. It wasn't out of the ordinary for my family to find me fine-tuning the pantry or reorganizing the room I shared with my sister. Like a lot of us, I didn't realize that there was a profession where I could put my skills to work until recently. My husband found out about professional organizing and said, "You can actually do this for a career!" I've done a lot of things in my life, but nothing else fits like this does.
My background is in administration, primarily for mental health organizations. I'm naturally drawn to helping people. Throughout my childhood, my parents fostered children from different cultures, often kids with disabilities. Biologically, I was one of five, which grew to six through adoption, and we always had a house full of foster siblings. I can remember times when our 15-passenger van wasn't big enough to hold us all!
Up until a couple of years ago professional organizing is a phrase I'd only heard of in home improvement shows. Post Covid I was presented with an opportunity to help family friends who were facing an overcrowded and over-cluttered home. This was a whirlwind of turning over rooms and coordinating service teams, but the result was seeing my loved ones' household finally breathe again after years of suffocating. I knew I'd hit on something special. This experience gave new context to professional organizing and I realized it was what my path had been winding toward all along.
After some research, I found Abundance Organizing and was instantly attracted to their focus and dedication to training at an entry-level, as well as their core values. These values have attracted a team of like-minded people, all compassionate and driven in their own ways. I knew this was a place where my interests and professional development would be valued and I could learn something new every day.
My favorite spaces to work in are ones that have been overcome by extreme clutter. I have a background working at a donation center which trained me on rapid sorting and keeping up with the constant flow of incoming items, so walking into a space overcome by clutter excites me! Rolling up my sleeves, firing on all cylinders, and creating a result that allows the client to reclaim their space is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I've always believed I have a moral obligation to the world and people around me: if there is something I can do to help, then I should. I'm lucky to have found a career path that calls on my particular strengths for that very reason.
In my personal time, you will most likely find me indulging in the most recent video games, or with a pen in my hand trying to finish a novel! Thanks to my education in Media Studies and Film I am a lover of films, shows, video games, books, and writing. I also enjoy escaping to my happy place, a family home in the Adirondacks. There is nothing more peaceful than the lake and forest.
Job Titles:
- Professional Organizer and Team Lead
Hi! I'm Heather! I became interested in organizing as a child when I saw how extreme clutter in my friend's home made her life difficult. My interest piqued again after college when I lived with my brothers for a few years; let's just say they are not the tidiest! So I attended a NAPO conference, met an organizer from my area, and assisted her a few times. I knew I wanted to help people experience the sense of peace that organizing creates, but it took ten more years before I made the leap to join Abundance Organizing.
Liking the people you work with is a must and there is no shortage of enjoyment with this team! I'm so grateful for the genuine opportunity to serve others and the fulfillment I feel once a job is completed. I love the transformations we can create and seeing the sense of relief clients feel at the end of the day is simply the best! Bathrooms and linen closets are some of my favorite places to organize and turntables are my go-to product. They work almost everywhere.
Before becoming an organizer, I attended Christopher Newport University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in communication and a minor in sociology. After graduation, I worked as an event coordinator and administrative assistant, then landed in the world of commercial real estate where I was a property manager for 13 years. Circling back to my childhood interest and following one of the only passions I didn't realize I had has been great!
My sweet kitty Queso and I live in a cool warehouse apartment in downtown Richmond. I am not a full blown minimalist, but I definitely like having less stuff than more! Everything has its space in my home and cleanup is always a breeze. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, hiking, attending live music and sampling any and all the local breweries! My faith is also a top priority for me and I'm active at my church.
Job Titles:
- Professional Organizer and Team Lead
Job Titles:
- Professional Organizer and Team Lead
Organizing is a personal passion of mine! While I always enjoy the organizing process, I really love the end result-having more time for the people and activities I care about and having the freedom to be creative because I know there is a place for everything when it's time to clean up.
I've always been detail-oriented, dedicated, and committed, so when I decided on a career in professional organizing, I really did my research to see what was out there. When I found Abundance Organizing, I got this WOW feeling! It was everything I was looking for-outstanding training, a great team, and the ability to help people by doing what I love to do.
Before joining Abundance, I graduated from Kutztown University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a dual major in marketing and management. From there, I went to work as an administrative assistant in marketing before taking some time off to raise my children. When they were older, the perfect part-time job opportunity landed in my lap and I became a pre-school teacher! I loved watching my students grow and encouraging their creativity. Because I kept things simple, I could let messes happen knowing that clean-up wouldn't be overwhelming! Being organized really helped me concentrate on building relationships with my students and their families.
No matter what the job, I like to bring positive energy to the day. I believe that laughter and having fun will always help get you through the tough things. I focus on really listening and developing genuine rapport with the people I work with.
With Abundance, I love the variety of work that we do and being able to provide a service that brings people so much happiness! I also love using the right product to get the perfect look, especially clear acrylic pantry bins and drawer dividers. They make everything amazing!
Over the years, I've grown in the way I organize. When my husband, two sons, and I recently moved after 21 years in the same house, we decided to keep things pretty simple and organized. We did it as a family and it has been great! Now we have a lot more time to have fun together doing what we love, including scuba diving and playing street hockey! It's a good feeling when you get to the point in life where you can keep everything organized. I like helping other people get there, too!
Job Titles:
- Client Services Coordinator
My introduction into the world of Professional Organizing happened upon my retirement from a somewhat stressful client support/account manager job. I quickly realized I was not quite ready for retirement and began to research part time options. My husband encouraged me to find a job doing something I truly loved and I knew instantly I needed to look into the world of organizing. I found Abundance Organizing after seeing a segment about the company on the NBC Nightly News.
While I would consider this my third career, my attraction to all things organizing began as a young child. I was always organizing things from doll clothes to shoes to accessories. To this day I prefer tidy and organized spaces. I feel more relaxed, at peace and can think more clearly when everything is in its place.
My background in Information Technology as a programmer/analyst also helped prime me for my position with Abundance Organizing as their Client Services Coordinator. Even though I am not in the field organizing physical spaces, I get to work behind the scenes organizing and improving our office processes. I also get the opportunity to speak with prospective clients on the front end. Being able to help them see how we can help on their journey to a calmer and simpler space is one of the most rewarding parts of the job!
Outside of work you can find me spending time with my family, in my yard or on the beach! I have been married for over 30 years and have two adult sons as well as two cats named Chester and Bo. I enjoy making sure my garden is in full bloom from spring to fall and especially love to share and swap plants with friends. When I am not busy getting my hands dirty you will find me on the beach with my toes in the sand and a drink in my hand!
Job Titles:
- Professional Organizer and Social Media Ambassador
Organizing has always made me feel better. For fun, I pick a project and knock it out-it reduces my stress. I started by helping my mom and friends organize their closets, but didn't realize it was a career option until Marie Kondo came along. I was so excited to discover something that combines all my passions-creativity, aesthetics, and helping people! Working for Abundance Organizing is amazing. I love that it's a small, women-owned business with a team who really cares about each other. We can bounce ideas off each other, which always makes the results better. Helping people in such a personal way that transforms their daily lives is the most rewarding part about working for Abundance.
Before Abundance, I studied Psychology and Women and Gender Studies at the University of Mary Washington. I loved learning about mental health and social issues. When you understand where people are coming from, you develop a deeper empathy for what they are going through.
My other interest is makeup artistry, which has been a really big creative outlet for me. I love the artistry and making people happy. Working so closely with people helped me build good communication and client service skills. I also developed an eye for the big picture, planning for how to make things look cohesive and pretty.
Making things pretty is still one of my favorite things to do in organizing! I also love that we get to spend time with our clients' pets! I grew up with lots of animals-my mom is a veterinarian-so we always had baby animals that needed to be cared for; raccoons, deer, squirrels, even pigs, which I love! Being around animals every day makes me so happy.
I'm extremely family oriented and love spending time with my girlfriend and giant German Shepherd; Ozzy. Our house is very limited on storage, which allows me to get creative with the space. Our closets don't make any sense-you can't even fit actual hangers in them, so I use over the door shoe pockets for everything from reusable water bottles to scarves and hats. They create space where there is none!