Melanie Walker left her job as an executive in the gaming industry to spend time with her family and work as a consultant. But she gravitated away from her previous field, human resources, toward a longtime passion: organizing. After helping friends with their homes on the weekends, she realized she could make it her business to help people get their lives in order. So she opened her franchise of Neat Method. “Professional organizing is like running a human resources department,” she said. “In both cases, you have a heart for people and help to organize and motivate them.”
What’s new for you or your business?
It’s hard to believe it’s already been more than a year since I launched Neat Method, a professional home organizing service. I’ve lived in Las Vegas for more than 20 years and have a passion for our community and the people who live and work here.
Neat Method, which organizes spaces to bring comfort, efficiency and style to homes, has grown so much this past year, and I love helping busy people live a clutter-free life that lets them feel at peace in their homes. The brand plans to continue to expand across the country. The company now operates in more than 17 U.S. cities. We are all individual business owners and so far, we are all women. We call ourselves the Neat Girls.
What room in the home are you most passionate about organizing?
We cover all areas of a home, but my favorite area to organize is a kitchen and pantry — we think of ourselves as pantry stylists. We recognize that what you keep in your pantry is likely to end up in your body. So having an organized pantry (where you can see what you have) can save you endless time, frustration and, ultimately, money when you ask yourself at the end of your long, busy day, “What’s for dinner?”
Our next favorite areas are closets. We sort, categorize, fold and color-code everything our clients own. When we’re done, our clients can shop their closets as if those closets were boutiques. It makes getting dressed easy and eliminates stress. Most of our clients don’t even realize how much they own, and it’s a joy for them to find items they loved that were buried in their closets. We once found a lost family diamond ring.
What skills does a successful organizer need?
Patience is first, because sometimes our clients have a hard time letting go. They might have 19 pie plates — but are they really baking 19 pies at once?
Next, home organizers need kindness, because we’re representing Neat Method wherever we are. And they need product knowledge — we know every organizing product out there and what it should be used for.
Is there one common area of clutter for most clients?
People tend to set things in the garage and more things on top of their things. Then they start parking their expensive car in the driveway to make room for more clutter. The garage becomes a dumping ground for all kinds of forgotten sports equipment, coolers, old hobbies and holiday décor that’s not even used.
How has your business evolved since launching last year?
We started out working with anyone but realized that sometimes, people may not be ready to change habits. Now, we have defined who our clients are and when they are ready for us. We maintain relationships with everyone we talk to and always leave the door open for them to call us when they are really ready to declutter.
What is the best business advice you’ve received?
Never stop reading, learning and growing — no one has ever “arrived.” Staying current, knowledgeable, flexible, humble and open to feedback is key. Also, I’ve been so fortunate to have the best female mentors who gave of themselves to help me succeed. I hope to return the favor by mentoring other great women in business.
How do you define success?
Success is having a happy team of contractors and clients. If my team is happy, my clients are happy. It’s a chain reaction, but it has to start with your team; you can’t have happy clients with unhappy workers.
What is your business philosophy?
Spread positivity; people love to be around positive people. Some of our clients are so stressed by their busy lives and are overwhelmed by their lack of organization.
So our goal is to bring joy, positivity and peace into our clients’ worlds by giving them more time to focus on what matters most to them. We have a fun, playful way of doing business — really, we’re folding underwear after all.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
Pet peeves are when you get your buttons pushed. I removed the buttons I had, so they don’t get pushed anymore. When you realize that people are doing the best they can with what they’ve got, it lets you let them do their own thing.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I want Neat Method to make a huge mark on the lifestyle of the people of Las Vegas by creating peaceful, beautifully appointed spaces that people love to come home to. I love to do workshops on organizing, so I’d like to do way more of them.
Whom do you admire?
I admire women.
Women take on the primary responsibilities of raising children and running a home, and many have huge careers on top of that. It’s really astounding what women accomplish. We’re able to gracefully carry out so many roles in life: wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, coach, driver, shopper, cook, etc.
What is something that people might not know about you?
I don’t like competition. I believe there is room for everyone and we should support one another and not tear one another down or compare ourselves to others. I believe no one can run a business the same way. There is a fit for everyone.