If you’re picturing a home organizer who color-coded her crayons at age five and alphabetized her bookshelf in middle school, that’s not me.
I grew up in a home that was wonderfully, joyfully messy. We had a room dedicated to it – the “messy room” – where anything without a home got tossed. But what I remember most isn’t the clutter; it’s the love and laughter that filled that house. The mess never took away from my happiness. My room had piles I’d step over at night, and I didn’t think twice about it.
The shift that snuck up on me
It wasn’t a dramatic awakening. In college, sharing a tiny dorm room, I started keeping my space tidy, not out of passion, but out of practicality. Small space. Shared walls. It just made sense.
Then came Germany. I was living there as a service missionary, working long days, arriving home exhausted at 9pm. When I moved to a new apartment and found it cluttered and chaotic, something in me couldn’t rest. Every spare moment, a lunch break here, an hour before bed there, I worked to restore order. When the mess was gone, so was the mental noise. I could think clearly. I could be present. It wasn’t a revelation. It was just… relief.
A lesson from nursing that changed how I see everything
Working as a nurse on a bone marrow transplant unit gave me a perspective I carry with me every day. I sat with patients facing terminal diagnoses. I watched people who could barely leave their rooms. Leaving my shifts, I felt overwhelming gratitude for the simple things — fresh air, movement, time with people I love.
That experience planted something deep in me: a conviction that our time, energy, and attention are precious. I didn’t want to spend mine managing excess. I didn’t want my home — or my mind — cluttered with things that didn’t matter.
When my husband and I watched a documentary on minimalism shortly after, something clicked for both of us. We decluttered a single bin of winter hats and gloves, nothing dramatic, but I still remember the feeling. Intentionally letting go of what we didn’t need felt good.
Small spaces, big lessons
Life moved quickly — new cities, a growing family, different homes. A split-level in Maryland with very little closet space and no garage became my greatest teacher. I dove into organizing blogs and Instagram accounts, learning every trick: how to create a functional entryway with little storage, how to turn a pull-out cabinet into a real pantry, how to make one small closet hold clothes, shoes, linens, toiletries, and medicine for a whole family.
What I discovered wasn’t just organization tips. It was a mindset shift: I didn’t need more space. I needed to use my space better. And I loved that.
Why I do this — and why I’m here in Salt Lake City
Working with a home organizing company in California showed me what I’d quietly known for years: helping other people reclaim their spaces fills me up. There’s something deeply satisfying about walking into a chaotic room with someone who feels stuck, and walking out having created a space that genuinely works for their life.
When we moved to Utah, I knew I wanted to keep going. So Maximize Your Space was born — rooted in the belief that an organized home isn’t about perfection. It’s about peace. It’s about clearing the noise so you can focus on what actually matters to you.
Whether your home is a small apartment in the Avenues or a family house in the suburbs, I’d love to help you make it work better — for your real, actual life.