Meet Elizabeth Calender | Professional Organizer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elizabeth Calender and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I’ve always been an organized person. As a child, spring cleaning was one of my favorite activities. I loved to open the windows, smell the fresh air, and through purging everything in my room that no longer served me, achieve that feeling of a fresh start to a new season, and that continues to ring true today. I started working at The Container Store while I was studying for my B.F.A. in Interior Design, and that unlocked an entirely new level of my attention to detail. During that time I became aware that professional organizing was an industry, although I didn’t think I would ever pursue it myself.

I completed my degree and went on to work at an interior design firm in downtown Dallas, and it was wonderful for so many reasons; but the thing I enjoyed doing the most was organizing the sample library (a sign of my inner desire for my future? Probably!). After working at that firm for about a year, I decided to leave my job, the interior design industry, Texas, and working for someone else altogether, and I started fresh in Denver.

I knew I wanted to start my own business but wasn’t sure how or which route I would take. I applied at The Container Store to have a job while I decided next steps, and when I went in for the interview, the manager said, “Well we would love to have you in the store with all of your experience with the company, but we are about to launch a program where you would own your own business as a professional organizer and we would send you clients. Would you prefer to do that?”

I was stunned at just how perfectly it was all falling into place. I accepted their offer to become an independent contractor, and started my career as an organizer! After almost five years I left The Container Store, rebranded, and launched out completely on my own. Bringing my clients the beauty of orderliness as a professional organizer has been so satisfying; it’s the perfect match of my unique blend of talents and skills with their need for a peaceful environment, and I have loved doing it.

What should our readers know about your business?
I see beauty through order in many things, including nature, music, and art, and I love bringing order out of chaos. When my clients walk into a space at the completion of a project and they let out a sigh of relief, it’s a euphoric sense of accomplishment. I’ve been given the opportunity to bring peace and clarity to their mind, and quiet the noise of stress and anxiety brought on by chaos. They have trusted me by bringing me into their home, and it is a great honor I don’t take lightly. Organizing for others is not just about purging, organizing, and creating a system, it’s a task that requires empathy, honoring boundaries, and working at the pace that they’re comfortable with.

Sometimes I think to myself, “How is it that I’ve managed to turn my OCD into a career??” and then I chuckle, color coding the hanging clothes in front of me and carry on. I have found something that truly brings my heart joy to help others with, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I’m showing a friend around Denver I would take them to have afternoon tea at Babe’s Tea Room and dinner at Smokin’ Yards BBQ or Colorado Sake Co. We could see an awesome band at The Black Buzzard at Oskar Blues or catch a comedian at Comedy Works. A walk around Wash Park is always so refreshing when the weather’s nice, and stopping in at Wish Gifts or Bonnie Brae Ice Cream is the perfect way to top it off. I’m a homebody at heart, so my favorite thing to do with friends is to sit out on my front porch and have dinner, music, and great conversation.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
To my fiancé Jason, who is the best teammate I could ever ask for; to my parents, who are always encouraging and supportive when I need it most; to my older brother Stephen and sister-in-law Amanda, who have been so incredibly generous and taught me so much; to my little brother Michael who always makes me feel like a badass.

Website: www.orderlyco.com

Instagram: @orderly_co

Facebook: www.facebook.com/orderlyco

Other: email: hello@orderlyco.com