One of the absolute best parts of my job is getting to meet and work with amazing people from all over our great region. Take Mary, for instance, our client from this week’s Organization Motivation! show (if you haven’t seen the mind-blowing before-and-afters of her garage yet, click here to watch the entire episode online!)
My team and I were lucky enough to spend a day with Mary, working together to completely transform the two-stall garage that she hadn’t parked in for ten years. But if you watched the show, you only got to experience our fun for half an hour. There’s only so much we can jam-pack into each episode — which is why I’d like to give you a “behind the scenes” peek at all the action, excitement, and even the occasional mishaps that make up a show!
The day of our garage declutter started off cloudy, but — as if on cue — the sun started to shine once we pulled into the driveway. Talk about a good omen! And more good luck was on the way, as Mary’s friends started arriving to cheer her on and wish us all well. I’ve done countless organizing jobs in the two years since I started The DeClutter Coach, but I can honestly say that this was the first one to come complete with its own cheering section! Mary’s friends just pulled out some folding chairs and settled in to watch the action!
And boy, was there plenty to see! There’s a lot that didn’t make it into the show, like the part where Mary Carole stepped on a nail, calmly removed it from her foot, and kept right on working. (Luckily, a phone call to the physician informed her that she was still covered under her last tetanus shot, so we didn’t need to rush her to the doctor’s office!) What a trooper! 
The rain held off all afternoon, though at one point we felt sprinkles and scrambled to cover all of our sorting tables with huge tarps. And though the day was cool, we all began to sweat a little as the hours ticked by and suddenly it seemed as if we might not finish on time. As you could tell from the show, Mary’s garage held a lot of items. Fortunately, my team knows how to rally like there’s no tomorrow, and with a burst of energy we kicked it into high gear and got the job done, with even a little time to spare! (Thanks also to our show’s producer Chuck, who set down the camera at one point, rolled up his sleeves, and dove right in beside us!)
Throughout the entire day, Mary was amazing, working right alongside us to sort and haul dozens of boxes that had accumulated in her garage over the years. A retired second grade teacher, she was delighted to find mountains of books, most in excellent condition, that she decided to donate to children who would enjoy them. She also collected a huge pile of goods to sell at a garage sale, scrap metal to go to “Feed Our Vets,” and of course was able to dispose of not one, not two, but three Bagsters’ worth of clutter and unusable materials. Sifting through a decade’s worth of clutter isn’t easy, physically or mentally, but we were so proud of Mary for keeping an upbeat and positive attitude the entire time. And her reward? A clean, spacious garage with plenty of room for all of her things — and, best of all, her car! 
