Melinda Grace: Organizer & Entrepreneur

Tell us a bit about yourself, and how you got involved with Epiphany Space. 

I got involved with Epiphany Space after meeting the amazing Cortney Matz! We were both working a catering gig and became friends instantly. I needed a place to live, and she was moving out of her studio apartment. At the time in 2014, there were hardly any vacancies and so she and her apartment were a Godsend. I was an aspiring TV/Film actress and so Epiphany Space was a great place to meet other artists, get to know Hollywood, and have accountability for all of my creative endeavors. 

How did you get into professional organizing? 

I got into professional organizing after hitting rock bottom emotionally, spiritually, and financially. I had been searching for a while for a career that made sense for me, my morals, and my personality. I needed a vocation where I could serve people, be creative and make money. I researched like crazy and met other women online who were running awesome kick-butt organizing companies. They were so nice! They weren’t competitive. They were real women, making real money. It was a breath of fresh air! I knew I had to give it a shot.

I “hung out my shingle” so to speak in August of 2020, during the pandemic. I started by offering free organizing services to three people in the LA area. Becky Murdoch was one of them and working with her helped to give me the confidence to charge for my services. I haven’t stopped organizing since! 

I have 2-3 clients at a time. New clients and return clients. Men and women. 20s – 80s. Yes, I did have the sweetest client in their 80s who lived through World War II in England! I love all my clients. They are why I do what I do. 

There’s a whole lot more to the story than you have time to read. If you check out my IG profile (@melindagraceorganizing) there is a link to a podcast where I share more of the spiritual journey and a link to a YouTube video where I share more of the logistical, business story. Check them out!

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in running your own business? 

I’d say the biggest challenge I’ve faced, is my own confidence level. In the beginning, I was only organizing family and friends and for some reason, I was terrified to work with a stranger and charge them money for my services. It was so scary to me! Someone in the Epiphany Space community referred me to Matthew Crofoot and we did a subconscious empowerment session and literally the next day I booked my first non-friend, non-family paying client! 

Another challenge for me is being ok with growing my company at the pace that makes sense for me. I deal with anxiety from time to time and my husband and I are working towards starting a family, so I work hard to take care of myself and balance my workload. Coming from the entertainment world and being a seven on the enneagram, it’s very easy for me to load up my schedule, create more goals than one can do in a lifetime, and run around LA like a crazy person doing all the fun things. But that lifestyle didn’t work for me and so I’m very cautious and intentional with my schedule, how many clients I have, and my goals. 

What are some of the things that make it all worth it?

The main thing that makes it all worth it is my clients! That moment when I show the client their completed space and their face lights up like on one of those Netflix organizing shows and they are excited and happy. They can see all their items. They know where everything is and how to maintain it. I can physically see the weight lifted. Many times, while working on a space with a client, the energy in their home will shift and they’ll get that job they’ve been wanting, or their movie script deal went through, or that goal that was stuck suddenly begins to move forward. It’s crazy, but it’s true. 

The other thing that makes it all worth it is the feeling I get from owning my own business, making good money, and having happy clients. That trifecta is gold and gives me the confidence to keep going.

Do you have any tips for people trying to get a handle on organizing their space? 

The main tip that I tell everyone is that each item in your space must have a home. Be aware of the size of your space vs how many items need a home. That is how clutter builds up. For example, you have pink pens. They have a spot in your desk drawer. You pull one out, use it, and then put it back because it has a home. Now a friend gives you a super cool pencil, but there’s no room for it in the drawer. It doesn’t have a home and so it sits on the counter next to the other items that don’t have a home and viola you have clutter! You must decide, do you want to create room for the pencil by discarding one of your pink pens, or do you want to give the pencil a different home in a different drawer? Those are the problems I help clients solve.

Second, purging is a trend these days but do it intentionally. Some organizers are rigid about purging as much as possible, and others shy away from it. I’m in the middle. Know why you are giving an item away or getting rid of it. Take the time to release the item to the next person, thrift store, recycling bin, etc. I, personally, feel less guilt, and less wastefuwhen I discard items with a purpose and a specific new home for them. 

Third, realize when you need help. Call a friend, family member, or me!