NAIMI SALAZAR of Operation Organize; 5 easy tips to have an organized closet
Meet Naimi Salazar, a self-motivated, hospitality professional who started her own home organization services business this year after instantaneously losing two jobs due to Covid-19. With the support of her family and friends, she's sparking joy into the lives of homeowners by helping organize their closets, pantries, and rooms. She's giving us an insight into her new business and also providing 5 easy tips to have an organized closet.
H&F: Please describe your career prior to this venture.
Naimi: I am originally from Venezuela and I have been here in the United States for three years. I was not able to finish school back home so one of my main goals while living here is to be able to graduate from college. I am currently enrolled in Valencia College; this is a great achievement for me! I have worked many jobs, but I never felt confident in the job enough to pursue a career out of any of them.
H&F: How has your career prepared you for what is next?
Naimi: I have done so many things and work in so many places, but there was one thing that all my jobs had in common, customer service. One way or another I have always had to take care of other people and make them feel understood, I think this is a great advantage in my field, while being a home organizer I need to be able to understand the person I am trying to help. I want them to feel comfortable and to trust me with their homes.
H&F: Tell us about how you have redefined yourself.
I help people not only to organize their homes, but I also enjoy being their buddy, someone to power through it with and bounce ideas off of. I love helping busy families that rather spend their free time with their kids or enjoying their hobbies than organizing entire rooms or homes. My team and I can organize anything, from a small linen closet to a whole garage.
"I help people not only to organize their homes, but I also enjoy being their buddy, someone to power through it with and bounce ideas off of." - Naimi
H&F: How did your project get started?
Naimi: I lost my two jobs in the service industry back in March 2020 when this pandemic started. I was so scared of what would come next, I had to provide for my parents and my little sister and did not know what to do. I follow a ton of organization pages and one day I was checking Instagram, and I discovered that I was able to offer my services as a home organizer. I had never done it professionally, but after a few jobs for friends and family, I felt confident I could start looking for real clients.
H&F: Tell us something unique about your brand.
Naimi: Even though there are many home organizers out there, the goal of my brand is to always put people first and to care about them. I want my clients to feel like my family, I want them to be comfortable and help them get their home back in shape. We never know what goes behind closed doors and it is an honor to me that these families are letting me in and letting me help them.
H&F: What are 5 easy tips to have an organized closet?
Naimi:
1. Purge regularly: take out of your closet those pieces that you haven’t worn in years... they are just taking valuable space for the awesome clothes you do wear!
2. Matching hangers: the easiest and cheapest way to have a Pinterest worthy closet is to have matching hangers. It will change your whole look. Give it a try!
3. Create groups: group all like items, this will make them easier to find. Put all the pants together, all the tops together, all the dresses together, and so on.
4. Color-code your clothes: in those categories you created make sure you have all the same color items together, this allows you to see how much you have in one color... plus if you feel like wearing red one day, you know exactly where to look.
5. Shoe racks are not only for shoes: this is a pro organizer secret! You can use shoe racks anywhere in your closet... and not only for shoes, but you can also use it for clothing, bags, accessories and so much more!
H&F: What is the meaning behind your brand name, or why is it special to you?
Naimi: The name of my business is “Operation: Organize” and my logo is a spy where his glasses make the O’s for the name. I love the business’ name, I think is pretty clever, it means that we are on a secret mission to get your home back in shape. We will do all the hard work and then you can enjoy it with your family and friends. Our business will be so discreet that your friends or family will never know we were there.
H&F: How do you find your inspiration for your projects?
Naimi: Organizing is an art, and like every piece of art, every project is unique, I try to adapt to what the client wants and needs. I want to create a beautiful but functional space with an easy system to maintain for the whole family.
H&F: What encouraging advice would you offer someone unsure about starting their own venture?
Naimi: JUST DO IT! Do not wait for the perfect moment to start your venture, now is the perfect moment. I know it can be scary, but you have to take a risk to be able to get to where you want. And worst-case scenario, if you fail, you can at least say you tried it… but hey what if you succeed?
Follow Naimi on Instagram @operationorganizefl
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