Meet The Organizing Enthusiast Behind Intentional Spaces – Interview With Amelia Franklin
- Brainz Magazine
- Jan 17, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 18, 2024
Hi there! My name is Amelia Franklin. I am a Mama to two toddlers and a golden retriever. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, my husband and I moved to Madison, Wisconsin in 2017. Despite the long winter, I love Madison and the Midwest!
In addition to organizing (Yes! It genuinely is one of my hobbies!), I love spending quality time with friends and family, reading, traveling, and taking my golden on long walks. If you need a hype girl, I am her! I tend to be animated and excited about everything! I am also passionate about making people feel accepted and known. We are all on a growth journey and supporting others with compassion and kindness is important to me.
Amelia Franklin, Professional Organizer and Business Owner
Tell us about your business, Intentional Spaces.
Intentional Spaces offers organizing and decluttering services for homes and businesses. Our goal is to help our clients be intentional with their spaces so they can thrive. We bring order to chaos and create maintainable systems so our clients function efficiently in daily life.
I created Intentional Spaces because I had been helping friends and family organize their homes for years. I had decluttered and organized all areas of different homes simply because I loved doing it and there was a need! After years of being told that I should monetize my skills and make it a business, I finally decided to go for it in August of 2023.
How do you ensure that your organizing solutions are customized to fit the individual preferences and lifestyles of your clients?
We do this by getting to know the spaces and the clients before starting a project. To work with Intentional Spaces, clients start with a complimentary consultation when we learn what is working for them and what isn't, what their goals are, and ask numerous questions to help inform the project. During this time, we talk to our clients about the different stores and suppliers we work with and learn their preferences for product sources.
We also give our clients two weeks after a project ends to live in the space before we reach out for a follow-up. Clients are offered the opportunity to tell us if the work we did is not meeting their needs, or if they want any further changes to be made to the space. Offering this post-project follow-up ensures our clients are satisfied with our work long-term.
Do you offer personalized plans for long-term organization maintenance?
We do! On the last day of a project, clients can choose to opt-in for up to 10 hours of maintenance services for a space. Maintenance sessions are general clean-ups or reorganization of project spaces. Clients can schedule maintenance for a space at any time within a calendar year of a project. Additionally, we send our clients a personalized document with tips and steps they can follow to create new habits and routines to help them stay organized in the future.
Could you share any success stories or testimonials from clients who have benefited from your organizing services?
"Amelia helped me organize my study that was in complete mess and dysfunction after 10 years of neglect. Within a short order, she has transformed my study into an unrecognizable, user-friendly environment that I actually look forward to enter every day and work where everything has been arranged in precise, easy-to-find, logical fashion. She is very creative and has good suggestions on how to declutter things in a most joyful way. She understands my needs totally and is very supportive in all ways."
and
"I was feeling completely overwhelmed after moving into our new home which has lots of storage and space but I couldn't figure out a good system for keeping things organized. I was living out of boxes and wearing/using the same 5 things after almost a year of moving in.
Amelia came in and got to work, she helped organize our mudroom and kitchen first, and it was so amazing to have her perspective on how to find a home for everything. She has amazing organizational supplies, tools, and ideas on how to put things where it would just make sense. She also helped organize our linen, playroom, and master closets. Amelia works at an efficient, fast pace but she also checks in with me and how I had envisioned the spaces to be like and takes into account everything I say and is not afraid to pivot or rearrange accordingly. I am no longer stressed walking through my home and I am loving the new system/organization. I am so incredibly grateful for Amelia's help and I would recommend her services 10/10!"
Are there ongoing training programs to stay updated on the latest organizing trends and techniques?
I am a member of NAPO, the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals which offers ongoing professional development opportunities, and a plethora of resources and information for professional organizers. They have created certification courses for professional organizers with rigorous prerequisites. I am actively working toward the NAPO certifications.
Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far.
My greatest achievement since I started offering organizing services in October of 2023 (only 4 months old!) is growing my team! I recently hired an assistant and it is exhilarating to know I will soon be able to serve more clients at a more efficient rate. Growing my team will also offer me additional perspective and ideas to help Intentional Spaces deliver excellence. I am excited to see how Intentional Spaces continues to grow in 2024!
What is one thing you want your clients to know before working with you?
What I want my clients to know is that whatever level of clutter or disorganization their space has, they should not be ashamed or embarrassed. Shame often prevents us from asking for help. But asking for help is oftentimes the catalyst for positive change!
I operate without judgment and do not make assumptions about anyone regarding the state of a space. I love this work. I love taking an overwhelming space and making it functional for my clients. I hope my clients will believe that I want to help them and have their best in mind.
