- Kate Pawlowski and her mother, Ann Lightfoot, built a home organization business together.
- Pawlowski has never worked another full-time job and grew Done & Done Home to $1.6 million in revenue.
- The mother-daughter duo makes it work using their opposite skill sets and living under one roof.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kate Pawlowski, a 37-year-old professional organizer in Montclair, New Jersey. It's been edited for length and clarity.
I've never had a real job. After graduating with a psychology degree in 2010, I went into business with my mom, Ann Lightfoot.
My only other work experience was at an ice cream store, where I learned I wanted an entrepreneurial life. I don't like taking orders from someone else and seeing the freedom the store owner had made me want to create that for myself.
Sometimes I think it would've been helpful to learn how other companies operate, but for the most part, I think it's a good thing I'm not burdened by thinking about how something "should" be done. I can just do what works best for us.
We first started a company that sold eyeglass necklaces and had some success, but we also started home organization work in 2012 as Done & Done Home. We realized we couldn't do both. Done & Done was bringing in more money, and we liked helping people more than selling a product.
What started as a mother-daughter duo organizing closets and hauling trash has turned into a successful business with 14 employees. In 2023, we generated over $1.6 million in revenue.
We got started through a friend
An interior designer friend told us about a client who had so much stuff in her home that he couldn't figure out how it would fit after a renovation.
We had always helped friends and family get their homes in order and agreed to work with her to help him out. She became our first paying client. We quickly discovered we could turn this into a business.
We learned we had opposite skill sets that matched perfectly. I was comfortable with tech, money, and design, while my mom was perfectly suited to handling the clients. She previously worked as a doula, and her experience shepherding clients through times of stress and great life change made the emotional side of organizing work second nature.
Shortly after starting our business, we discussed our new venture with a broker in New York who invited us to present our idea to over 100 brokers in her office. Clients started pouring in.
We expanded our business into online courses
We started helping brokers, designers, clients' friends, and family prepare their homes for the market, move, clear out estates, and generally organize.
When the pandemic hit in 2020 and we weren't able to go into homes as easily, we launched an online course, From Chaos to Calm: A Masterclass in Home Organizing, that sells for $99 and used Facebook Ads to spread the word. Running ads on Facebook has been integral to our business's success.
We also regularly use Instagram Reels to highlight our projects and organizational skills and provide insights into our day-to-day work. We've built an authentic connection with our clients, followers, and potential new customers.
Besides initially doing the organizing jobs, we've also done sales, operations, hiring, training, finances, and social media. I work 30-40 hours a week and am mostly focused on finances and marketing. My mom still oversees all clients and sales.
We balance work and family by living under the same roof
I have three young boys and, like lots of parents, I struggle to balance work and family, but because my mom and I live in a two-family home, bringing work home isn't a big deal. I often work on my laptop on the kitchen counter while my mom helps me with the kids.
Living in a two-family home has given us nothing but upsides. We rely on each other and have each other's backs, and one of us can run to the store if somebody needs milk. I absolutely love our setup, though I understand it's not for everyone.
My mom and I have always been close and are very open with communicating our needs to each other, so that helps.
The biggest piece of advice I have for anyone starting their own company is to know your math
I've noticed some small business owners are so busy handling day-to-day tasks that they don't take the time to understand the true financial workings of their company.
You need to ask yourself: Where are you finding new clients? What does it cost to get them? What is your percentage of repeat business? What is your profit margin? Do you have savings? Is there anywhere you are misspending? Knowing the answers to these questions can make or break you.
Decluttering a home can be very stressful, and the biggest thing we've learned is we all have too much stuff. The only way to keep a home running smoothly is to get rid of everything that isn't used, needed, or loved. We advise our clients to "watch the front door" and be mindful of what they bring in because the less you have, the less you have to declutter.
