856: ORGANIZING your space (and life!) for productivity and clarity w/ Leo & Sarit Weiss

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Hey, what is up?

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Welcome to this episode of the Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur podcast.

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As always, I'm your host, Brian Lofermento, and I'll tell you what I am so excited to welcome on two incredible co-founders in today's episode.

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This is an important topic for all of us in business and in life, because we are talking about keeping our spaces neat and orderly, and it's no coincidence that we need to do that in our physical spaces as well as in our mental spaces, and we've got two awesome guests to walk us through that.

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So let me tell you about today's guests.

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Their names are Sarit and Leo Weiss.

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Together they run Neat and Orderly, which is a professional home organizing company based in New York.

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They aim to bring efficiency and calm into people's lives you see, it's not just about spaces into their lives.

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Through decreasing clutter and maximizing space, they work closely with their clients to understand their unique needs and visions, which enables them to create an organized home tailored to their specific lifestyle and preferences.

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And I would actually argue it's important for all people, but especially for us as entrepreneurs.

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So much of this can unlock new levels of thought, of clarity, of productivity in our businesses, so I'm excited about this one.

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I'm not going to say anything else, let's dive straight into my interview with Sarit and Leo Weiss.

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All right, Leo and Sarit, I'm so excited that you're here with us today.

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Welcome to the show.

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Thank you so much for having us.

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Thanks so much we're here with us today.

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Welcome to the show.

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Thank you so much for having us.

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Thanks so much.

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We're really excited as well.

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Heck yeah.

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Obviously I'm pumped about the type of work that you do.

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I don't think we talk about this stuff enough within the world of business and entrepreneurship.

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But before we get into the good stuff, I want to hear your backgrounds.

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I always love these entrepreneurial backstories.

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Who the heck are Leo and Sarit?

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How the heck did you start doing all these cool things?

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Yeah.

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So the way it kind of all started was I actually don't like say this everywhere, everywhere, but I wasn't always super organized as a kid, I was not like that kid who lined up all their toys.

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But basically as I got older and into teenage years and a little bit past that, I kind of started to really appreciate organization and how it actually can help you, you know, in your business life, in your regular life.

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Just kind of it really does have a difference, you know, on your like mental health.

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And so I kind of like eventually created this real appreciation for organization and kind of I was actually working in a nursing home doing recreation therapy, and so there was a lot of organization necessary there.

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There was a lot of like paperwork that needed organization.

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There was a lot of, you know, just like, even supply closets.

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Like you know, working with senior citizens it's very there's so much organization that needs to be had over there.

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So I kind of started helping them with that as well.

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And then, you know, I really just was able to see such a need that it really brings people such calm and peace of mind to, you know, really just to their lives, to their mental health, and so I really just began feeling fulfilled from doing this organization and we said, you know, at one point it was time for me to leave that role in the nursing home.

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And you know, we decided to kind of jump right in and start this business and really just help change people's lives.

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And you know, in this way and I love it so glad- and then on my end I was totally the opposite.

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Never, never in my life that I, you know, think about organizing and you know, putting everything in the right spot and in advantageous spots.

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But I, you know, I went through.

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I was going through business through school, I was getting my degree in accounting and we had met and you know, as soon as we're getting married, she's putting all these organizing products on the, on our registry, and I really saw the, the wisdom behind it, and you know so, as she was still working in the nursing home and everything, we had been talking about it more and more, about how she really wanted to keep going organizing.

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And you know, at that point I had finished my degree in accounting, I was working a little bit in accounting as well, and through working through accounting you really get an understanding of businesses and how they run.

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So we had decided that it would be a good time to run and that Sarit would be the client facing figure and that I would be the one on the back end, you know, trying to just run the business and using my background to try to do that as best as possible.

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Yeah, I always love when couples combine powers and really it does sound like such a good fit between your skill sets, your passions, leo.

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You talk about your background in accounting and I think that that's such a powerful combination.

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But I also really love the transparency.

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Sarit, you said that you weren't always the most organized person, and I want you to paint that picture for us, because you personally went through the transformation that you all helped deliver to your clients of living in a disorganized way to then becoming organized.

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What do those transformations look like?

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Let's talk about the actual results that happen, because I'm sure so many of us who are tuning into today's episode we probably have those same symptoms.

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So paint that picture for us of why the heck is all this stuff worth it.

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So paint that picture for us of why the heck is all this stuff worth it.

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Yeah, so it's actually funny that you mentioned because it definitely helps me connect to my clients so much more because, you know, I do know what it feels like to have a cluttered space and to not know what to do and feel so overwhelmed by it, and it actually really like shows my clients that I am like personable in that way and that they can like connect to me, and I think that really helps, like you know, as more of like the face in the company.

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I think people really like connect to that and feel comfortable working with us.

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But, yeah, so in terms of like the results, I mean it's life transforming, like.

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I mean, you know, as Leo said, like he didn't, you know he didn't really have an appreciation for it until I came around and he sees like what it's done for his life.

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You know, I mean just like.

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As an example, like you know he used to like come home from work.

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You know jacket like goes onto the couch like not hung up, for example, right, so like what's the problem there?

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It's that you know the coat closet is too far away from the door.

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Putting it on the hangers.

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Too much effort, and I think a lot of people, you know it's a timing issue, right, you come home from work, you're ready for the next thing, you're, you're on to dinner, you're on to this, you're on to closet, and so he can just kind of throw his coat on there and and that's kind of just a result.

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That is actually really just like a little bit life transforming, you know.

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And then it helps your spouse or your partner, you know, not be upset oh, his thing's on the floor again, you know.

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And so I really just think it creates a whole lot of efficiency and I think people really really appreciate that and it makes a big difference in you know, in how you live.

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And then it's just funny because, like I said before, you know we had gotten into this before we got married.

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I really could have just lived with everything everywhere without a care, but now all of a sudden, in like my little office, it's like I can't do this.

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Everything's a mess.

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Soit, come in here and help me get this organized.

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I need help.

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This is too much.

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Make sure that there's a spot for the pens and everything, and it's an amazing thing about what it can do to my productivity Also just working, that everything is where I need it to be and I know where it is.

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Yeah, I love that, leo publicly getting called out.

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But I'm right there with you.

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We all have a chair that is just the home of everything.

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We all have that one chair in our places.

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It's true Also, like those clothes, that when we take it off they're not quite dirty.

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We didn't wear it for the full day.

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Perfect for the chair, right?

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I definitely feel you guys on that.

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And, leo, I love the fact that obviously you have such a business background and you called out that increase to productivity, which I think for listeners here today it's going to be an overarching theme, because I've always loved that concept of how you do anything is how you do everything, and every time I intentionally sit down and I say, holy cow, my place is so cluttered.

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Let me clean that up.

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Is that that then transcends into other aspects of my life, including digital organization?

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It that then transcends into other aspects of my life, including digital organization.

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It's almost like the two work hand in hand.

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Talk to us about that, because we do live in such a digital world that not only can we clutter our physical spaces, but digitally as well.

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That's actually funny.

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So the other day he was actually just showing me that he'd made folders on his computer of different like of all his tabs.

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He has like 700 tabs open at a time.

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So he created do you want to like expand on that a little bit?

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Sure, like, just because, like the way that I've worked, you know, in accounting it's just, you always have a bunch of different tabs, a bunch of different workbooks open.

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So my computer, when I'm working, I have 15, 20, 25 different tabs on and, like, sometimes it would just be memory that this tab is always the first one and then that other tab is the third one.

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But now, coming and noticing the power of organizing and just the different updates that come out on Chrome or all these other browsers, that you can actually just put it into folders.

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So now I have different folders for operations or accounting of the company and it just helps me keep everything.

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Oh, when I need this, I just go into the accounting folder or a different folder on the desktop.

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As well as when I am organizing the files that we need for the business, it's just like now I've gone in and actually made the folders of these are the tax documents, these are the.

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You know, these are the contracts that we have signed, that we have to keep.

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So it just makes it so much easier to find than just, you know, scrolling through your files on your computer and trying to see where's that contract that somebody signed a year and a half ago.

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Yeah, and I really love that, because it's actually like those constraints being organized and having to make those choices also forces all of us to think so intentionally and strategically, as opposed to just these things belong where they belong and there's no underlying strategy behind that, which leads me to Suri.

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I'm really interested to hear your perspective on this, because there are so many strategies to get organized.

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Obviously, marie Kondo has kind of made this a very mainstream thing.

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I think during the pandemic, so many people got into her approach of organizing.

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But talk to us about some of those different ways, because there are a million different ways for us all to get organized.

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What are some of those examples that you've seen are effective with normal people?

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Yeah, totally.

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So, um, yeah, there I'm.

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I am very into, you know, not living by one rule always, and that everyone is so different and that everybody needs a different system, so what's one?

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What one might work for one person is not necessarily going to work for the next, right?

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So, for example, if you know, if there's somebody who you know, if you're the kind of person who needs to see everything, otherwise you know you'll forget you had it right.

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Like, if you know, if you're the kind of person who needs to see everything, otherwise you know you'll forget you had it right.

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Like if you know things are getting lost in the back of your closet and behind things and behind behind things, you know.

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And it's basically, if you don't see it, you don't know you have it, you forgot, you wore it, you order a new one because you didn't know you have it.

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Now you have three of them a year later, you know, you know.

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So in that case, it would be like everything you know would be obviously like out as much as possible, nothing behind, like closed doors.

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We say so.

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Like you know, if some, if you need to corral all of your watches or whatever, that is so a clear bin as opposed to, first of all, just throwing it on the shelf and then it never gets found again, but also as opposed to, you know, like an opaque bin or like a pretty bin or whatever that may be.

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So, like, everybody works so different.

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So, you know, some people like they just can't stand to see the mess, so then we try to put it all behind closed doors, you know.

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So there are loads of different ways to you know, to organize, and I just think everyone's so different and you have to do what works for you, and I can sit here giving you loads of examples and loads of ways to do things.

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Yeah, I mean, actually there is one rule that I kind of do always abide by, that I find works for I haven't yet found a person that doesn't work for which is called the file fold, which I don't know if you know, if your listeners have heard of the way Marie Kondo, like you know, she's the one who kind of came up with this file folding, and what it basically is is that in like a dresser drawer, for example, you fold, let's say, shirts.

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You fold your t shirts and you fold them kind of stacking vertically so that you can actually see every single one, as opposed to stacking on top of each other, which you know you can't quite find the bottom one.

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Then it becomes a mess when you take it out, and so that actually is a rule that I kind of do.

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So there is one that I admit I'm being super open and honest on this podcast today.

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So, yeah, that's definitely something that I would say kind of is always a yes, but yeah, there's everyone's so different.

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You have to do what works for you.

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Yeah, I love that perspective, especially because it's something that I think we all face, these choices on a weekly basis.

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Even I'm going to extrapolate so much of this to business, obviously because the nature of the podcast, but also because I think we all think like entrepreneurs.

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It's such a common thread about those of us who choose to be entrepreneurs.

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We are wired a certain way and I'm just so in tune with so many different productivity approaches.

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Sarit, you mentioned how many different approaches there are for organizing our physical spaces.

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There's equally as many for productivity approaches, and one of those is eat the frog, for example, where there's that age-old philosophy of should I do the most difficult thing first or the easiest task first?

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And there's different philosophies on each of those and we can all choose what works for us.

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But I think the underlying question is where do we start?

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So, when it comes to the work that you do with clients, where do we start?

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You talked about closets.

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You talked about hiding things in drawers.

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Where do we even start?

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Because listeners are going to have a lot of homework after today's episode.

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Oh, yes, definitely.

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Yeah, I mean I would say you start with the place that irks you the most, that bothers you the most.

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That's been kind of the most on your mind.

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That like I can't stand.

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If only my office were better organized I'd get a whole lot more done right which is kind of in his example as well, like it's really especially, yeah, for entrepreneurs.

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Like there's so much we to get done.

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And I find that a lot of times, specifically for entrepreneurs, specifically for business owners, that usually the place that usually is the most bothersome is business.

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You know their office or wherever they are working in their home and you know if that place isn't, isn't kind of if, if not everything has a place in their space, then everything in their mind is like oh God, I have to go to work and I can't find anything in my office and my computer is a mess and how am I going to find this?

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You know file that the client sent me and you know, like you know, like we were saying before, it really really has such an effect on productivity and I think, starting with you know the space that kind of like is the elephant in the room for you.

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You know that will hopefully help you get it done.

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Yeah, along those lines.

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I think it's so fascinating to think about, obviously, business again, it's just unbiased.

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And I want to hear about your own business organization because Leo gave it to us right off the bat about how your different backgrounds really contribute to also the way that you run and organize your business, because our businesses also need to be organized.

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I'm going to inject that into our conversation here today.

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So I'd love to hear how you all structure your own business behind the scenes, because at the same time, obviously you both want to be organized, not only in your personal lives but in your business lives, but you also have clients that you're servicing.

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So, with so many moving parts, take us behind the scenes there.

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Sure.

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So the thing that I've really picked up, you know from working with different accounting firms, is just kind of a work allocation file, especially when you have multiple employees or if you're just one person, just you know keeping it and organizing it by priority.

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So, like this work allocation file would like list out the task with the priority as well as who it's, uh, it's assigned to.

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So, um, you can go through, you can.

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I'd like to do it in a spreadsheet.

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I'm a spreadsheet kind of guy, just with the way that I work and, uh, just put it in a spreadsheet.

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You can format it to make it look nice, to make it it look you know better and you know, have it highlighted red when it's open or green when it's complete, and just keeping it there and, you know, using filters on the spreadsheet to show you like just a filter by what's priority or filter by what's by a deadline that you have or something you know that just needs to get done ASAP.

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So that's kind of the way that we'll do it and like we'll just go in and we'll check if there's something that needs to be done today or something that's just higher priority and who it's assigned to.

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Yeah, urgent versus important.

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It's a question that I feel like all of us entrepreneurs need to ask ourselves on a daily and especially weekly basis, and it sounds like this transposes so perfectly into the nature of the work that you all do, which, along those lines, listeners know that we always ask our guests about your zone of genius and I love the fact that you two have such different zones of genius.

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Leo, you keep leaning on that accounting background and I think that's so powerful and effective, even hearing the way you think like an accountant and you bring that to the nature of the work that you all do.

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And, sarit, I love how, on your questionnaire, you jotted down understanding the clientele.

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Talk to us about those two unique zones of genius, because I do see in your work and in the way you talk about your work how much it shows up.

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So I'd love to hear from both of you how that translates into the work and the results that you deliver for clients.

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Yeah, so, um, yeah, I mean I would say like, just to give an example, um, I've had multiple times that I've been on the phone with somebody as like an initial phone call, um, and you know we're, we're talking, I'm kind of hearing a little bit about their space.

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I'm kind of getting to know, getting like to feel them out, what they're looking for, and a lot of times they'll tell me they're searching around, you know, for other, for other, you know, just to kind of get other prices or to kind of feel other organizing companies out call back from them saying like, hey, I'd love to go ahead with you, um, because I felt that you know, I, I connected the most to you, I felt like I was being understood and, um, it's happened multiple times and I think that definitely has um, you know, it's definitely attributed to.

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You know where I have come from with that um, with not always being so organized and developing the appreciation for it that I can really relate to.

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You know the clients and what they're telling me and what they need.

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So I think I think that's a huge, you know, a huge part of business is just to like show that you're relatable, show that you understand where the person's coming from.

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I know there's a lot of like strategy behind business, but I think a really, really big part that I think that I contribute to you know, to our partnership here as well, is just is just like kind of I guess more of like the emotional side behind it and just kind of really the like, the being real with people, and I think that's that's really like important and I think often overlooked with with you know, with businesses, that a lot of it's kind of like very what's the word?

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Like just all system, all systems, all systematic, and I think, and I think you know, I think that's just something that I contribute, that clients really see and appreciate that, yeah, that they're being understood and it's something relatable and you know they're not alone and it's super normal to you know to come from where they're coming from and you know to ask for the help.

00:19:07.294 --> 00:19:11.596
And I think, yeah, I also have a little bit of a background in marketing as well.

00:19:11.596 --> 00:19:15.363
I did, yeah, I did major in marketing, you know.

00:19:15.363 --> 00:19:19.825
I mean, I guess like the the little bit of sales aspect there as well kicks in.

00:19:19.825 --> 00:19:21.650
So, um, yeah, I think it's.

00:19:21.650 --> 00:19:29.965
I think it's knowing how to talk to people and and kind of you know hearing good feedback from that yeah, and sarit's definitely great at the marketing job, like we had at the beginning.

00:19:30.888 --> 00:19:57.923
Uh, when sarit was starting to get a little bit more busy and we didn't really have any other people to come in and do sales with us, I had to try to do some sales and I don't think I'm necessarily bad at sales, but I think within this space, you kind of need to have a more empathetic approach, which I may not have as well as Sarit does, and you know she was quick to see that it wasn't working so well and, you know, was able to jump back in and, you know, speak to the clients instead.

00:19:57.923 --> 00:20:17.980
But regarding where I feel most comfortable though, like you had mentioned, you can see that I think like an accountant, which I'll interpret as a compliment for now but my zone is really kind of just analyzing what the business needs and kind of just going in and trying to fix that.

00:20:17.980 --> 00:20:35.829
I don't have background in marketing and SEO and you know all the other aspects that goes in, but sometimes I can see where something is going wrong or I can see where what's causing people to leave our website and then try to pivot from there.

00:20:35.829 --> 00:20:36.531
I'll try to.

00:20:36.531 --> 00:20:36.853
I'll.

00:20:36.853 --> 00:20:47.099
I'll start looking up different courses, either on YouTube or some online courses over the web, of web design, to see you know how we can really maximize the conversions on our website.

00:20:47.099 --> 00:20:53.948
Or, you know, I'll be looking into SEO, which is something that I have taught myself somewhat.

00:20:55.230 --> 00:21:03.453
When I was real, I finally came to the realization that searching on Google and showing up on Google is not by mistake.

00:21:03.453 --> 00:21:06.599
You don't just publish your website and then all of a sudden you show up on Google.

00:21:06.599 --> 00:21:19.276
You really have to intentionally write your website and intentionally write it for a way to rank on Google and do the work, do the back work of acquiring backlinks and everything to make it, uh, to make it rank.

00:21:19.276 --> 00:21:33.888
And it's just something that, like I pride myself on doing, is just kind of just adapting to whatever is needed and if I find that it's either too time consuming or too or too tough for me to take on them, just trying to find the right people to outsource it to.

00:21:34.761 --> 00:21:50.519
If I can jump on that as well just to kind of like commend him and maybe to suggest to other you know, to other business owners to to do the same, which is that, like he said, he's really been great with like understanding when he can jump on something and when it's the right time to outsource to somebody else.

00:21:50.519 --> 00:22:05.010
So I think just kind of, if people want to keep that in mind, I think it's just a really you know, not something to let go of and put on the back burner, but just really to kind of like let the ego drop a little bit and understand like when is the right time to outsource and when is something you could take on.

00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:11.545
Yeah, really well said to both of you, especially with that also added note there, sarit, because I think it is so important.

00:22:11.545 --> 00:22:12.970
And Leo, I'm going to quickly chime in.

00:22:12.970 --> 00:22:21.798
And yes, it is for sure a compliment that you think like an accountant, because I do think that it's that level of awareness, I mean, what I can see that you bring from accounting as displayed in your answer.

00:22:21.798 --> 00:22:35.244
Right, there is, accounting sometimes gets criticized for being black and white, but it is that level of awareness of this is the current situation and you know, when we look at a balance sheet of a business, that is a financial snapshot that is rooted in reality.

00:22:35.244 --> 00:22:42.663
And so the fact that you two so clearly not only love what you do but you bring the human element to it from that place of self-awareness.

00:22:42.663 --> 00:22:48.282
And I'm going to send some initial compliments here before we get towards the end of this interview.

00:22:48.323 --> 00:23:04.115
But, listeners, when you check out Leo and Sarit's website, which is neatandorderlynycom we're going to talk about it at the end of this episode as well but even when someone goes to your website, they're going to see personality, they're going to see life behind your business and it's so clear that you both love what you do.

00:23:04.115 --> 00:23:05.701
You have incredible testimonials.

00:23:05.701 --> 00:23:12.123
There's so much useful information and the two of you, your energy, shows up in the way that you operate.

00:23:12.123 --> 00:23:21.476
And, sarit, hearing you bring it back to that empathetic part of sales, of marketing, of client service, I think that it also reveals why the two of you are amazing entrepreneurs.

00:23:21.476 --> 00:23:33.227
So I always love, in these conversations, talking to you not just as subject matter experts but as entrepreneurs yourselves, because you're also figuring it out, leo, your real life example of hey, I didn't have a sales background.

00:23:33.227 --> 00:23:34.068
You're figuring it out.

00:23:34.068 --> 00:23:37.519
Talk to us about that aspect of being first-time entrepreneurs.

00:23:37.519 --> 00:23:40.068
I mean individually, but also collectively.

00:23:40.068 --> 00:23:47.925
I'd love to hear what has surprised you as first-time entrepreneurs when it comes to actually starting your own business and running your own business.

00:23:49.402 --> 00:23:53.630
For me it's just been how many moving pieces there are behind it.

00:23:53.630 --> 00:24:18.005
There's just kind of you have to scrutinize every move that's being made and see if it works and then, if it does, then try and recreate it, like in sales or you know other client facing uh activities that you do, or you know just in the way that your website works or the way you know that that, um, seo is going.

00:24:18.005 --> 00:24:20.046
You have to just it's trial and error seeing.

00:24:20.046 --> 00:24:27.471
Okay, I just made one edit to the website and we actually dropped three positions in Google or whatever.

00:24:27.570 --> 00:24:36.117
It's just a lot of monitoring and also just like sometimes if you're running different ads, you have to scrutinize if it's working or if it's not.

00:24:36.117 --> 00:24:38.041
You really just got to pay attention.

00:24:38.041 --> 00:24:45.968
There's so much to pay attention to that it can just like sometimes you know it can cause late nights or other things that you know.

00:24:45.968 --> 00:24:52.838
That may not be so much fun, but at the end of the day it's a challenge and it'll feel really good once you get over that hump of like.

00:24:52.838 --> 00:24:59.825
Oh, I finally figured out why we dropped three positions in Google after I made that edit and now you go in and you make the edit.

00:24:59.825 --> 00:25:10.861
Now you're net, you're up, you know two, two, four, two to four positions, so it's really just kind of having to look at everything and every activity that you do under a microscope.

00:25:13.022 --> 00:25:32.954
Yeah, I think what, I guess what surprised me the most was as you know, he is kind of more of the business mindset with this I guess I was more surprised of the fact of how much work actually just goes into the business and how much of our own time we'd need to be spending working the business.

00:25:32.954 --> 00:25:38.278
So, like you know, it's not, no, no, business owners is not is nine to five.

00:25:38.278 --> 00:25:39.907
You know, it's just not how it is.

00:25:39.907 --> 00:25:55.152
And, um, I think I guess that kind of surprised me the most and I guess that, um, you know that like work life balance has been, has been something that I've, you know, been trying to like make my way through and just kind of continuing to find that that work life balance through it.

00:25:55.913 --> 00:25:57.515
Yes, and this is the real stuff.

00:25:57.515 --> 00:26:02.251
This is why our show exists is because I think these are the real conversations that we need to have publicly.

00:26:02.251 --> 00:26:06.204
So I so appreciate the two of you's transparency and I'm also going to call you out.

00:26:06.204 --> 00:26:06.787
I'm going to add on.

00:26:06.787 --> 00:26:17.413
I didn't plan on doing this in today's episode, but if memory serves me correctly, I think you are only the fourth couple entrepreneurs in this show's history and 850 plus episodes.

00:26:17.413 --> 00:26:23.740
So I'd love to hear I'm going to add on something for other founder couples how the heck do you guys manage it?

00:26:23.740 --> 00:26:29.444
Because, on top of what you just shared with us about managing a business, you're also managing a relationship and a life together.

00:26:29.444 --> 00:26:32.593
So give us some of those intricacies and considerations.

00:26:33.539 --> 00:26:37.961
Yeah, so definitely definitely a point that I knew I wanted to bring up here as well.

00:26:37.961 --> 00:26:49.067
You know, especially you asked it anyway, yeah, it's, it's definitely a wild ride and not everyone is made to do and not everyone can do it work together as a couple.

00:26:49.067 --> 00:26:55.968
But yeah, I think we've, we've, I think we're still balancing, I think it's.

00:26:55.968 --> 00:26:58.953
You know, it's always like just being really real here.

00:26:58.953 --> 00:27:07.619
It's a relationship, as difficult as it is, and so, you know, a relationship with running a business, you know, has its ups and downs and that's to be expected.

00:27:08.042 --> 00:27:25.941
But you know, I think, just kind of making sure to make time for each other and to make, you know, to do the best we can to keep business separate from work, sorry, separate from home life, and to, you know, kind of say like hey, can we set a time for a meeting, as opposed to, like just bringing up work over dinner, right?

00:27:25.941 --> 00:27:50.353
So like, like it happened, like at the beginning when we were starting out, like you know, we'd come, we'd both come home from work and dinner, and then eating dinner turned into business talk, and so I think just kind of figuring out like all right, let's schedule in a meeting for the two of us because we do live together, we are constantly with each other and I think it's about making sure you set a time so that doesn't take over your whole life.

00:27:50.353 --> 00:27:58.493
I think just setting times where there's going to be business talk really helps us kind of maintain our relationship outside of the business.

00:27:58.900 --> 00:27:59.320
Definitely.

00:27:59.320 --> 00:28:07.275
And then also like, just like in any relationship, you have to understand that you're two different people that work two totally different ways.

00:28:07.275 --> 00:28:29.432
Like, as I'm sure you know, you can see, is that where I'm like the business background and Sarita is the you know client facing, empathetic, outgoing kind of person, so it's just like I can be there saying like we can just push and push and push and push, but Sarita is also like she has to run out and going all over the place and it can just be a lot.

00:28:29.432 --> 00:28:42.968
But you know, from a business standpoint you're like, okay, but we can easily, we're leaving sales on the table, we can do more sales standpoint, you're like, okay, but we can easily, we're leaving sales on the table, we can do more sales, but at the end of the day you have to, you know, come to that midpoint where both of you can work together with both of your strengths.

00:28:43.830 --> 00:28:46.961
Yes, I really appreciate these real honest insights.

00:28:46.961 --> 00:28:56.112
And, leo, I'm just going to give you a few additional kudos, because when you talk about SEO, one of those things that I heard from you within the context of SEO is these things don't happen by mistake.

00:28:56.112 --> 00:29:04.542
And now giving kudos to both of you, sarit and Leo, both of you are saying that your relationship, these things don't happen by mistake, running a business together, these things don't happen by mistake.

00:29:04.542 --> 00:29:15.230
So that level of intentionality from both of you of saying hey, let's not just sit down for dinner and start talking about business, I think that that's so powerful and it's going to yield incredible growth.

00:29:15.230 --> 00:29:21.143
Which is why I want to ask you about your growth plans, because obviously I just tooted your website's horn a little bit.

00:29:21.143 --> 00:29:23.106
Neaten, orderly nycom.

00:29:23.106 --> 00:29:26.461
The NY is for New York, but shed some light onto us.

00:29:26.461 --> 00:29:32.201
How long will you both be just in New York with your operations, or what are those growth plans?

00:29:33.345 --> 00:29:35.832
We would love to shed the NY from the website.

00:29:35.832 --> 00:30:01.109
The plan is to keep going and really just build up the first within New York City, which has such a large market for home organizing especially just with the density of people there and just the demand and everything over there is perfect to start this kind of business and then kind of work our way out with bringing on some, you know, new people that would help us.

00:30:01.109 --> 00:30:06.431
You know, within the different locations that you know we would see a fit to bring our services to.

00:30:06.431 --> 00:30:17.811
And it's really just our goal is kind of to keep meeting exactly what the client needs but also meeting what the employees would need.

00:30:17.811 --> 00:30:39.287
We've definitely seen within the industry that there are some employment mistakes or missteps that have been taken and our goal is to kind of try to correct that and kind of make the experience better for the employees as well yeah, really well said, leo.

00:30:39.587 --> 00:30:41.132
Is there something you wanted to add to that serene?

00:30:42.903 --> 00:30:43.805
um, no, I think.

00:30:43.805 --> 00:30:46.851
I think that I agree, that was great awesome, yeah.

00:30:46.871 --> 00:30:47.451
Well then, let me.

00:30:47.451 --> 00:30:57.965
I'm gonna put this one right on to you, sir, because you have so much interaction with your clients, and that is what is typically the catalyst, what's typically the spark for when someone sits there and says you know what?

00:30:57.965 --> 00:31:08.249
I need help with regards to this, or I need to invest attention and energy and resources towards cleaning up my space, cleaning up my life, getting that additional clarity and room to operate.

00:31:08.249 --> 00:31:09.230
What is the?

00:31:09.230 --> 00:31:12.009
The straw that typically breaks that camel's back?

00:31:13.319 --> 00:31:14.763
Yeah, so there's I.

00:31:14.763 --> 00:31:16.107
I find that there's general.

00:31:16.107 --> 00:31:17.682
It's generally one of two ways.

00:31:17.682 --> 00:31:31.119
So the first way is that you know somebody is just so overwhelmed and like it's gotten to be like, okay, it's enough already, I can't handle it anymore, um, so that's usually when they'll, you know when they'll look up, uh, look us up for some help, um.

00:31:31.119 --> 00:31:36.424
And the other way is generally when there's like a big life change, like about to happen or has just happened.

00:31:36.525 --> 00:31:45.972
So you know we get a lot, of, a lot of moving calls, a lot of like you know having I'm having a baby calls and I need to, you know, figure out how to make room for that.

00:31:45.972 --> 00:31:57.141
Or you know, change my husband's office into the nursery now, like, how do we do that, that?

00:31:57.141 --> 00:32:11.366
Or I just moved in with my boyfriend, or I just I think life changes is kind of like generally when people are like all right, we need a little bit of help with this, we need to figure out how to kind of make room for another person or a breakup, and then we're getting our own life together.

00:32:11.366 --> 00:32:19.243
Um, yeah, I think those are kind of the main two reasons that people, that people reach out, and I think and once in a while.

00:32:19.284 --> 00:32:51.221
There is the call of just like you know, I'd like to, I'd like to get some better systems, I'd like my life to run more efficiently, and I think those are honestly the most like eyeopening uh, you know clients that we get, because I think it's it's it's nice to see that people like kind of take a moment and like stop with like life and life is so busy and crazy, and they like kind of make that moment for themselves, like maybe I should, you know, maybe I would work a little bit better with, with a little bit more organization, and so I kind of really enjoy the clients that that do just want a few, you know, just make my life a little bit easier, kind of thing.

00:32:51.221 --> 00:32:58.853
Um, but generally it's it's one of the other two that we see- yes, or hopefully you listeners, I'm going to call all of you out.

00:32:59.114 --> 00:33:03.212
Hopefully this episode can be the catalyst and that spark for you to change.

00:33:03.493 --> 00:33:09.692
So there's a very intentional reason why our production team decided for this episode to be our featured Friday episode this week.

00:33:09.692 --> 00:33:16.001
It's because Friday is a perfect time to be introspective and to be intentional and strategic about the moves you want to make.

00:33:16.001 --> 00:33:23.988
So, hearing from Sarit and Leo here today, I hope that this is the catalyst to all of us taking this more seriously and making that change in our lives.

00:33:23.988 --> 00:33:25.211
Which leads me to.

00:33:25.211 --> 00:33:30.865
It's the question that I love to ask at the end of all these episodes, because I have no idea which way you guys are going to take it.

00:33:30.865 --> 00:33:44.244
And it's cool because today we get two separate answers to this question one from each of you and that is what's your action or takeaway that you hope every listener walks away from today's session with they have a lot of homework and a lot of food for thought but one from each of you.

00:33:44.244 --> 00:33:50.054
You can make it about personal organizing or about business or anything that you want that you know will help our listeners.

00:33:50.054 --> 00:33:51.480
What's that one takeaway?

00:34:04.625 --> 00:34:05.626
you hope they walk away with.

00:34:05.626 --> 00:34:16.152
So for me, I want to just speak more to the business and for the entrepreneurs out there Don't be afraid, don't shy away from something just because you don't have experience in it.

00:34:16.152 --> 00:34:30.338
You to learn how to design a website and the marketing strategies and the different you know psychology that goes behind what makes somebody want to click your button to get in contact with you or to order one of your products.

00:34:30.338 --> 00:34:32.385
Start learning about that.

00:34:32.385 --> 00:34:40.769
Start learning about you know whatever it is that you need and just don't shy away from something just because you don't have experience from it.

00:34:40.769 --> 00:34:47.753
Try it out, see if you need it and you know if you can handle it, and if you can't, then go about outsourcing it.

00:34:47.800 --> 00:35:12.813
it does not only just make you feel more accomplished, but at the end of the day you're you'd be cutting out a major expense which ultimately increases your bottom line yeah, I guess for what I would say kind of my tip for the end of the day would just be what I touched on before of kind of finding that work life balance, and I would just say, like, figure out whatever that is for you.

00:35:12.893 --> 00:35:15.963
So, like you know, we had said we stopped talking about business over dinner.

00:35:15.963 --> 00:35:23.945
You know, I not too long ago got a business phone line so I have two separate phones.

00:35:23.945 --> 00:35:27.420
You know, and kind of just make that differentiation for yourself.

00:35:27.420 --> 00:35:37.260
If that means, you know, not checking your phone after 9 pm, you know maybe that's a reasonable enough hour that you don't need to be getting back to someone ASAP by midnight, you know.

00:35:37.260 --> 00:35:53.871
Like you know, if it means putting down your phone at 9pm or or you know whatever that is, to kind of like give yourself a little bit more like like slack and a little bit more just care to kind of make sure you don't burn out, is, I think, just a really really helpful thing.

00:35:53.871 --> 00:35:59.427
That just just kind of make that separation, do what you need to do to make sure that business is business and home is home.

00:36:00.148 --> 00:36:01.751
Yes, really good advice.

00:36:01.751 --> 00:36:04.101
I love the direction that each of you took that answer.

00:36:04.101 --> 00:36:07.992
I think it's really powerful and it truly applies to all of us entrepreneurs.

00:36:07.992 --> 00:36:22.672
So you both have been a wealth of knowledge today, not only when it comes to interior organization and making sure that our spaces are organized, but, most importantly, making sure our lives and our businesses are organized and intentional, and I love the way both of you think as entrepreneurs as well.

00:36:22.773 --> 00:36:28.445
So, with all of that said, I know that listeners will be keen, especially because I really think everyone should check out your website.

00:36:28.445 --> 00:36:31.960
I think it's such a good example and, leo, you just shared some of those.

00:36:31.960 --> 00:36:33.342
I always say success leaves clues.

00:36:33.342 --> 00:36:38.512
You shared some of those real life insights that the work that we're going to find on your website is intentional.

00:36:38.512 --> 00:36:44.684
It is driven by the fact that the two of you sit down and put your personalities into this instead of hiring it out.

00:36:44.684 --> 00:36:52.192
So, with that said, where should listeners go from here to go deeper into understanding neat and orderly and seeing all the great work that you're both up to?

00:36:53.500 --> 00:36:57.148
Yeah, so I mean you mentioned our website, neatandorderlynycom.

00:36:57.148 --> 00:36:59.813
We have an Instagram as well.

00:36:59.813 --> 00:37:01.143
It's at kneeandorderlyny.

00:37:01.143 --> 00:37:05.469
Like we said, we'd hope to take the NY away from that soon.

00:37:05.469 --> 00:37:08.668
But yeah, definitely get in contact with us there.

00:37:08.668 --> 00:37:10.385
My work phone as well.

00:37:10.385 --> 00:37:14.567
You can totally feel free to reach out 718-483-2076.

00:37:14.567 --> 00:37:17.387
If you have any questions, we'd love to help you and answer them.

00:37:22.260 --> 00:37:22.561
Yes, 2076.

00:37:22.561 --> 00:37:23.077
If you have any questions, we'd love to help you and answer them.

00:37:23.077 --> 00:37:23.815
Yes, boom, listeners, you already know the drill.

00:37:23.815 --> 00:37:27.148
We are making it as easy as possible for you to find those links down below in the show notes, wherever it is that you're tuning into today's episode.

00:37:27.148 --> 00:37:32.081
Sarit has also become the first ever guests in this show's history to drop her cell phone number.

00:37:32.081 --> 00:37:41.715
So you see how accessible and helpful they are for all of their clients and that personal touch that goes into it, that empathetic approach that we really heard from both Leo and Sarit here today.

00:37:41.715 --> 00:37:43.288
So definitely check those show notes.

00:37:43.288 --> 00:37:44.494
Go check out their website.

00:37:44.494 --> 00:37:54.043
We're also linking to their personal LinkedIn's down below in the show notes If you just want to reach out and say thank you for being such generous and transparent entrepreneurs who are so committed to putting good in the world.

00:37:54.083 --> 00:38:05.134
So, leo and Sarit, on behalf of myself and all the listeners worldwide, thanks so much for coming on the show today.

00:38:05.134 --> 00:38:10.630
Thank you so much for having us hey, it's Brian here and thanks for tuning in to yet another episode of the Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur podcast.

00:38:10.630 --> 00:38:13.159
If you haven't checked us out online, there's so much good stuff there.

00:38:13.159 --> 00:38:22.434
Check out the show's website and all the show notes that we talked about in today's episode at thewantrepreneurshowcom, and I just want to give a shout out to our amazing guests.

00:38:22.434 --> 00:38:31.230
There's a reason why we are ad free and have produced so many incredible episodes five days a week for you, and it's because our guests step up to the plate.

00:38:31.291 --> 00:38:33.262
These are not sponsored episodes.

00:38:33.262 --> 00:38:34.867
These are not infomercials.

00:38:34.867 --> 00:38:38.373
Our guests help us cover the costs of our productions.

00:38:38.373 --> 00:38:49.286
They so deeply believe in the power of getting their message out in front of you, awesome entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs, that they contribute to help us make these productions possible.

00:38:49.286 --> 00:38:57.807
So thank you to not only today's guests, but all of our guests in general, and I just wanna invite you check out our website because you can send us a voicemail there.

00:38:57.807 --> 00:38:59.125
We also have live chat.

00:38:59.125 --> 00:39:05.172
If you want to interact directly with me, go to thewantrepreneurshowcom, initiate a live chat.

00:39:05.172 --> 00:39:14.597
It's for real me and I'm excited because I'll see you, as always every Monday, wednesday, friday, saturday and Sunday here on the Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur podcast.