Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Garcia.
Hi Michelle, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Organization has always been a part of who I am. Even as a child, what began as cleaning my room, quickly became re-organizing my room. I found myself repeatedly taking all my things out and carefully putting them back better than before, all while making my mother crazy. Although organizing has always been something I greatly enjoyed, I never saw it as a career opportunity. As I continued to grow up I knew I wanted to help and teach others. This eventually led me to pursue a career as a kindergarten teacher. However, shortly into my time as a teacher I got pregnant with my first child. Thanks to my amazing husband (of now 23 years), and his stable job as an Occupational Therapist, I was able to take a break from teaching to raise our daughter. Twelve years and two kids later, I found myself in the midst of organizing differing school schedules, homeschooling, sports, theatre, piano, and all of my kids’ other hobbies.
Then in 2019 I attended a 3-day entrepreneur conference with a friend. We were quickly tasked with understanding and taking the steps to create a business. My love for organizing was suddenly brought to the forefront of my mind. If I were to start a business of my own why not at least do something awesome? I named my fictional company “Be-YOU-tiful Simplicity” as I was wearing a shirt that said “there is beauty in simplicity”. From then, I began researching and immersing myself in the beauties of organizing. I read books like “The Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo, and studied techniques and ways organizers help guide people through their stuff. A couple of months later COVID hit and I found myself at home going through all the little areas of our house, and started purging like crazy. Through 2020 and for the next three years, my fictional business loomed in the back of my mind but I was always too nervous to get started. Then, in January 2024 my husband lost his job. This was the final push of motivation I needed to help out my family and take some financial stress away from my husband. In 2024 I had many friends and family hire me for random projects around their houses and I worked for a local organizing company. But my dream never faded and in the spring of this year, I finally decided to turn my dream into a reality, and that is how BeYOUtiful Simplicity LLC was born.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Since the start of BeYOUtiful Simplicity, I have increased clients each month, mostly with word of mouth which is amazing. I would say the biggest challenges are all that goes on behind the scenes of owning and starting up a business. I have learned how to do so many things, like: obtaining my LLC, building a website (which I stubbornly decided to do on my own), creating a cohesive brand, and trying to maintain an active social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, and now Pinterest. Learning to balance lifestyle and work is certainly a challenging task. Being a boss all while running a family and getting my oldest child ready for college has been chaotic to say the least. But I couldn’t be more grateful for the support from my family and nothing is more rewarding than the impact I make in my clients’ lives.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work hard to create unique systems that work for each of my clients. Making it pretty is just as important as the function of running your household. Anyone can have a pretty home, but my mission is to make it perfect for YOU. From the closet to the kitchen and all the little spaces in between, my passion is helping my clients create some peace and order in their home. Whether they are a parent running in a million different directions, or a boss who has their time tied up in all the things, or even both, I am ready to help. I am most proud when I’m able to go back consistently and see that what I do for my clients is making a difference in their lives. Whenever I get feedback like they can just breathe easier in their home, it makes me confident that this is what I was born to do. I take the time to build real relationships with my clients, they become like family to me, and I love making their lives a little better one room at a time.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
It is impossible to truly put into words how grateful I am for my family and friends. My husband especially, has always believed in me and assured me of my success. I also have had so many friends who have been there encouraging me since the beginning. Many friends have stepped in offering support as I learn to navigate my website and socials, which I couldn’t be more thankful for. I also of course have to thank my amazing clients, many of whom I have been repeatedly hired to organize every little spot in their homes. My biggest cheerleader since day-1 is my daughter Justine, she once told me while watching professional organizers on TV “Look mommy they are getting paid to do what you can do all day long”. Since that day she has grown into an amazing young woman & I have been lucky enough to bring her in on some jobs as my organizing assistant. Without all of these fantastic people, I would not be where I am now and for that, I am forever grateful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://beyoutifulsimplicitysd.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/beyoutiful_simplicity
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/2100351880019975
- Other: https://pinterest.com/beyoutifulsimplicitysd/
Image Credits
Natalie Chiles Photography
