Exploring Life & Business with Alana Frost of Alana’s Organizing

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alana Frost. 

Hi Alana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
Ever since I was a kid, I always dreamed of owning my own business. After working in banking for 10 years I decided that I wasn’t going to let that dream slip away, so I quit my job and soon after, started Alana’s Organizing in 2018. 

I knew from the beginning that I didn’t want to be like the typical burned-out entrepreneur who worked seven days a week and never saw their family. So, I setup a schedule for myself that worked with the needs of my family, and I stuck to it. The first year I spent my days setting up the basic systems, creating a brand, finding my niche, and all the legal stuff that comes in the beginning. Soon after I began getting clients, and over time I continued to refine my brand messaging to my ideal clients, and it wasn’t long before I was steadily working with the type of clients that I had envisioned in the beginning. 

There were many successes, many days where I wanted to quit and give up. Lots of tears and mistakes that I had to learn from. By quickly switching gears and making sure not to repeat those mistakes, it’s helped me to build a culture and a company that is constantly evolving and improving, both internally and externally. Being humble and willing to learn from others around me who have overcome similar challenges, and made a success of their business has been vital in the growth of my company. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nope! It’s impossible to own a business and not have bumps along the way. Personally, some of the struggles that really stood out to me was the experience of growing rapidly, and how that can help, and hurt your business depending on the circumstances. During the pandemic, we grew our business over 400% in one year! It was amazing and thrilling to see so much success in my business, but having more money definitely wasn’t everything. 

We had a large team and we needed better systems in place to handle the staff and the quality control of our client experience. If you don’t have the systems in place to efficiently manage the increase in business, your team suffers, and also your clients. It’s easy for things to slip through the cracks, and that can be hard to remedy when you have so much going on around you. Creating a sustainable infrastructure with the right team members, systems and processes will set you up for success when you do begin to scale and grow your company. I also can’t stress enough; how important it is to have good people on your team who truly support your vision and who come to work for more than just a paycheck. If your team isn’t passionate about the work they’re doing, it will definitely show in their work ethic. If you have an amazing company with the right systems in place, it’s nothing if the people who show up for it aren’t in it for the right reasons. Hire slowly. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Alana’s Organizing is a home organizing and relocation concierge. We provide luxury homeowners with bespoke organizational design, space planning, and creating functional systems in their home as part of their building, renovation, and interior design projects. We’re based in southern California, and we travel throughout the U.S. to work with clients to provide highly personalized, one on one service. 

What sets us apart is our specialty in the luxury residential market and concierge-level service. We provide turnkey experiences so our clients literally don’t have to lift a finger throughout the process. So, whether or not they’ve had a whole home renovation of a 10,000 sq ft home, or are moving into their beachfront property, we can make a typically frustrating process, much more relaxed and enjoyable. 

I believe I’ve gotten where I am today, in part from not giving up and always being open to learning new things. Business requires one to think openly and try new things constantly, so being flexible and positive throughout the process is really invaluable. Also, there’s always times where you’re going to want to give up, but pushing through the rough spots and persevering despite setbacks, and going into the unknown is necessary to see growth. 

I want the world to know that Alana’s Organizing is truly a brand that’s focused on building lifelong relationships with our clients. At the end of the day, it’s our clients whose lives we’re impacting. By creating peaceful and organized homes for them to live in while giving them more time for what matters most. We’re grateful for our success and believe in giving back to the community to help show our appreciation. 

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Just get out there and don’t be afraid to experiment and find your way. Don’t be concerned about what others think of you, and be careful not to get caught up in what other people are doing. Even if you’re offering similar services as other businesses in your area, no two businesses are alike. Your clients will connect with who you are as a person and work with you because of that. Stand out and be true to yourself and let your personality shine to others around you. Attract your tribe and avoid blending in with the crowd. 

The one thing I wish I knew (and practiced!) was that I didn’t have to be perfect or have everything lined up before getting started. I often got advice about this from other experts, but it was only a few years later that I truly leaned into that fact and embraced it. Owning a business and being a leader isn’t taught in school. You have to go out and make mistakes, try new things, and enjoy the ups and downs as you learn and grow. Perfect doesn’t exist, but you can always improve with practice and persistence. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alanasorganizing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alanasorganizing/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlanasOrganizing