Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracey Kuennen.
Hi Tracey, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Where to start? Home Organizing has really come on the map in the last 10 years, so I did not always know this is what I was meant to do. Of course, now I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I was born and raised in San Diego. I went away for college and followed my career, until this year when I moved back “home” after almost 15 years.
I studied business and earned two master’s degrees, an MBA and Masters of Sports Administration. My previous career was in sports, where I practiced client management, corporate partnerships, and development, supporting non-profit organizations. I realized I was not directly impacting lives as much as I wanted to and helping people as much as I thought the career path would, and it was not fulfilling.
I had an idea for what I thought was a new business, around 2019. I would walk my dog every day through surrounding Los Angeles neighborhoods and notice beautiful homes that could serve the owners so much more if they just made small edits. I personally understood the feeling of how clutter on the outside (your home) feels like clutter inside (stress, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed and unsettled). I realized I had a need for order and having everything in its place. The dream kept growing when I would think of more ways I could help impact homes and therefore lives positively.
With my background in business and need for supporting myself, I knew my chances of success weren’t great for creating a new small company, in a market that I didn’t know existed. Then I found NEAT Method… (cue the tears of finding the perfect path you were meant to be on). NEAT Method is a luxury home organizing company, and is a franchise model, to own your business and follow your passion. The brand and values of who we are sealed the deal for me.
I launched NEAT Method Manhattan Beach in the summer of 2020, and now I am looking forward to working with clients back in my hometown with NEAT Method San Diego East!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Of course, there have definitely been challenges, I didn’t expect it to be easy. Getting started, I think I had the mindset of there being challenges to figure out, rather than obstacles that would prevent. It was clear this was in God’s plan for me and many things happened to be able to make a way. I had to have faith that it was what I knew I wanted and I just had to keep figuring it out. Our NEAT Method founders are an amazing guidance and support as well.
Launching a brand-new business and leaving my corporate job in the middle of a pandemic was probably not the safest thing I have ever done. Our work cannot really be done virtually, we are hands-on in our client’s homes. However, our level of service is that we come in and handle everything in the space, so we don’t ask that our clients have to always be present, that helped make it work.
I did my best in my corporate role as long as I could and put off launching for months. I did not know if it would be successful, if I would be able to support my family, or if I could live up to the standards I set for myself. The first six to nine months were hard to be patient, there were ups and downs of self-doubt and excitement. Then our business took off, and the highs and lows were figuring out how to manage stress, schedules, a growing team, meeting client needs, all while staying on brand and servicing clients at the luxury level we expect.
The challenge that has led me here today is after establishing the business, we had to move. I am the caregiver for my dad with Alzheimer’s and the needs of care increased. This has obviously changed my life. It has also put into perspective that professional stressors are things I can definitely handle. My husband was recruited for a next-step role here in San Diego, and that made it possible. This year we moved back, and I relaunched NEAT Method San Diego East.
There are lows of overwhelming days. But there are highs of making a difference in client’s lives, plus the satisfaction of making the most beautiful kitchen, pantry or closet. At the end of the day, I am doing what I love, truly helping people, and grateful to run a business.
We’ve been impressed with NEAT Method, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
NEAT Method is a luxury home organizing lifestyle service. Founded over 10 years ago, we create long-term solutions for multiple spaces or seasons in life. NEAT handles the organizing, unpacking, and downsizing or expansion of homes to provide smartly appointed living spaces. We design customized solutions that are effective and sustainable. We take clients through the organization process with discretion, confidentiality, and humility.
We are known for combining style + function. We create clean looks that don’t distract from your home but flow with the home’s aesthetic. Our palette is typically natural and neutral. We are experts at product selection, implementing the materials that serve the spaces best. NEAT Method has our own stunning product line. The elevated look is set apart from other products on the market, and it is designed by professional organizers, adding the perfect necessary touches.
I am most proud of who we are, and how we embody that with every client and in every finished home space. We do beautiful work, utilizing beautiful organizing products, but we do that to serve our clients to make their lives easier. We pride ourselves on making it the most functional for the families in those homes. We truly get to know our clients and their needs, so we can create solutions that make sense for their lives, and will be sustainable for them to be successful moving forward. Sometimes it is to give them the pantry or closet of their dreams. Sometimes it is to bring order to their chaos, or make their busy lives run more smoothly, or to just simply be able to find everything they need when they need it.
Any big plans?
I am looking forward to the full circle of being able to bring my purpose and passion back to the San Diego East areas. Organizing brings new life to your home and way of living, being able to do that for both familiar and new faces is exciting.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://neatmethod.com/pages/san-diego-east
- Instagram: @sdeastneat
- Email: tracey.kuennen@neatmethod.com
