We recently had the chance to connect with Emilia Perdue and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Emilia, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I wake up long before dawn and head to workout. Exercising first thing in the morning helps me wake up, clear my mind and prepares me to take on the day and make it great!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Emilia and I am an organizing specialist, fitness instructor and proud mother of four young boys.
I graduated Chico State University with a degree in Communication Studies, specializing in Public Speaking. Immediately following Chico, I earned a Mild/Moderate and Moderate/Severe Special Education credential from San Jose State as well as a Masters in Education from Point Loma University.
I spent over a decade in the classroom, with the majority of my career in high school. Following the birth of my twins in 2014, I cut back my schedule to part time. When I found out I was pregnant with my fourth son I knew I needed a bigger change. I needed to be at home with all those boys. But I also knew myself well enough to know I wouldn’t be able to not work, I love to stay busy!
While many had suggested I make a career out of my passion for organizing, I didn’t think such a wonderful life existed. To my delight, it sure did! In 2018, I opened Thriving & Organized and that same year I no longer needed to return to education.
Organizing has always been a natural talent of mine. Where most find frustration among cluttered chaos, I feel excited and full of joy. I love nothing more than creating systems for my client’s spaces to feel renewed, refreshed and thrive.
On days I am not organizing, I am teaching cycle classes, volunteering at my boys’ school or planning our next trip to Hawaii!
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
The women in my life taught me most about work. My grandmother and mother both worked full time while raising their families. The worked all day, raced home to get kids to sports/activities, had dinner on the table each night and handled all the day to day things a mother does.
While I understand now that it was not at all effortless, that is they way it appeared. They showed up in full capacity wherever they were needed. Whether it be bossing up at work, maintaining a beautiful home or taking care of their husbands and children, they showed me that I too could do it all.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
My greatest fear has always been failure. Will my actions and decisions cause me to fail at whatever I am attempting? What impact will that failure have on my life?
These were the questions I asked myself when deciding to leave my career in education and pursue my dream as a small business owner and Organizing Specialist. Once I came to terms with the fact that failure was only an opportunity to learn, I no longer lived in fear of it. I embraced big changes because I knew that would be where the greatest growth and rewards would come from.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
People would say what really matters to me is family, friends and positivity, I am a family first kind of person who believes my legacy is my children. Ensuring that I am raising kind, compassionate, caring, polite and hard working young men resonates deeply with me. I put my family above all else and feel there is no greater responsibility than parenthood.
I also place great importance on friendships. Most of my relationships have grown since early childhood through college and adulthood. I think it is important to find a group of people that not only share values but also have differences that leave room for growth and acceptance. I choose to surround myself with those that are going to build me up while challenging me to be better.
Lastly, the ability to spread positivity is a gift. To share a smile, an act of kindness or simply improve someone’s day though a small gesture is something I think all people should strive to do. I always try to create energy that is light, bright and contagious!
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am definitely doing what I was born to do. I am present while raising my family, working for myself and doing what I love. There is truly nothing better!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thrivingandorganized.com
- Instagram: @thrivingandorganized
