Welcome + About Me!
Since it's my first time posting here, let's get acquainted.
Welcome to Simply Organized
Hi! I’m Sam!
I’m not new to blogging, but I am new to Substack. Back in 2010 I started The Simply Organized Blog. And now today, in 2025 - all these years later, I’m a Certified Professional Organizer®, founder of a successful and growing home organization business with a team of employees, and we serve families around the Bay Area.
I also create all of the content on our social channels. You can see more of our projects in real time on our Instagram account.
Really hard to believe this journey and how incredible it’s been (so far) and it all started with a blog. Well, and a dream AND a ton of hard work!
I wanted to share a little about me (personally and professionally) and let you in on what I hope this Substack will be full of. As you can imagine, a lot of my content will include great home organizing ideas, tips, tricks and strategies. Lots of before and afters. Lots of product shares.
About Sam - the organizer behind the brand
This photo was taken in my absolute favorite space to organize - a garage! Totally fitting of a headshot for me…including the tools in the background. You’ll really understand the love of tools as I begin rolling out project posts.
I’m a San Francisco native - born in the Presidio. Growing up in San Francisco was a dream. And it’s still my favorite place on earth today.
In my teens and young adulthood I thought I wanted to be a Marriage and Family Therapist. But the desire to be a professional organizer was always lingering in the background. I set my college track to get a bachelor’s in Human Services with a Counseling emphasis, and then move right along into a Master’s program. But after receiving my 4-year degree, I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue…instead, still dreaming of being a pro organizer.
I also have a knack for DIY and using any tools was a quick learn for me. My parents would put me in charge of anything that needed assembling OR disassembling. And they also tasked me with cleaning the fish tank, which as you know takes some serious care to ensure the water is perfect and you don’t kill your fish.
I’ve always been a critical, deep, mechanical thinker.
Knowing I wanted to be a pro organizer and somehow fold in using my hands / tools, what I didn’t know was how to get started in this profession. Turns out there’s only one way. It’s to get started! Jump in feet first and see if you like it, if you can find a niche and you can make it a business.
So, starting with my blog I began sharing my own home projects and organizing ideas. And soon enough, people reading along were reaching out to hire me.
And the story unfolds from there.
In 2021, I spent a year studying to sit for the CPO® board exam. I spent the better part of a year doing this…and I passed the first time. I truly think having done the work for as long as I have helped me pass. I thought for sure I failed by the way. It was a very hard test - 200 questions in 2 hours, I think (maybe I want to forget that) and it was timed and watched by a proctor.
Pressure!
Adding CPO® after my name is one of the biggest highlights of my career. I’m grateful the niche I created and dreamed of was something families love enough that I was able to build the business and hire more organizers.
Other things about me…
I am passionate about health and fitness, a die hard Giants and 49ers fan, I’m a mother of 3 (20, 18 and 15) and love our ragdoll cat, Nova. You’ll meet her soon!
And you’ll learn more about me as we get acquainted.
What Kind of Organizing Work Do We Do?
We focus mainly on residential organizing for families, but occasionally we help businesses - if it’s a good fit.
The services we offer are decluttering, organizing, unpacking, space planning and custom design / installation of designs.
In general, if I’m installing a design, it’s Elfa material from The Container Store. If a family desires custom cabinets, we have several vendors we refer to. I assist with the design and then we’ll be there after install to organize everything.
We work in any area of the home including the garage, attic space and even sheds.
I love to organize anywhere, but the garage has a soft spot in my heart because it’s where you really see a transformation. And especially for families. If you are a family reading this, you will understand ALL the stuff that comes with raising children…and the phases of growth and change. Families really use their garage and put them to work. And I love to create zones and order and make them beautiful!
Yes, garage + beautiful can be in the same sentence!
I’ve become known as the organizer to contact when you have the most challenging space. I’ve created and installed designs even The Container Store told me wouldn’t work. Using my tools and mind, I never say never. I’ll always give it my best and hope for a dream outcome for our families.
My aesthetic is clean, simple, practical and real. It has to be real because we live in our homes - I like a realistic approach. And I also lean into what can be maintained and if we are implementing any products, they need to be something that can transition from phase to phase.
So much thought goes into this work. Something no one really knows is how much goes into the BTS thinking about your project. People are hiring us to deliver so I put a lot of care and thought into every last detail.
I’m also not a product pushing organizer. I like to start with decluttering and space planning. And then adding surface space, not bins or containers. Sometimes there’s the need for that, but not always.
You’re going to learn about my methodology here! And also my go-to products that will stand the test of time in virtually any home.
Here you’ll see a good mix of spaces; whether from our clients homes or my own!
More to come…
I am so excited to be here and look forward to growing this community and getting to know you! I’d love to hear from you and know what you’d like to learn from me, as well, so please leave a comment if you like.
I’d be honored to have you subscribe or share my Substack with someone you think loves organizing as much as I do!
Back soon with more!
xo,
Sam