The Pro Organizer Studio Podcast

Melissa Klug

Pro Organizer Studio is a business building resource for professional organizers. We are here to help you launch & grow the professional organizing business of your dreams! Hosted by Melissa Klug, who is a master certified professional organizer and founder of home organization business Home By Eleven in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, and who is a business coach for pro organizers on 5 continents!

  1. Oct 19

    257 | A (VERY) Public Breakup + Trusting Yourself in Business

    It's been a hot minute, but we're back! This episode starts with a little internet drama for Cabri: a business coaching relationship that ended abruptly after a very public, very pointed social media post. From there, we get into what it means to trust yourself in your business, how to vet coaches and vendors, and what organizers can learn about client experience, confidentiality, and accountability. It's a bit of a mishmash, but there's something here for every organizer, whether or not you ever hire a coach. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Vet before you buy. Ask for referrals, a portfolio, freebies, or a webinar so you can get a feel for someone first. Know exactly what you're paying for. Ask what access, deliverables, and outcomes are included. A higher price tag doesn't guarantee more value. Be a little cynical. Hard sells and "answer by 4:00 today" deadlines are red flags. Own your mistakes. A simple, sincere apology goes a long way with clients and team members. Mind your public voice. Don't publicly vent about clients, and assume cameras are everywhere. Protect client confidences, including the stories you tell about "other clients." Watch comments about money and possessions in clients' homes. Bring a problem and a solution, and take action on the advice you pay for. Build a personal board of directors who will tell you the truth. Trust yourself, even when someone causes you to doubt it. TIMESTAMPS: 01:10 The setup: nearing the end of a coaching contract and a pushy renewal 02:46 The Friday night TikTok that struck a nerve 03:56 Getting quiet, and checking in with a personal board of directors 05:10 Ending the contract, and a response with no accountability 06:21 Getting blocked, and the ripple effect on trust with other professionals 07:19 A business standstill: rebrand, pricing, and the proposal calculator 07:55 Losing trust in your own decision-making 09:31 Others come forward, and what it means to feel validated 09:57 High-ticket coaching, price vs. value, and keeping programs accessible 11:42 Judgment on social media: why it felt "tone-deaf" 12:41 The self-trust moment: "You can go back to your gut" 13:21 Pushing clients without pushing them too far (the $5 rate increase) 14:05 Vetting service providers, reading the fine print, and spotting hard sells 15:22 Was it a "break up with you before you break up with me" situation? 16:46 Hindsight: why proof of concept matters before you hire 17:48 The power of a simple apology and owning your mistakes 19:23 Self-reflection: have I pushed my own clients too far? 20:02 Checking your own backyard: the client experience you're offering 21:11 Don't trash-talk clients, and assume you're always on camera 22:48 Keeping confidences, and the client who wondered what stories you tell 24:30 Money and possessions: how comments in a client's home can land 26:09 When you're not converting clients, it's time for some deep work 26:37 Getting the mojo back, with a no-fluff coaching approach 28:53 No complaining without action: bring a problem and a solution 30:18 Verifying what clients say they're doing (Google Business Profile example) 31:37 Being open to feedback, and why you need a personal board of directors 33:41 Turning anger into fuel: "I lost trust in myself, and I'm gaining it back" 35:09 Standing up for your team, and still stepping outside your comfort zone 36:17 Learning from what not to do (and that there's more than one way) 37:19 Takeaways for hiring a coach: vet them, ask what you actually get, trust your gut 39:41 Free organizing stock photography for your website and social media 41:44 Take Five: what's happening in the organizing world 42:55 Rebuilding the foundation, avoiding burnout, and giving yourself grace 44:15 Wrap-up: ask questions and trust yourself

    257 | A (VERY) Public Breakup + Trusting Yourself in Business
  2. Aug 24

    256 | When your friend hires your kid: Emma Klug becomes a professional organizer for the summer!

    Melissa's daughter Emma spent her summer working as an assistant organizer for her good friend (and frequent pod guest!) Cori McDougald at Meat & Potatoes Organizing. Emma, Cori, and Melissa swap stories from a summer that included a professional athlete's move, a creepy client's storage unit, disappearing spatulas, and a whole lot of sweaty garages. It's a fun, heartfelt look at what it's really like to bring young talent onto an organizing team. Don't forget to hit up proorganizerstudio.com/links for some special events we have going on with our programs!  Timestamps [00:00] Kicking off Pro Organizer Studio's 10th anniversary [02:39] Introducing Emma — trial by fire on day one [08:51] First job: a pro athlete's house, duvet covers, and total chaos [12:31] Favorite (and least favorite) parts of the job [15:38] What clients let go of without blinking 17:13] When clients won't let go of control [19:00] Kitchens that were never designed with organizing in mind [22:35] The physical reality of organizing in the summer heat [26:19] Turning the tables: Emma organizes Mom's house [27:43] Emma's own organizing origin story [29:20] The "not Meat and Potatoes approved" running joke [35:54] The mother-in-law project that wouldn't end [41:42] The creepy client and the storage unit story [46:31] Why this is a great summer job for a college student [50:27] Team favorites, client questions, and background checks [53:18] Funny mishaps: tequila, "ask Emma what she found today" text, and more [54:36] Final thoughts on hiring young talent [56:58] Bonus: Hazel the organizing dog 🔗 More at proorganizerstudio.com/podcast

  3. Aug 3

    The 3 Niches You NEED to focus on (NOW!)

    Whether you like it or not...AI search is the way clients are finding professional organizers now. In this episode, Melissa breaks down three specific client categories that are showing up more and more in professional organizing, and why getting specific about them (on dedicated web pages, not buried in generic copy) is the key to being found by the people who need you most. Melissa covers women with ADHD and neurodivergence, women on GLP-1 medications, and women in perimenopause or menopause — what each group actually needs, the language they use to describe their struggles, and exactly how to structure your website, FAQs, and content so that both Google and AI search tools connect them to you. EPISODE MENTIONS:  - *Organizing for People with ADHD* by Susan Pinsky (CLICK HERE) - Dr. Mary Claire Haver's perimenopause/menopause books (CLICK HERE) - Jen Mary of Everyday Style (CONNECT WITH JEN) - Melissa's prior episode on perimenopause with Kim Snodgrass of Rustic Home Organizing can be found in this podcast feed as epsiode 216 from January 2025. Timestamps: 01:42 – Why findability beats social media in 2026 03:24 – The three client categories, overview 06:05 – Category 1: Women with ADHD 08:09 – Recommended read: *Organizing for People with ADHD* 10:09 – Body doubling and the rise of "admin nights" 12:47 – Speaking the ADHD client's language 13:27 – SEO strategy: dedicated pages, FAQs, and reviews 15:20 – Networking and media opportunities for this niche 17:14 – Category 2: Women on GLP-1 medications 17:57 – The numbers: how many households, how many women 18:41 – Wardrobe changes during rapid weight loss 19:49 – Building a transitional wardrobe system 21:17 – Referral partnerships with stylists and consignment shops 22:00 – Sensitivity and safety notes for GLP-1 clients 24:13 – SEO strategy: specific drug names and journey phases 26:23 – Category 3: Perimenopause and menopause 27:03 – Body, temperature, and brain fog changes 28:23 – Recommended resource: Dr. Mary Claire Haver 28:59 – Talking to changing client needs 29:51 – Sharing your own story to build trust 31:21 – Turning all three niches into dedicated web pages 33:30 – Overlapping categories and building premium packages 34:48 – Wrap-up and call to action

  4. Jul 2

    254 | "It's Been Less Than Ideal!!" Resetting for the Second Half of 2026

    Melissa and Cabri sit down to be honest about a rocky first half of 2026, then map out exactly what we're doing differently for the back half of the year — from goal resets and content batching, to AI tools, move management, and why enjoying your life is part of the business plan too! Timestamps [00:00] An honest, no-toxic-positivity check-in: acknowledging that the first half of 2026 has been rocky, plus a blanket apology for slow email replies — and a reframe of the second half as a fresh start. [05:23] Resetting goals for the back half of the year — big audacious goals vs. realistic ones, reframing failure as feedback, and Cabri's focus on cash flow. [10:14] Getting back to business foundations — blogging, emailing, and batching social content so it's off your plate for the quarter. [15:38] Repurposing content and leaning on AI tools (Canva, Gamma, Claude) to save time and free up creative bandwidth. [21:39] Industry trends worth watching: move management as a growing service, and why specificity is critical for getting found in the age of AI search. [26:09] The real ROI of client retention — re-engagement strategy, lifetime customer value, and concrete email marketing benchmarks. [33:15] Declaring July "Foundations Month," plus what's got Cabri and Melissa excited for the rest of the year — including making more room for joy. [36:27] Wrapping up: ready, reset, and excited for the second half of 2026.

4.9
out of 5
127 Ratings

About

Pro Organizer Studio is a business building resource for professional organizers. We are here to help you launch & grow the professional organizing business of your dreams! Hosted by Melissa Klug, who is a master certified professional organizer and founder of home organization business Home By Eleven in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, and who is a business coach for pro organizers on 5 continents!

You Might Also Like