Coaching
Letting go of stuff in our lives is extremely difficult for some people. While some things are easy to discard, others bring up old memories, deep emotions and indecisiveness. Sometimes years and lifetimes have been spent building up that horde of stuff. It is a hidden aspect of many lives and sometimes comes with guilt and shame. Hoarding is an attempt at control of life or all that stuff.
People who suffer from this hard-to-treat psychological disorder are unable to discard items because of a fear of needing them again, concerns over being wasteful or a sentimental attachment to the items. Some hoarders accumulate so much that they nearly bury themselves in their own homes.
In some cases when we have troubled relationships, dysfunctional
families, etc. our things become our comfort, our family.
“Hoarding is a serious mental health problem, and serious mental
health problems require serious treatment,” said Dr. David Tolin,
director of the Anxiety Disorders Center in Hartford, Conn. “There
is some role for professional organizers, but we need to recognize
that that does not solve the whole problem.” Hoarding behavior
is sometimes present in a number of mental disorders, including
schizophrenia, dementia, eating disorders, and autism, but it is
most commonly found in people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
(OCD).
You have to let go in order to make room for new in your lives. Let go of all those negative emotions that cause you to collect -- guilt, fear, anger, jealousy, etc.
As organizers we need to show that organization is freeing and a
liberating experience. In order to feel free and not
suffocating we need to let go of not only the external clutter, but
the internal as well.
Continue to check our Links page for additional links on clutter,
disorganization and hoarding.
What do Professional Organizers do?
Many Professional Organizers help clients work through papers and possessions and guide them through decisions to de-clutter and organize They work to apply basic organizing principles to individuals and their needs. Many Professional Organizers specialize in small business, home office or residential organizing and are usually prepared to do the work required within those areas with their staff.
Do Professional Organizers work for clients or with clients?
Each Professional Organizer is different and works differently according to the needs of the client. Action Organizing Services will work along side h/her client if h/she is willing or able. Some are not able to take time away from work or daily duties, which may be why h/she is hiring someone to do it.
Some clients just don’t enjoy the process of organizing and hire a
Professional Organizer to do it for h/her. Other clients are
willing to organize but need a skilled "helper" to help. In
that case, the Professional Organizer will work side by side with
h/her client. Many clients eagerly want to learn the skill of
organizing and work along side h/her Professional Organizer.
There are clients with physical or emotional limitations who are
only able to work part of the time with h/her Professional
Organizer. In rare cases, some are not able to work with h/her
Professional Organizer at all. In either situation, h/her
Professional Organizer will know how to keep the client aware and
informed along the way.
How do I select a Professional Organizer?
The process of hiring a professional organizer is similar to that of
choosing other independent contractors or consultants. Ask
questions about the organizer’s years in business, areas of
expertise, fee schedule, and references.
Brenden is available for public speaking engagements as well as for training new professional organizing assistants who are interested in becoming part of the organizing world in the Metro Milwaukee area, but also in the rest of Wisconsin.
Hello Brenden,
I just wanted to say a quick thank you for the NSGCD teleclass you delivered today. I found it very interesting and learned a lot. Your generosity in sharing is appreciated.
Warm regards,
Angela
Angela Esnouf
Creating Order from Chaos
35 Edinburgh Rd.
Blackburn South Vic 3130
Australia
angela@creatingorder.com.au
Brenden,
You did a fabulous job tonight! The information was great, the handout was very well put together, and you were professional and stayed on track throughout!
I am SOooooooooo proud of you!
Way to go!
Hi Brenden,
You did an awesome job on your teleclass. Your pace was
perfect and the material was a strong
combination of fact and personal stories, so it was very interesting, too. I'm still preparing
my teleclass on sleep disorders. Was this your first class? Have you done a lot of public speaking?
You seemed so relaxed! I have little public speaking experience, but I know how strange it can feel
just to be hosting a teleclass,
because there's no feedback.
Anyway. Great job. Thanks for all the work I know
you've put into it. And thanks to Bill for his help, too.
Take care,
Donna
Donna Rosman -- NSGCD Teleclass Host Coordinator --
Host@nsgcd.org
Hi Brenden,
Great job with the teleclass! You gave an excellent
presentation and I am thrilled you covered the topics so well.
I look forward to having you give another
teleclass sometime soon.
Kim
Kim Anker-Paddon, CPO-CD®
Organizer Coach Specializing in ADHD
kim@kaporganizing.com
Los Angeles, California
Hi Brenden,
Thanks so much for a great class tonight. A little yucky, but
that is the world of many hoarders
as you well know and I know too. We will have to catch up at the NAPO conference. I didn't know
about your mom-I am very sorry. My family has
some CD and tiptoes in the hoarding world also.
Thanks again and hope to see you at the NAPO conference.
Vickie
Vickie Dellaquila, CPO®, CRTS
Certified Professional Organizer®
Certified Relocation Transition Specialist
Certified Pennsylvania Woman Business Enterprise
Author of Don't Toss My Memories in the Trash
Listed as one of the top 100 books on Aging on Amazon!
Organization Rules, Inc®
Pittsburgh, PA
"I got the opportunity to work with Brenden
recently on an organizing project, and was able to see him working
with a client who was in need of organizing due to a physical
condition that prevented her from being able to get her home under
control before the holidays. He is very understanding and
compassionate with his client, and very professional in directing
the other organizers working with him to complete the project in the
alloted time. It was a priviledge to be able to work with one of the
more respected professional organizers in the area and be able to
pick up some tips from him as I continue to learn about the
different areas in the field of professional organizing."
---Richard Taft President, eClutter LLC Marketing Director, NAPO Wi
Chapter
Thanks again for your inspirational
presentation...DE-CLUTTER...DE-CLUTTER...DE-CLUTTER!
---Barb C. & the Shorewood Business Improvement District
Hello Brenden, I enjoyed "meeting" you last
evening. Your presentation was great! Seriously, it was a good
presentation. I look forward to seeing you at Conference. Thank you
again. Regards,
----Heather Burke, Professional Organizer Smart Spaces Organizing
and Design Inc. 2446 Bank Street, Suite 719 Ottawa, ON K1V 1A8
The South Shore Garden Club wishes to thank you for your time spent
with our group promoting healthy organizational skills in February
of 2008. I have heard your seminar once before and learned a couple
tips, and I learned even more by attending again. I think it's a
good idea to attend a back-up session to refresh ones self on
organizing. I have gotten good feedback about your subject matter
and they way you presented yourself. You came across as very
sensitive to the questions/concerns that our group had. Keep up the
great work. By the way, I saw you in the newspaper. Great photo.
----Sheryl L. Stawski, Vice-President South Shore Garden Club
I would like to express my recommendation for Mr. Brenden McDaniel of Action Organizing Services, LLC
®. I have had the pleasure of working with him to help clients organize their spaces. He is always a professional. His ability to deal with clients is top notch. His caring and compassion is apparent when working with even the most difficult clients.Brenden is a well known and respected member of the local business community. Through working with him and observing his actions, I have the utmost confidence that all of his business decisions are ethical. I trust his judgment and have recommended him personally and professionally.
Brenden is revered as an expert in his field by his peers. I have personally witnessed his presentations to groups of his peers. His good-willed nature is obvious even when he is presenting his expertise to peers who could be potential business competitors. It is apparent that he genuinely cares about people and enjoys helping them however he can.
----Karin Conway, Marketing Director, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Wisconsin SE
To Whom It May Concern: Please consider Brenden McDaniel of Action Organizing Services LLC
® worthy of recognition. I, myself, am a Professional Organizer and businesswoman in Chicago, Illinois. I have had the opportunity to know Brenden as a colleague by attending association meetings and conferences. We share a passion for helping those who hoard and are Chronically Disorganized. We worked together on a "hoarding" project in Milwaukee. While working with Brenden he demonstrated gentleness, understanding and compassion. His commitment to helping his clients under extreme situations which are unsafe and unhealthy at times goes beyond the call of duty. It was a real pleasure working with someone very knowledgeable and willing to share his knowledge and expertise with his colleagues and competitors. His concerns are not for himself but for all in his path, he is very thoughtful and carries out his promises. I look forward to working with Brenden in the future and feel Milwaukee has a goldmine in such a businessman. Sincerely,---Diane Snow Arrange from A-Z, Organizing Services 6024 W. Montrose St. Chicago, IL 60634 773-202-9297 arrangez@mc.net
Hi Brenden, Thank you very much for your presentation; the topic of
"A Frugal Scot" and storage techniques was very appealing because we
had one of our biggest turn-outs for the year. I appreciate your
support for the Celtic Women group, and I look forward to seeing you
again at our Conference in October. Thanks again.
---Jean Bills, Conference of Celtic Women
First, I should mention that Mr. McDaniel is the very first person I ever met that is a Professional Organizer through our local chamber of commerce with rapidly growing certifications. I highly admire Mr. McDaniel for selecting this very unique and honored service to his many clients that need and look up to him. He gets his highest satisfaction out of helping people (whether they are his clients or not). I am very impressed with Mr. McDaniel's continuing investment to bettering himself through ongoing training and seminars to benefit of his clients.
In particular, as an ADHD diagnosed person myself, I have taken note that Mr. McDaniel has just finished ADHD training certifications in working with ADHD clients. He has shown me articles that he contributes regularly to the Professional Organizers newsletters. Mr. McDaniel is overly patient, very cheerful, and so much fun to be with as both a friend and associate. He literally makes himself available 24/7 to his clients as their needs may require. As an professional organizer, he will go out of his way to find a new home for items that may be discarded from one household, instead of plugging up a landfill somewhere. As he is a hard-working single parent, he has both grown his business quickly, while raising two young boys that adore him as their father. As busy as Mr. McDaniel is between taking care of his clients, volunteering in the Chamber of Commerce, or making community presentations on the art of organizing, he can still find time to spend with his family and friends. Mr. McDaniel is one of those people you can get into a long conversation with on a broad range of subjects, without realizing that one or two hours has passed . . .
There is an old saying that I learned from a close friend in college many years ago: "The More You Do, The More You Can Do." That should be the title for this character reference for my very good friend, Mr. Brenden McDaniel, professional organizer - - a person of the highest character, integrity, and work ethic that I have the privilege of knowing.
----Bill E, Park and Recreation Advertisement Specialist. E-bay Consignments
Hey Brenden,
How have you been? I wanted to let you know that I have taken the
plunge.
I left Lane Bryant and have 4 clients that I am doing "organizational design" for. I am not taking on quite the same clientele as you do. I give you all the props in the world for the jobs that you do. Without you letting me intern with you I would not have been ready to do this, so thank you.
You had me ready for the big stuff, for right now
I am just doing the medium size projects, and I am just fine with
that. I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that. Thanks
again!
---Amanda
Thank you for participating in our "Whole Health Wellness" Program. Once again the program was a huge success largely in part to the topics and presenters such as yourself. We have received wonderful feedback about the entire day. The general consensus was the workshops attended were helpful in providing motivation to make change in lives.
---Patricia Volkert, Academic Liaison, Aurora Health Care
I wanted to take a minute to thank you for coming and speaking at the Sisters In Spirit Women's Retreat at Christ Church last Saturday, October 13.
Your presentation was informative and you offered a number of helpful tips for prospective clients. We especially appreciated the friendly, down-to-earth nature of your presentation that made us feel free to ask questions and have a fun, humorous time.
You clearly seem to understand the emotional side of people's difficulty with letting go of clutter. Thank you again for your time, wonderful spirit, and expertise.
---Margaret Cooper, Small Groups Committee
On behalf of the Woman's Club of Wisconsin I would like to thank you for giving our members such a wonderful presentation. "Dacquiris & De-Clutter" was not only a lot of fun, but very informational as well. Your donation of the door prize was really appreciated as well. Your business is sure to florish because of your wonderful nature, your great enthusiasm and extensive knowledge. We wish you all the best in the future.
---Sarah M. Seymour, Membership Communications Coordinator, Woman's Club of Wisconsin
It seems that many of us have allowed our homes and garages to become storage areas for clutter, turning them into chaotic messes instead of the peaceful havens they could be. This was certainly evidenced by the turnout for your recent presentation here at the St. Francis Library on "De-cluttering your home". Your explanations and tips on dealing with this often overwhelming problem were very well received by the audience. Everyone responded positively to your interactive style of presenting the information and enjoyed being able to ask questions throughout the program rather than waiting until the end.
As I sat in the audience and even asked my own questions, I was impressed by the way you explained that no single de-cluttering and organizing guidelines work for every person. You talked about different styles being needed because individuals have different emotional make-ups, various work habits, and a myriad of reasons for having clutter in their lives in the first place. While you had a basic plan to offer, you also suggested many variations for people to consider as they work their way through the clutter to get and stay organized. I'm certain that many participants were surprised to have a man offering this information--and a man wearing a kilt, at that! Your friendly manner and obvious desire to help people were at the heart of your presentation, and made it extremely effective. Please accept our heartfelt thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience with our library patrons.
---Margaret Luczywko, Director, St. Francis Public Library
"Brenden McDaniel donated his time to speak to the parents of Brown Deer Preschool. Mr. McDaniel gave practical, realistic, creative, and inspiring advice and tips on organization. He was easy to talk to honestly about the challenges of trying to be organized with a busy family life. He was also understanding and empathetic. He reminded us to take small, slow and steady steps and realize that set backs are to be expected. He really helped me to realize the value of letting go of possessions that are not very useful or precious. Then, passing on our clutter which could be someone else's treasure. Knowing that letting go can help ourselves and someone else makes the process rewarding. I think working with Mr. McDaniel as a personal organizer would help my family and me immeasurably."
----written by Kathy Roemer, parent at Brown Deer Preschool
