May 5, 2023

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Betsy Fein a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Betsy, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
As far back as I can remember, I have always been an optimistic person. I really just always try to see the positive in situations or try to figure out how I can take a bad situation and turn it around. I feel that being an optimist can really reduce stress levels and make it so you have more fulfilling experiences. This trait really helped me when I was starting my business back in 2002. I never had the mindset that the business would fail–and it didn’t!

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
After 12 years in corporate America, I was laid off from my job as a Recruiting Director. Instead of going back to the rat race, I dropped out of the corporate world for good to pursue my dream of becoming my own boss. I wanted the flexibility and freedom of managing my own business. It would have more time for my two kids, and I thrived on the excitement of starting something new. I always had an eye for home organizing, a skill that was in-demand among my friends and neighbors. I had received a severance package and used it to start the company. I said to myself, “You have $5,000 to get the company off the ground. If it doesn’t work, I can always try something new.”

I was motivated to deliver a service people truly needed, and that wasn’t being satisfied at the time. Many people said they found it hard to get organized and that they would be willing to hire someone to help them. 21 years later, we are stronger than ever. I made back the $5,000 and then some!

Starting Clutterbusters!! was the best move I could have made. I was able to be present for my children when they needed me. I saw all their shows, games, and competitions. I went to all the parent-teacher meetings and loved every minute of it. We started as a one-person business. Then we quickly began to hire other professional organizers – a strategy that helped increase our volume and improve our services. I was very lucky through the years to receive a lot of press and have been proudest of Redbook magazine, Entrepreneur magazine, Better Homes & Garden, Real Simple, Fox News, CNBC, TLCs Hoarders: Buried Alive, and Dr. Phil.

Recently, Real Simple named Clutterbusters!! Best Overall organizing company in the country!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
below are 3 skills, qualities or knowledge that helped in my journey to run my business for 21 years

–strong marketing and networking skills
–able to pivot with the times and make any changes that may be necessary
–very strong follow up skills with emails, calls etc

the phrase fake it to you make it I use all the time and feel for new business owners is definitely a plus mind set to have. Don’t over think things and take the risk.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My father owned his own business and was a tremendous role model for me. I went to many networking events with him, saw how he treated his staff, how he ran his office and most importantly how he treated his customers. My parents were very positive and supportive when I told them I was starting a business and that gave me the confidence I needed!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.clutterbusters.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/clutterbusters