Organizing Your Home & Workspace/Expert Profile

Expertise

I can answer questions about space organizing at work and home, offer tips for clearing out clutter (and keeping it away), and provide practical advice for setting up effective storage space and choosing the right organizing tools/supplies. I also invite you to visit my website at http://www.RamonaCreel.com to read my blogs and tips about organizing and simplifying -- and I challenge you to find one new idea that you can put into practice in your life, to get better organized, starting TODAY!

Experience in the area

I have been a Professional Organizer for more than 10 years, I am a NAPO Golden Circle member, and I was the founder of OnlineOrganizing. I have dozens of blogs, articles, and tip sheets on organizing and time management (including space organizing tips), many of which you can read at http://ramonacreel.com/Index.asp?Index=13. I work one-on-one with clients to help them improve their organizing skills at work and home.

Organizations

I am a NAPO Golden Circle member, and I was the original founder of OnlineOrganizing.

Publications

I have written articles for a variety of print publications, including Organize Magazine, In Company, Atlanta Parent, Balance Magazine, Natural Awakenings, ABSSI Industry Focus, Administrative Assistant Update. I have been interviewed a variety of magazines and newspapers, including Reader's Digest, Better Homes And Gardens, The Wall Street Journal, Bottom Line Personal, Allure, and Fresh Home. My tips have been included in help booklets distributed by Dymo and Hewlett Packard, as well as numerous books on organizing, such as Organizing Plain And Simple and The Expert's Guide To Organizing Your Time. And my content has been featured on literally dozens of individual websites, and a variety of aggregate sites including Smead, SelfGrowth, EzineArticles, IdeaMarketers, and OnlineOrganizing.

Education/Credentials

I have been a Professional Organizer for more than 10 years, I am a NAPO Golden Circle member, I have worked one-on-one with scores of clients and have trained dozens of newbie organizers as they got started in the industry.

Awards and Honors

My company received the NAPO Organizer's Choice Award for 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007 -- as well as the 2008 LA Organizing Award for Best Organizing Educational Resource, and the 2009 LA Organizing Awards for Best Organizing Educational Resource, Best Organizing Website Or Blog, and Best Organizing Product Retailer.

What do you like about this subject?

As a Professional Organizer and full-time RVer, I've dedicated myself to eliminating all clutter, creating a more simple and easy-to manage home/work space, and helping others do the same. I am passionate about coaching folks toward a more organized environment -- and I firmly believe that if I can do it, so can you!

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

I want to help clients radically simplify their lives, seriously downsize, and say no to the endless consumerism that leaves people broke and cluttered and unfulfilled. I want to see more of my clients buck the system and find their own path to happiness, even if it doesn't exactly resemble what all their friends and family are doing.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

Getting organized is not just about how you set up your storage spaces -- it also requires you to make conscious choices about what things you really use, need, and love. You have to be realistic about how you use your space and your "stuff" -- to be strong enough to let go of those things that serve no purpose in your life, and set up systems for keeping the piles from creeping back in again.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

"Stuff" isn't going to make you happy. You are responsible for the items you bring into your life -- and if your home or office has gotten out of control, it's no one's fault but your own. You have to draw healthy boundaries, decide how you want to live, and rid yourself of the clutter. You have to be willing to take responsibility for your choices if you ever hope to get your space organized.