Welcome to the first edition of the NAPO Member Recognition Showcase! Each quarter, the NAPO Awards & Recognition Committee will select a member to feature here on the Get Organized blog. This regular blog feature will give everyone the opportunity to get to know a few NAPO members and to see the value of their NAPO experience in a more informal way. This quarter we looked for a Golden Circle member and selected Cynthia Lindsey of Organizing Ease in Spring Hill, TN (just outside of Nashville). We asked her to share her story and some of her inspiration. So, without further ado…

Tell us a little bit about how you got into the organizing and productivity industry.

“It was kind of by accident on purpose! I was fired from a job for the first time in my life (along with a few others at the same company). Needless to say, I had been dabbling (in organizing) just a little, and the change was the catalyst for making a choice about my next move in life to support my daughter and me. I had been watching Mission Organization and thought, well I’ve been doing that my whole life and had no idea there was a name for that profession: professional organizer. My husband laughs that I just decided one day that is what I was and was going to do and boom – over 11 years have passed, and here I am!”

In what area(s) do you specialize?

“I’m kind of jack-of-all-trades and have always been a very solution-oriented kind of a fixer! I didn’t start my business until my late 40s, so life experiences have allowed me to tackle all kinds of projects and transfer my skill set to serving client needs. Of course, if a project was way out of my wheelhouse then I moved on, but most of what clients needed I could handle. I have gravitated towards office organizing and helping business owners set up systems. I’m also truly good at space planning and big projects that require a lot of moving parts and pieces, so move management is a specialty, along with the general category of cleaning up people’s lives and consulting with them on how to get something done.”

Did you join NAPO right away? What benefits did your NAPO membership give you when you were first starting out?

“I joined NAPO right out of the box and had actually joined the local Nashville Chapter while I was still working at my full-time job. I went to my first NAPO conference in Minneapolis before I had my first client. The benefits of NAPO in the beginning were priceless to me as I was trying to put all the pieces together of running a business and offering a unique service. You have so many questions, and the fear of trying to figure out how to do it right generates the need to connect, and I found those connections with NAPO. NAPO members were so helpful and open to sharing information, and those friendships remain in place today!”

What does being a Golden Circle member mean to you?

“It kind of makes me think of the Golden Girls show that my Dad watched over the years. Sassy and seasoned!”

Who are your role models (either in business, life, or both)?

“These kinds of questions really rack my brain because the answer I will give you is most likely whomever I can think of at this very moment. There are people I have admired my whole life like Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Lee Hooker, or Greg Lemond of cycling. For true business role models, I think of Dave Ramsey for his debt-free solutions. The proud men and women who serve in our military to protect our freedoms are a role model for the discipline, sacrifice, and commitment they make for all of us. I have a network of strong businesswomen that have supported me over the years in times of success and challenge.”

What do you do for fun (aside from organizing!)?

“I have been doing yoga for about 15 years, have always loved cycling, and have ridden bikes since I was a young girl. I love riding the motorcycle with my husband, sitting on the back and enjoying the countryside, and then stopping for food. Traveling is fun too when I get the chance, but more and more I really appreciate the opportunity to simply have time at home to work a puzzle.”
And organizing, after all, can be like solving a huge puzzle for clients! We appreciate Cynthia taking the time out of her schedule to chat with us and hope you’ll check out her business at https://www.organizingease.com/ to learn more! Be sure to look for the NAPO Member Recognition Showcase this fall when we will feature another one of our fabulous members here on the blog.

Courtesy of Sara Skillen, CPO® – SkillSet Organizing
Chair, NAPO Awards & Recognition Committee