The Founders’ Award is presented to a NAPO member, or a group of NAPO members acting in concert, for outstanding innovation, inspiration, and creativity both within, and outside of, the field of professional organizing and productivity consulting. The vote of NAPO professional members determines the winner of this prestigious award.
The NAPO Founder’s Award is evidence that your peers admire and respect your professionalism and achievements and are proud to say that you are a member of our association. What an honor!
We are pleased to highlight the 2021 Award recipient Gayle Goddard, CPO, of The Clutter Fairy.
Q. What was it like to hear your name announced? What was the first thing that crossed your mind when your name was announced as the winner of The Founders’ Award?
It was amazing! I started to tear up immediately. The first thing I thought was “I can’t believe it!”
Q. What does receiving this award mean to you?
It means the world to me. I’m so grateful to my organizing friends for submitting me for the award, that they thought enough of my work to submit me. But my Dad said it best, “there’s nothing like the approbation of your peers.” It’s incredibly rewarding that my peers – all of whom I admire so much – have told me I’m contributing to our industry in a positive way. To stand with the other Founders’ Award winners – it’s an incredible feeling, really.
Q. What inspires you to volunteer?
I enjoy working one-on-one with my colleagues and supporting my organizer friends in building their businesses and “crowd-sourcing” business problems. I like to mentor new and veteran organizers. I’m currently a New 2 NAPO (N2N) POINT Community Contributor and NAPO Houston Buddy. It’s important for new organizers to know there is a place for them in NAPO and the industry, and I like to reach out to new people and make them feel welcome. There’s plenty of clutter in the world and not nearly enough people to clear it up! I want to be sure anyone who is interested in becoming an organizer knows we’re here to support them. I like the (unofficial) motto of NAPO “Together we are better.”
Q. What are other ways you are currently giving back to NAPO?
I started volunteering at the chapter level, serving as Membership Director, Vice-President, and President of NAPO Houston. At the national level, I chaired the Member Committee in 2016-2017, and currently serve on the Finance & Audit Committee, my third Conference Committee, and the Nominating/Leadership & Development Committee.
Q. You have built an amazing online community. How did that start?
In 2009, I started the Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group. The group’s purpose was to offer free organizing advice and support to people struggling with clutter who weren’t ready to hire a professional organizer. Initially, the group got together monthly to listen to me answer organizing questions and talk about different organizing-related topics. In 2012, I started recording the meetings and sharing them on The Clutter Fairy YouTube channel for those who couldn’t attend in person. The group, which had grown substantially over the previous four years, began attracting members from across the United States and worldwide. I started using web conferencing software in 2018, allowing people to participate in the live clutter discussions in real-time. In December 2019, the monthly meetings evolved into a weekly webcast and podcast, The Clutter Fairy Weekly. As of July 2021, the meetup group has 2,500 members. The Clutter Fairy YouTube channel has over 170 videos, 17,400+ subscribers in 83 countries, and over 2 million views.
Q. What prompted you to start?
I knew there were people who couldn’t afford to hire organizers, and I wanted to give back to the community that was supporting me. Having a meetup group gave people a way to ask questions and get answers about their own situation. I enjoy speaking, so it was a good fit for me.
Q. What was your biggest fear going into business for yourself?
I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find enough clients to keep me busy full time. Boy, was I wrong about that!
Q. Is there a mistake you made (that you’re willing to share) when you first began organizing?
Very early on in my business, I was contacted by a daughter of someone who was moving, but I didn’t recognize that the woman was a hoarder. The daughter wanted me to tell the mother she “had to get rid of stuff” – she wanted me to be the clutter police. I didn’t recognize the signs right away and tried to work with the woman for one appointment. The woman was completely resistant, resented her daughter for calling me, basically I stepped into a hornet’s nest of mother and daughter fighting. After that first appointment, I was not called back, and she refused to pay me. It was my first lesson in knowing who the client really is. That day, I thought it was the daughter, but learned the client is always the mother they’re calling about. It was my first experience with a hoarder – although now I would say she was a very resistant level 1 hoarder. I know the move happened, but I’m sure it was a holy nightmare of a move, and I’m still relieved I wasn’t any part of it! It was a good lesson for me, and I was lucky – it could have been much worse.
Q. What has been your most gratifying NAPO experience?
In 2011, when I became president of the NAPO Houston chapter, I wanted to change how NAPO Houston did Get Organized (GO) Month. I challenged NAPO Houston to make two significant changes for GO Month 2012: one, to make GO Month in Houston feel like a month-long celebration by having multiple events, and two, to incorporate business organizing and productivity. In January 2012, NAPO Houston partnered with IKEA Houston and the University of Houston Small Business Development Center (UHSBDC) to hold nine events. All nine events featured residential and business organizing and productivity, highlighted by an all-day event for business owners at the UHSBDC. Total attendance for all nine events was over 15,000. The events created a buzz of public awareness about organizing and productivity and how NAPO members can help small businesses.
Q. What are you working on currently (business or NAPO)?
I’m just about to start reviewing submissions for conference classes. The 2022 Conference Committee is gearing up to pick the new sessions over several 3-hour meetings in August. It’s a lot of work concentrated in a short timeframe. I hope a bunch of you submitted classes this year!
Q. Do you have any advice for newer NAPO members?
There are so many resources with NAPO to help you get started and keep going over the long haul. Get familiar with the NAPO website, get active in the POINT communities, get into a local chapter or the Virtual Chapter, and meet your colleagues. We’re a friendly bunch who like to support others and we want you to succeed if this is your calling. I know it seems like a lot of extra effort in your busy day to engage with the NAPO community, but I can’t tell you how much you’ll benefit from it. You’ll feel a lot less alone as a business owner if you do!
Q. Advice for veteran members?
Volunteer at the national level! It seems impossible to make that leap to working with other organizers on national committees, but it’s just group work with a broader pool of friends. Getting to meet others around the country and to help build the programs of NAPO National is very rewarding for an organizer who has been around awhile and has good experience to contribute back to our industry. Try it and you’ll see why I’m on three committees right now.
Q. Tell us something about yourself that we would never know just from looking at you.
In my late twenties-early thirties, I sang as a first soprano with a local women’s chorus. We gave concerts every year in Houston and it was a wonderful experience. Both my parents were members of the Houston Symphony Chorus for decades, so it was a way for me to emulate my mom and dad. We were fairly good, and we had a lot of fun singing together. It’s a fond memory of my early adult life.
Q. What’s next for you?
Some vacation time later this summer. It’s been a busy 2021 so far, and I need some relaxation time!
About the interviewer: Angela Loveless is a member of NAPO’s Awards and Recognition Committee. She is the owner of Actually Organized by Angela.
Thank you to Gayle for sharing with us and we hope you’ll check out her business at www.clutterfairyhouston.com.
Do you feel inspired to become a NAPO volunteer? There are many volunteer opportunities in local NAPO Chapters and at the national level. Gain valuable insight and business experience along with the opportunity to meet inspiring leaders in our profession, like Gayle. Click here for the Volunteer Interest Form or go to POINT -> Volunteer -> Volunteer Interest Form (NAPO Members only).