Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Davis.
Hi Samantha, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Think Outside the Closet began as a passion project. Ever since I was little, I loved organizing and beautifying spaces and information. I started with post-it notes and grew into planners and notebooks before starting to create my own planners, Excel spreadsheets, budgets, and organizing every room in my college apartment.
My closet was color-coded and organized, every item had its place, and my friends were clamoring for me to organize their spaces, too!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been smooth sailing the whole way through! I have a nerve disease called CRPS (Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome). It’s only manageable – there is currently no cure. I’m much better than I used to be, but I still have bad days. The difference now is that I get to make my own schedule to work with my body instead of being forced into a constant 9-5 I can’t control. No more toxic bosses guilt-tripping me for a health condition I can’t control. I am in charge and can be kind to my body.
Ironically, another struggle was letting go of that 9-5 routine. I’d been in marketing jobs for so long. I was used to a steady salaried paycheck, company health insurance, and PTO. It was really scary to leave that world I had relied on for so long. Getting off the ground was probably the hardest part. I joined NAPO and their community and resources were invaluable. I called as many local organizers as I could to interview them and learn more about the job. I took classes and obtained as much knowledge as possible!
I also got tons of help from the wonderful people at SCORE. It’s a group of retired business owners that mentor people opening their own businesses. They helped me write a business plan, choose a name, file the proper paperwork, get a DBA, and figure out taxes. Without the help of SCORE and NAPO, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a professional organizer and owner of Think Outside the Closet. I specialize in working with people with disabilities such as chronic pain, CRPS, fibromyalgia, arthritis, paralysis, Parkinson’s, ADHD, and more.
As a disabled person myself, I have first-hand experience with struggling through a world that is not built for people with disabilities. Regardless of the ADA, disabled people still face barriers everywhere every single day. And even just living in our own homes gets impossible. For example, my wheelchair doesn’t fit through every doorway in my house. If I need to go to the bathroom, I have to get out of my wheelchair and figure out how to navigate to the bathroom without my chair, even though I may be in agony. My front and back door are raised off the ground. There are steps to the front, not a ramp. The back doesn’t have either. So if I’m in my chair, I have to be lifted into the house or force myself to be in pain to walk inside, grab my wheelchair, and get back in it.
These are seemingly small things that able-bodied people don’t think about because they don’t have to. As a wheelchair-bound college student in the 2000s, I had to navigate a non-accessible campus by myself. And I couldn’t afford thousands of dollars worth of ADA-accessible remodeling, not to mention I was in a dorm. I had to get creative. So I found affordable, in-between ways of making life easier for myself.
It occurred to me one day that I could do this for other people, too! And thus, Think Outside the Closet was born. I want this business to not only help people get organized but also help disabled people take control of their lives. Instead of having to ask for help, they can regain independence and fully use and feel comfortable in their home.
While I specialize in working with clients with disabilities, I serve all people, able-bodied and disabled. I organize closets, kitchens, pantries, fridge/freezers, living rooms, offices, bedrooms, craft rooms, garages, kids’ rooms, laundry rooms, and more. I also unpack and organize for people who have just moved. Teachers get HUGE discounts with me as well. This is my way of saying thank you!
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
At the end of the day, whatever organization strategy you use, it has to work for the client, not for you. You need to put yourself in the client’s shoes to make the best decision possible.
Pricing:
- $50 per hour for one organizer
- $100 per hour for two organizers
Contact Info:
- Email: thinkoutsidetheclosethouston@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.thinkoutsidetheclosethouston.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/totchouston/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkOutsidetheCloset
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRds2-lQALVfCao61XYJuUQ
