Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Leyva.
Victoria, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started Do My Closet in March 2018 as a social media project for my Social Media class in undergrad. We were instructed to create a brand, for either a product or service, in which we would be able to connect with people through social media. I thought this was the perfect way to combine my two passions: organization and fashion. Coincidentally, I launched the project around the same time there was a public interest in professional organization and decluttering due to Marie Kondo’s fantastic show on Netflix, which helped push my business module. Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with the KondoMari Method. I believe our closets are a reflection of our personality and, often, our state of mind. This can be shown by what we buy, the amount we buy, the colors that we wear, and how we store our clothes. Ever since I was little, I have loved to organize my closet space, color coding my clothes and shoes. For me, it is has always been stress-relieving to put on good music and work on a space.
However, I know that others can be overwhelmed by that idea, especially if their closets are anything but organized. Do My Closet is my way of helping others find a way to show off the “personality” of their closets, rediscover lost treasures along the way, maximize the storage space in the closet, and, most importantly, just overall make their day-to-day routine appear a tad bit more seamless. In fact, one of my favorite things about Do My Closet is getting to know my clients and helping them achieve a sense of calmness by liberating them from clutter. Although it started off as essentially a school project, Do My Closet has become much more to me than that; it has become a learning experience as well. Not only have I learned to be more of a businesswoman, I have also learned from my clients themselves. I am often amazed at how their personalities and cultural backgrounds influence the colors and shapes of the clothes that they wear. My clients have been incredibly amazing to me. Their trust is one of the most rewarding feelings at the end of the day, once all is said is done.
At the end of the day, I love that my clients can feel like they are shopping at their own boutique when entering their closets. As I mentioned before, I love re-introducing my clients to items that they love but also encouraging them to donate what they no longer need. Often time, it helps make space to welcome new (fun) items! This experience has definitely been rewarding to me. I am definitely looking forward to working on more closets.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As a single business owner, I’ll say that one of my biggest challenges is the multitasking and time management that is required to run the business. I have to reach out to potential clients, prepare for the service, do the service itself, and still make the time to create content and maintain the social media platforms for Do My Closet. I have to constantly keep Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter up-to-date. Overall, it takes time to build your brand, especially doing it as a one-woman-show!
There are some days where I spend more than 12 hours in one service, but the outcome is rewarding to me. As time progresses, I learn how to better myself and my business; to balance my work and my life.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I specialize in decluttering, color-coding, rearranging and maximizing space. Originally, Do My Closet started off as a service to organize clothing and shoes inside a closet space. However, since launching the business, per the request of my wonderful clients, I have expanded to other storage spaces inside of the home, including the kitchen, bathrooms, playrooms, and storage rooms.
I start with an online free consultation. During the consultation, I find out what my client’s needs are and what areas they would like to see improvement. It is important for my clients to also establish trust in me during this consultation. Once there is a “meeting of the minds,” we decide on what type of materials we will need (if needed for convenience) to make their goals feasible, such as shoe racks and hangers. It is then we schedule our first session.
Having integrity is very important to me. I put myself in my client’s shoes and it is not lost on me that they are allowing a complete stranger inside of their homes. What I believe sets me apart from others is that on a personal level, I do want my clients to trust me. I respect their privacy 100% and, therefore, every single conversation between us is private. I also understand that for a lot of people in general, it is uncomfortable to show others a “messy” space. How many times have you gone to someone’s home and they apologize for the mess? People care about others’ perception of them. Even though I am a complete stranger, I want my clients to trust me that they are letting me in their home without judgment. That is a win for me when I feel like I have that trust. It is a double win when we end up becoming friends after.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up with my mom and two older sisters in El Paso, Texas. My mom is an interior designer and sole business owner. My middle sister is a professional photographer and my older sister is a cosmetologist. My childhood memories are embedded with all of the art pieces, furniture and paintings that decorated our home. While paintings have an early presence in my heart because of my mom, what really has driven me is fashion design.
What I remember of my teen years is notebook after notebook of fashion sketches and collecting Vogue magazines. The way that we dress and how fashion evolves is something that has caught my eyes since I was young, and I feel it is a unique way to communicate and express ourselves. I didn’t have my own room until I was 15 years old and it was then that I became obsessed with having everything neat and organized every day. I wanted to be able to see what I owned or, as Marie Kondo would say, see what sparked joy in my life.
Do My Closet is a way for me to help others appreciate their personal fashion aesthetic by making it easy for them to access it. I would like to believe that I help alleviate the stress of organizing a space and that I also introduce my clients to parts of their past, present, and future.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 915-922-7531
- Email: domycloset@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/domycloset/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/domycloset
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/domycloset
Image Credit:
Main photo and last photo taken by Cove Studio Productions
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