“Do you have some good before and after photos of your work?” I get this question a lot from potential clients, and it’s a completely reasonable request. People love a good before and after shot. It’s a way of capturing hope in a photo…and who doesn’t love some organizational porn? I’ve been known to drool over beautiful ROY G BIV photos of closets, pantries and bookshelves myself. Yet I tend to shy away from posting these on my own website or Instagram, despite 14+ years of client work. And here’s why…
I don’t offer before and after pictures on my website because I feel it’s hard to tell the whole truth from those photos. It makes it seem like there is a magic wand that takes people from chaos to calm in an instant, and that just isn’t the case. There is some sweat equity that goes into sorting, categorizing and decision-making that makes the organizing magic really happen. A more truthful approach would be to show you the before, then post a time lapse video of the hours and hours it can take to do the work, including the frustration, the laughs, the tears, the setbacks, the sweat, and then…finally, the well-earned results. Given my confidentiality agreement, and the respect I have for my client’s privacy, I simply can’t share all of that publicly.
What I do offer are plenty of reviews from happy clients. They’re real, they’re honest, and completely unedited. They offer more than the “Instagram after” and I think they tell the story of what we do for the people we serve. Click on the Kind Words link above if you want to read more.
If you really need before and afters, I get it! And there are plenty of fabulous organizers right here in the Triangle who offer those. Visit NAPONC.org to find a list of my colleagues who all do great work. While I may be the organizer who “zigs” while everyone else “zags,” I do believe that there is a good organizer out there for everyone.
Keep neat and stay cool during this hot summer!
Perri