Introducing Sara!
A little known fact is that Sara Kelly was the catalyst in inspiring me to become an organizer 9 years ago! I was living down in California for a few years, and came back to visit Seattle. Sara (and coincidentally, my good friend Megan too) were both “nesting” (via Marie Kondo’s guidance in her book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up). The more they told me about what they were doing, the more I wanted to become an organizer! Even before I got home from that trip, I started the process to start my business.
I regularly receive inquiries from people who want to work for Seattle Sparkle. I never say yes. The level of trust my clients have in me is something I take very seriously. If I’m going to hire someone to work with my clients, it’s got to be someone who’s built up A LOT of credibility with me. It takes time to know, like, and trust somebody who will represent Seattle Sparkle in the way I do. A cold email solicitation is not nearly enough for me to consider hiring anyone. However, the necessity to hire another in-home organizer became crucial. In addition to my in-home sessions being booked out for 2-3 months at times, since I will be relocating soon (more on that soon!), I needed to find someone who could replace me here in Seattle. Then it dawned on me. Sara Kelly! I introduced Sara in my May newsletter via the very humble bio she wrote for herself. Sara will be offering in-home and virtual organizing sessions. This is very exciting news! In this post, I’ll talk about how I know Sara, who she is, why she makes a great addition to Seattle Sparkle, and how you can work with her.
How I know Sara
I met Sara nearly 20 years ago through her husband, Wilbur. Wilbur and I worked as glassblowers for Chihuly, and we’ve logged thousands of hours together. We’ve traveled to Finland together to work on a glass project, ran a full marathon together, and we’ve biked many miles together on the Burke Gilman trail. Early on, Wilbur introduced me to his lovely wife Sara. I got to know her over the course of a long time, and we’ve become good friends! Trust is built over time, and Sara passes the test!
During the Pandemic, Sara taught me how to sew face masks, and I helped her by sewing for her production line. We both love going for walks, and so we’ve gone on many hikes together at places like Discovery Park, Seahurst Park, Kalaloch Beach, and even just in the neighborhoods. We both love making things, so we’ve been able to collaborate and support each other on creative ideas. Sara introduced me to her coach, Nicole Tsong, and I did a coaching program with her too. Since we’ve both done the same coaching program, it helped us connect at a deeper level because we could talk about the esoteric coaching concepts we both understood.
Who She Is
Sara and her husband Wilbur are doing an amazing job of raising two of the most capable young men I’ve ever met. They are homeschooling their kids (now ages 10 and 12), and doing everything they can to give them an amazingly well-rounded and unique education. The Kelly family loves to travel! They’ve traveled the US for months at a time in their 200 square foot RV, and have taken the kids on a few international trips as well! Wilbur and Sara are both very present with their kids. The treat them with respect and provide good, healthy boundaries. They are great parents!
In addition to being a mom, Sara also runs a high-quality sewing business called “Do Not Drop Art”. She specializes in napkins, tablecloths, and aprons- many of them being Star Wars themed. She’s also been known to make very well-made bags of all types. If you’ve ever seen my yoga bags- Sara made those too! She’s got incredible craftsmanship and very smart designs.
Sara is multi-faceted. She has learned a lot of handy-woman skills to make upgrades to her home. She’s been able to teach her kids these real-life skills throughout the process as well, such as building a fence, remodeling a home, and learning basic plumbing and electrical. She is the master of “figuring stuff out”!
Sara has also worked for years in catering. She has the skills to do whatever she wants, so I periodically check in with her to see if she’s still liking catering. She loves the pace, the flexibility, the leadership opportunities, and being able to serve others. When this opportunity to work for Seattle Sparkle came up, she agreed that it would match her skills and interests quite nicely!
Why She Makes A Great Addition to Seattle Sparkle
When prospective clients come to me and I let them know I’m not taking new in-home clients in the Seattle area, but Sara is, they often want to know if she has the same level of experience with neurodivergence that I do. The answer is yes! We’ve both gained our experience through different ways. Personally, I have ADHD myself, and so I’ve learned a lot about ADHD so I could help myself and my clients. Sara has gained her education with neurodivergence through family members and other people very close to her who have learning differences and/or who have experienced trauma. She has a sister with developmental disabilities. Sara is gifted at meeting people where they’re at. She’s patient, perceptive, and really good at helping other people recognize their strengths.
She can also organize! Because Sara loves to travel, she’s had to get really real with herself on aligning her actions with her goals. To have a flexible lifestyle where she can continue to travel and do the things she wants in life, she’s learned to pare down her belongings to be able to accommodate her desires. Last summer her family rented out their entire home in Ballard for a few months so that they could go travel the country. If you’ve ever considered doing this (especially with a family of 4!), you know what an undertaking it is! For many people, this only remains as a pipe-dream in their minds, and never materializes. She has had to make some hard decisions about what to keep and not keep so that she stays in alignment with her values and desires.
For as much time and attention she devotes to her family, she’s also very independent. Sara is motivated, a self-starter, has great time-management skills, and doesn’t get lost in trivial details. She’s level-headed, pragmatic, and capable. She’s also very patient and kind! But one of the most unique attributes that Sara has is her ability to be resilient and positive, especially during times of stress. She’s very aware of her thoughts, and is not someone who will allow themselves to be taken down by victim-consciousness. She’s not someone who falls for toxic positivity either. She’s done a lot of personal work to master her mindset. She’s very open about her thought process as well. I love that she’ll even [kindly and lovingly!] call me out if I ever need a mindset reframe.
There are very few people who I deem to possess all the qualities needed to get my stamp of approval to work with “my people”. I hold my clients very dear to my heart and want to protect them from having a bad experience with a judgey and impatient organizer. To past my test, someone must have a good personality- be kind, patient, and friendly, but they also must possess the physical strength, energy, stamina, emotional awareness, creative problem solving, and love for sorting and organizing that’s required to be a professional organizer. It’s a very unique job. Trustworthiness and integrity are an absolute must in this field. Sara checks all the boxes! I don’t have a shadow of a doubt about her capabilities. I am honored that she’s started working for Seattle Sparkle and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure she has everything she needs so that she continues to feel valued and appreciated. She is a gift and as soon as you start working with her, you’ll see exactly what I mean!
How You Can Work With Her
Sara has already hit the ground running, taking on both virtual consultations and in-home clients. If you’re a current client or we’ve worked together already, feel free to text or email me for an introduction. Or if you are a prospective client, please fill out this form to begin the consultation process.
Read her bio here.
