We're very excited to tune into the fireworks on Monday night when TCL's Jon & Kate Plus Eight features a visit from a real-live professional organizer. Keep? Toss? Donate? No? Maybe? Yes!
It's no secret that Kate Gosselin is considered an organizing expert herself. Even putting aside all the recent personal dramas, she enjoys 8 children, a large home and a busy life. According to Kate, "Maintaining a high level of organization helps any person or household-- supersized or otherwise -- run efficiently." We couldn't agree more.
Diane Albright Got The Job:
Our colleague, Diane Albright (pictured bottom left), a professional organizer, motivational speaker and retail store owner of All Bright Ideas (organizing website, blog, store website) hails from Allentown, PA, an hours drive from the family's rural Pennsylvania home in Wernersville. Diane is the lucky gal who got to experience a glimpse of Kate's organizing prowess, up close and personal. We'll be there watching and cheering everyone on.
Here's the quick synopsis from the TLC official website. The episode premieres Monday night October 5, 9:00pm. Check local listings for exact time.
"Kate has always had a love for organization, but with such a full
schedule and a house full of kids, she's had less and less time to
organize. With the guidance of an expert, Kate and the children attempt
to give the basement some much needed order."
Now to really put a spin on this story and prove 6-degrees of separation, Kate Gosselin contributed the "Tackle Your To-Do List" chapter alongside ours in creator Samantha Ettus' The Experts Guide To Doing Things Faster: 100 Ways To Make Life More Efficient (pictured left) which was published last October by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc. We have never met Kate but we sure have a lot of respect for her ability to keep up a house with eight children.
Weigh-In With Your Comments:
So all this leads us to ask our readers to weigh in on this question: Can organized people hire a professional organizer to help them? Are organizers only reserved for the messy, disorganized, cluttered, and hoarding? Or, are they a valuable resource for anyone in need, even with a small project? Let's hear what you have to say. We're going to see if Diane can weigh in on this subject herself. Check out the comment section below.
Read more:Kate Gosselin's organization tips - TLC website
The Gosselin 10 - Family website
Diane Abright's Blog and Website
All Bright Things - Diane's retail products store
Related Posts:
Experts Guide To Doing Things Faster - Amazon
Colin Cowie loves an organized kitchen
Mary Louise Starkey is the first lady of private service
New York Magazine article featuring Experts Guide contributing author John Trosko
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You can also catch Diane on QVC pitching 3M Command Strips. Love them! Can't wait to catch the episode.
Denise
Posted by: Denise | October 04, 2009 at 07:53 PM
I don't think I can even bear to watch it. I've had enough of that clan!
Posted by: Carmen@GetOrganized | October 05, 2009 at 06:12 AM
John -
YES! Organized people can and often do hire professional organizers. It is so interesting when T.V. shows our industry. To make things more dramatic, we often see the worst. It will be interesting to see how this episode turns out.
Stephanie
Posted by: Stephanie Calahan (@StephCalahan) | October 05, 2009 at 11:28 AM
Yes, I work with a partner in my organizing business, and we often help each other on organizing projects in our own homes.
Knowing what to do isn't always the problem; finding the energy and the follow through to do it can be the biggest obstacle. Clutter has energy and it can be really difficult to work with your own stuff. A fresh perspective always helps too.
Here are some pics of my kitchen organizing project that my business partner helped me with: http://www.harmonymatters.net/portfolio4.htm
Posted by: Naomi Pollack | October 05, 2009 at 01:28 PM
Hi John!
Thank you very much for the mention of my participation in Jon and Kate Plus 8 which airs this evening, Monday on TLC. As you know, I really enjoy your blog and I check every day so I don’t miss a thing.
My associate, Paula Davis, and I had a blast on the show. Working with Kate and the kids was so much fun. I was naturally hesitant to work around a family that seemed uber organized, but in the end, it was fantastic teamwork. Like you and Stephanie Calahan noted above, the organizing industry has really moved forward in helping just about anyone. No longer are the days when ONLY the “chronically disorganized” packrats called up on us. As we move forward, our job is like that of a personal trainer, we coach you through the tough parts so you can meet you goals, whether they are productivity, time-saving or aesthetic. In this case, the basement was the challenge and that’s where I came in as the organizing expert and project leader. We collaborated, made decisions, purged unnecessary stuff and installed systems to keep their storage maintained for a long time. What was the end result? Well, you’ll have to tune into the show to see what really happened.
I am curious to hear from more of your readers on what they thought of this “Time to Organize” show, specifically. Anyone have any questions John (or I) can address?
Posted by: Diane Albright, CPO | October 05, 2009 at 02:18 PM
I shamefully admit that I tuned in to Jon & Kate Plus 8 tonight. I was my first time but I had to watch Kate work with a Professional Organizer. I can imagine that it was some what distracting to both Kate & Diane (& her crew) having the children coming in and out. The only disappointment was how much enthusiasm Kate had when 'trashing' some items. She called out "trash" when separating some of the kids toys. What seemed like perfectly good stuffed animals got tossed rather than donated. My first thought was "oh no" but then I realized, you never know with editing where the bag with the stuffed animals was really going. My hope is less fortunate children will become new mommies and daddies of those stuffed animals and that Kate in the crew will keep up with the system Diane created. Thanks for the post John & congrats Diane!
Posted by: Kim Oser, Certified Professional Organizer® | October 05, 2009 at 07:58 PM
Professional organizers are helpful for those in extreme situations AND for people who tend be organized. I know that sometimes I need an extra set of hands (or eyes or ears) to give me a different perspective. Working on a small project with a client can often times mean instant gratification...the beginning, middle, and end might happen all in one visit. We don't get that kind of immediate satisfaction too often (and definitely not at the gym). So, even though we are shown helping those in very difficult situations on TV, we really can help just about anyone.
Posted by: Deb Lee, CPO® | October 15, 2009 at 05:02 AM
Why would anybody say it that way, you can easily get your point across in a polite and courteous way. Lets all just get a long.
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