Spotlight: Lorie Marrero
Lorie Morrero is one hot tamale these days. She is a publicity magnet since her latest book The Clutter Diet appeared on Amazon.com’s Kindle and is now in print.
She is featured in this month’s Good Housekeeping Magazine and will be doing a TV special called “Change for Good.” You can find show times here.
I love to educate organizers about all kinds of business models and encourage you to create your own business model… like Lorie did with The Clutter Diet. So I asked Lorie to share a little insight about how she came up with her virtual organizing program and how it works.
Q: How did you come up with the idea (If I remember you had an inkling in San Diego when you mentioned a membership format like Weight Watchers)
A: I have been exploring this analogy between weight loss and getting organized
for a long time, after saying so many things in person to clients about it
and realizing that they are both about a process of personal change. In
January 2006 I attended an internet marketing seminar and flew home from it
overwhelmed with all of the ideas they had given me, and as I was staring
out the airplane window the whole thing just synthesized in my brain and hit
me like a lightning bolt. I wrote pages of notes right there on the plane
and all of that information I wrote down became reality within about a year.
I was fortunate that I had a team of organizer employees who took over the
majority of the hands-on work in my service business while I was developing
all of the content and designing the site. It was countless hours of work
and a lot of big investment, but I believed in the idea and kept going.
Q: Can you explain how it works?
A: We say it’s kind of like Weight Watchers for your house. Members pay a low
monthly fee and get access to our team of organizers in our member message
boards where we answer every question. They get a weekly plan of projects
designed like a menu, with a “Main Dish” project, two “Side Dish” projects,
a “Sensible Snack” task, and a “Dessert” reward. Each week they “weigh in”
from last week to show what they got done before they get the new plan, and
the system tracks how many “Clutter-Pounds” they lost. They also get access
to our searchable knowledge base with hundreds of tips and articles and over
two hours of multimedia tutorials with lessons on organizing concepts, along
with lots of downloadable audio content and a customized e-mail reminder
system.
Q: Who is the program for? Who is the market?
A: The Clutter Diet program is for the millions of people who either cannot
afford our rates in person or who want to do a lot of the work themselves.
They just need to get unstuck and get a little professional advice, and they
need support to keep going. Our experts and our member community provide
that support and encouragement.
Q: Do you have office and organizing staff to help it run?
A: I have a virtual team of contractors to keep the site working, the products
getting fulfilled and manufactured, and the marketing/PR machine going, and
I mostly work alone in my own home office, having meetings as needed.
Q: What are the biggest challenges?
A: The biggest challenge has been educating people on what we’re doing. Now
people are really catching on, but it’s been a long 2+ years to get people
to know we exist and that we really can help them get organized online. I
also was challenged running a hands-on service business at the same time I
was running this online business, and last year I transferred ownership of
the service business in Austin & San Antonio to my former employees via a
licensing agreement. Now they can still work as organizers under the name we
built regionally, and I no longer am involved in any day-to-day operations.
That has made all of the difference– I can now focus on building this
business and our product line, and my stress level has gone way down too.
Q: And you also have a blog on Kindle and a book on Kindle. Can you
explain what kindle is and a little about the blog and book?
A: Amazon’s Kindle device is kind of like an iPod for books. You can download
books wirelessly from anywhere and keep many books with you in a small unit.
They also sell Kindle subscriptions to popular blogs and newspapers. I have
been fortunate that my blog (www.clutterdietblog.com) has been a bestseller
on the Kindle for many months, so when it was time to promote my book,
Amazon and I were able to partner on that and get the word out in a big way.
The Kindle edition of the book went up to #8 on the Kindle nonfiction
bestsellers that first week (New Year resolution time). And now the book’s
print edition is going into major bookstores in late February too. The title
is “The Clutter Diet: The Skinny on Organizing Your Home and Taking Control
of Your Life.” We’re getting a lot of big media attention for it and it’s
been incredibly fun and exciting!
Q: How long have you been a professional organizer?
A: I have been a NAPO member since 2000, so 9 years. I joined right away when I
opened my business. I think being involved with NAPO and attending
conference has been absolutely key. I cannot imagine my life and business
without knowing all of the great NAPO colleagues and friends I speak to
constantly around the country. I love you guys!!
Q: Do you do much hands-on organizing still?
A: I definitely don’t do as much as I used to, but yes, I organize for a
handful of clients here in Austin and now find myself doing organizing
projects for the media too. Very different but also very fun.
Q: What’s next for Lorie?
A: About ten years ago, I had narrowed down my ideal business ideas to these
top three things: Freelance writer, web designer, and professional
organizer. I think it’s really funny now that my life has evolved to where I
am essentially all three at once. I could not be any happier! So as for
what’s next, I guess I am going to keep on writing–probably another book is
in my future. I also want to develop more products and do more
media/spokesperson work. Whatever it is, I am going to keep on learning and
growing and showing fear who’s boss. That has become the theme of my life.
Q: Anything else you want to add?
A: In this economy, there are many more people who are unable to afford our
rates in person. Organizers can join our affiliate program and everybody
wins… the clients get the help they need, the organizer gets 20% recurring
commission on their memberships, and we get great new members. I encourage
everyone to join our free affiliate program and get a link that you can send
in an e-mail or place on your site as a banner or button, so that you can
help all of those prospective clients on a budget and help yourself too.
More info at http://www.clutterdiet.com/affiliates/index.php.
You can read Lorie’s Blog here
And visit The Clutter Diet website here
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