MBA Member of the Month – December
The Organized Lifestyle – Managing Time, Reducing Stress, and Changing Lives 

Donna Finocchiaro has always believed you’re either a born organizer or you’re not.  The ability to focus on the details, to troubleshoot, and to anticipate any circumstance that might go astray – these are innate skills.  “You can’t get this through training,” explains Donna.  “I can enter someone’s home or space and quickly get to the bottom of what needs to be done.  It allows me to maximize my time with each and every client.”

After spending sixteen years working in the financial sector, Donna reached a time in her life when she was not feeling career satisfaction.  With two teenage daughters, she wanted a flexible new career where she could be available for family matters.  She wanted the opportunity to make her own decisions and impact other people’s lives.  Donna had spent years organizing things at work – improving processes and increasing department efficiencies.  “The corporate world is all about multi-tasking,” says Donna.  “You have to be organized to keep so many balls in the air at the same time.  I excelled at that, and eventually realized that a career as a professional organizer was a perfect fit for me.”

Donna has built her business organizing for clients in their homes, and she has also been reaching out to small business owners – particularly those who work from a home office.  Her services follow a typical pattern:

·   Inquiry – When Donna receives phone calls from potential clients – usually at their wits’ end over some area of life – she immediately puts them at ease.  She knows how important it is for clients to feel comfortable with her from the very first conversation.

·   Assessment – By conducting a one-hour, on-site assessment, Donna can very quickly get to the heart of the organizational dilemma.  She asks pertinent questions and surveys the space, using her innate abilities to see a solution.  Many times, clients feel so empowered by this initial meeting, they feel they can tackle the project themselves.

·   Working Session(s) – For clients who know they need more help, Donna schedules a series of hands-on working sessions.  During this time, she works with the client, using organizing principles and customizing them to her clients’ specific needs.  Her goal is to set up systems for her client and transfer enough knowledge that her clients can apply these organizing principles into other areas of their lives.  And she is never more satisfied than when she sees her clients doing exactly that. 

If there’s one thing Donna would like to impart to potential clients, it’s that her services are not just for the stereotypical disorganized person.  “Professional organizing is really for everyone,” she insists, “and it can be surprisingly affordable.”  Anyone can encounter a situation which causes life to get off-track: a move, the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, a new job, or a major schedule change.  These events can consume a person’s life and lead to a great deal of stress.  “It becomes a quality of life issue,” states Donna.  “Managing your time and space more efficiently leads to less stress and a healthier, better quality of life.”  Donna wholeheartedly believes that being disorganized is not about personal failure.  It’s difficult for people to know what’s causing a certain aspect of their life not to work.  A skilled professional with the ability to see things at a much more detailed level, can bring awareness to these individuals.  Donna enables her clients to see what’s really preventing them from living and maintaining an organized life.  And she sets out to solve these issues.

Donna feels a tremendous sense of pride and satisfaction in helping people.  “Clients can see and feel the benefit of what they’ve accomplished.  It empowers them, and they become excited to move on to the next project.”  It is a common occurrence for clients to tell Donna how much she has changed their lives.  “It brings out an emotion in even the most reserved client,” she explains, “knowing there’s hope, opportunity, and a reassurance that they are not alone.”

An eleven year resident of Marlborough, Donna enjoys spending quality time with her husband and two daughters – Kristen, age 17, and Amanda, age 14.  This year, she is proud to take over the position of President of the Marlborough Business Association.  As an active board member and Vice President for the past several years, Donna could see the tremendous potential of the MBA.  “The home-based or small business owner has a struggle with self-promotion and community awareness,” she states.  “This organization is an incredible venue for them.”  Donna has one primary hope for the MBA this year: to increase community awareness of the vast array of businesses in the surrounding area.

Donna’s hopes for her own future are more personal in nature:  “My resolution for 2008 is better health and wellness .”

To learn more about The Organized Lifestyle – both Donna’s professional services and her retail store in Guilford, Connecticut – contact her at donna@TheOrganizedLifestyleStore.com or 860-836-6244.  She looks forward to creating a customized package to address any and all of your organizing needs.