Meet Lisa : Professional Organizer

We are thrilled to introduce you to Om Mama Collective member Lisa Saksons! Lisa is a Professional Organizer at Organized by Lisa! Om Mama Members receive special package discounts with Lisa – if you’re interested in learning more about becoming a mama member, click here!  

How long have you lived in the Seattle area? Where are you from/why did you move here? What do you do for a living? Have you always done this?

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been in Seattle since 2008 (minus one year in SF)!! I’m originally from Toronto, Canada and moved to the states (Boston) the year between high school and university for my dad’s job. After 3 years in Quebec for University, I returned to Boston for a few years. From there I hopped down to NYC, over to LA, up to Seattle, down to SF and back to Seattle. This is definitely the longest I’ve been in one place.

I feel so fortunate to do what I love as my career. I’m a professional organizer and founded Organized by Lisa in November of 2018.

Why did you decide to pursue this career?

As strange as it sounds, organizing was always my hobby and a stress reliever when I was working in tech. From my mid-twenties until 3 years ago I was in advertising sales for tech behemoths like Yahoo! (remember them?), Amazon and Google. After 3 years at home with my kiddos, and at the urge of a good friend, I decided to follow my dreams and launched my business. I just wish I had done it sooner!

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Definitely not a doctor, I’m petrified of blood and needles. An event planner was what I aspired to be in my younger years. I did manage to make this dream come true and worked for a short period of time at the World Trade Center Boston. I loved the planning, execution, and satisfaction of seeing my events come to life. The hours, not so much!

When you get a quiet moment, what do you like to do the most?

Quiet moment…my kiddos are 7 and 5, I think it’s been 7 years since I’ve had one of those. I do relish when I get to go to the bathroom by myself and have sometimes been guilty of just sitting there for a few extra minutes to take a deep breath before I head back out into the crazy that is my house!

What helps you feel strong and/or beautiful?

When I turned 40, with the help of our nanny at the time,  my kiddos wrote me a list of 40 reasons why they love me. I’m a few years past this milestone, yet the poster lives on. It’s a great reminder to not be so hard on oneself. My kiddos wrote that they love me in a bathing suit (I don’t), when I sing (worst voice ever over here), and when I snuggle them. So, if I’m having a bad day, I take a look at that list and realize that I need to give myself more credit. Oh, mascara too. If I was left on a deserted island with one beauty product, this would be the one I could not live without.

What is your greatest personal skill/trait?

I consider myself to be personable and easy to relate to. I really enjoy people. Old people, young people, truly, I will talk to anyone (this drives my husband nuts!)! In my previous life in Sales, I thrived on establishing relationships with my clients. This translated to a very successful career, but it wasn’t the money that motivated me, it was the connection with my clients. Knowing that I helped them successfully launch a product, with a stellar marketing program, was what kept me in that world for such a long time.

Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you?

I live by the quote, The Days are Long, but the Years are Short. This is a great mantra to repeat during those challenging times when your kiddo has a throw down tantrum in the middle of the grocery store, shuts down a public pool due to a poop explosion, or on those mornings when they refuse to get dressed and foot stomp around the house.

If you could tell your twenty-year-old self one thing, what would it be?

You are worthy. Wear that bathing suit with pride and don’t care so much what others think. You got this!

How do you balance being an entrepreneur & a mom?

Google Calendar!! I have multiple calendars (Personal, Car Pool, Work) and try to outline my week on Sunday nights. I try to be present when I’m with kiddos – they are great at reminding me to put my phone down. One reason I went down the path of female-preneur vs. going back to the corporate world, is because I could control my schedule and be available for my family. It’s important for me to have the connection with my kiddos in the morning before school, and again in the evening. I want them to wake up and go to sleep knowing how much they are loved. Fortunately, this job has allowed me that flexibility, which makes me feel so grateful.

What do you think the world needs more of?

Kindness. We spend a lot of time at home talking about kindness and how to show kindness. (The kids are also REALLY good at identifying when they aren’t being kind to each other!). My son has said that kindness is like speaking Canadian, which I find to be a really interesting perception.

What is your favorite local motherhood/parent resource?

Positive Discipline classes. We love Julietta Skoog from Sproutable and would encourage every parent-to-be to take her classes. Her courses gave us the tools to handle the tough days, and even more important, the knowledge that the behavior was normal, and that it too will pass! Understanding the “why” made it so much easier to remain calm and patient. The skills go beyond children, and are highly applicable in work or marriage too!

What is your favorite local activity to do with your kiddos?

Last summer we bought a cabin on Camano Island. One of our favorite things to do is walk the beach and hunt for sea glass. I love the conversations we have as we stroll up and down celebrating the success of finding the glass. It’s amazing how organic and open the conversation is when you engaged in an activity, and eye contact is not being made. My only hope is that we can continue this in the pre-teen and teen years when there can be a lot on their little minds. Similarly, at night I lay with each kiddo in the dark for “one long more minute”. This is a sacred time when they open up about their day and anything on their mind. I guess the theme here is, I love talking with my kiddos. They have a unique, unjaded perception of the world. I wish I could bottle it up and return it to them when they become adults!

Where can readers find you?

My website is organizedbylisa.com and I’m active on Instagram as @organizedbylisa

If you think you & your business would be a great fit for the Om Mama Collective – I’d love to hear from you! Email Meredith at hello@ommamaco.com.