Hi, everyone! We are Sophie and Charlotte Bickley of the New York City based fashion blog @yin2myyang – now serving as editors at large for Daily Front Row. This is the first of many of Yin 2My Yang’s picks, which will be bringing the newest and coolest things to your radar! Our first subject is Jamie Grunfeld of Better Than B4. She is a professional closet organizer and working with A-list clients like Danielle Bernstien of “We Wore What” and model Chanel Iman and her husband, football player Sterling Shepard. We sat down with Jamie to get all the tea about how her business works!
Jamie Grunfeld
How did you get started? What inspired to create your own organization service company?
I worked in retail for a while, but organizing had always been a passion of mine, so after college I created my business, Better Than B4, organizing peoples’ closets. I was a friend of Charlotte’s in college and while I was creating this company she asked me to come help her organize her new apartment. She completely trusted me and had faith in me to redo her apartment and she showcased the transformation on Yin2myYang and my business kind of blew up from there. I was lucky enough that one job lead to another! Since the beginning, I have reorganized Charlotte’s closet a few times and I have organized Sophie’s closet, too.
How many hours and days of the week do you work? Do you ever get a break running this time consuming business on your own or with a small team of two?
Because I love what I do I feel like I’m kind of always working it’s more of a 24/7 kind of thing and I wouldn’t have it any other way. A typical day would be about 8 hours but if I’m not working with the client I’m always working on other things such as looking for new and creative ideas or thinking of new ways on how to utilize my skills and finalizing proposals. I am really always working.
What is you biggest pet peeve when you enter someone’s closet?
Mismatched hangers. I require my clients to purchase space-saving hangers before we begin my services. They are a must-have.
What do you appreciate the most in a client after you finish your job?
What I appreciate most in a client is trust. I work all day in their personal space, with their personal belongings strewn everywhere, so I appreciate their trust in my method and their trust that the end result will be amazing. I love when I get to reveal the final product and see my clients’ happy and shocked reactions.
Any closet horror stories you’d care to share?
I actually really enjoy any challenge, so there are no real horror stories, just challenges. Sophie will probably murder me right now, but I think that her space was a challenge, but the end result was spectacular.
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What’s your easiest suggestion for people to implement to be a tad more organized?
Jamie- all matching space saving hangers are a must in any closet and they help save space! I also would suggest looking through what you have and what you wearing and getting rid of anything you don’t love! Clearing out old things allows for space for items that you love and wear often. Its therapeutic and its necessary first step to organizing a closet.
Do you plan to expand your team?
Yes, I recently hired an amazing assistant. I finally found someone I can trust to help me accomplish my creative vision and goals for each client. She is my right hand woman at the moment and I don’t know how I could have worked so long without her. I definitely have plans to expand my team in the future as needed, but for now it’s just two girls running around, fulfilling our dreams of helping others get organized!!
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1 comment
Wonderful article. Very helpful and informative suggestions!!😀