This week on Sunbound Asks we sat down with Christina Bond, a professional organizer, KonMari Master Consultant, and owner of Creating Space DC located in Washington, D.C. We had a lovely conversation with Christina, discussing everything from how she first got into professional organizing, to what yoga can teach us about staying organized. To learn more about Christina and her business, check out her website here or read our interview below.‍

Q: How long have you been a professional organizer?

A: Four years. ‍

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Q: How’d you get into professional organizing?

A: I read Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and it really struck a chord. So I did the process on my own home, and it truly was life-changing for me. Then I’d say about a year or two later I unexpectedly lost my job, my company was merged, and all of a sudden could do whatever I wanted. That very same day I knew that professional organizing was going to be it, and that I would help people with Marie Kondo’s process of decluttering and staying organized.‍

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Q: What’s your favorite type of project to work on since you started your business?

A: My favorite type of project is when people plan ahead and know what they want to do, and we can schedule it. When I can see someone once a week and we can get some momentum going. It’s nice when people are clear with their goals, and understand that if they’ve been in their place for a little while it will take some time to go through all of their things thoughtfully. But I see a lot of types of projects. Some people I see once, some 5 times, some even 20 or 30 times, and I enjoy them all. I love listening to people’s stories and being present for their decision-making, and coaching them and helping provide some accountability. Someone told me my being there gave them the confidence to make the decision that she wouldn’t have made without me, and those types of moments are really meaningful. ‍

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Q: What’s your favorite memory as a professional organizer?

A:  Maybe finding a lost engagement ring. After months of searching the client had gotten a replacement, and during the process of decluttering we found it. I don’t know that that’s a top memory though, because I don’t know if there’s one single memory. It’s all the little memories, like the little comments here and there like “oh I forgot I had this” or “oh I’ve been looking for this.” People having insights about things like they’re shopping too much or holding on to things they don’t need are always nice moments too. ‍

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Q: What’s your most unconventional professional organizing tip or trick?

A: This comes from an organizer named Karen Kingston who has some really interesting ideas. One example is that, for example, a lot of people have gained weight during the pandemic and now a lot of their clothes don’t fit. But they hold on to them in hopes that they will fit one day. Her advice is to get rid of them all, and once you get rid of them all you’ll start losing the weight. The idea is that once you’re not surrounding yourself with guilt, but instead giving in to the realization of what your circumstances actually are, you can better tackle your problems.‍

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Q: What professional organizing practice do you use most in your own life?

A: For me it’s pulling everything out. Don’t just look at it where it is and where it sits. You have to pull it out and shake it up. For example, when we do clothes people are like“can I just look at it in the closet?” And the answer is no way. Pull it all off the bar in the closet. The same goes with books. Pull everything off the bookshelf and then go through each book one by one. This is a very Marie Kondo thing and it’s amazing what a big difference it makes when you pull things out. And this isn’t just helpful for the decluttering decisions, those are important, but as far as organizing is concerned you now also have a blank slate for that piece of furniture or that closet and you can really change things up because you are starting fresh. ‍

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Q: What’s one thing you wish more people knew about professional organizing?

A: To think about it like a personal trainer rather than thinking “oh I should be able to do this myself.” I think a lot of people beat themselves up and think they should be able to do it themself. And it’s not that you can’t do it yourself, it’s just really helpful to have a coach. Lots of people have coaches. The best quarterback in the NFL has a coach. Everyone can always be helped out by having a professional by their side. ‍

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Q: If you weren’t a professional organizer, what else would you be doing?

A: I would be teaching yoga. I do that as well. Not to get into yoga philosophy, but one of the ethical rules of yoga philosophy is non-hoarding, and it’s always a good to remember not to hold on to stuff. My personal yoga practice also keeps me grounded, so hopefully my clients appreciate the calm I bring to projects.‍

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Q: What professional organizing resources would you suggest for our readers?

A: So many! I have two books and one professional association. You may have already heard of NAPO, but they’re of course amazing. And the two books I would recommend are Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui by KarenKingston (there’s also an audiobook that’s read by the author) and the second one is Keep the Memories Lose the Stuff by Matt Paxton.

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