First Friday Female Founder Feature: Perri Kersh
With January being Get Organized Month for the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, this month’s First Friday Female Founder Feature is of organizing expert Perri Kersh, who founded and owns Neat Freak Professional Organizing, LLC based out of Chapel Hill, NC. For 17 years, Perri has helped individuals, families, students and small business owners organize their time and space to function at their best. Having yet to meet a space she won’t tackle, Perri offers an organizational methodology that kicks clutter to the curb while bringing a sense of calm order to spaces ranging from kitchens to garages to closets and offices alike. Plus, you can’t help but admire the seemingly endless confidence exhibited by Perri as she faces all sorts of extraordinary circumstances. She connects with anyone and everyone, truly caring about who you are, what you value and how she can make the world better for you. Further, Perri is a fellow Demon Deacon, which you know speaks to my heart. Enjoy this peek inside the mind and soul of this absolute rock star!
Organizing expert Perri Kersh provides simple and personalized organizing solutions for space and life so clients can function at their very best.
Perri began her career as a time management consultant and study skills specialist in 1992. But, truth be told, she's been organizing most of her life. Through various careers in counseling, marketing and consulting, she finally settled in to her passion and started Neat Freak Professional Organizing, LLC in 2005.
As a professional organizer, Perri works with families, individuals, small business owners and students. She is a frequent contributor to local and national publications, was featured on Fine Living and South Africa’s The Home Channel, and is regularly asked to speak at professional and group events. She enjoys teaching Fundamental Organizing and Productivity Skills for NAPO, as well as coaching new organizers.
Perri is the Immediate Past President of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, North Carolina Chapter, and a member of NAPO. She holds a BA in Psychology and a MAEd in Counselor Education from Wake Forest University. When she's not busy organizing for others, she frequently neatens up after her husband, kids and cats in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Learn more about Neat Freak Professional Organizing at neat-freak.com.
First Friday Female Founder Feature:
Perri Kersh
How would you describe your company and the products / services you offer?
I help my clients achieve their organizing goals through friendly, fun, non-judgmental and easy-to-maintain solutions. The name “Neat Freak” is meant to be a bit tongue in cheek… I don’t believe you have to be obsessed with organization, but I do believe in finding your own corner of “neatness” that gives you the simple and amazing life you want.
Why did you start your company?
I was trained as a therapist and worked with college students in counseling centers after graduate school. I then spent several years as a marketing executive for an early childhood education company. After our second child was born, I was eager to return to a helping profession, but in a non-clinical setting. Having always loved organizing, I found it to be the perfect combination of running a business, scratching my creative/marketing itch, and helping people reach their goals. I’ve been doing this work for 17 years now and cannot imagine a better career that checks all of my boxes.
What has been the most rewarding part of your journey in founding this company?
Perhaps the most rewarding part is when a client from years ago pops back into my life and shares things that are still working for them. We may meet again to tweak systems, or work on a different part of their home or business, but when they talk about a system that continues to work for them, I feel such a sense of pride in the work. I also genuinely enjoy my clients and truly get to know them…so oftentimes it feels like seeing an old friend.
About what are you most proud?
Within my business, I’m most proud of the fact that my clients really trust me. Having someone come into your home, and literally see your dirty laundry, is not easy. I don’t take this trust lightly and it really is the foundation of my business—being someone my clients can count on to do a wonderful organizing job but also someone they know respects them as individuals, meets them where they are without judgment, and respects the process.
Outside of my business, I’m most proud of the amazing young adults I’ve helped to raise. Having a 17 and a 20 year old who are some of my favorite people to be with, and who make me laugh and are so much fun to travel with is such a joy!
Are you naturally organized, was it a skill you learned or is it something with which you regularly struggle, and what tips or tools do you use to stay your most organized?
When I was 3, my imaginary friend was a tie sorter I took from my dad’s closet and named “Wrinkles,” and my high school senior superlative was “neatest.” So yeah, I was pretty much born organized. I’m not only a neat freak but also a bit of a control freak, so I’m completely aware of my need for order. The easiest way for me to stay organized is to create routines and regular habits around letting go of things I don’t need, use or love, and to spend a little bit of time maintaining my systems every day. It’s like flossing your teeth…once you get used to doing it regularly, it’s almost uncomfortable to skip over it. A little bit of time each day goes a long way towards keeping things manageable!
Who’s the one person who changed your life, and why?
It would have to be my first child, because she made me a mom, and that changed everything. She made me live outside of myself, love unconditionally, grow to be more patient, learn to be silly, to be here now, and to slow down and enjoy every moment.
Perri with her husband and their children
What words of wisdom would you have for someone who is overwhelmed with staying organized and / or productive?
Break.It.Down! You don’t have to do it all at once. Ask yourself what first, small step you can take today that will move you towards your goal. Set a timer for just 5 minutes and dive in. You don’t have to clean out your entire home, or even an entire room in one day. Just whittle away at it, and little by little, you’ll see improvement.
Do you use technology to help stay productive or organized? If so, what’s your favorite program, app or tech tool?
I must admit I still use a paper calendar and you’ll have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands. I love to write and putting pen to paper helps me conceptualize time. However, Siri and the Reminder app on my phone are also an external part of my brain. I can’t possibly hold every to-do in my head and I often can’t write things down when they pop up…so I can just tell Siri to remind me and set a specific day and time so it actually gets done.
How do you feel about work/life efficiency or integration in your life, including any tips or challenges for managing the personal and professional commitments in your life?
Learn to say “no” and mean it. When I was younger, I loved to have my hands in every pot and would volunteer for committees and events without hesitation. But I learned that by saying yes to so many things, I was inadvertently saying no to things that really matter to me. I’m now very selective about my “passion projects” and will only get involved in things that I know I can give my best to, and I try to build in plenty of buffer time to transition between work, volunteering and home life. I’ve become much more of an introverted extrovert as I’ve aged—so I know I need time to myself to just sit and be before I jump into whatever comes next.
About what causes are you most passionate?
I’ve been politically active for the last decade or so and have worked to help elect a number of political candidates. Putting together events to get to know a candidate and hear what they believe in has always been fun for me. Most recently, I’ve been seeking ways to support the LGBTQ+ community and have a few things in the works to help teens in our community who need support and mentoring.
What have you found to be the most effective way to relax after a long day or super long week?
I’ve been trail running with a group of women on Saturday mornings for the last 12 years. It is the one thing that I do, without fail, every single weekend that I’m in town. Even if I’m out late on a Friday night, I always set my alarm for 6am so I can make it to our run. During the week, I run solo and find it to be my best thinking and decompression time. I often have the most brilliant ideas (or at least they seem brilliant at the time!) somewhere around mile 3. I’m not fast, and I no longer race, but running is definitely a very important part of my mental health package!
What is your favorite author/book?
I absolutely adore Ann Patchett and will ready anything of hers over and over. I think I’ve read Bel Canto three times. Her article in Harper’s called “These Precious Days” about a guest staying with her during Covid is one of the best things I’ve read in years.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
I’m trying to tell you something ‘bout my life, maybe give me insight between black and white. And the best thing you ever done for me, is to help me take my life less seriously. It’s only life after all, yeah. The Indigo Girls
What is your go-to accessory?
My backpack! I carry a canvas, “Harvest Label” backpack with me practically everywhere. I use it while working to keep all of my personal belongings together. And I use it when I travel so I can fit what I need on the plane within easy reach, and also use it for getting around cities and on public transit or while hiking. I’m not much of a purse person but I do love a handy backpack!
What are the fundamentals of your beauty routine?
Very little! I use Beauty Counter products for cleansing and moisturizing. I stopped wearing makeup during the pandemic and am not sure I’ll go back to it! Perhaps if I have a fancy occasion I’ll make the effort. But I love using moisturizer and then running out the door When I have them available, I’m also a fan of face oils. The French always use them…there’s a reason they look so fabulous!
What is your favorite food?
I have a terrible sweet tooth so it would probably be a proper chocolate milkshake (made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup). Or an amazing Crème Brulee.
Of the locally-owned and -operated establishments in the place you currently live, which are your top 3 favorites and why?
I get most of my clothes at Lark here in Chapel Hill. I love the two women who own it and they have a great eye for what works together. I’ve been known to run in there hours before a presentation in need of just the right outfit and they always come through.
I also love Sophia’s in Carrboro—their shoes are to die for and it’s a bit dangerous for me to go there.
I’m obsessed with dishes by Haand right now. For my birthday a few years ago, I purchased all new dishes from them—it was such a great gift to myself. They have these gorgeous glazes and organic shapes…they make me so happy on my table! Worth a trip to their showroom in Burlington—you might even get lucky and get a quick tour of their workshop!
What is your favorite place that you have visited?
Before Thanksgiving, I would have said Paris, but now…Copenhagen!! I just returned from a trip there over the holiday to visit our daughter who is studying abroad. I cannot say enough about this city: it’s GORGEOUS, totally walkable, has wonderful public transportation, fabulous art and culture, and truly some of the best food I’ve eaten in my life. Plus, I’m a huge fan of Scandinavian furniture so being able to see that pretty much everywhere was heaven. It was also such a thrill to visit a city that our daughter has fallen in love with, and let her be our tour guide. I can’t wait to go back!
What streaming show or movie could you watch on an endless loop?
S1 and 2 of Fleabag. It’s longer than a movie but I wouldn’t care. I think I watched it 6 or 7 times when it first came out. Fleabag forever!
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
I’d like to beam myself to wherever I’m going so I don’t waste time in a car or in an airport. I don’t like the travel part of traveling I just like to get to my destination and let the fun begin.
What advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
Wear more sunscreen!
If you could have lunch with anyone (living or deceased), who would it be and why?
Bishop Michael Curry (because he’s inspiring and hilarious and would eagerly discuss all of my questions about the Holy mysteries); Phoebe Waller-Bridge (wrote and stars in Fleabag, my favorite actress with amazingly quick wit and thoughtful takes on feminism); and Pauli Murray (a trail blazer like no other and the person we should all be studying in school!). Feminism, faith, the patriarchy…so much to discuss. I would pretty much want to keep my mouth shut and just sit back and listen!
Enjoy more content like this throughout the blog. Use the search box below to find any specific topic.
