An Interview with Jen Robin of Life in Jeneral
In case you’re new-ish to my site, I started my blog (originally titled ‘from prosecco to plaid’) back in December of 2011. That’s right – 7 years ago! And years back I started an interview series, which has been one of your favorite series on my site. And I can understand why! I love nothing more than interviewing people who are either experts in their fields, incredibly inspirational, and/or funny AF (part of the reason I started my podcast, Hashtag No Filter, last year). And I love reading interviews, as well. It’s fun and interesting to get a deeper look into the life (career, etc) of someone admirable.
In terms of experts in their fields, Jen Robin of Life in Jeneral is absolutely an expert in her field of professional organizing.
If you’re unfamiliar with Life in Jeneral, well, you might be living under a rock. But if you don’t know of this company, it is a professional organizing company that de-clutters your work and home, and they are at the top of their game and continuing to grow fast.
I discovered Life in Jeneral on Instagram a while back, and I have been glued to the account ever since. It is ALL. THE. GOALS. Seriously, guys – it will make you want to organize every cabinet, drawer, and space in your home immediately. It’s actually soothing to see the before and after shots they post – mesmerizing!!
Prior to Life in Jeneral, Jen was a celebrity executive assistant. And what started as managing to do lists, schedules, travels, and more, turned into her passion for organizing people’s lives and sharing her knowledge with more and more.
With the new year upon us, now is the perfect time to get your spaces in order. So keep on reading to learn more about Jen, Life in Jeneral, some of her favorite tips and tricks for organizing, and more. Enjoy!
When did you launch Life in Jeneral and what inspired you to do so?
I officially launched Life in Jeneral in 2014. I was organizing friends’ homes for fun prior to launching the company, and it finally clicked that this was my passion and it would be a dream to be able to do this as a career. When I saw the effect that organizing had on the lives of my close circle, I knew I wanted to implement that change on a much larger scale and help as many people as possible.
What were you doing prior to Life in Jeneral?
I was a personal assistant to a professional athlete for many years. I was thrown into so many different scenarios and pulled in so many directions that I was learning and problem-solving daily, which ended up being an incredible experience prior to starting my own company. I learned quickly that to be successful as an entrepreneur you always have to be prepared for something unexpected, and you must be able to think on your feet!
Did you always know you wanted to be a professional organizer and run your own company? If not, when did you decide this is what you’re meant to do?
Not exactly! When I became a personal assistant and I was organizing schedules, events, houses, moves, lives, my passion for organization and helping others was becoming more and more apparent. I realized I could do this for more than just one family and that is when I knew I wanted to start my own organizing company.
You have grown quite the following! I’m one of those followers, and I am obsessed with your Instagram account. What do you attribute your success to?
Thank you, and thank you so much for being part of the LIJ family! I believe the biggest contribution to our growth is our team. It has been my mission to create a team that is as passionate about organizing and transforming others’ lives as I am, and I strive to foster a supportive atmosphere where we are not only team members, but we are a little family. We get to do what we love and our hope is that by showing behind the scenes of our projects and getting to know the LIJ team, everyone will feel inspired and like they are part of the LIJ family. It is so important to me to make sure that, as our followers grow, our WHY will always stay the same; our goal will always be to help people become more organized and happier through living their best, clutter-free and efficient lives.
What’s your favorite thing about your job? Most rewarding? Most challenging?
I love physically organizing and being part of transformations, but my favorite part of my job is hands-down the end of the project, when we receive the most heartfelt feedback from our clients. There is nothing better than the affirmation I get when I hear from our clients how much LIJ has changed their lives for the better.
The most challenging part of the job is scheduling; there are a lot of factors that go into putting together the right team and personalities for each client and space, sometimes with 3-4 jobs going on simultaneously!
What does a day in your life look like? I imagine no two days are the same.
I get up around 6:00am and make sure the first hour of the day is for me. I walk to the beach, meditate, read the bible, journal, and breathe. This has been a newer morning routine for me and it has changed the course of my days completely. Getting centered and full of gratitude makes the rest of the day better. The rest of my day, in no particular order, consists of meeting with potential clients, designing closets/spaces, checking in with team members and current jobs, as well as occasional trips to The Container Store, scheduling, catching up on emails, a break to hang out with my pup Charlie, then more business meetings, Bible study, more emails, following up with the day’s clients, and working on the brand. Every day seems to be a little different and a little the same.
What’s been your biggest ‘pinch me’ moment since starting Life in Jeneral?
I have had a few! The most recent one was being in Times Holiday Gift guide this year. I am really proud of that one; it was even on my vision board this year!
What inspires you daily?
People! I have always been an extrovert and get my energy from being around others. Knowing that we have the opportunity to make someone’s life better or easier through organization/design keeps me inspired!
What advice would you give to someone wanting to start their own company?
It is okay if you don’t have all the answers; ask for help when you can! Listen to others and pick up as much information as you can throughout the process. And know that there will most definitely be moments of “what was I thinking?!” but remember the reason/passion behind starting your own business. There will be high highs and low lows, but if you come back to your WHY, it will keep you going.
What’s the number one piece of advice you’d give someone wanting to organize their space?
Just start. Most people are so fearful of being overwhelmed with the entire process that they never start. It’s really simple if you follow our step by step process – truly, anyone can do this!
What are your favorite products when it comes to organizing?
I love Real Simple Slimline velvet hangers, drawer dividers, beautiful bins, and glass jars!
How important do you think a decluttered home is?
I think it is incredibly important for our happiness to create peaceful and clutter-free spaces that we look forward to coming home to at the end of the day. Having a decluttered home is more than throwing things out; it is about surrounding yourself with things you love and creating a home for everything. It will be easier to maintain a home with systems in place that reinforce organization as a way of life.
Any special organizational secrets or tricks you can share with JulieLauren.com readers?
A few simple tricks that can really transform a space are to switch out all of your miscellaneous hangers for matching slim ones in your entire closet, color coordinate your clothing (light to dark), take items of out of their original boxes in the kitchen/pantry to save space, and create a home for everything in your home to be returned to after use. Also, keep in mind that organization does not have to be expensive; shoe boxes are great for keeping sorted items contained and labelled by category, and are really helpful in maintaining a space!
What’s next for Life in Jeneral?
Something we are really excited about is the re-launch of our brand and website coming in the New Year! It will also include blogposts and a monthly newsletter for subscribers! We are so excited to share! There may be a few other things in the works, but you will have to wait and see! 🙂
Photo borrowed from Life in Jeneral