We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Diehl and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Amanda, what matters most to you?
Resilience and commitment. Being a business owner requires the wearing of many hats, sometimes all at once. Both with customers and behind the scenes, we are constantly setting multiple goals while prioritizing and executing them. When things don’t go as planned, I have to stay flexible and optimistic. Some days are obviously more exhausting than others and being able to persurvere and willing to adapt to change is necessary. Committing myself to a goal whether it be reaching our monthly budget or training for the finish line of a triathlon, keeps me determined and productive.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
From early on I always wanted to be an artist of some kind. I loved drawing and was always creative. I still am, everyday. When it comes to design, I love “white space” and tend to be more of a minimalist at home and work. I take screen shots of advertisements with color combinations that I love and want to save as inspiration on a project. I challenge myself by looking at typefaces and guessing which font family it belongs to … total nerd, I know!
I majored in graphic design and received my BFA from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. As I moved up in my career, graphic design started to move more towards digital and online needs. Wanting to be marketable and competitive, I completed a certificate in web design in the evenings after work. After working at a direct marketing agency for several years, I landed at a manufacturing company as an in-house graphic designer.
After a decade and much growth, I bid farewell to St. Louis in 2016 as my husband and I moved to Atlanta for his job at Delta Air Lines. I kept my feet wet in the design world and continue to freelance. Fast forward to 2019 when a new neighbor, Megan, asked me if I’d be interested in starting a professional organizing company with her. She showed me a book she picked up from Target called “The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals”. I flipped through the book and fell in love. People got paid to do this, I thought?!
What I haven’t mentioned before now is that I’m a “Type A, everything-has-a-place kind-of-person.” People come to my home and ask how I keep things so neat and tidy. We don’t have a house cleaner or a yard maintenance company, we do it ourselves. Most weeks, it’s only me for 3-4 days while my husband travels. While he’s gone, I have work, and my kids (ages 9 and 7) have soccer, Boy Scouts, and church functions… just like many other families. Not everyone is organized and has their home in order. Adding this kind of lifestyle to the mix can add a lot of stress. It takes work and it’s not always an easy task for people. When the house is running seamlessly, everyone is happy, right? It takes work, but it’s also natural for me.
When Megan asked me if I’d be interested in starting a professional organizing business, I said yes. I thought, this would be fun and easy. It’s been a lot more than that, but not always easy. We worked on getting our certification and training through NAPO (National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals). We created our logo, business cards, and website … that’s where the graphic designer degree comes in handy! We set up Instagram and Facebook pages and started connecting with local groups advertising that “we can help you love your home again” and get it in order. We decided to call our business Simply Organized at Home. We help people create systems in their home so their lives can run smoother with less stress.
Although each project is different, I find ways to bring that same white space from the printing world into the hands-on spaces in one’s kitchen panty, living room, or master closet. Order and structure needs to be created per the client’s needs and what works for them, not me. I have to ask, what will work for them so that they keep the system in place? Each project brings it’s own challenges. Does the client need to keep everything in the space? Can they donate or purge some of it? What if the client doesn’t have a budget for organizing product? What is going to be simple and easy enough for them to continue to succeed.
We spend a lot of time researching product options, returning emails, working on expenses … remember all those hats? We wear them all.
I’m a visual person and someone who is also results-oriented. With my design background, I see each pantry, closet, or garage as a puzzle and I work through each space with the client’s needs in mind but making it as aesthetically pleasing as possible. I get to satisfy my love of design and order at the same time. The biggest reward is watching the client fall in love with their space again. The anxiety and stress lessens when they can see what they have in their newly decluttered space.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite restaurant south of Atlanta is The Beirut in Peachtree City. They specialize in traditional Lebanese and Mediterranean dishes and the Tofanelli’s Special or the Lebanese Style with their Turkish coffee are my go-to every time.
I’m a triathlete and I’m always training for my next race. I workout about 5-6 days a week so for a change of scenery, I like taking a hike at Line Creek Nature Area or kayak in the local Peachtree City lakes.
On Saturday mornings I’d swing by the Senoia Farmers’ Market. The local bakeries showcase some amazing options for bread, and the warm Stroopwafles and mimosas are the perfect start to your weekend. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutouts are dedicated to all the designers and creative people who keep the spark alive in me. You keep my “want-to-design” project list long and continuous. In addition, my business partner, Megan, for asking me to try something outside of the standard corporate world we’d both been a part of for the last 20 years.
Website: www.simplyorganizedathome.com
Instagram: simplyorganizedathome
Facebook: @SimplyOrganizedAtHome
Image Credits
Main Image Credit: Megan VanSickle, Other image Credits: Amanda Diehl