Strategies and Tactics for Women by Dr. Shannon Reece

In an effort to always bring you the latest and greatest information, I am happy to present another installment of our Advisory of Women Entrepreneurs Spotlight interview series.

We designed this series to, not only showcase our community of amazing women entrepreneurs, but to also share their best tips, strategies and insights for wanna-be and established women entrepreneurs.  Our mission for this community is to bring an incredible group of women together to inspire, motivate, and support women in business by networking, collaborating, and, in the case of this spotlight series, showing you why they shine so brightly!

This week I am so pleased to share my interview with Leslie Josel, Founder of Order Out of Chaos.

You will love our interview, where Leslie shares…

• How her business chose her
• The value of forming your own “business advisory board” to keep you on track
• Her best tip for having it all
• The most lucrative way to build a business, even without a website
• The one thing that will make or break your business, and so much more!

One of my favorite points that Leslie made was when she shared that there is no wrong when it comes to de-cluttering your life.  It all boils down to finding what works best for you, rather than trying to fit into any neat and tidy little box. Enjoy!

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Leslie was an organizer long before there was such a profession.  She was four years old when her mother became ill, requiring her to take control early on. “I was raised in a disorganized household and was left to fend for myself most of the time. The structure and order of systems and lists gave me a piece of mind in an otherwise uncertain world.”

By the time she attended Cornell University, Leslie had sensed her calling. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies, then became a human resource professional for various companies. The personnel complaints she heard were less about the individual and more about the inefficiency of their systems. “Working with employees to create customized systems that would work for them was my “ah-ha” moment.  Finding what works is like finishing that 1000 piece puzzle.  It takes a good deal of patience and a lot of flexibility to keep moving those pieces around until you get it right.”

“My need to say on top of it – to learn everything I can to organize the chronically disorganized – is very personal.”

Her own puzzle fell into place soon after her son was diagnosed in Kindergarten with ADHD and a host of other learning differences. “I was doing so much research to help him manage and organize his world, that other parents started coming to me for help.”  Piecing together her human resource skills with efforts to organize her son, she launched Order out of Chaos in 2004. Originally focusing her practice on the chronically disorganized (those individuals with ADD, Hoarders, etc.); she expanded her business to include relocation services in 2007 when she received her certification as a Senior Move Manager.

Leslie is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), its New York Chapter (NAPO-NY) and has received its Golden Circle distinction. She received her Chronically Disorganized and Hoarding Specialist certificates

from the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD).  She is the only certified Hoarding specialist in Westchester county and Connecticut.  Leslie is the parent liaison for her son’s SEPTA (Special Education Parent-Teacher Association), and teaches organization and job readiness skills to middle and high schoolers in her district.  Leslie has appeared in numerous local and national media outlets such as the Washington Post, Long Island’s Newsday and Westchester Magazine and speaks throughout Westchester and New York City on organization and women’s entrepreneurship.

Leslie has been featured on the TLC’s hit show, “Hoarding: Buried Alive.” She also acts as an after-care consultant for the “Hoarders” show on A&E, providing much needed follow-up care to those families appearing on the show.

Leslie lives in Larchmont with her husband Wayne and their two children, who help her hone her organizing skills every day. Connect with Leslie on Twitter and Facebook.