Cathy Thompson is a 5-year employee of Major Organizers, and one of the company’s four Certified Professional Organizers®. Cathy serves clients in the Colorado Springs, CO area.  She is also the author of the third book in the Major Organizers’ “Jumpstart” series, “Laundry Organizing Tips: Your Jumpstart to Getting on Track.” 

How did you become a professional organizer?

After earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Management and spending many years serving in Christian Ministries, I learned about professional organizing as a career while watching a show on television. So I did an internet search where I learned about Major Organizers and began following the company’s activities online. Once my children were both school-aged, I applied and was hired in 2011.

Similar to my work in ministry, organizing is all about personal connection. Professional organizers and their clients create these close, personal connections, that can lead to life-changing results. I am drawn to serving people through changing and organizing spaces, which in turn, changes lives in meaningful ways.

What are some of your favorite things, outside of organizing?

I like movies, especially romantic movies. “Somewhere In Time” is one of my favorites. I also like all kinds of music, from Barry Manilow to Guns ‘N Roses. And I’m a HUUUUGE Packers fan, like, a stop-the-world-and-watch-the-game kind of fan, And yes, I DO have a cheesehead.

Do you have a favorite organizing story?

One of my favorite things about organizing is the life-changing moments it can bring. For example, I was once working with a client to clear out the house she’d grown up in. In the crawlspace under the house we found a package of love letters from her dad to her mom. It was a priceless gift to her, getting to know her parents in a whole new way.

I also love the moments of humor that surface during jobs. Organizing can be stressful, and I love it when clients joke with me to break the tension. Organizing can truly be fun when you do it together!

What is your biggest organizing challenge at home?

I struggle with photographs and making albums. There is such a gap between how we organized photos when I was a child, and how we share and collect photos today.

What is your favorite organizing tip learned from a client?

I had a client who lined her shoes up in an “L” shape in cubbies in her closet. One shoe was flat, the other was set vertically up the back wall of the cubbie. It was such a smart use of vertical space, and allowed her to get three pairs of shoes in each cubbie!

What advice would you give to someone nervous about contacting an organizer for the first time?

I would say that there is no “stereotype” of a person who hires an organizer. It is a decision for help that anyone can make.