Meet the professional organiser who quit her corporate job earning $28k to make $100k a year clearing 'chronic clutter' - having helped more than 1,000 clients. <br /><br />Kayleen Kelly, 37, has always been fascinated by clearing out and transforming spaces. <br /><br />As a little girl, she realised she had a talent for organising and decided her calling was to help others after failing to climb the corporate ladder.<br /><br />Kayleen quit her corporate job as a customer service agent to make her side hustle her full-time career in April 2014 - and has since gone on to transform the homes of 1,000 clients.<br /><br />She endorses her 'core four' method which entails clearing out, categorising, cutting out and containing items.<br /><br />Kayleen specialises in 'chronic clutter' - habitual and out-of-control mess - and helps hoarders in person and online transform their homes by helping them clear out.<br /><br />Kayleen, from Jacksonville Florida, US, said: "When I was growing up, I wasn't in control of many things, but organising became a hyper-focus for me to control my environment - it made me feel safe.<br /><br />"Clutter does not discriminate, it doesn't matter what your background is or the size of your home.<br /><br />"I work with real people with real homes - often Instagram homes are all smoke and mirrors.<br /><br />"Leaving my full time job was the best decision I ever made."<br /><br />Kayleen started Kayleen Kelly Home Organizing & Redesign in April 2014 and quit her full time job in January 2015.<br /><br />In her first year she grinded to make $40k. <br /><br />Now she earns $100k a year, working just 23 hours a week and has three staff members to help her.<br /><br />She said: "I apply the core four method to every single project - when you have an unorganised space everything gets mixed together.<br /><br />"You have to work through a room, one tile at a time, it's like a puzzle game."<br /><br />Kayleen swears by the 'core four' which is a four-step process to declutter.<br /><br />She first clears out room by room, categorises everything by item, then uses the three-second rule to confidently clear clutter and contain everything that remains.<br /><br />Kayleen said: "Start by targeting things that don't belong in that space and moving them to their appropriate space.<br /><br />"For example, move things from your bedroom that belong in the bathroom or kitchen.<br /><br />"Start with one room and one space at a time."<br /><br />Step two is to categorise, the professional sorter explained.<br /><br />She said: "Categorise everything into small categories such as clothing and then break it down into even smaller subcategories - such as tops, bottoms, undergarments, shoes and accessories.<br /><br />"You can then break things down into smaller categories for example for tops you have tees, sweaters, tanks and heavy knits."<br /><br />Kayleen then implements the three-second rule to quickly clear spaces.<br /><br />She said: "Look at one item at a time and give yourself three seconds to make a decision.<br /><br />"If you hesitate for more than three seconds, keep it and you can circle back.<br /><br />"It's the easiest way to make progress and make quick and confident decisions from your gut."<br /><br />According to Kayleen, the final step is to contain - finding a space to keep all the remaining belongings.<br /><br />She said: "The last step is creating a system that makes sense to you.<br /><br />"You can lay out and find what works for you.<br /><br />"It doesn't have to be beautiful or pretty all of the time.<br /><br />"Life is messy and we already have so much pressure, Instagram homes can be very misleading.<br /><br />"What I do is all about functionality not form."<br /><br />Kayleen worked with an elderly couple for two years to sort their chronic clutter and made sure they weren't evicted from their home.<br /><br />She said: "My second client was a woman who sounded very nervous, and I went to see her.<br /><br />"It was a retired couple and they had moved from a 3,500 square foot home to a 600 square foot apartment.<br /><br />"All of their lights were off and there was a strong odour.<br /><br />"They were buried in clutter, and they were about to be kicked out.<br /><br />"I worked with them for two years and helped them live comfortable in a clean home to enjoy their animals and space."
