Appreciating how stressful and overwhelming it can be for new mums to live in a cluttered home, Steph Maguire set out to inspire, educate and motivate others to make a lifestyle change that would support a motherhood without burnout. Concerned by how much space is taken up in our homes, minds, time and eventually our landfills, at Sort it out Sustainably she has created a free online guide to a sustainable pregnancy and a soon-to-be-available online course to help simplify our homes and lives and regain the joy that comes with living a more sustainable and uncluttered life.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
I have increasingly become more and more passionate about minimalism, tidying and sustainability over the years. The feeling that I had at 40 weeks pregnant when every room and cupboard was tidy with only the items that belonged there was such a relief. When I was in those first few weeks of rest after giving birth, I was so thankful for the house being so easy to manage and felt sad that other women experience unnecessary overwhelm due to a cluttered house. I wanted to inspire, educate and motivate other women to make a lifestyle shift that would change the way they live to support a motherhood without burnout.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I was co-managing a guesthouse in Byron Bay for 5 years and just doing organising on the side, never brave enough to turn it into a full-time business. When I moved back to Brisbane to have a baby, I started building the foundations of my business. When my baby was 3 weeks old, I started working on my signature course which is still in the works to launch early 2021.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
When I started my maternity leave, I thought I would start doing in-person professional organising as my main source of income. I was feeling disheartened by the fact that the people that needed me the most could probably only afford a few sessions and I could only afford to be away from my baby a few sessions a week too. If they wanted help to declutter their whole house (and I believe to have a full lifestyle shift, you should do the whole house), they would spend a fortune and still be having to do most of it themselves, because decluttering is so personal. The decisions need to be made by the person who owns the stuff.
Then, the pandemic hit, and me and the rest of the world realised the power of online learning. I decided to create a course that for less than the cost of 1 session with a professional organiser, you can be virtually guided through preparing to embark on a whole house declutter. The course helps with every category and room, teaches how to get rid of things without dumping them in landfill and gives the skills to make more conscious decisions in the future about what is brought into the home.
