Who is Angela Esnouf?

It’s high time I let you in and showed a little of what makes me the woman I am – someone who gets joy from helping others get organised and create success in their own organising services.

I’m Angela Esnouf and I’m an introvert who loves to connect with people on a deeper level. I’m not great at small talk but I do love to hear peoples’ stories.

I’m a football-cheering, opera-loving woman in my early 60s. If you think those two things don’t go together, think again. They both involve high drama and outstanding performances that bring out strong emotions and a sense of connectedness.

I’m shy but I love to sing and dance and I don’t mind being among the first on the dance floor. You know that saying, “Dance like nobody’s watching”? Well I agree.

I don’t like being the centre of attention, but I do love public speaking, especially when I can connect with the audience and their needs.

I love to help people and support others to succeed. As a child I would often deliberately let someone else win the board game because I could see it made them happy. I still enjoying helping others to shine.

I love to travel. From camping in the bush to 5-star hotels. From local beaches to far off mountains. From my own country to all the other continents. I’ve seen a lot and I’m not done yet.

I’m curious. I want to learn about people, about places, about cultures, about how to do things more efficiently, and what creates success.

My ethical standards are high, but I am not judgemental. I have contributed to the growth, direction and success of the organising industry, giving time and energy to a cause I believe in.

I have learned to trust and follow my gut instincts. That’s why I took the giant leap, back in 2005, to start my own organising service, Creating Order from Chaos. It was a time that the organising industry was little known in Australia. It took years of struggle, mistakes, hard lessons to create a viable business at a time when a web presence was not the norm for small business, my diary was the now-redundant PDA (personal digital assistant) and my marketing was limited to the Yellow Pages.

Remember, this was at a time when Marie Kondo was 21 years old, probably still throwing out her family’s stuff, Julie Morgenstern had appeared on the Oprah Show and Peter Walsh had just hosted Clean Sweep. But the industry was in its infancy in Australia. A large part of my struggle was educating the public about the benefits of hiring a professional organiser.

Thank goodness I was able to help lots of people with their organising challenges. Along the way I learned, improved, grew my business and created success.

As a child I always longed to be a teacher but for various reasons, that didn’t come to pass. These days it feels like I get to live that dream. One of my greatest pleasures in life and in business is training and mentoring up-and-coming new organising talent through The Professional Organiser’s Edge. To see them create success for their clients and their own business is immensely rewarding.

Throughout life and in business, there are always new paths to explore. My talent for training and mentoring has led me to join forces with my colleague, Wendy Hanes, to create Hoarding Home Solutions online training.

One of the wonderful things about a career in organising is that it can take you in different directions, you can contribute in many ways and grow a business which supports your clients as well as yourself.

My values are what keep me committed to this industry and want to see it continue to grow. I value integrity, service, connection, and family.

And in case you’re wondering, my surname hails from Jersey in the Channel Islands and is pronounced Ay-noff.

 

The Lesson

Why is it important that I share a little of myself? Let me tell you it’s not something that comes easily. I’m shy, remember. Well there are a couple of reasons.

1. Because you need to know and trust someone before you can work effectively with them.
2. Because before we can work effectively together, you should be clear about exactly what I have to offer.

If you’re starting out as an organiser, be sure to get clear on your strengths and skills first. If you’d like some help with that, take a look here.

I’m Angela Esnouf and I’m here to help. And if you’d like to know even more about me, check out my About page.