Rohini Rajagopal, a certified professional organizer and founder Organise With Ease is helping cleanup and make place in a variety of spaces.
A well-organized space where things are clean and organized is not just a way of methodical living but also gives positive energy that augurs well for mental health too. However, we are all guilty of hoarding and unconsciously slipping into a world of clutter. But, wait, help is handy. Read on to know more.
It was during one of her summer vacations when she was visiting her cousin, that Rohini Rajagopal’s aunt gave her what she calls her ‘first job’. Her aunt asked her to organize her cousin’s wardrobe and once she did it, she realized that tidying up spaces and having a clean space was inborn. “That is when I read up about Marie Kondo and her work to realize that this actually is a profession and people abroad are offering this as a service.” Having studied in Bangalore and then in Chandigarh where she did her graduation, she started her career with an event management company. Then she moved to a full-fledged marketing role and worked in companies like Red Bull, Tommy Hilfiger and Palladium, a luxury mall in Bombay.
“I think when I encountered Marie Kondo and read her book, I just did not believe that people would actually invest in hiring someone to tidy up their spaces. So, I spent some time understanding how it works, the science behind it and did a few courses online from associations in the UK and US. Once I did that, I found some friends who offered to be my guinea pigs. I always had apprehensions of how it would work in a space like in Indian homes, because unlike the West we have adequate domestic help. However, I realized that the way tidying is done is when you involve a third person who is neutral and objective. I saw a huge shift in how much they maintain the changed wardrobe and sustain it for a longer period. The wardrobe remains 80% the same but the buying pattern changed.”
She has grown up in an environment where she saw her mother work and men who have been extremely supportive. “Being a woman in the field is not a challenge. I think my bigger challenge as an entrepreneur has been about self-motivation and discipline. My take on Women’s Day or any day for that matter, is that I love the spirit. Women’s Day at least in my circle now is a great opportunity to just catch up with friends, have a good time, and just use this as an excuse to reconnect with your circle of girlfriends.”
Rohini is inspired not just by one thing or one person and admits that she reads a lot. “I could be inspired by that book and the author and her experience in life or some amazing women and family, friends and friends, both male and women that I have been surrounded and blessed to have in my life. It could just be something when I see my child effortlessly do it, though, they are apprehensive about it. I think inspiration for me comes from my everyday living. It is what I see around me could just be something someone is doing well.”
Her advice to young women who want to be entrepreneurs is to firstly pursue a good education and give it all you have. “Do not worry about competition. Nobody is competing. Everyone has market space. Do not ever not do something because you feel that there are so many others doing it. In any city there are at least thousands of restaurants and at least 80 percent of them have their own niche clientele. So, I think it is about finding your own unique space and there is always going to be a bunch of clients who would be attracted to you if you position yourself right. So, find that unique selling proposition and give it your all and remember to dream big.”
She hopes to expand her scope of work to other cities as she believes that the primary objective is to ease and break the myth around organizing and not to make it seem as stressful and cumbersome and tedious as it is. “So, the whole tagline that we have in our name is being ‘organized with ease’. It is about making organizing easy and fun for every possible person who is interested in it. Secondly, we want to find unique ways in which we can empower people to tidy up their spaces. We have some fun plans, but it is too early to reveal them because they are all in the ideation stage. But it is going to be an exciting year,” she signs off.
