Local Business Shout Out: From Piles to Smiles

Name: Sue Becker

Business Name: From Piles to Smiles

Title: Organizing and Productivity Specialist

Location: Downers Grove

Founded: 2000

How did the business come to be?

I was in my 20th year of working in corporate America and was no longer finding that work fulfilling. I became aware of my organizing skills when my department at the large corporation where I was working had a Clean Off Your Desk Day. I was puzzled as to why that was necessary since my desk was always cleaned off. I enjoyed spending the day helping my colleagues clean off their desks. Thus, From Piles to Smiles was born.

Why did you choose the area you did?

I love helping people and was looking for a career that would combine my organizing and time management skills with that love. I had somehow heard about the profession of organizing (it wasn't as popular in 2000 as it is now) and attended a meeting of a local chapter of a national professional organizers association. I was energized being in a room with kindred spirits and started my company soon thereafter. I quit my corporate job 7 months later and now enjoy helping people who work in the corporate world be more productive and have more free time. 

About two years into my business I realized that many of my clients had AD/HD and needed help figuring out how to make life easier despite the challenges they faced. So I got a lot of training and education in this area and now specialize in working with people with AD/HD. I enjoy their creativity, intelligence and sense of humor, and they appreciate my patience and understanding of their challenges. 

What does your business offer?

I’ve helped thousands of people around the world create substantial change by organizing and simplifying their lives. I work with people side by side as well as by phone/Skype. I help people organize their homes and offices and pare down their overwhelming clutter; I help people handle information overload by creating systems to handle incoming mail, paperwork and email; I help people conquer their piles of paperwork by giving them guidance on what they need to keep and what they can let go of; I create filing systems that give people the ability to easily find important documents, bills and emails when they need them; I help people streamline their jam-packed schedules by teaching time management skills that help them focus on what’s important to them and get things done when they need to be done. I am also a frequent speaker to corporations and organizations across the country.

What’s a fact about your business that most customers probably don’t know?

I'm as human as they are and sometimes my desk gets piled high with stuff I haven't had time to take care of. On those days I chuckle (or gasp in horror) at what my clients would think if they saw my office! However, I’m always able to get things cleaned up fairly quickly and once again become the role model they expect me to be.

What’s your most popular product or service?

Time management coaching – I help people determine what they want to spend more time on, give them a tool that helps them fit those activities into their day, and teach them skills to help them live a more fulfilling life.

Learn more about From Piles to Smiles, or call Sue Becker at 630-724-1111.

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