S ince elementary school, Ansley Latting Hudson, ’20, has been passionate about helping others declutter their lives. Later, she realized she could help individuals relieve stress and save a substantial amount of money by helping them get organized. 

“When I was young, I would spend some Saturdays helping my parents tidy their Tupperware® containers and pantry and explain to them how to keep organized,” she said. “Then, with every job I've had, I've always found at least one space to tidy up.”

Hudson recently decided to make a career out of helping others reap the benefits of being organized.

She started Simply Sage Tidying in February 2022. Through her business, she helps her clients reduce stress, clutter and save money through tidier living.

The National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals provides the following statistics:

·      People who live in cluttered households spend as much as 20% of their annual income replacing items they’ve misplaced.

·      One in 11 Americans need a storage space.

·      One in four Americans say they want to be more organized.

“The main takeaways are the unnecessary purchases due to disorganization, which is especially enlightening considering today’s inflation rates,” Hudson said. “But also, the anxiety that accompanies being cluttered and not knowing where things are can be immense.” 

“I always knew I wanted to start my own business, which is one of the reasons I majored in management at Georgia College,” she said. “My degree really helped with that. Just starting Simply Stage Tidying was an extension of myself by helping others find peace through organizing.”

Dr. Karl Manrodt, professor of logistics at Georgia College & State University taught Hudson how to be confident in running a business.

“He taught me how to value myself, my services and be confident in my brand,” she said. “He also mentioned that I’m the expert in my field, and my prices need to reflect that.”

At Georgia College, Hudson served as the treasurer of the Community Council for Adams Residence Hall. That experience taught her how to be creative while maintaining a realistic budget—a skill she uses today in budgeting her own business.

Her service on the Student Government Association (SGA) Student Judicial Board taught her to be confident when assessing complicated situations—another talent she applies when working with clients.  

Hudson was trained by Marie Kondo, a Japanese tidying expert who authored a best-selling book on the subject and stars in her own popular streaming television show, featuring her principals and methods for organizing.

“Marie and I have never had any repeat clients—that’s the goal,” Hudson said. “Decluttering your home should be a once-in-a-lifetime event.”

She teaches Kondo’s KonMari method, which focuses on tidying by category versus space. So, Hudson’s first session always deals with clothes, as they the most eye-opening category of items to declutter.

“We take every clothing item and put them in one big pile,” she said. “That can bring a lot of anxiety because most people say, ‘Oh, this is so much.’ But it provides an amazing reality check for people to see how much they really have.”

Hudson and her clients walk through the exercise together, only keeping the items that bring them joy and that they see themselves using in the future.

“I'm not just coming in and cleaning a space for you, I'm teaching you a method as a consultant,” she said. “I teach you to commit yourself to that process.”

Each client session is a minimum of three hours. Hudson works with two clients a day, teaching them different organizational methods for various categories. She also assigns them homework to help them practice the methods she taught them.

The results are unique to each client, because every person is different. Her job is to empower clients to take control of their space.  

“I love walking through their life with them as a coach and a guide, and letting them process the emotions that have come with all the items they've gathered throughout their lives,” Hudson said. “Then, I teach them simple methods to move forward in the future to the life they want.”

When she meets with a client, they commit to a “tidying festival.” It’s a celebration as they go through items that need to be organized.

“I teach methods that ensure that if you move, you can translate these methods no matter what point you are at in life,” Hudson said. “My methods focus on the client and what their ideal lifestyle looks like, and making sure that everything they own aligns to that.”

Her hope is that they commit to the method and that they see life-changing results.

“I really just want my clients to have renewed peace and joy when walking into their space, not being weighed down by clutter,” she said. “Ultimately, at the end of each session, I want them to feel that sense of ‘wow, this space is my own now that I know where everything is.’”

To learn more, visit: https://www.instagram.com/simplysagetidying/.