Ardor for Order: Life as a Professional Organizer

IT TAKES DISCIPLINE and some degree of structure to teach harried middle-schoolers to harmonize. Maybe that's why Scott Roewer is good at harmonizing the lives and spaces of harried Washingtonians.

For seven years before making himself over as a professional organizer, Roewer, 34, — with a master's in education from the University of Missouri-Kansas City — taught vocal music to Midwestern students. He moved to the District in 2003 to do meeting planning for contractors to two federal agencies.

When a business-consultant friend, Steve McMahon, went away for the holidays, Roewer rounded up pals and surprised him with a home and office fix-up — everything from painting, repairing a hole in the ceiling, and installing new business furniture to filing 10 years' worth of paper. McMahon, delighted, told Roewer that others would pay him to do the same for them.

"He became my biggest booster and taught me how to run a small business," Roewer says. That was important, because Roewer calls himself "a teacher and a business owner who happens to be an organizer. I joke that I organize 30 percent of the time and run a business the other 70 percent."

He did organizing on the side for another year and a half, taking workshops from the 4,000-member National Association of Professional Organizers, making contacts, and loading up on advice and expertise. In late 2005, he left contracting and launched D.C.-based Solutions by Scott full time.

"I directly link my success in business to my involvement with the professional association," Roewer says. Classes and conferences have given him knowledge, networking has scored him clients, and volunteering — among other things, he's in his second year as president of the local NAPO chapter — has brought confidence and visibility.

Then there's on-the-job experience. His least-pleasant gig was cleaning up a client's garage during a Washington heat wave. After four hours on a ladder without enough water and food, he got light-headed, and the client asked, "You're not going to pass out on me, are you?"

Far more fun is showing clients how to tidy a closet, kitchen, or office and knowing that they will use that new system for years to come. For customers who think in color, he might suggest filing financial papers in green folders and high-importance papers in red ones. For those overly attached to possessions — "But my mother gave me that!" — he helps them separate the emotional from the practical.

"As we say goodbye, they might shed a tear of joy or happiness," he says. "I know at that point my work is validated. The tear can be because it's the first time they'll be able to sit on the sofa in a long while, they are finally unpacking the boxes from their last move, or they will no longer be embarrassed to have company.

"I never saw tears after a successful convention from the nice people at DoD or DoT," he says.

Anyone can fire up a Web page and call himself or herself an organizer; community colleges offer basic courses, mainly on the business aspects. But few make a profitable career of it. Roewer's continual self-education (he also joined the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization and earned its Certificate of Study in Chronic Disorganization) and aid to others have helped his business grow. Now a new credential is taking him further.

Recently, 211 people passed the first national exam to become certified professional organizers. All have also logged considerable time in client service and study, and have pledged themselves to higher industry standards and ethics. Roewer is proud to be among those elite few.

To potential clients, certification shows that the person "has been a hands-on organizer, has taken the time to get educated on basic principles, and is committed to working on his or her business," says NAPO President Standolyn Robertson.

NAPO members generally charge $50 to $125 per hour (higher fees are usually for businesses). Roewer saw some certified colleagues raise their rates immediately; he probably will soon. "People ask for your credentials, especially in Washington," he says. With certification, "I've had people notice it. They're impressed, especially hoarders" — potential clients particularly in need of organization help.

A combination of talent and connections will soon get Roewer national visibility: By referral, he was asked to audition for the series "Time Makeover" on cable's Fine Living network. The series began last month, with Roewer's episodes airing in late winter. He's already appeared on Retirement Living TV's "Daily Cafe" and "The Prudent Advisor"programs to advise on downsizing and is a consultant to Closets magazine.

What's next for Roewer? He's thinking about taking on one or more carefully screened employees. After all, business is booming: NAPO membership has doubled in the last four years, and new exposure and credentials will only keep Solutions by Scott in demand.

Though one-on-one work with clients certainly differs from leading a school chorus or directing a musical, Roewer sees similarities — bringing disparate skills into play, knowing how to put all the pieces in order, and seeing smiles when it all comes together in harmony.

Written by Express contributor Ellen Ryan
Photo by Marge Ely/Express