Today we’d like to introduce you to Genna Bross and Greta Kodan.
Hi Genna and Greta, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Right place, right time! Pinch us! Both of us were in the same position – stay-at-home moms of two, our youngest children both heading to kindergarten in the fall and realizing we’d have more time on our hands.
We had talked about not wanting to return to our previous careers and desk jobs for various reasons. Both wanted to have something of our “own,” and find a new professional purpose, but neither knew what that was yet. We are both extremely organized in our personal lives and value how an organization can make room in your life for so many other things that bring you joy.
And then one day, Genna created an Instagram account called happily.catalogued because she wanted a way to share organizational products that she liked. After a short discussion among friends about the new page and the love of organizing we both share, one suggested that we should go into business together. The idea hadn’t previously occurred to either of us! But we went ALL in!
We dove into setting up our social media accounts, contracts, and process. Since we both have business backgrounds and a lot of work experience between us, we applied what we knew about business to this new focus we were both passionate about. We were supported by our friends and family with legal advice, branding sessions, headshots, and website support. Best of all, we had FUN! And we’re still having fun.
We each bring strengths to the business that complement each other well – with Greta’s background in engineering and logistics and Genna’s background in process and operations. We share a passion for transforming cluttered areas into organized and functional spaces, no matter the budget. And we’re both type-A so we’re enjoying diving into projects, using our brains and knowledge, and seeing the finished results.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We’re learning as we go! We think we always will. Every job is so unique and we want to curate the right solution for each client individually. No two people are the same, and no two spaces are identical either. It’s important to us that our organized spaces not only be visually pleasing but more importantly, functional and realistic.
Our goal is to help people save time in their own homes and be happier living amongst all of their things. Everything should be easy to find and access. We can both be a bit of a perfectionist, so it’s great to have one another to ground us when one of us tries to over-perfect or beautify a space – function is most important after all.
Our biggest challenge so far has been navigating starting a new business and the demands of being mothers/wives/daughters/friends. We’ve both had to figure out that balance. Thankfully, when you love what you’re doing like we do, it is worth the juggling.
We’ve been impressed with happy. catalogued, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At happily.catalogued, we are two busy moms who share a passion for transforming cluttered areas into organized and functional spaces.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Adaptability. From within as well as on the client side.
We agreed that we would never leave a discussion not knowing where the other person stands so that we continue to operate on the same page. To be most efficient and end up with the best solution, we both have to be open to listen and learn from each other. We both really respect and value what the other brings to the table so that trust allows us to be open-minded to adapt where it’s necessary.
We also have to adapt to the challenges of each space; there are no two same spaces so we adapt as we proceed through every project. Being organizers, planning is a huge part of every project but when you get into a space, sometimes you need to pivot, and being adaptable allows us to move forward without getting stuck in our original plan.
Thankfully, there are so many different ways to organize any space, and having that knowledge makes changing our plan in real time that much easier!
Contact Info:
- Website: happilycatalogued.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happily.catalogued/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090630966470
Image Credits
Ashley Michelle Photography
