Jennifer Barnes with JB Organizing
I have been a Professional Organizer and Speaker for over 20 years. As my children grew, I expanded my client reach to include Business and Home-based clients and my speaking radius and repertoire to include the entire Midwest and presentations on all aspects of Organizing, Parenting, and Small Business Development. My real life experiences organizing and managing a large family, have allowed me to help clients from all walks of life to apply “real” organization that fits with their “real” life. When I present before groups, I am able to speak from humbling, life-changing, real life experiences; helping others to know that they are not alone and that they can do this crazy life in an organized, efficient, and fun manner. JB Organizing is special because we don’t just change the spaces; we work with the clients to change their habits and teach them how to organize for themselves. We meet clients where they are in life and walk the journey with them from there. We work hard to get to know our clients. We are known for our personal touch and how we completely customize the process to fit the specific needs of the individual and their life.
- Where are you from and how long have you lived in town? What brought you to the area?
I am from this area originally. We moved here when I was four and my family lived here until my siblings and I were finished with school. I moved away for college and was gone 5 years after that. My husband and I made the decision to move back after we started having kids. We knew the area was a great place to raise a family.
- Do you have children? Ages?
We have 5 children. We had 5 children in the space of 5 years – including a set of twins. We had 4 girls in a row (in 3 years) and then our son. Their ages are 20, 19,19, 17, 15 (3 in college and 2 in high school).
- What are your favorite things to do in the are with and without your kids?Family friendly restaurant? Date night?
Farmer’s Markets have long been a favorite of my kids. I took them when they were little and they loved them and now they often head there on their own. As the kids grew the Hawthorn Mall and Plato’s Closet became popular areas for our family (especially with 4 girls :). We love to take our dog to the various dog parks in the area, and area pools and beaches occupy a lot of our time in the summer. Independence Grove is another favorite spot for our family and has been the site of many family photo sessions. Date nights, family outings, and Girls nights often find us trying out new restaurants in the area – we don’t have a favorite so much as we like to try new places and this area always has fun options to try.
- Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor or in the corporate world? Please share!
I am a Professional Organizer and Speaker. I started JB Organizing over 20 years ago. As my children grew, I expanded my client reach to include Business and Home-based clients and my speaking radius and repertoire to include the entire Midwest and presentations on all aspects of Organizing, Parenting, and Small Business/Resume Development. My real life experiences organizing and managing a large family, have allowed me to help clients from all walks of life to apply “real” organization that fits with their “real” life. When I present before groups, I am able to speak from humbling, life-changing, real life experiences; helping others to know that they are not alone and that they can do this crazy life in an organized, efficient, and fun manner. JB Organizing provides “Real” Organizing and Encouragement for “Real” people doing “Real” life. Our company is special because we don’t just change the spaces; we work with the clients to change their habits and teach them how to organize for themselves. Our greatest joy is when a client contacts us later and shows us spaces that they have organized by themselves using what we taught them. We meet clients where they are in life and walk the journey with them from there. We work hard to get to know our clients. We are known for our personal touch and how we completely customize the process to fit the specific needs of the individual and their life.
- What do you most want to share with people from your experience raising kids and working with clients?
That they are not alone and they can do this! Whether they are struggling with parenting, organizing, career, family etc…..They are not alone! We are all walking this journey of life, yet so often we can feel very alone in our circumstances. I feel like with each presentation that I give or meeting that I have with a client or potential client, if I can leave them feeling less alone and more encouraged (and more organized :), then I have done what I want to do.
- What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
Most people who knew me in school would be surprised to know that I have 5 kids and that I built my career around raising them. I have always been super driven and having a large family was not in my original career plan. I love it though and definitely have no regrets! People who know me now might be surprised to know that I really am a bit of an introvert and absolutely love to curl up by myself with a good book!
- What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from another Mom?
The best advice I ever received was from my Mom. She raised 5 kids and is an awesome example! She has always said that the most important things you can do as a parent are to be present and pray. When you can be there with them then make sure you are truly present to your kids, and when you can’t be there with them, pray for them. I have found it to be so true!
- What is next for you?
What is next for me is to continue to expand my speaking radius. Every time another child goes to college, I open my speaking up to include opportunities from that new state 🙂 Each year I am expanding and speaking more and more places throughout the country and I hope to continue to expand my speaking even after the kids are all settled. I also want to continue to work with Home and Business Organizing clients Finally, the biggest next step for me is to write. As a result of all my speaking, I am frequently asked if I would ever write a book. It scares me to death, but I have started working to take all the information I have learned and gathered over the years and write. So stay tuned for what that might bring as well 🙂