Meet Leslie Hawkenson | Professional Organizer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leslie Hawkenson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leslie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The easy thing to say here would be that I always knew I wanted to be a professional organizer. But that wouldn’t be the truth. I first started playing around with the idea of owning my own business right after a career change. I had just finished my degree at ASU and started working at a corporate accounting firm in North Scottsdale. I was there 18 months and starting asking myself what in the world I was doing there! I was having a really hard time sitting in a cubicle all day with little face-to-face interaction and doing the same thing over and over again while not feeling any satisfaction in my work. I was completely unfulfilled.

I started working with a career counselor and really took to heart everything she taught. I decided to take my time and really examine what I wanted my life to look like, what things fulfill me and how I can better my community through my gifts, talents and skills. These exercises helped me realize just how important relationships are in my work, that I thrive from helping others, that I needed to be 100% behind my belief that what I was doing was of benefit to others, and that in order to find satisfaction and fulfillment I needed to both find a way to foster relationships and be in a position of service.

After a lot of reflection on the things that I love to do and the practices I have implemented that improved my own life, organization was the perfect fit. Years ago after noticing that I had actually started avoiding having to be at home I decided to do some research on how to be happier under my own roof. Some of the top suggestions in every article, book or podcast I read and listened to? Declutter, organize, simplify. I decided to be intentional about what I kept in my home and why and you know what? It was life changing.

To me, organization is so much more than just arranging items and making cupboards look pretty. Being intentional about what we keep in our homes (and businesses), how we function within them, and being aware of how we feel is one of the most important steps we can take towards true self-care! We feel more peace, less stress and anxiety, are more productive, save time & money, and much more.

Starting my own professional organizing business has been one of the best and most fulfilling decisions I have ever made.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I have found that my business, Intentionally Organized, is as fulfilling as I hoped it would be. I know this may sound weird to some but when I enter someones home I feel a sort of reverence I consider home to be the most important place on earth and I feel honored to be able to help my clients make the best of it!

From purging and minimizing, space planning and creating systems, to finding space for those items that truly bring joy, each step of the process is equally important. Making each space feel more calm, controlled and beautiful is always exciting and fulfilling.

What sets me apart from others is that I believe that function and beauty are equally important when considering how to organize your home. Each client has a different definition of what beauty means and that is a fun challenge. I enjoy taking the time to discover how to best bring out the beauty in each space while simplifying systems to make functioning in the space easier.

Although I love what I do and am fulfilled through my work, there is a LOT of work that goes into each project behind the scenes. It can be really challenging and even discouraging at times to find the time for product research, paperwork, accounting, shopping, returning product, drawing out space planning, social media, coordinating team members and the list goes on. I am constantly learning ways to improve in my trade and a lot of the time that comes after making mistakes. The most important lesson I have learned since starting my own business is to have a growth mindset. When I am frustrated with all the tasks of owning a business and trying to be my best sometimes it’s easy to forget these struggles are how I learn and that I will get better with time.

I hope I never stop stressing the importance of home life. My favorite quote is “make the most of the most important place on earth – HOME” by Joshua Becker. Having a safe, comfortable, calming home to act as a retreat in this chaotic world is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves and our well-being. I know this to be true from personal experience!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am also going to imagine that my best friend is visiting in the spring time. 🙂

I would start our Monday off with a horseback ride in the Superstition Mountains – hopefully catching the cacti and plants in full bloom. Following the hike we would cool off with some fresh pressed juice. There are a lot of juice bars I love including Kaleidoscope Juice, Nekter and Craft Juice to name a few.

Tuesday would be a sunset paddle boarding float down the Salt River followed by a casual dinner at Joes Farm Grill in Gilbert.

Our Wednesday would be filled with a little clothes shopping and a LOT of furniture and decor window shopping in Scottsdale. With a stop at Scottsdale Quarter for good finds and a break for some delicious food at True Food Kitchen.

Thursday would be all about baseball – getting to the field extra early and spreading out on the outfield lawn. Nothing is better than some baseball, combined with some good sun therapy and lots of chatting.

On Friday biking around Tempe Town Lake and the surrounding area and then getting cleaned up for a night at Olive & Ivy for dinner on the patio.

Saturday we would stop off at Flower Child for lunch before heading off to another Spring Training Baseball game at a different spring training facility – because that’s the best place to be. Besides I can’t decide which team is my favorite. Saturday night would be dinner and ambiance at The Henry.

Sunday is fun day and a backyard BBQ with a competitive game of Corn Hole to finish off the week in perfect fashion.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mother deserves the biggest shoutout! She taught me to work hard, encouraged every effort I took to better myself in every way, and was always there to support me when I couldn’t do it alone. She was my biggest confidence builder and had so much enthusiasm for resilience!

Website: www.intentionallyorganizedaz.com

Instagram: intentionally.organized.az

Facebook: Intentionally Organized AZ

Image Credits
Photo credit: Quianna Marie