Meet Julianna Strickland | CEO & Founder of Space Camp Organizing

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

Hi Julianna, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I spend a lot of time thinking about work-life balance. Especially having a business in the home & emotional wellness space, it’s really important to me that I practice what I preach. I love to work and definitely have a tendency to overwork if I don’t make a concerted effort to stay balanced. The amazing thing though is how much better the quality of my work is when I’m balanced. When I make time to exercise, to be with friends and my husband, to cook dinner, and to do other things I love, I’m definitely more focused and creative when I do work. I also think there’s no perfect formula for work-life balance. It’s always shifting and changing and the balance needs to be re-evaluated as work and home needs shift. So, I’ve found that keeping a flexible attitude is a healthy way of going about it.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

My business is called Space Camp Organizing, and my team of amazing organizers and I help our clients feel organized and calm in their homes and offices. I know I’m biased, but I think we are exceptionally good at what we do. We go above and beyond on every single project to create unique and thoughtful systems for everyone we help. I’m also so proud of the level of creativity we bring to our work. We love to think outside the box and create solutions for problems that have never been thought of before.

Our growth as a company has been very natural and steady. I think that people are just starting to understand the value and necessity of being organized and feeling good in their homes. At Space Camp, we’ve always tried to position ourselves as a great option to help clients solve their space issues and develop solutions that will last. Growth has been exciting but definitely not always easy. I feel like we are constantly learning and pivoting to work through new challenges. My philosophy is just to keep taking one step at a time and working through issues as they come. If we make a mistake and have to fix it, I’m thankful for the lesson and we talk it through as a company to make sure we learn from it and don’t have to repeat it. I am confident that the only way to grow and improve as a company is to keep learning, so that’s what we strive to do every day.

One of the biggest and most valuable lessons I’ve learned along the way is to always trust my intuition. If a situation or project feels wrong in some way, it’s important to take a step back and ask why. Alternatively, if an opportunity presents itself that feels really exciting and aligned with our mission and values, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure we can work on that project. The same goes for adding new team members to Space Camp: we take our time to really get to know potential new hires and make sure it’s a “yes” from everyone on the team before we hire someone new. This has allowed us to cultivate a really incredible group of people that love working together and a working environment that has a real flow and vision.

I’m excited for people to know about a few recent developments! First, we created an online course that I am SO truly proud. It’s the perfect tool for people who are ready to learn how to organize for themselves and want someone to walk them through all of the steps. There are beautiful videos, worksheets, journal entries, shopping lists, and even quizzes. We’ve seen amazing results from students so far and I’m really excited for more people to discover it and start feeling great in their homes.

Next, we also recently launched a second business called The Space West Adams. It’s a physical location in Los Angeles that is the brainchild of our creative and fun team. It’s a place for photo shoots, crafting classes, offsite meetings and events. We realized that LA really needed a space for creatives to come together and make beautiful art together, so we decided to make it a reality.

Last but not least, we are still organizing for wonderful clients in the L.A. area. Whether it be new clients, or older clients who are now on our customized maintenance programs, we’ve really enjoyed expanding our community. We’ve even a couple of projects even expanding out of our normal working radius down to San Diego that have been new and exciting for our team.

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.

Well first, we’d have to start at The Space West Adams. I’d give my BFF a tour of our new digs and maybe we’d even screen a movie on our huge 12 seater couch.

Then, we’d head to some of my favorite local eats in LA. I’m currently obsessed with Johnny’s West Adams and Open Face Food Shop for lunch, and Cento Pasta Bar for dinner. I also LOVE (lol maybe a little too much) Open Face’s sister shop called HYA. It’s a little gift shop that is perfectly colorful and curated. It’s my go-to spot for home decor purchases and gifts for friends, so we’d definitely have to pop in there.

Then, depending on which best friend rolled into town, I’d take them to one of our beautiful museums. If it’s art, we’d hit The Broad downtown. For film, maybe the new Academy Museum that I have yet to enjoy myself. If it’s cars they’re into, the Petersen Automotive Museum has some beautiful classic cars. A stroll around any of these museums and the neighborhoods around them make for a fun and interactive day.

Mid-week is the perfect time for a beach day. The beaches are quiet and there’s less traffic to battle, so it’s the best time to head up to my favorite beach spot in Malibu. We’ll head to Point Dume for a relaxing day by the sea. A good book, a beach towel, and some spritzers make for a perfect LA beach day.

On the weekend we’d definitely hit up a farmer’s market. L.A. is filled with so many incredible markets with the most beautiful and unique produce. So, on Saturday we might head to the Santa Monica Pico market, or on Sunday we’d pop by the Mar Vista or Beverly Hills Markets. I love finding inspiration in the  fresh seasonal items I find and taking them home to throw together an easy dinner or even put together a picnic basket!

We’d also have to do a stair walk on the weekend. There’s this excellent book called Secret Stairs that has tons of amazing, beautiful walks in Los Angeles. Who knew you could get a workout and a tour of the city with great views at the same time! I’d probably choose one in Eagle Rock because it is conveniently located near one of my favorite new restaurants in LA: Bub & Grandma’s. They have a meatloaf sandwich that is to die for and a slice of chocolate cream pie that is heavenly. All in all, it turns out to be quite the tasty meal.  Pro tip – don’t forget to grab a load of seeded bread on the way out!

Lastly, sometime during the week, we’d definitely have to work in a picnic. Whether it’s an easy picnic in Echo Park by the lake, or a night of Cinespia at The Hollywood Forever Cemetery for dinner and a movie, LA has a picnic for everyone. Personally, I adore the Barnsdall Art Park for a sunset picnic. It has spectacular views of the city which pair beautifully with a glass of wine.

All in all, I’ve found that for visitors, Los Angeles is all about getting outside and enjoying our beautiful weather. Add in some delicious food, a little movement and you’ve created the perfect laid back weekend.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out my amazing Space Camp team! Our company is nothing without them. The love, care and amazing creativity they bring to their work everyday is a huge reason why I love what I do. Everyone on the team is so unique and supportive of each other, watching them grow together is so rewarding.

Website: https://spacecamporganizing.com AND https://www.thespacewestadams.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makebetterspace/?hl=en AND https://www.instagram.com/thespace.westadams/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-A0GmwzRiKsgJ6MGVEBnxw

Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@makebetterspace Pinterest: https://www.tiktok.com/@makebetterspace

Image Credits
Juliana Slemenda Katherine Miles Jones Frank Terry