Meet Meredith Ryness | Home Organizer and KonMari Consultant®

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

Hi Meredith, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I have had jobs since high school and love to work. I’ve worked at restaurants and retail stores and even as a performer at Disneyland. Once I had kids, my perspective on working outside the home drastically shifted. Motherhood (especially that first time around!) was all consuming for me and I was left at the end of the day with very little creative and physical energy. We ended up having 3 kids in New York City between 2009 and 2014 and life was wonderful and chaotic. I loved being a mom but also missed the creativity and energy that a workplace can bring. Once we relocated to Los Angeles and my kids entered a predictable school routine, I began working part-time as a personal assistant. It was great to use my problem solving and creative skills for pay again and the time spent outside the home was really refreshing.
I found myself doing a ton of organizing for my personal assistant clients. Soon I began to explore becoming a certified KonMari Method® Consultant and striking out on my own with a home organizing business.
I founded Tidy LA in 2019 and have been working since. In the past 2 years, my business has grown exponentially and I constantly work to balance the growth of my business with the other aspects of my life. My husband also owns his own business so this is very important to us!
I want to be there for my kids (who are now 13, 11 and 8) when they come home from school and take them to practices and lessons. I am fortunate to be able to do that. The tradeoff is that I work all day Saturday since that’s a critical day for clients that have traditional Monday-Friday job. Sunday is always a family day. As a business owner, I have the privilege and the challenge of making my own schedule and then sticking to the promises I make to myself, my business and my family.
I think balance is about checking in with yourself and your people about what is working and what needs adjusting. Sometimes you’ll be able to make adjustments and sometimes others need to adjust around you. As a mom, I am used to putting others first but there are times that it’s ok (and actually quite good) for me to put my business needs ahead of one of my kids’ desires. I hope to model to them a healthy work ethic.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I founded my home organizing business, Tidy LA, in 2019. After years of being home with our 3 kids, I was ready to get back into the workplace and had always had a passion for organization. I got trained and certified by Marie Kondo and her team in 2018 and got to work! My business has grown exponentially in the past two years and I enjoy working with one on one with individuals as well as businesses and schools. I also have regular speaking engagements talking about tidying and the impact of our environment on our overall well-being.

Something that often surprises people about my work is how intimate and emotional it can be. I like to say that it’s never about the stuff, but rather the “stuff” behind the stuff. All of the reasons we hang onto things or can’t seem to keep things organized. Those things run deep and often involve loss and issues of identity. It is my honor and joy to work through those things with people, all while keeping things moving and adding humor and levity whenever I can. There is a reason why so many of us avoid it – it’s tough work! But I find it incredibly rewarding and energizing to bring order and intention to a space that was once a place of shame or avoidance.
Decluttering and organizing is about so much more than a tidy closet or a clear surface. It’s about how you want to live your life.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Beach: El Porto is our fav for boogie boarding and surfing
Surf Food Stand for breakfast burritos.

Frogtown:
Elysian Community Garden
Suay Sew Shop for shopping one of a kind recycled clothing and home goods.
Wax Paper for an “Ira Glass” sandwich
Dodger Stadium for a baseball game.

Pasadena:
Lavender and Honey (matcha lemonade and Pasadena Toast)
Descanso Gardens
Mercado (chips and guac and margaritas!)

More Pasadena:
Farmers Market at Victory Park
Little Flower
Full Circle Thrift Store

Westside:
The Getty Museum – I could spend the whole day here 🙂

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have a group of women that I recently began gathering with for encouragement and accountability. We are all small business owners and that can be a lonely (and exciting) road. We bounce ideas off of each other, hear each other’s struggles and encourage one another on our respective journeys. Women supporting other women is important to me!

Website: www.tidyla.com

Instagram: @tidyla

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tidy-la-pasadena