Susan G. Romanic Brief Work Résumé: 1986 - 1989 Kindergarten and 2nd Grade Teacher in the Fauquier Co. Virginia public schools. 1989 - 1995 Production Editor for the American Psychological Association in Washington, DC 1995 - 1999 Freelance Editor and Database Consultant for Kalorama Info in Bethesda, MD

History of Organized! by Romanic®:

Why I became a Professional Organizer:

I grew up in a cluttered home in a very small town in northwestern Pennsylvania with a lot of lake-effect snow from October through March. Mom is an artist, and Dad restores antique cars. Because they are both highly creative people, I grew up valuing the artist in all people. However, I was also embarrassed to let anyone come into the cluttered home in which I grew up, so I know from first-hand experience how bad it can feel to not be able to invite anyone into your home.

As a young girl, I was a member of 4-H, where I learned to sew and to cook. I was one of the first girls in my high school to take wood shop and metal shop. I am the first one in my family to go to college. I worked full-time to pay my own way through college because my parents did not have the money to pay for me to go to school. It took me an extra year, but I earned a Bachelor of Science in Education and graduated magna cum laude from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. I later pursued, but never finished, a master's degree in Counseling at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.

During college, I was a Resident Advisor in my college dorm. I was an interior and exterior painter. I worked with a lawn service cutting grass. I served food in a cafeteria. I was a cleaning lady and a baby sitter. I was a house-sitter for professors who were on sabbatical. I worked as a front desk clerk in a hotel. I worked as a server in several restaurants. I worked as a dining room supevisor/hostess in a restaurant.

I married “Mr. Meticulous” after college and went from the cluttered home in which I grew up to the opposite end of the scale. Mr. Meticulous had to have the coffee cups he collected on business trips in the “right” order in the cupboard. Even though I am organized, it was impossible to live up to the standards that he set for himself. After 6 ½ years of trying to make our marriage work, I left Mr. Meticulous, and I am all about balance now.

I have served as a deacon in my church, Saint Mark's Lutheran in Baltimore, MD. Serving as a deacon means being called to “a quiet ministry of service,” and that is very much how I view what I do as a professional organizer. I have watched countless clients move from not being able to let me in the door on our first visit to inviting their friends and family into their home for the first time in many years. I truly understand that clients find themselves in a mountain of clutter for many different reasons, so in compassion, I just roll up my sleeves, dig in, and clean up the mess. I make no effort at all to tell anyone about my faith -- I let the way I live my life do that for me.

Hobbies/Interests:

John and I are into antique cars. We spend sunny afternoons out in one of the old cars. John has a 1917 Model T Ford, a 1929 Model A Ford, and a 1937 Packard. I have a 1962 MG Midget that still needs to be restored. We like to go to antique car shows, auctions, and flea markets. We also had a large koi pond until the end of the summer in 2005. It just got to be too much work for us to keep up with. I don't have a boat, but I love being out on the water any chance that I get. When I am not out in an old car or organizing someone's home, I can usually be found outside relaxing in my flower garden.

Favorite Quotations:

“SUCCESS: To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived, that is to have succeeded.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Spread the gospel to all the world — and if necessary, use words.” — St. Francis of Assisi

“Early to bed, early to rise; work like hell and advertise.” — A guest on the Tonight Show