Good Neighbor Podcast: Union
Bringing Together Local Businesses and Residents of Northern Kentucky! Based in Union, KY....The Good Neighbor Podcast helps the residents of Northern Kentucky get to know local business owners as people. We allow the business owners and influencers in NKY to tell the stories of how they started their business and why. We hear about their families, their personal interests and why they love living in and serving resident of Northern Kentucky!
Good Neighbor Podcast: Union
From Baby Dolls to Business: Morgan's Organizing Journey
Discovering your true calling sometimes happens at the earliest stages of life. For Morgan Servais, owner of Simply Morganized, that realization came when she was just a child meticulously arranging her baby dolls in their cribs. Her mother recognized this innate talent, dubbing Morgan's special knack for creating order "Morganizing" – a term that would eventually inspire her business name years later.
In this heartfelt conversation, Morgan reveals how she transitioned from corporate America to professional organizing, describing it as "one of the best decisions I could have ever made." Her enthusiasm is contagious as she explains her comprehensive approach to transforming spaces – from pantries and bathrooms to bedrooms, closets, and even commercial establishments like dentist offices. What sets Morgan apart isn't just her organizational skills but her genuine passion for improving people's lives through order and cleanliness.
What truly distinguishes Simply Morganized is Morgan's client-centered philosophy. Rather than imposing rigid pricing structures, she adapts her services to meet clients' budgets, making professional organizing accessible to more people. "I never want providing peace and cleanliness to somebody's home to be stifled by money," she explains. This flexibility extends to her approach with possessions, where she diplomatically helps clients decide what to keep or donate, even offering complimentary donation services to local charities. Whether you need a complete organizational overhaul or simply want to make meaningful progress in creating more functional living spaces, Morgan brings creativity, compassion, and professional expertise to every project. Ready to experience the transformative power of getting "Morganized"? Contact Morgan at 813-382-0443 or visit www.simplymorganizedus.com to begin your journey toward a more peaceful, organized life.
This is the Good.
Speaker 1:Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, mike Murphy. Thank you, charlie. Yes, I'm Mike Murphy, host of the Good Neighbor Podcast, a podcast where we talk to local business owners and we want you to know them as people. We want you to hear their voice, see their face, see their beautiful smile there you go and to allow you to know them as more than just a logo on a business card. So the business owner that is with me today is Morgan Survey, and Morgan is the owner of Simply Morganized, correct Yep. All right, now, I think people can probably figure out from the name of the the business what you do, but tell everybody what you do.
Speaker 2:Sometimes again, people still ask Okay, so I do organize for people's homes, but also businesses, so food or sorry Pantries, bathrooms, bedrooms, closets, garages. Even I was asked to organize a dentistry, so nothing is off limits. I also really enjoy interior design, so one of my most recent projects I got to design their laundry room, something that had just been remodeled, and it was basically a clean slate. So they had the bones, but I really got to add the finishing pieces to make it feel like a home.
Speaker 1:Okay, when you walk into, you know what is to be your next project. Somebody hires you and says hey, come, take a look at this. When you see it, do you have the ability to sort of almost immediately understand what needs to happen? Do you see it as a you have the ability to sort of almost immediately understand what needs to happen? Do you see it as a final product, or do you just see a big mess that you can't wait to dig your hands into?
Speaker 2:A little bit of both. I think that you need to always be creative and have some flexibility. There are things that you will come across, or even within their own home. One of my biggest things is you'll learn that some things need to move around. Sometimes they're not necessarily in the space that they should be in, okay, so finding the right home for those things, um is essential. Without, you know, cluttering other places of the home, I think it's very important, but but a lot of times I do have, you know, kind of a base idea and then once I actually get in there and learn what they have, also learn what's important to them, because we don't always need to keep everything that we have. Yeah, I get a pretty clear understanding pretty fast.
Speaker 1:Is that a tough conversation to have sometimes to get people to let go of stuff, whatever that stuff might be?
Speaker 2:I feel like framing it in a positive way is super helpful. Um, how is this serving you? Allowing them to make a lot more space than what they have is really helpful. When was the last time they used this? But really things I try to keep in mind things that will make them feel good, rather than saying something that will make it feel like a burden. Just try to make it a clean, fresh start for them.
Speaker 1:So you're diplomatic and gentle in your approach.
Speaker 2:I like to be. I like to be flexible. It can be a hard choice for people, so some people are emotionally attached. Some people are easier than others ready to get rid of it. Something that I offer is I will go and donate to any of the local charities. I personally like to use St Vincent.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Because I know that they give back to their employees. So I think that's really important and I will do that for them at no cost to them, or I mean, maybe I can convince them. If they want to make money back, I can help them with that process. So it's really up to them what their vision is, what they want. But I never try to be too pushy because that can make somebody feel uncomfortable, and I always say that I want this process to be as stress-free for them as it is for me, because it's something I really love.
Speaker 1:So how did you get involved in this? I guess let's back up to when you were a kid. Was this just something that was ingrained in you? Have you always been the type that wants to organize and keep things neat and tidy and orderly?
Speaker 2:Yes, okay, it may have seemed a lot as a child because I had a lot of baby dolls. They were neatly organized in all their cribs with their blankets in my room, but I love them and I've always loved organizing, and my mom pretty much says I've done that since the time I could walk. Okay.
Speaker 1:Now she's the one that came up with the word Morganized right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:So she's called me that since, or she's called it Morganizing. She'd always ask me growing up can you Morganize this, Can you Morganize that? And of course I just love doing it. It was kind of a hobby, so it was fun it wasn't even a chore. I was like sure, mom, I'd love to. What else do you want me to organize?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so this was always your destiny. Pretty much yeah, pretty much. Okay, good, so we talk about when you were little, we talk about family, and that means Florida, right, I mean, because that's where you moved to Kentucky from, correct?
Speaker 2:I am actually from Oklahoma.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I moved to Florida when I was, I think, 23, which I do feel like Florida's home. I call Florida home. I did move there by myself. I don't necessarily have family there, but to me Florida is my home. Yeah, so that was in actually Oklahoma where she asked me to do all those fun things.
Speaker 1:So then you moved to Florida. You said on your own.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:That takes guts.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I never wanted to stay in.
Speaker 1:Oklahoma, all right. So what drew you to Florida then?
Speaker 2:One of my best friends, maddie, moved to Florida and I said I would come visit her. It was in Tampa and pretty much I flew in. I saw the bridges, I saw the water and I was like I'm never going home and I packed my stuff and I moved there and it was honestly the best decision I ever made. I feel like I blossomed, I turned into who I am today. I changed tremendously. I kept my morals, but I really grew into a better person and I've met some of my best friends there.
Speaker 1:So I love Florida and I think you met your now significant other there, correct?
Speaker 2:Technically. So I worked at a company where corporate is based out of Tampa but, I traveled a lot and we have a plant in Lawrenceburg, indiana, and so I met him there when I was traveling here a lot, and he is ultimately what brought me here.
Speaker 1:Okay, and what is his name?
Speaker 2:His name is Mac. All right, mac, he's the best.
Speaker 1:All right. So you and I shared a little bit before we started recording and I know that you've got all the normal plans for marriage and baby out there in the future and we're not going to put too much pressure on that date or whatever, but it's out there in your future somewhere we can put pressure on baby. Yeah, you shared that. You kind of got the baby fever already. So, okay, all right. Well, I guess so with all those baby dolls you had lined up as a little girl, I was destined to be a mom too but, organizing for now comes first.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:So how do you get your clients? You know, you're up here in Kentucky and you don't know a ton of people here in Kentucky. So how have you found your clients?
Speaker 2:So I've been really fortunate to I know Mary at Papa Dino's and she knows a ton of people and she's really really great to work for.
Speaker 2:She's kind of my adoptive mom here, ok, so she's helped introduce me to people 's really supportive, just networking with people there. I also go to the bark park pretty regularly with my dog and they let me um put up a flyer there, which has been helpful, and then just simply google facebook word of mouth, um, and I've been quite fortunate. So I think one of the things that has worked best for me is I try to be very flexible with people. I never want them to feel like their budget or the price is scary and will deter them. I am willing to work with them and they're instead of doing a set cost, I personally like charged by the hour or like to ask them what their budget is, because it kind of lets me know can I have team members? Do I need to work with some things around their house? I can be creative with it and I never want providing peace and cleanliness and organization to somebody's home to be stifled by money or budget Exactly.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, so that makes sense. And what is like if, within the whole spectrum of what you do for a client, what's your favorite like? Would it be kitchens? Would it be closets? What, what's your favorite?
Speaker 2:I love all of it so much I really-.
Speaker 1:That's a cop out. It's really not because I just love doing it.
Speaker 2:I love cleaning. I'm a weirdo. I love organizing, I love cleaning. So really just doing that in general, and leaving corporate America was one of the best decisions I could have ever made. I feel like I'm not working and I'm just so genuinely happy to be there every single day, and so that's how I want my clients to feel yeah, well, what a blessing to, at your age, to kind of come to that realization that you know corporate life.
Speaker 1:Uh, the grind is not really your gig and you know you need to to to be out there doing what you love in order to be happy. And uh, sometimes people don't get that figured out until, or sometimes they never get that figured out or until it's too late, you know. But uh, it's certainly not too late for you yeah, thankfully I had a good support system yeah, well, that's a big part of it. You need people. You need to surround yourself with people who will support you, will believe in you, won't poo-poo your ideas.
Speaker 2:No, they encouraged me a lot more to do this before I ever did. So I mean, they've been encouraging me to take this route since before college.
Speaker 1:Right. Well, it feels like you've just kind of been flowing like water to your intended destiny. You know your path. Your path is what it is for a reason Exactly. How do people reach you if they want to hire you?
Speaker 2:I have all sorts of things, so main thing is my website. I like to book appointments through there, primarily because there's a form where you can add a little bit more details, but I'm also available. You can look me up on Yelp and Google and they have my phone number, my email. I also have an Instagram, tiktok and a Facebook, so you can reach me pretty much on any of those platforms and I will respond.
Speaker 1:So you're doing all the things.
Speaker 2:All the things.
Speaker 1:If somebody wants to start with your website, I know that there are other Simply Morganized out there. There's other Morgans in the world that also like to organize. So I think, if I recall your website, it's not simplymorganizedcom, right, it's simplymorgan us, simply more organized, uscom.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's somebody in Canada, um, but I don't think she's been active for quite some time. Um, yeah, I'm actually getting the LLC as well, so it's in the process, which hopefully happened in the next month or two.
Speaker 1:Okay, so, um'm sorry, trademark. Well, all these things are are necessary, but none more necessary than getting clients. Without the clients, nothing else really happens. So that's what we're going to try to help with today is just sort of get your story out, let people know you, let people kind of have a vision for what you can do for them. So I think what I'm going to try to do is we're going to create some social media reels and put them out into the community for you, and your job is to provide me with lots of fun photos into the community for you, and your job is to provide me with lots of fun photos. Speaking of photos, I think I saw a couple photos on your website and part of what seems to be the process is Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you have, do you ever bring in some of the shelving units that kind of go part and parcel with what you do for your clients, or do you just work with what they have?
Speaker 2:It really depends on their budget. I can do both. I like to. I've really gotten into graphic design, so I like to provide mock-ups for them, which I think is really helpful. A lot of people like visuals, so I can give them this or that and then also let them know the budget difference, and that has been really helpful with customers. So I can do both. Or even something that I did with a previous customer is the shelving that they had just wasn't in the right spot, so I just reconfigured it. It and it was much more useful.
Speaker 1:Well, like you said earlier too, you find things that they're just sort of in the wrong place within the home, but you're not just going to pick up a mess and put it somewhere else in the house, but you've got to find a place for everything. Everything in its place, is that correct? Yep, okay, and some of us are not really good about knowing what that is. So we need people like you.
Speaker 2:I always try to be creative and it is a business, but I really do try to keep my clients in mind. I don't want them to feel stressed out. The last thing I want them to feel stressed, especially at this time, and it's really, really important to me to be flexible, to be creative and just really provide, I mean, the best organization customer service and just the most relaxing process that I possibly can.
Speaker 1:OK, well, you may have been looking around here as you visited with me today and wondering like what the heck am I thinking? This is kind of I don't know. I don't think it's a mess, but I just think that there's a lot going on here.
Speaker 2:I'm more so curious about all your projects is why I keep looking.
Speaker 1:I just thought maybe you were like silently judging me or something.
Speaker 2:No, no, it looks good All right, all right.
Speaker 1:Thanks for being easy on good All right, all right. Thanks for being easy on me All right. So is there anything else we have not talked about that you want to make sure people know about you or about the business? I think we've done a pretty good job of covering the basics and letting people know you a little bit and how you operate. I guess one question I do have is does Mac ever help you?
Speaker 2:I've convinced him once.
Speaker 1:How did that go?
Speaker 2:He loved it.
Speaker 1:Oh, is that sarcastic, or is that he really did enjoy it?
Speaker 2:He loved helping me Okay.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 2:Good, so he's always down to support. He's a really good partner, so I really appreciate him for that.
Speaker 1:Well, good.
Speaker 2:After his long, rigorous day at work. I don't know if he was super excited about it, but he was there for me and I really do appreciate him. So I think my biggest thing is don't be afraid to call, Don't be afraid to ask questions. Organizing is not something that a lot of people are familiar with.
Speaker 2:You never know what it's going to cost, and so you can see a big number out there which is again, kind of why I like to ask what is your budget first, so that I can work with you from there, rather than giving you a standard rate. I think that's really important, because I've had people who they think that they want all of this and they kind of have to level set a little bit, but you can do this at the moment, and then ultimately they're like oh my gosh, this is great and they want you to come back or it's just the time for it and you really do. Just in that moment, in that time you can make such a big difference and really I just want to make people's lives better.
Speaker 1:OK, and making some progress is better than saying no to the whole project.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:OK, all right. Well, before we go, say the phone number so that people have it here documented 813-382-0443. Okay, so don't be thrown by the 813.
Speaker 2:It's Tampa, but I am a Florence gal now Florence y'all.
Speaker 1:You're fitting right in, aren't you I?
Speaker 2:guess I've refused to say y'all, my entire life just for Florence.
Speaker 1:Now you live in the shadow of that water tower.
Speaker 2:Exactly so. It's nice here you can tell it's cold.
Speaker 1:Well, I think this wraps up our episode of the Good Neighbor podcast. It's been nice getting to know you. Thanks for coming to my domain, and I will admit I did try to clean it up a little bit before you got here because I uh, for obvious reasons I'm not judgmental.
Speaker 2:That is something about me. I'm not judgmental, so don't be scared about that. All right, well, very good you heard it here first.
Speaker 1:Folks, she's she's not judgmental, she's here to help. So call morgan, at simply Morgan eyes. She will help get you organized, and that could mean whatever it means to you. But just call her and ask her to just help you figure things out. And again, doing something is better than doing nothing. So just help her, help you make progress in your living space or your business space. Yeah, okay, well, very good. Well, that wraps it up. Then we're done with this episode of the Good Neighbor Podcast. So until next time, everybody out there, be good to your neighbor. Bye, everybody.
Speaker 2:Thanks for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast Union. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPUnioncom. That's GNPUnioncom, or call us at 859-651-8330.