Get to know Tiffany Sorensen, In Order to Succeed’s Project & Regional Manager Launching our Minnesota Lakes Office.

IOTS: So you grew up in MN and have recently moved back. What’s special about the area that makes you want to call the “Twin Cities” home?

TS: First and foremost, last year I married someone born, raised and residing here! Aside from that, Minnesota (MN) has always been a home base for me.  Even with all of my moving around as a child, my extended family was based here, and I would spend every holiday and as much of the summer as I could either in the Twin Cities or “Up North”. When I had my own children, the routine remained the same and they too came to think of MN as their home base, no matter where else in the country we were residing.

Family is a big part of it. I read an article once about the percentage of native Minnesotans that leave for extended periods and end up eventually returning, so I guess I can be added to that statistic! I appreciate the robust offerings of sports, culinary, music and theater that exist here, and I am a huge fan of all things lake related.

My time spent in the desert has really made me appreciate (three of) the four seasons; I admit I am not much of a fan of winter past January 1st, so I am happy for opportunities to travel during the colder months!

IOTS: As founder and partner of a full-service tradeshow and event production company in Las Vegas, what types of clients did you work with?

TS: My clients were largely entertainment based initially, HBO, MGM, The Disney Channel to name a few. Over the years, as the business expanded, and I relocated to the East Coast, clientele grew to encompass professional sports, hospitality groups, music and other live festivals and events.

These projects gave me the opportunity to work both “back of house” with talent and production aspects, as well as “front of house” with sponsors, activations, logistics and the like.

Additionally, I worked with several small corporations and individuals creating and managing hospitality events both in the U.S. and abroad, as well as with several well recognized brands to create unique customer engagement experiences.

IOTS: Have organizing and designing spaces always been a part of your life?

TS: Yes. Organization is a critical aspect in every role I have served. Both live events and design project management contain so many moving parts that are subject to change at any given moment, even with the most perfectly executed plans.

If a project is not organized at the beginning, it becomes very difficult to keep on track when those inevitable curveballs arise. I had the opportunity to project manage a 200,000 sf build to suit in Las Vegas several years ago. I was involved in everything from groundbreaking to conference room furnishings, working hand in hand with our construction firm. The project was completed on time and on budget. In 2015, I took part in the massive undertaking of producing what is known as “The World’s Largest Music Festival,” and their first foray into the United States. Though these two projects seem very different, organization skills were critical to the success of both.

I have also built and renovated several homes, and as previously mentioned, have an abundance of experience moving throughout my life. I have served as the designer on all of my home builds and renovations, specifying sourcing and procuring everything from toilets to throw pillows, and have worked closely with my GCs to manage each project.  

IOTS: You have personally moved many times so what’s your best piece of advice for a successful one?

TS: As an adult/post-college, I have moved 13 times! At the risk of sounding like a sales pitch, I have to say that I wish I had a company like In Order to Succeed (IOTS) by my side for those moves. Having true pros managing the nuts and bolts of a move allows for financial efficiencies to be realized, and the peace of mind can truly be considered priceless. Aside from that, moving is stressful no matter what the circumstances. I still have dreams where I realize I have left items behind at a former residence and I am tasked with retrieving these items immediately!  As with most other stressful life situations, I find it best to focus on the positive; look at a relocation as a fresh start and new opportunity and know that somehow it always gets done!   

IOTS: What attracted you to IOTS?

TS: Staying organized makes me more productive and more relaxed. Coming home to a beautiful space always seems to convey a sense of peace and warmth no matter what other chaos may be occurring. I have always felt it is important to have a home that is just as welcoming to its residents as it is to its guests. I have moved A LOT, starting from childhood, and I always looked forward to the opportunity to space plan and decorate my new room, making me feel at home no matter where home was. 

The philosophies of IOTS align with this point of view, and the broad range of services we offer allow me to shape and concentrate my efforts in areas I enjoy most. It also enables us to provide the proper teammates to fill in the gaps in other areas in order to provide our clients with a “one stop shop.” In addition to that, it also is just a pleasure to work with such an intelligent, kind and fun group of people!

IOTS: What are you most excited about accomplishing as you introduce IOTS to Minnesotans?

TS: I am looking forward to establishing new relationships with both corporate and residential clients, and the opportunity to provide a fresh, holistic and fully comprehensive approach including private and corporate concierge services, interior styling, event creation and execution, renovation management, home or office organizing and beyond.

Whether working on a VIP client or employee team building event, collaborating with real estate agents and contractors on moves and renovations, or readying a space for a seasonal homeowner, I am excited to bring the expansive talent, experience and resources of IOTS to the area.

IOTS: Please tell us about some of the philanthropic work that you do and charities you are involved with.

TS: I serve on the board of an organization called Tuesday’s Children which was founded on 9/11/2001 and assists in long term healing via resiliency programs to those affected by traumatic loss or terrorism, including the support of Gold Star Military Families. I recently served as co-chair of our annual gala in NYC.

Another cause that is near and dear to my heart is “Rooms with a View,” an interior-design and culinary event that supports the missions of Southport Congregational Church. I was the co-chair for this event for seven years.

As my youngest child is now in his senior year of high school, my career of volunteering for various school and sporting endeavors is culminating after most recently serving as Parent Liaison for my son’s football team and on the committee of the school’s annual fundraiser.

Americans love stuff. As professional organizers, we know anecdotally what the numbers bear out: although our homes are getting larger, we have far more possessions than we have space for. A recent article in The Atlantic notes that, in 2017, “the average size of a single-family house in America was 2,426 square feet, a 23 percent increase in size from two decades ago” and that “there are around 52,000 [self-storage] facilities nationally; two decades ago, there were half that number.” The television show Hoarders, now in its ninth season, chronicles the lives of those Americans whose relationship to stuff has reached a physically and psychologically unhealthy level. Websites like Craigslist are loaded to the brim with a cavalcade of items for sale, but it can be awkward (and potentially unsafe) to invite prospective buyers into our homes. So, after we’ve cleaned up, taken inventory, and decreased our clutter, what should we do with the clothes, furniture, and knick-knacks with which we’ve decided to part? That’s where the thrift store comes in.

According to the Association of Resale Professionals (NARTS), nearly twenty percent of Americans shop at thrift, consignment, or antique stores each year, generating more than $17 billion in revenue. In 2014, the nation’s best-known thrift store, Goodwill Industries, reported in excess of $5 billion in retail sales at more than two thousand stores and online. NARTS notes that “there is no typical resale shopper, just as there is no typical resale shop [because] no one is immune to the excitement of finding a treasure and saving money.”

But donating your lightly used items to a thrift store is about more than just clearing out your personal space. By definition, thrift stores exist to serve the communities in which they are located. (Generally, consignment and antique stores are for-profit, while thrift stores are non-profit.) Profits from The Carousel, a thrift shop affiliated with the Southport Congregational Church in Connecticut benefit the church, the charities it supports, and the greater community. If you shop at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store in Minneapolis, Minnesota, you’re helping thousands of residents of the Twin Cities whose families have been impacted by poverty. On their website, the Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC) Treasure Chest in Sarasota, Florida notes that not only do one-hundred percent of proceeds fund their services but also that “SPARCC participants receive vouchers to shop for free for the items they need.” And in New York City, the United War Veterans Council (UWVC) runs a recycling program in which the revenue from sales of donated items supports the program’s mission to “provide all veterans and their families with the care, recognition and opportunities they have rightfully earned.” Deborah Menich, the executive director of the UWVC’s recycling program, explains that the “UWVC collects approximately 12 million pounds of clothing annually,” which both “expands the diversion rate of unwanted items in landfills” and provides jobs to local residents.

Over the past several years, there has been some concern that thrift stores do not resell all of the donations they receive. In a recent article for the Huffington Post, Ray Tellez, Goodwill’s vice president of retail operations in southern California, reassures customers that items do not move directly from Goodwill’s retail stores to a landfill. Instead, those items are sent to a Goodwill outlet store; if they remain unsold, they are recycled. (Goodwill estimates that their recycling efforts keep more than 42 thousand tons of textile waste out of landfills each year.) Sustainability expert Jacqueline Tran reminds us that “people don’t realize most clothing is made from plastic…When it goes into a landfill, it’s just going to sit there for a long time.” Donating those clothes—and ensuring that they are reused or recycled—is an important step toward creating a more sustainable world.

Thrift stores help their communities, offer places for people to connect with one another, provide employment and volunteer opportunities, and encourage good sustainability practices. They should be the first places we think of when we consider how to declutter, simplify, and organize our lives. Those seemingly simple donations of new or gently used clothing and goods can help to create real, meaningful, positive changes, both in our communities and across the country.

For a list of thrift stores in your area, visit Yelp.com or google “thrift stores near me.” To read more about how In Order to Succeed can help you reach your organizing goals, click here.

Ben Gott is an Education Specialist and Organizing Consultant at In Order To Succeed

Holiday table settings are almost as important as the food. Sure, some people take the approach that the holiday table is just there to hold the food and the wine glasses—throw a holiday colored tablecloth on it and voilà! The holiday table setting, however, has the power to set the atmosphere for the entire meal. From formal to casual to somewhere in between we scoured Pinterest to find several gorgeous holiday table settings. Steal ideas from these pretty table settings and visit our Pinterest page for even more inspiring ideas and tips on hosting a stress-free holiday season.

Rosemary Sprig Cards

If you’re throwing a large holiday gathering that includes a sit-down meal, you’re going to want to organize the seating. We love the idea of these Rosemary Sprig Place cards for a simple but elegant holiday table setting.

Candles, Candles, Candles

One of the easiest ways to add some glam to your holiday table setting is with candles. This one from Fab You Bliss is perfect for Thanksgiving and if you switch out the pumpkins for glittery pine cones you have a perfect Christmas centerpiece as well.

Planted Centerpiece

Impress dinner guests at any winter holiday party with a sophisticated planted centerpiece. Add accents of gold or silver for an even more festive setting
Rustic Table Setting

For a rustic and utterly easy to create table setting we love this burlap runner topped with pine branches, pinecones, and mandarin oranges.

Blue Christmas
Stick to a blue and silver theme for an elegant table setting. HGTV Designer Katrina Giles created this easy clean-up table setting by putting white and blue plates against as shimmery black placemats and using a silver snowflake wrapping paper as table runner.For more inspiring table setting ideas checkout “50 Christmas Table Setting Ideas” from AnnaVasily.