Why My Home Organisation Business Was a Success on Paper but a Personal Failure—and What It Taught Me

From the outside, my first business looked like a dream. In just 4 years I (and latterly with my business partner) had taken what started off as an a-ha moment and a bunch of 'business plan' scribbles on a scrap of paper and turned it into one of Sydney's most successful home decluttering and organising businesses. 

I spent most of my days in the most unbelievable properties and the homes of a celebrity or two. I've also featured on the pages of Homes & Gardens as an expert in all things "Home Organisation and Decluttering. 

By all accounts, it should have felt like a massive success. 

But for me? It felt like anything but.

Behind the scenes, I was struggling—physically, mentally, and emotionally. My values no longer aligned with the work I was doing, and the business I’d built began to feel more like a trap than an achievement.

Here’s why.

1. Physical Burnout: My Body Paid the Price

In just a few years, I aged my body by ten—or so my doctor told me. This wasn’t because I was inactive or unhealthy. Quite the opposite—I’ve run ultra-marathons, I work out regularly, and I’ve always prided myself on taking care of my body.

But no amount of fitness could counterbalance the physical toll of shifting and lifting the mountains of clutter we endured daily, the constant stress, overwork, and neglect of rest took on me. My body was screaming for a break, but I was too caught up in the daily grind to listen.

Ignoring those signs cost me dearly.

2. Mental Burnout: The Weight of It All

Where my body went, my mind soon followed.

Running a business is hard enough, but when your work revolves around helping others with their clutter—both physical and emotional—it becomes even heavier.

Over time, I found myself absorbing the negative energy of my clients’ clutter. Piles of forgotten things in garages or basements started to feel like a metaphor for all the unresolved tension I was carrying.

Add strained business relationships to the mix, and the burnout became all-consuming. 

When your body is breaking down and your mind is overwhelmed, it’s hard to find joy in anything—even the work you once loved.

3. A Misalignment with My Values

This might’ve been the biggest blow of all: my business had morphed into something that no longer aligned with my core values.

I started this business to help people (and women in particular) simplify their lives, reduce stress, and make space for what truly mattered. But over time, it became more about what sold: Pinterest-worthy pantries, color-coded wardrobes, and rows of matching plastic bins.

It wasn’t about making life easier or more meaningful anymore—it was about creating the illusion of a “perfect” life. A life curated for Instagram and driven by keeping up with the Joneses.

I didn’t want to be part of the narrative that women’s worth and success is tied to appearing flawless. I didn’t want to feed into that toxic societal pressure of keeping up with the Joneses. But somewhere along the way, my business had. 

I truly believe that there is no one formula for success in life - your success is unique to you.  Just as your 'perfect' home is unique to you. It's a combination of what you value most and how you uniquely operate in life.  The key is unlocking what this looks like for you. 

4. Fueling Waste Instead of Transformation

This one hit me hard.

In the quest to create those “perfect” spaces, we'd find ourselves encouraging people to part with perfectly good items—simply because they didn’t fit the aesthetic plan.

But here’s the thing: when people haven’t addressed the deeper reasons behind their clutter, they’ll reclutter anyway. They’ll fall back into the same patterns. And that means they’ll toss more things six months down the line.  The 'pretty' bins will no longer look 'pretty' as they begin to overflow with more stuff. Or they'll create more and more work and waste for themselves with the need to constantly 'chuck' stuff out to keep everything looking 'good' to the outside world.  But does anyone really feel 'good' about their over-consumption when we all know what this is truly doing to the planet we live on. 

Instead of helping people create lasting change, I felt like we were fueling a cycle of waste. And as someone who cares deeply about reducing my impact on the planet, this didn’t sit right with me.

5. Who I Was Becoming at Home

Exhausted. Cranky. Out of alignment with my own values. The toll of running this business didn’t stop when I walked through my front door. My energy—or lack of it—spilled into my family life.

At home, I was snappy and distant, running on empty