The Bold and Courageous Leader Podcast Episode 13: An Interview with Liana George, Owner of By George Organizing Solutions

Liana George is a Professional Organizer and the owner of By George Organizing Solutions. She works one on one with clients to help them bring order, peace and balance to their homes and lives. Liana is also a writer, teacher and speaker on a variety of organizing topics.

Liana tells us everyone can be organized.  It doesn’t look the same for everybody.  Just do it  your way.

She started her company, By George Organizing Solutions, as her oldest daughter went off to college.  She figured out she can use her skills in organizing to be of help to others. 

She loves the smile on people’s faces when we’re done bringing order to a space.  They feel relief because they have a lighter load from releasing some stuff that was weighing them down and burdening them.

Liana starts her process by asking her clients for their vision, their goal for the project.  The process looks different based on what they’re looking for. 

Liana shared some thoughts and the organizational style by brain type from Lanna Nakone’s book, Organizing for Your Brain Type. The four Brain Types are:

• Maintainer – orderly, likes structure and details, lists, schedules and predictability
• Harmonizer – sociable, like space covered with reminders of people – pictures, collectibles
• Prioritizer – very good at time management, goal and results driven, they design their space to support their goals.
• Innovator – creative, spontaneous, don’t like structure or rules, free spirits, like things out, open so they can see them. Hooks and clear containers work well for them.

Liana’s wisdom as we talked about each type is, “Quit fighting your type and work with who you are.  You’ll keep it up if you work with who you are.”

The Faith Connection

Liana says, “God is a God of order.  All God does has order to it.  We are built with an innate need for order.  It doesn’t say in the Bible, “You shalt be orderly.”  Rather, I find gems and examples of being orderly. In Ecclesiastes, “There’s a time for gathering and a time for letting go.”  Exodus 16 is full of great lessons for trusting God for our needs and having more than enough.  That’s part of orderly living.”

When we’re so bogged down with stuff, we can’t do what God’s called us to do.  The stuff gets in the way.

4 Keys to Bring Order to a Leader’s Work Life

Liana shared these four keys to help leaders best organize for their role as a leader:

1. Make a To Do List – Prioritize 3-5 things each day for getting work done.
2. Delegate – Don’t just tell, but show.
3. Organize Your Work Space – It’s hard to work and think in a cluttered, chaotic space.
4. Have an Organized Home – This is a support to get to work on time and in a positive frame of mind.
5. Resources

• Organizing for Your Brain Type by Lanna Nakone
• Every Child has a Thinking Style by Lanna Nakone
• Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern
• Organizing for the Right Side of the Brain by Lee Silber

6. You can reach Liana through her website: com. There you’ll find her blog, as well as classes and her 180 Challenge – a decluttering challenge where you receive a weekly email to help you focus your decluttering.