As the KonMari philosophy has become more and more mainstream, blog posts, magazine articles and videos have come out viewing KonMari through a critical and challenging lens.

These perspectives are sometimes based on misunderstandings or misreadings of Konmari concepts and sometimes these misinterpretations occur as missteps while practicing KonMari.

In this episode, we will discuss our thoughts on these myths and provide some practical tips on how to avoid falling into these missteps.

Spark Joy wants to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you'll enjoy:

Joy Checks!
What is Sparking Joy for Kristyn today: a very cute For the Love of Tidy branded onesie for her niece who is due any day now.

What is Sparking Joy for Karin today: restoring an antique wooden doll bed for her niece’s birthday

• Learn about some common KonMari myths:

1. Konmari equals minimalism/minimalism is KonMari

2. Konmari is a selfish activity, fundamentally concerned only with material possession

3. KonMari encourages to you to throw out everything you own to the point where you are either left with nothing or you need to immediately buy new things

• Learn about some common KonMari missteps:

1. Skipping the step where you envision your ideal lifestyle and living environment

2. Forgetting to honor and acknowledge items for their usefulness especially when you are letting them go

3. Not completing all the categories

4. Thinking about storage and organization before the sorting is completed

5. Being overly concerned with the clutter of other people

• See what Marie Kondo’s home really looks like:
  Correction: It has come to our attention that the original article and photograph listed here was a parody article written for April Fool's Day and NOT a house tour of Marie Kondo's apartment. Photographs of Marie Kondo's home have not been made publicly available. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

• Read about what some critics say about the KonMari Method:
  Why Decluttering Guru Marie Kondo is Wrong
  Why I Absolutely Refuse to KonMari My Life
  Does It Spark Joy is the Wrong Decluttering Question
  The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*

• Review the importance of the vision statement in Spark Joy Episodes:
  Episode 1 KonMari 101
  Episode 5 The KonMari Lifestyle

• Our advice to a listener who asks how to address categories when you have items within a category in hard to get to places. Does not being able to completely sort by category mean you are not doing KonMari correctly?

Gems:

“There’s no right number of things a person should have.”

“You can keep ALL of the shoes!”

“Time is the most important commodity as opposed to things.”

“You’re saying goodbye in a respectful way and you’re putting a positive message out there.”

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

For Sarah, it all started on the road as a world-traveling performer in hit Broadway musicals, where the only constant was her thoughtfully compartmentalized suitcase.

In 2014, Sarah teamed-up with handy hubby, Nick, to create beautiful spaces full-time at Nestrs a professional organizing, design, and handyman company.

Sarah and her husband are Airbnb Superhosts and their work has been featured on the HGTV television series, Beach Flip.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show.

While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• Why enthusiasm is so important for a small business owner working with clients.

• How Sarah went from theatre to professional organizing.

• Learn about the intersection between the work of organizing and work in doing renovations

• When you should do DIY, Do It Yourself, and when it’s between to leave it to the professionals.

• Learn about a great DIY project that will make a huge impact.

• What it was like to do a very cool beach project on BeachFlip, the HGTV show. Here is their episode: Sarah and Nick on BeachFlip

To connect with Sarah, visit Nestrs.com
Follow her on instagram at: @nestrs
and Facebook at: The Nestrs

Sarah's favorite tidying tip: “Think up! There’s a lot of under utilized space up high that you can make use of and maximize your space.”

What sparks joy for Sarah: Sarah and her husband have a new renovation project in Ohio that she is looking forward to diving into!

Final words of wisdom: “Being organized is so important. It saves us time, it saves us money, it keeps our stress and anxiety levels under control. And, it can be fun and creative.”

Gems:

“Is the time spent doing a project enjoyable for you?”

“We were there sometimes until midnight demo’ing a space. And there would be times when I just wanted to cry.”

"When you work together, it's important to have a way to deal with the stress and tension that will inevitably come up."

“We both love transforming spaces and helping people achieve what they want in their homes.”

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Sarah Karakaian.

As the KonMari philosophy has become more and more mainstream, blog posts, magazine articles and videos have come out viewing KonMari through a critical and challenging lens.

These perspectives are sometimes based on misunderstandings or misreadings of Konmari concepts and sometimes these misinterpretations occur as missteps while practicing KonMari.

In this episode, we will discuss our thoughts on these myths and provide some practical tips on how to avoid falling into these missteps.

Spark Joy wants to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you'll enjoy:

Joy Checks!
What is Sparking Joy for Kristyn today: a very cute For the Love of Tidy branded onesie for her niece who is due any day now.

What is Sparking Joy for Karin today: restoring an antique wooden doll bed for her niece’s birthday

• Learn about some common KonMari myths:

1. Konmari equals minimalism/minimalism is KonMari

2. Konmari is a selfish activity, fundamentally concerned only with material possession

3. KonMari encourages to you to throw out everything you own to the point where you are either left with nothing or you need to immediately buy new things

• Learn about some common KonMari missteps:

1. Skipping the step where you envision your ideal lifestyle and living environment

2. Forgetting to honor and acknowledge items for their usefulness especially when you are letting them go

3. Not completing all the categories

4. Thinking about storage and organization before the sorting is completed

5. Being overly concerned with the clutter of other people

• See what Marie Kondo’s home really looks like:
  Correction: It has come to our attention that the original article and photograph listed here was a parody article written for April Fool's Day and NOT a house tour of Marie Kondo's apartment. Photographs of Marie Kondo's home have not been made publicly available. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

• Read about what some critics say about the KonMari Method:
  Why Decluttering Guru Marie Kondo is Wrong
  Why I Absolutely Refuse to KonMari My Life
  Does It Spark Joy is the Wrong Decluttering Question
  The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*

• Review the importance of the vision statement in Spark Joy Episodes:
  Episode 1 KonMari 101
  Episode 5 The KonMari Lifestyle

• Our advice to a listener who asks how to address categories when you have items within a category in hard to get to places. Does not being able to completely sort by category mean you are not doing KonMari correctly?

Gems:

“There’s no right number of things a person should have.”

“You can keep ALL of the shoes!”

“Time is the most important commodity as opposed to things.”

“You’re saying goodbye in a respectful way and you’re putting a positive message out there.”

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Dr. Melva Green is best known for her work on the critically acclaimed A&E series Hoarders. She is a psychiatrist and spiritual healer specializing in REAL LIFE living. Dr. Green is the co-author of Breathing Room: Open You Heart by Decluttering Your Home, a wonderful blend of personal stories interwoven into a clear, practical guide on decluttering.

In this episode, Dr. Green discusses the importance of slowing down, taking a breath, and leading with compassion before we jump into the clutter. We also discuss the do's and don'ts associated with identifying and treating someone with a hoarding disorder and associated signs and resources.

To connect with Dr. Green, you can find her at www.drmelvagreen.com as well as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube at @drmelva. Dr. Green is offering our listeners a discounted, signed copy of Breathing Room using the following link: http://bit.ly/2qM2pVB

Spark Joy wants to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and email us at contact@sparkjoypodcast.com to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter via @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• What led Dr. Green to take a leap of faith, close her practice, declutter, and move to Costa Rica

• The moments leading up to Dr. Green getting the call to be an expert on A&E's Hoarders

• How Dr. Green's book, Breathing Room: Open Your Heart by Decluttering Your Home evolved into a collaborative project with co-author Dr. Lauren Rosenfeld

• How Dr. Green's spiritual approach to therapy broadened her client's experience and given client's permission to pursue another path and reduce shame

• The role anxiety plays in disorganization

• How being kind to yourself can shift the heart space to the self love and tenderness required to start the process

• How the SLICE method (Stop & Listen, Intend, Clearing the Energy), a three step process described in Breathing Room, can help you jump start your journey to organization

• Signs a loved one's life may be impacted by hoarding

• Why common statistics tracking hoarding disorder misrepresent the scope of the public burden due to the "hidden" nature of the problem

• How trauma is often at the core of a hoarding crisis

• How in over 14 years, only two of Dr. Green's clutter clients were so resistant to change they couldn't be helped

• How the support system of family can help hoarders successfully dig out and recover

• How Dr. Green listens to her clients and reminds them to stop and breathe to hold a clear space

• Dr. Green recommends resources on wwww.hoarders.org , including a scale to help you determine if you meet the clinical criteria for a hoarding disorder

Dr. Green's favorite tidying tip: Breathe...

What sparks the most joy for Dr. Green: Her son starting at Stanford University!

Gems:

"Most of our clutter is unconscious."

"The mess is not IN the way, it's PART OF the way."

"Clutter is the external manifestation of what's going on in our internal space."

"When we stop and breathe we're able to get a sense of what needs to go and what needs to stay."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Melva Green.

Tess is offering Spark Joy listeners Free Anti-Budget Training. It's a budgeting method for people who hate budgeting. It simplifies financial management down to one simple number to use every day and is available at: www.wanderwealthy.com/AntiBudget

To connect with Tess Wicks visit www.wanderwealthy.com and join the Wander Wealthy community on Facebook and YouTube. Also, check out Tess’ podcast Words and Money.

Spark Joy wants to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com, email us at contact@sparkjoypodcast.com to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter via @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• What improv, kettle bell and playing the violin have to do with personal finances

• How having financially responsible parents led Tess to be a cautious spender who avoided debt

• How to live outside of your comfort zone while taking calculated risks

• How Tess desires to be a minimalist and frugalist in most areas, but leans most towards Essentialism

• How prioritizing what is essential to you and deeming the rest "clutter" helps build awareness around spending

• How important it is to exercise your "saying no" muscle

• The lesson your sunk costs teach you

• Feeling financially overwhelmed? Tess suggests:
  1) Commit time to sit down and look at your finances
  2) Calculate your net worth (everything you own - everything you owe)
  3) Set realistic short-term goals you can accomplish in three months

• How having multiple bank accounts actually helps you avoid being caught off guard by financial surprises

• Why talking about money is so taboo

• How to initiate tough conversations about finances

• How wealthy women put their money to work for them

• How Tess pre-saves for splurges and treats herself, including the five things she won't give up

What sparks joy for Tess: She's finally living and breathing what her brand (Wander Wealthy) is by finding her freedom, taking adventures and enjoying her life while living within her financial means.

Gems:

• "I identify places where I need to grow or challenge myself and I dive into it."

• "If it brings you joy, make room in your budget to spend on that thing."

• "Separating the essential few from the trivial many."

• "Net worth = everything you own - everything you owe"

• "You don't want to be with someone who can't accept you for your flaws."

• "Anyone can achieve financial independence. The hardest part is taking action."

• "Commit and take action for one hour to decide to declutter your financial life."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Tess Wicks.

Dorothy Breininger, aka “Dorothy The Organizer,” is known to millions as the fearless-yet-endearing problem solver on A&E’s Emmy-nominated hit TV series “Hoarders.” She is the author of seven books, including Stuff Your Face or Face Your Stuff. Dorothy is featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, O Magazine, and appears on the Today Show, Dr. Phil, the VIEW, The Doctors, QVC and PBS.

In this episode, Dorothy helps us make the connection between the clutter in our homes and addictions we may have in other areas of our life (food, alcohol, gambling, shopping, etc.). We explore some of the barriers that prevent us from making the choices we know are best for us and how to overcome them. Dorothy also shares her first hand experience working with clients suffering from hoarding and some of the resources available to help those with this condition.

Dorothy is offering Spark Joy listeners:

1. A Free Guide on “How to Banish Clutter Creatively”
2. A Free Cancer Concierge ebook that can help you learn how to organize yourself and your life in the face of a cancer diagnosis

To connect with Dorothy Breininger, you can visit her website, www.dorothytheorganizer.com for free tips, videos, newsletters, organizing resources for your life, home, office, and relationships. Be sure to check out her book “Stuff Your Face or Face Your Stuff” via her website or Amazon. Also, check her out on the hit show "Hoarders" on A&E.

Spark Joy wants to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com, email us at contact@sparkjoypodcast.com to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter via @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• Dorothy's three life-changing experiences that helped her manage her own clutter

• What Dorothy learned about other culture's relationship with clutter after backpacking across 30 countries

• How Dorothy climbed out of $360,000 of inherited debt

• How Dorothy's work on Hoarders helped her realize her own addictive behavior around food

• Netflix documentaries: Forks Over Knives and What the Health

• Why we are looking to stuff to decide where we are going as a society

• How food addiction is similar to alcohol or gambling addiction and leads to a perverse sense of self care

• How living with an addiction or mental illness impacts our ability to make conscious choices

• The three most common barriers we create between us and the problems we face and how to overcome them

• Stuff My Face, Face My Stuff is available on Amazon and includes examples of over 30 different types of Twelve Step Programs

• Landmark Education

• How to apply a questioning method from Byron Katie's process, The Work, can tell you about what your clutter is saying about you

• Lessons Dorothy's learned from working with extreme hoarding clients

• The power of apologies

• How to identify someone who hoards and common indicators

• The connection between perfectionism and hoarding

• What it was like to spend a night in a hoarder's home

• What happens during a hoarder's aftercare and its similarity to a food addiction maintenance plan

• Where to turn for hoarding help: Turn to www.dorthytheorganizer.com for tools and resources including a virtual therapy group for hoarders

Dorothy's Favorite Tidying Tip: "Left to right, top to bottom."

"Even if you feel sure you are right, never assume you know what’s best for another in terms of stuff. Simply re-arranging someone else’s stuff or worse yet getting rid of it without permission truly breaks the bonds of trust (especially with children)."

What sparks the most joy for Dorothy: Surprising friends, family, and strangers.

Gems:

• “What does your clutter say about you?”

• “We all have stuff.”

• “I got rid of the stuff so that I could create something bigger for myself.”

• “People hoarded stuff in their homes, but I was hoarding sugar and flour on my body.”

• “We’re looking to stuff to decide where we are going as a society.”

• “We are teetering near 14 million people who hoard.”

• “Barrier to facing our stuff: We blame others.”

• “Barrier to facing our stuff: We refuse to look at our own mistakes.”

• “Barrier to facing our stuff: We isolate instead of reach out for help.”

• “Overcome the barrier: Dare to admit we are fully responsible for the things that we own."

• “Overcome the barrier: Take a fearless moral inventory of yourself.”

• “Overcome the barrier: Be with a group of like-minded people to help you get out of isolation.”

• “Apologies created the path to clearing out the clutter in their house.”

• “Even if you feel sure you are right, never assume you know what’s best for another in terms of stuff.”

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Dorothy Breininger.