How to Plan Ahead for the End of Life with Julie Coraccio

Kathi: Hi everyone, this is Kathi and I'm back. I am with Julie Coraccio. She's an award-winning professional life and end-of-life organizer and certified life coach. She's passionate about helping people declutter and supporting people in clearing their stuff in all areas of their life, getting organized and becoming more mindful. She hosts a popular self-help podcast, Clear Your Clutter Inside and Out, and she's also the author of 14 books, including the Got Clutter? 365 journal prompts series. She's happily married and she's at the beck and call of four rescue cats. She is my girl. I have two cats myself. This will be an insightful interview with my colleague Julie. So, let's get started. Hi, Julie. Thanks for being here.

Julie: Hey Kathi, I'm thrilled to be here.

Kathi: It's a good day today. You're a certified life coach and professional organizer. Can I ask what you did prior to that?

Julie: Prior to starting my business, I was in fund development. I was a director of development, so in the nonprofit world, writing grants mainly and saying, "Hey, give us money."

Kathi: Okay, cool. Why did you decide to become a life coach and professional organizer, girl?

Julie: I had just moved from Los Angeles to Raleigh, North Carolina. It was a very intuitive move. I woke up one morning and heard, move to Raleigh. So I've learned to always follow my intuition. I had gotten a job, probably the worst job I've ever had in my professional life, and I knew right away, this is crazy town. So I said, I just don't want to jump to another job. What can I do that will help people and make a difference in their lives? I've got to get paid also, and it has to be something I'd enjoy doing. And so I thought about it and thought about it, and I was like, I've been organizing and helping people declutter. I just never knew it was a job. And so that's how it started.

Kathi: Yeah. I think a lot of us have a similar path where we're like, "Is that really a job?" Oh, yeah. I guess people actually do that for a living. Wow, that's pretty cool.

Julie: When I first started… do you know what SCORE is?

Kathi: Oh, yeah.

Julie: So for people listening, if they don't know, SCORE helps. They're retired entrepreneurs who, whatever their specialty is, help people. So when I first went to them for help, they're like, "You want to do what? What? Really? People do that?" And I was like, yeah, there's a whole… it's NAPO, people do it. And they were shocked, because a lot of the old-school people had never heard of it.

Kathi: Yeah, that's the thing about SCORE. I love SCORE. I think they're a great resource, but a lot of them are older, and for new things maybe not so much. But business is back to the basics, and they still really help you build a really good infrastructure. So if any of you out there are looking to switch careers or explore what you might want to do, well, I always say when you grow up, your real career, or the career that has purpose, check out SCORE and SBA and SBDCs. Great resources. So, yay. That's good. So let's talk a little bit about what you do now. I'm very intrigued about the end-of-life decluttering and end-of-life help. When I help clients declutter after transition, after someone in their life has transitioned, it's really precious work to me. So talk to me about how that process works and how you help clients with end-of-life clearing.

Julie: Sure. So I got started because about three years ago my dad had a meeting with me and my brother saying, here's what I want to do at end of life. And it kind of shocked me. I was upset, but my mom passed recently, so a lot of stuff had been done, not everything. And I knew in that moment, as upset as I was, it brings peace of mind, because when someone dies or is in the process of dying, you want to focus your attention solely on that. And so I consider it a gift to support people in doing that prior. You never know when your number's called, so I think the earlier you do that, the better, especially if there are things that are important to you. Whether it's passing on your legacy, that's something maybe we can write up that's important. Maybe you want to start a foundation. Maybe you want to start a scholarship in your name. So I really look at it holistically. Of course there's the physical stuff, and I'm not an attorney, I don't play one on TV, but I have to tell you, as you know, you get to help people organize and declutter, and then they can go to the attorney and say, here's what I want, and have everything organized, so they're not paying the attorney $200 an hour to go through paperwork or whatever. So it's getting paperwork organized. It's thinking about end-of-life care. Do you have all your health care stuff together? Who's your health care proxy? Where are we going to store all these important papers? And we have to let people know that. What do you want to do with your digital afterlife? Do you want to can your Facebook page, or do you want it to continue? Do you want to do something cool and set up messages to be sent to people after you've died? So it's thinking about all of those things that you want to do.

I knew in that moment, as upset as I was, it brings peace of mind, because when someone dies or is in the process of dying, you want to focus your attention solely on that.

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Kathi: Wow. Yeah. There are so many moving pieces and so many pieces that people don't consider, just like Facebook messages in the afterlife. I've seen that, and it's hugely impactful when it's done properly. What amazing work you do. Like I say, there are so many moving pieces, there's a lot to consider, and thank goodness we have people like you, and our profession in general, who can help people with that. So that's really good. I really want to touch on that because I think it's super important right now. But let's pop back into entrepreneurship. What do you feel is the biggest obstacle that you encountered when you started your new life profession as an organizer? What type of obstacle did you have to overcome as an entrepreneur?

Julie: I think for me, one of the biggest, and this might sound counterintuitive, was saying no, because I think it is so important to say no. One, you can work on your business 24/7. Well, in order to be amazing for your clients, you have to be your best possible self. And if you are constantly scattered, you're constantly doing things, you have to learn to be able to say no. And something else that I knew right from the beginning, I'll never forget. I had just started my business and someone said, "Hey, I want you to drive about 90 minutes from where I was living in Raleigh, and I want you to do all this work," but they couldn't really afford me. They could pay me this amount of money. Well, when you look at my time… And I said no. I had just started out. I didn't have a lot of business. But I set that boundary, because I believe you're not just setting the physical and emotional boundary. You're setting the energetic boundary, saying, I believe in myself. I have worth, and I'm going to say no, and I'm going to let everyone else know that. So saying no is a huge thing. You can't go to every networking event. You can't be everything to every client. So saying no is really important.

You're setting the energetic boundary, saying, I believe in myself. I have worth, and I'm going to say no.

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Kathi: I totally agree with that. And I found that out early in my career when I had a publishing and design agency. Saying no is really the biggest sign of professionalism that you can show, for yourself and for your clients. The ability to say no with grace and without stress, knowing that it's all going to be fine. You're a much better businessperson and you're much better able to help your clients.

Julie: I love that.

Kathi: So saying no is a huge, huge thing. So you overcame that, you learned how to say no, but did you have any other things that were like hiccups when you first started, that you had to figure out as an entrepreneur?

Julie: I'm trying to think. Well, I don't know if I'd consider this a hiccup, but where I lived at the time, there were a lot of professional organizers. You could almost throw a stone and hit someone. And this ties into it, I believe: I had to figure out what's my niche. Who is it that I'm going to serve? And very early on, I was the first professional organizer in the state of North Carolina to focus on sustainable organizing. And people said to me, you're going to be dead in the water. You have made a huge mistake. Just get out now. Bow out gracefully. And I thought, well, one, it's who I am, and I can't change who I am. I'll never force anyone to be sustainable, but if I'm green, I'm always going to share that. And instead of tanking, I found success. Does that answer the question a little more?

Instead of tanking, I found success.

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Kathi: Yeah, absolutely. Finding a niche is so important, and I think as professional organizers, we all start general, and the sooner we can niche down, the better, because we are our own avatar. I'm sure that your clients are like you. My clients are like me. We are our own beacon in the darkness, right? So we shine our light, and those that need what we have will have it. But if you're not specific about who you are, the beacon's not there. It's just a big white light. It doesn't really help. Like you say, there are a lot of professional organizers. I love the fact that there are a lot of professional organizers, and I love interviewing other organizers like you, because there's so much business out there and there are so many people that need specific things from us. So I commend you for that. It takes a while to figure out. When I first started, I was a professional organizer and image consultant, and I still am. At the beginning there was no one else who did image, and for me it made total sense, because I'm in their closet and I'm not just saying, have you not worn it for a year? I'm like, why are you not wearing this, or you shouldn't be wearing this. For me it made sense. Now I'm one of the old-timers in the industry, and there are a lot of new, artistic, creative organizers coming on the scene who are also image consultants, and they get it, because it totally works. So I niched out as well, and also, being a serial entrepreneur for 30 years, helping other entrepreneurs. So what do you think would be another piece of advice that you would give to entrepreneurs who are trying to stay organized and keep their business together? Do you have any quick tips that you'd like to provide to the listeners?

Julie: I would say get a handle on email. I think that's so important. And a tip is to think of it as processing instead of answering. Oh, I've got to answer email. But if you say, hmm, I've got to process email: am I to do something? Am I going to delete it? Am I going to delegate it? Or is it something where, okay, I need to think more thoroughly and respond later? So I think email is important. I believe also in responding to everyone. Even if it's not the right client for you, say, "Hey, you know what? I'm not a good fit for you." But having a good referral system, you may say, hey, talk to Kathi. She's an image consultant. I can help you clear your closet, but she can take you a step further and say, you might not be wearing it because it doesn't look good. So I think it's always important to have good referral partners. And then again, know that you can't be everything to everyone. Find out who you like to work with and what your skills are, and don't worry about that. What you put out, you get back in life. So if you're always referring people, that'll come back to you. If you're honest and you don't waste their time or yours, that is a good thing for you. It's not a bad thing.

Think of it as processing instead of answering.

Kathi: I love that. I think having a good referral network just makes you more professional, and it allows you to let go of that potential business that you shouldn't be doing anyhow, because it'll come right back around again. We're on the same page, girlfriend. So I love that. Okay, so you have something you could give our readers. What is it that you're going to offer that's a valuable free product they can grab? And I'll put the link down below, by the way.

Julie: Perfect. Thank you. So go to reawakenyourbrilliance.com. I have a free self-assessment. I'm going to ask you 10 questions and you can discover your clutter priority. If you're like, ah, I feel kind of cluttered, but I don't know where to start, we've got 10 questions for you. And depending on what your priority is, I give you a quick action tip. So bam, you do the assessment and you can get started on decluttering your life.

Kathi: Yep. Because you know what, the most important thing is to just start. That's what I always say. It doesn't matter where you start, just start somewhere. So take the questionnaire, and that might help you get kick-started on your projects. So as we end this interview, the only thing that I wanted to ask you, Julie, is: what's the one thing that I should have asked you that I did not ask you?

Julie: I guess I'd probably say, what's your best piece of advice for life? Because we can't separate our professional and our personal. So I'd like to say to everyone listening and watching: remember that you are good enough, you are worthy and you are loved, no matter what. Because if you feel worthy, then you're going to shine your light even if someone wants you to dim it. If you're loved, then you don't have to feel like you're competing with someone and go out and buy a bunch of things. So it's important to remember that, and that we need you to share your gifts with the world now, more than at any other time, in my view.

Remember that you are good enough, you are worthy and you are loved, no matter what.

Kathi: Absolutely. And we all have our own unique gifts. I truly believe that by putting it out there and shining your light, you're a beacon for those who need what you have. And even if you don't feel that you have something unique, you do. There's something very unique that you can offer, and it's just a matter of finding out what that is. And tell me if you think this is right, Julie: I think the way to find out what it is, is experimenting. Do something and see how it feels. Does that feel really exciting to you and really cool? If it does, that could be the gift that you have to offer. Do you agree with that?

Julie: A thousand percent. You want to wake up and be filled with joy: oh yeah, I get to work with a client today. I'm going to get to help them. I'm going to have fun. You want to be in joy. How many of us are like, ugh, Monday morning, right? And here it comes around again. Life's short. Embrace it. You have to do what you're meant to do. Everyone listening has a skill. Everyone listening has a talent. Sometimes we get these messages that maybe our parents or our friends or family or society told us: you can't do that. No. Like you said, there are no mistakes. It's about learning lessons. Try something. Eh, I thought it'd be fun. Not really. And then you course correct and you try something else. It's about being in joy.

Kathi: Yes. Being in joy. We are so synchronistic. I am just so enjoying this interview. We think alike. And I think our profession in general is a bunch of optimists, and we're a bunch of people who grab the opportunity to do what we really love, because there are so many other things we could do in life. But helping people release the stuff that's holding them back, really, that's my juice. People think I'm disorganizing their stuff or whatever. It's really allowing them to be more free so that they can find their purpose, so that they can live in joy. I always say we're kind of sneaky like that, aren't we, as professional organizers?

Julie: It's true. It's true. There's a bigger purpose.

Kathi: Yeah, absolutely. Well, you know what? This has been a delight. I'm so appreciative of your time. Everybody, grab the resource down below and have a stellar week. And thank you so much, Julie, for being a guest. I really appreciate it.

Julie: Thanks so much for having me, Kathi.

Kathi: Absolutely.