As you all know the NEAT team went all in this year and decided to launch FOUR cities at once. When you have such amazing candidates, it can be hard to choose so we went with four! After sharing that our doors have opened in Denver, Milwaukee, and St. Louis, it was time for us to share our final city launch for 2015 – NEW JERSEY! We were lucky enough to find two NEAT girls who wanted to be partners in New Jersey and we certainly agreed they were the PERFECT PAIR. Want to know what makes them so great? Check out our interview below!
NM:: Hi Ladies! This is our first double interview! To keep things simple for our readers, all of Jennifer's photos will be on the left and Erika's will be on the right. Let's start with an introduction – tell our readers a bit about yourselves!
JF:: I am Jennifer Ferriso and I have lived in Morristown, New Jersey for 11 years, and I was born and raised in NJ, and have lived in Westfield, Basking Ridge, Summit and New Vernon.
ED:: I am Erika Downes and I was born and raised in New Jersey as well. My husband and I chose to raise our family in Morristown, NJ. We love our roots!
NM:: Both being from New Jersey is so great for your future clients – you know the area and lifestyle so well – lucky them! Tell us what you were doing before you joined NEAT and what made you want to run NEAT in your city.
JF:: Before Neat, I have been a stay at home Mom to my three girls, Bella 16, Mia 14, and Lucia 10. But before that I worked for Estee Lauder in New York City, in the Creative Marketing Department. I wanted to set up Neat Method because I absolutely love organizing! It makes me so happy to see a space transformed, and it helps me stay focused on my kids, my husband and my day. Since my entire house is organized, I started working on some friend’s homes, so I wanted to turn it into a business.
ED:: Before I ran NEAT NJ, I was just like every other busy woman balancing themselves and EVERYTHING and EVERYONE else in their life! In my case, I was a hockey mom to 3 players, wife and part time lawyer. Being organized brought me peace and fulfillment. I wanted to run NEAT because I knew it was possible to be BUSY and NEAT! To think Jen and I could run our own business and help make other people NEAT and happy was a dream come true. It felt somewhat ironic that as we organized my house the entire past year with countless conversations about starting our own organizing business, we found NEAT Method (on INSTAGRAM!) and it was meant to be! Jen and I working as a team was invaluable, we literally moved my family out of our old home and into our new larger space. And had sooo much fun doing it and we were really good at it;)
NM:: We love that you found us on Instagram! What makes New Jersey the perfect NEAT city? Why will your clients find you?
ED:: New Jersey is unique because it is the most densely populated state in the United States! From large farms in Sussex County to urban cool brownstones and apartments in Hoboken to beach houses in Seaside and Stone Harbor, there are many boots and suits to organize. Jersey girls and guys are packed into this great state and are prime to find peace and love from NEAT NJ!
NM:: Since you are both from New Jersey, you have to be a wealth of knowledge when it comes to places to shop and eat! What can you share?
JF:: Erika and I agree that our favorite place to eat in Morristown is The Creamery. Other places to note are definitely La Focaccia, in Summit, and 90 Acres in Peapack.
NM:: Okay, you all know the drill now… tell us about your most organized and least organized spaces!
JF:: My most organized space is my kitchen junk drawer. I am in it everyday so it is constantly being updated and rearranged. My least organized space is my kids toy closet. I have bins, but overtime more and more things have been added to it. It needs a little Neat Method makeover….
ED:: My new pantry is my most organized space. My magnetic boar is now TOTALLY covered with pictures of my family but tucked away behind the pantry door – a WAY better option than pictures on the fridge! My “new” mudroom is my least organized space mostly because it is a work in progress. Its first on my list for NEAT Method……way too many hats.
NM:: Thanks for sharing your secret messes! Speaking of secrets… do you have any hidden talents we should know about?
JF:: One of my hidden talents is that I used to be a ballet dancer and I danced in New York City with The Joffrey Ballet when I was 15.
NM:: ummmmmmmmm impressive!
ED:: Hidden Talent….3 kids make you forget your own talents …LOL….I played the piano at Carnegie Hall in NYC in high school and can still play the simple tune of Fur Elise! Hidden/long ago talent!!
NM:: You two are literally a perfect team!! Both of you are killing it in the fine arts department. Remind us to request a talent show the next time we are together!
NM:: Tell us about a Blog that we need to know about!
ED:: Both Jen and I follow Suebee's kitchen. She is a friend of ours and makes DELICIOUS and inspiring meals! I also like to support the blog that was created for my son’s friend who is ten years old and was diagnosed with cancer at 18 months old. Its really important to me to make time for causes that recognize human achievement and bring people together in a positive way.
NM:: That is really an incredible story about Will, Erika. Thanks for sharing. Speaking of sharing – we want to know more about how you organize in New Jersey! What is your favorite organizing product?
JF:: Hands down, our favorite product is our label maker. We can't go a day without it!
NM:: So NEAT NJ clients can expect you to show up with that! What else can they expect when you two arrive to their home?
JF:: When people hire me to organize their home they can expect me to be excited about the project and eager to learn about their spaces. They can also expect a big smile and lots of encouragement.
ED:: When we enter a client’s home, they can expect two highly motivated women who work diligently with an eye for detail that will leave the client wondering what room will be next!
NM:: You two are so ready to take on New Jersey! What do you think will be your favorite part about running NEAT?
JF:: My favorite part of running Neat in NJ will be interacting with the clients and getting them excited for organizing their Neat spaces. I want them to learn to love it the way I do and never to dread it again!
ED:: My favorite part of running NEAT NJ is going to be seeing the joy NEAT brings my clients. I will also love working tirelessly and quickly with Jen to get the job done which will be fulfilling. I know how NEAT Method changed my life and is sustainable with a busy family and I can’t wait to spread the word about the NEAT life!
NM:: We are so excited to have you ladies! Anything else we need to know before we say goodbye?
ED:: My goal in a year is to donate NEAT time to Goryeb Children’s Hospital at Morristown Medical Center!
NM:: Let's make that happen!
NM:: Did we mention that these two were college roommates!? Welcome to the NEAT team, Jennifer and Erika. We are thrilled that you two will be helping us end our 2015 cities with a bang!
xx
the NEAT girls
