Dear Community,
This month I am celebrating Clean Slate’s fifth birthday!
When I started with my first client in April, 2018, I was afraid. I really wasn’t sure if I could pull it off. I was confident in my abilities as an organizer – that was never a question – but I had all these preconceived ideas about what it meant to be a business owner and I was terrified to start and possibly fail. I am proud that I looked my fear head on because it helped me grow in ways that I never dreamed possible!
The email and the bottle of wine that birthed Clean Slate
It took a few months and a few more clients for me to recognize that it really was okay to officially register a business with just one owner and a couple of clients. And yet, I couldn’t figure out what to call my business. In July of 2018 I gathered a small group of women in my home for a What’s in a Name? party. After sharing my vision and my “why” and many possible names, someone said, “What about CLEAN SLATE?” and there was this special moment: a collective "Aha!" We knew we had found the right name together! A few moments later, I remembered that I had purchased one of my favorite wines, still chilling in the fridge, called CLEAN SLATE.
An ongoing journey
Over the years I have committed to lovingly bringing my gifts to my clients and learning about business as I went along. I came to understand that the only way to be a business owner is to be one, and that it is normal and okay not to know everything. I now see growing a business as an ongoing journey that involves following my wisdom, my intuition, and my heart where they lead me, and then seeing what unfolds.
I am truly in awe
I am truly in awe when I think about who I was when I started Clean Slate and who I have become five years later. I am so grateful to all of my clients for giving me the chance to share my passion, and for coming along on this journey with me. I am also honored to be part of a supportive community of business owners and the strong womenpreneurs here in Vermont. It is a joy to be on this wild ride with incredible people who have become such an important part of my life over these five years.
My vision for Clean Slate
Five years ago, at the What’s in a Name? party, I told my friends that my long-term vision was for Clean Slate to become the go-to resource for organizing needs in our local community. I am so pleased to now be building a team of talented, caring organizers, each with their own specialty and a deep commitment to the community. As I have grown as a business owner I have realized that I would like to share what I have learned about organizing from the heart and building a successful business by trusting my intuition, and so I am developing an online course for new home organizers. As I look ahead, I know that the fabric of Clean Slate will always be helping people create space for what matters most.
Things keep moving forward
The energy of Clean Slate is both grounded and dynamic. Every single year there have been layers of learning and growth which is both exciting and a bit scary…always pushing up against the edges of my comfort zone. I continue to find joyful ways to align Clean Slate in service to the community, and I am particularly thrilled by the launch and growth of Wraparound Families and the amazing work that initiative is doing. As I celebrate five years of being in business, I feel adventurous and I feel grateful to be supported by so many remarkable people, by the business itself, and by the wisdom of nature. I know I am doing what I should be doing. What a gift!
Thank you for celebrating with me!
My hope is that the joy and sense of accomplishment that I am feeling as I send out this newsletter, enlivens whatever project you are working on, whether it be at home or at work.
Sarah Thompson
Clean Slate Home Organizing
