Organizer Julia Baum went from analyzing data to organizing people’s homes

Waltham-based professional organizer Julia Baum left behind a career in data analytics to help people across the Greater Boston area get organized. 

“I love individualism,” Baum said. “I really enjoy getting to know people and getting to know what works for them.”

Baum follows the SPACE organizing methodology developed by Julie Morgenstern, which stands for sort, purge, assign a home, containerize and equalize. 

Sort

Baum studied mathematics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, earned a master’s degree in supply chain management and later worked as a data analyst. She says she loves solving puzzles.  

Arielle S., who lives in Waltham, first contacted Baum a couple of years ago. Though she initially put organizing on hold, she reconnected with Baum when she and her husband were preparing to move into a new home. 

“Moving can be a really stressful transition where you’re really face-to-face with your stuff,” Baum said. 

Unpacking is Baum’s favorite part of organizing. She said she enjoys the blank slate. Baum helped Arielle filter what she owned into the new place. 

Purge

Baum worked on government-funded air traffic control projects at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before moving to Wayfair, where she analyzed lost packages and ways to prevent them. She enjoyed problem-solving, but wanted to make a change. 

“At the end of the day, I was looking at numbers on a spreadsheet, and I just didn’t love the day-to-day of it,” Baum said. 

Retirees Anne and George Hunter, who live in Cambridge, needed help clearing the path to their windows and creating four feet of space around them. They needed to move  many items, including furniture and lots of books, to accomplish this goal. A friend recommended Baum to them. 

“Once we realized how great she was, we went completely in on having her reorganize our entire apartment,” Anne said. 

Anne estimated they removed several thousand books and clothes in their household. Other miscellaneous items were also excavated. 

She said saying goodbye to items was difficult and made her emotional. Baum said some clients might need to tell a story of an object before they can let it go. 

Anne said the process also brought other items buried beneath the mess to light. 

Assign a home

Photographs and paintings the couple truly appreciates have surfaced, including paintings by George’s mother, who was an artist.  

“It’s a joy to have her paintings up on the wall, nicely displayed now,” George said.

George said he appreciates that the removed items are  delegated to a new home rather than thrown out.  

In the meantime, Baum spent time thinking about what work would be more fulfilling for her. She met with a career coach with a list of more than 10 careers she was considering, including electrician or realtor. The life coach noted that most of Baum’s conversations converged around professional organizing.  

In April 2020, Baum started her organizing business, OrganizeYourShelf. 

Containerize

Baum said one preference she modulates her consulting towards is determining whether the client needs to be able to see their items or not. 

“Something that is out of sight is out of mind,” Baum said. “If it’s behind a cupboard door, they can literally forget they own that item.”

Arielle said she wasn’t familiar with the level of complexity involved with organizing before working with Baum

“It’s a real art,” she said. 

Arielle said Baum provided an effective system with labeling and other techniques to make sense of the various items. “She helps you visualize everything,” she said. 

Equalize

Baum said she occasionally has one-off clients who just need her to set up the system, while other clients require regular sessions to update and make sure their organization system is working smoothly. 

“She[Baum]’s seen me through different phases of life,” Arielle said. 

Now Arielle has a two-year-old son, whose toy bin was overflowing. Baum helped her cut it down and decide whether to offload the toys to other people or donate them. 

Baum said she recommends people don’t try to tidy up or worry about how messy their situation is before welcoming her into their home.  

“Society as a whole has made clutter a very shameful thing so it can be very hard for them to reach out to me and have me come into their home,” Baum said. “I don’t care what your place looks like…I’m only there to help you get to whatever goal you’re trying to get to.”