Simplify in Style – An Interview With Laina Florio

posted 26th October 2011    Written by: Laurenne    CATEGORY: All Posts, Creativity, Job/Career/Work, Laurenne, Life Lesson, Spirituality, What I've Learned

The assignment called for me to interview an AMAZING woman in her twenties or thirties. I tell this to Laina and she laughs.

“I just turned forty,” she says.

I’m shocked. I could have sworn we had shared some good ‘Saved by the Bell’ jokes at one point. I figured we were the same age. Laina and I met in our Master’s program for Spiritual Psychology at the University of Santa Monica. I think she’s amazing because she’s a shining ray of light. She exhales positivity as she runs a business she loves. Plus, she’s able to help me look at things from all sorts of angles. A problem solver and an organizer, she reminds me of how balanced I’d like to be. One day.

Right after she picks up the phone, Laina has to call me back because she’s spilled green juice on her comforter. It makes me think I might like to add some greens to my diet. When she calls me back, I tell her that I’m not continuing the Spiritual Psychology program at USM because I’m overwhelmed and don’t feel in control of my time.

She recommends Time Warrior, a book by life coach Steve Chandler. Then she suggests I write down what I do every single day in order to track my time. From there, I can make a schedule and see how I can better spend it.

I’ve talked to Laina for two minutes, and she’s already inspired me to change my diet and overhaul my life. I’ve also made the whole thing about ME! Finally, we get to her story.

Tell me how you got to this point. Where did you start?
I was in fashion for 16 years [I still cannot believe she’s forty]! I worked in the corporate world of fashion, overseeing multiple stores. I was in charge of sales, people, marketing, operations, and merchandising.

 

What kind of stores?
High end boutiques, most recently Coach. I was in charge of all the New England stores.

Wow! That’s a nice job.
It was really great at first. I traveled to Europe with the Gap when they were expanding. I loved how challenging and rewarding my career was. But, still… I felt like something was missing. I wanted to do something that resonated in my heart. I took those ‘what’s your career path?’ tests and went through a really confusing time during that last year at Coach. I was supposed to be motivating my team, and I felt so fake all of a sudden.

And then you finally quit?
I got laid off in May of 2010. I was devastated at first, which was weird. I felt like I’d lost part of my identity as someone who worked in fashion. Then I realized it was a gift, that the universe made the decision I had been reluctant to make.

So, then you started your organizing business?
First I went through a questioning period. What do I do with my life? Where should I live? What’s in my heart? I took time off to figure it out. It was supposed to be three months and then it came to be a year. I spent a summer traveling and listening to my thoughts. I ended up in Nepal for an inner and outer journey. That trip was life-changing. At the end of the trip, I realized something: 3 out of the 8 people on the trip were graduates of USM, and those people stood out from the others. They were all calm and had this energy about them that I really loved. I got on a plane and was in school three days later. Then I moved to California.

And then you started your organizing business?
Yes. School helped me to really focus and define what I wanted. Now I have Simplify in Style. I love redesigning rooms to give everything a space. But then I help people create better habits for organizing. I make life simpler for a lot of people.

 

I have seen Laina work with clients, and it’s truly amazing. She claims to be an organizer, but she’s much more. She helps people think differently about their “things.” She rearranges homes and thoughts. She gets people on track. She is a coach, a friend, and an open-minded idea generator.

 

So, you’re basically changing how people live?
Yeah!

How does that feel?
It’s weird that it’s exactly what I was looking for when I got laid off. I figured out what I’m good at, and it feels really good because I’m giving back. Especially NOW. There’s so much stress in the world right now. We have so much information and there’s so much going back and forth. I don’t believe our brains were built to handle all this stuff. So, if what I do helps people simplify their mental and physical pollution, then that makes me happy.

Do you practice what you preach? How do you stay organized?
Yes.  I’ve always been organized.  My motto is “everything has a home.”  In terms of ‘simplifying,’ I started that last year. It’s been a process. I started minimizing drama. I had to separate myself from some friends who I thought were cluttering my life with drama. Then I got rid of two-thirds of all my clothes! I had three closets before.

Was that hard?
Yes! It was a process, but I feel so much lighter. I only really wore 30% of my clothes. Some stuff I sold and made $3000! And that definitely felt good. And then there are the little things. I cleaned out my email.

Oh my gosh! I have 12,000 UNREAD emails alone, but it’s too daunting to go through them all.
I can get that down to 1000 in an hour! Then, I can help you get it down to a manageable number, like 50.  Then I can help you think differently about your email so it doesn’t get to 12,000 again.

UNREAD! Probably 50,000 total. Eek! Oops, I’ve made it about me again. Now I know what all my ex-boyfriends meant about that. Any other advice for people who might be going through their crisis now?

Stop! At one point, just stop! Take a week off from your normal routine. Take a break from technology. Have alone time. Start journaling. See what comes up and identify what’s the mental and physical pollution and potential solutions in your life. Maybe list it. Then prioritize what’s important to you. Also, hire me!

Would you give Stratejoy readers a discount?
Of course! If you want your house or mind re-oranized, check me out at SimplifyinStyle.com

Before we hang up, Laina asks me a few simple questions. Suddenly I’ve decided to continue my studies at our school. She’s convinced me that the problem I have with time is all in my head. The woman is magical. I fear she can convince me to do anything, so I hang up on her.


[Photo credit : Roy Dunn]

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Comments (7)

7 Responses to “Simplify in Style – An Interview With Laina Florio”

  • simonesays Says:
    October 26th, 2011 at 3:14 pm

    I absolutely LOVE this post. I feel so inspired. I'm exceptionally organized (to a fault), and would love to help others organize their lives. I like the suggestion to just stop and take a week off. Thanks for introducing Laina to us.

  • Sanaz Dahi Says:
    October 29th, 2011 at 2:38 pm

    This is amazing!!!! love u both.xx

  • erinmakesitwork Says:
    October 29th, 2011 at 7:00 pm

    I think we all need a Laina in our lives. Its amazing to have someone that can help you turn and look inside. School must be important to you, otherwise you wouldn't want to continue…GOOD LUCK!

  • laurenne_s Says:
    October 31st, 2011 at 9:47 pm

    I feel a new career coming on for you! HEY! Maybe you should try USM! Yeah, baby!

  • laurenne_s Says:
    October 31st, 2011 at 9:47 pm

    Awww! MWAH!

  • laurenne_s Says:
    October 31st, 2011 at 9:48 pm

    Thank you. School is important to me! You're right. Scary, but important! And, yes, we do all need a Laina in our lives (said at 11pm with a pile of stuff to do!)

  • Kat Says:
    November 1st, 2011 at 4:20 pm

    Damn, I could have used her when I was clearing out all of my worldly possessions!

    Your posts never fail to make me laugh out loud. I love the way you write.

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