Meet Devon Fegen-Herdman | Professional Organizer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Devon Fegen-Herdman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Devon, what matters most to you?
As the founder of Declutter with Devon LLC I infused my personal values and background into my business. I have been a licensed social worker for over 17 years and consider Professional Organizing social work adjacent. I still get to talk to people and help them, just with a focus on their things. In particular I incorporate the values of dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, and social justice. Each person I work with is an individual with their own thoughts, opinions, and desires. While most of us own too many possessions (including myself!) which can make organization difficult, I always say that my clients do not have to get rid of anything they don’t want to. I try to point out duplicates or items that may be possible to discard and gently question if the person has used or plans to use the item or if it is sentimental. I am never pushy and the person’s emotions are of the utmost importance. Often I am working in tandem with my clients for short visits over a period of weeks or months. This slow process of discarding and organization allows clients to learn new skills and practice maintaining their neat spaces over time which leads to success. A positive working relationship is key to this process. Finally, I believe strongly in social justice which means serving people from all walks of life including folks who identify in all different ways.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Through Declutter with Devon LLC I’ve had the joy to work with many clients to help them declutter, simplify, and organize their homes. Working with others is what fills my cup and keeps me going. One of my clients left a review that said it felt like having a friend there. That is my goal: providing a safe and comfortable atmosphere where we can laugh and work together to get your home in the shape you want it to be.

Personally, I fell in love with the tiny home movement and have been following minimalism for years. I get excited to purge my own excess belongings and practice living with less. After years of following the experts, reading books, watching documentaries and completing several whole house decluttering courses, I was ready to take my passion to the next level and share it with others. My background in social work means I already have lots of training and experience in working with others, assisting with emotions, and making home visits, which made the transition to professional organizing a natural fit.

When I first started speaking with friends and family about starting my business, I got a very strong positive response. It takes a lot of hard work behind the scenes to create and run a successful business. For me, often the greatest challenge was finding the time, since I continued to work a day job when starting this venture. I have had to learn a lot about marketing and social media to run my business. I was lucky enough to find a wonderful social media coach, shoutout to Sheila Sheehan! I was not even on Instagram when I started my business, now I try to post several times a week.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Avon, which is a suburb of Cleveland. As a native, I believe Cleveland and the surrounding areas have so much to offer! Recently, my family saw a play at the Beck Center in Lakewood (fabulous). We love to grab a treat after, either at Malley’s or at one of Mitchell’s Homemade ice cream shops. Our kiddos are always looking for fun activities and since it is currently winter, we love to go ice skating at Rocky River Recreation Department’s Ice Arena. We also hope to go tobogganing this winter at the Metroparks Strongsville Toboggan Chutes and Chalet. Another winter favorite is snow tubing at Boston Mills Brandywine, or sledding down the big hill at Westlake Recreation Center. For indoor fun, we like to jump, run and climb at Play: CLE here in Avon, Urban Air at Crocker Park, or SkyZone Westlake. We love to eat sushi as a family, and a favorite experience is Watami Revolving Sushi Bar in Parma. These are just a few family friendly places where you might find us, but I could go on and on. If you are new to Cleveland or thinking about a visit, there’s so much to see and do here!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give a Shoutout to a book I read that started it all, “We All Should Be Millionaires” by Rachel Rodgers. As a black woman, she is especially aware of the messages given to women and minorities by society about owning a small businesses and gives great advice and encouragement. The book is so inspirational, I started my business within months of reading it!

I would like to give a Shoutout to Nicole McGee. She is the visionary who was kind enough to invite me in so that we could co-found Upcycle Parts Shop together, a Cleveland-based non-profit recycle art center. I learned how to start and run a business through conversation, brainstorming, laughing and collaborating with her through all these years together.

I would like to give a Shoutout to my husband for taking care of things while I embarked on this wild ride. When I started this business, of course I didn’t know if my idea would take off. He has been my rock and my foundation through it all.

Website: https://www.declutterwithdevon.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/declutterwithdevon

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/devon-fegen-herdman-272a358

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/declutterwithdevon

Image Credits
Professional headshot: Michael Wypasek
All additional photos: Cailee Bryant