What did Jana do before starting a Professional Organizing business?

As a first-born girl of seven children, Jana learned early on how important organization was. Until the age of 15, she shared a small bedroom with three younger sisters. Having an organized room was imperative for a shy, studious child who valued privacy and order. At the age of ten, she began rearranging furniture to find the most sensible organizing solution possible for four lively young girls sharing the same bedroom. Around the same time, Jana began babysitting and selling flower seeds door-to-door. Hence, the entrepreneur in her was born. Jana may have been born with a special “space design” gene, or perhaps she learned early on from her resourceful mother how important and worthwhile being organized is for a large, busy household. However it came about, Jana is truly blessed with a talent for organization and space design.

After high school, Jana attended Sawyer College of Business where she learned stellar secretarial skills. After graduation, she became a secretary for an escrow company and real estate investment firm for several years. Later, she was a music librarian; organizing media at a local radio station. Another interesting job she held in her early 20s was that of a private investigator for an insurance fraud investigation company.

During her late 20s, 30s and early 40s, Jana lived in the Northern California Bay Area. After working as a Secretary for Stanford Medical Hospital, SRI International she decided to put herself through college, while continuing to work almost full-time.. She started off majoring in business administration, and switched mid-stream to focus on Speech Communications. Jana graduated with honors from Foothill Community College with a Speech/Communications degree and lots of business classes under her belt. Later, while working as an executive secretary and project coordinator for a biotech firm, she studied Business Management at the University of Phoenix.

In the Summer of 1998, Jana chose to explore the up-and-coming field of professional organizing and attended a chapter meeting of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). Soon after that meeting, Jana resigned her project coordinator job position SEQUUS/ALZA Pharmaceuticals and began Sensible Organizing Solutions! Jana moved her business to San Diego in 1998 to be close to family and enjoy warmer weather. The rest, as they say, is history.

Being a member of NAPO and a board member of the San Diego Chapter has afforded Jana many years of continued education, collaboration, leadership opportunities and media exposure. Many of her professional successes are outlined in Jana’s Professional Qualifications page.

More importantly, experience is the ultimate teacher and Jana is ever the wiser since embarking on this adventure. She now celebrates over 20 years of providing sensible organizing solutions to smart, busy, sometimes overwhelmed people in San Diego County and beyond!

To find out how Jana can help improve the quality of your living or working situation…