by Carolyn Milligan Kerkhoff
Hi there! My name is Carolyn Milligan Kerkhoff and I am the newest Intern for Mission 2 Organize. I am not kidding when I say my experience with M2O thus far has been life-changing. Let me go back a bit…
When I was younger, I always dreaded that obligatory question that every adult seemed to ask; “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I did not dread this question because of how often it was asked or because I thought people were being nosy. No, I dreaded it because I never knew how to answer it. I would usually respond with “a stay-at-home mom” or “I don’t know”, neither of which received the best feedback. Later in life I thought, “maybe I’ll be a teacher or a nurse.” I knew one thing for sure; I did not want to work in an office where I would sit at a desk for eight to ten hours a day.
I attended Marquette University and after realizing I did not have the patience for teaching or the scientific mind for nursing, I decided to major in the broad field of Communication. After graduating from Marquette in 2016, the pressure to find a job quickly was intense. But how was I supposed to find a job if I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life? I fell into a position in Logistics and though it was a great first job out of college. I learned a lot but I still didn’t feel fulfilled. After two years in Logistics, I decided to take a chance and quit my job for a full-time nannying position.
I enjoyed being a nanny for many reasons. One of the main ones being that it gave me the opportunity to do something that I truly loved… ORGANIZE! When the kids were asleep or occupied with an activity, it was “go time” for me. I sorted the kids’ clothes and organized their closets and drawers. I organized the pantry, the cupboards and drawers in the kitchen and the kids’ toys. Anything I could get my hands on, I organized! The couple I nannied for always complemented my “projects” and suggested that I should look into professional organizing. Like in the tv shows? I decided to look into it.
When doing a search for professional organizing companies in Chicago, I was hoping for the best but not expecting much. I came across Mission 2 Organize and after looking at their website, I remember thinking “this is too good to be true.” I read some of their blogs and watched a handful of their popular YouTube videos. I quickly fell in love with Schae and Bahar and everything they stood for. I set up an interview with them.
I was so excited for my interview (which was a refreshing change from my typical anxious feeling about interviews). My feelings of excitement were validated as soon as I started talking to Schae and Bahar. We hit it off right away and seemed to check off all of each other’s boxes. “Are you a night owl?” they asked, “Our hours are 10am-10pm so sometimes we work late.” “I am the definition of a night owl,” I replied. “Are you okay with being on your feet for hours at a time?” they asked. “I prefer it. I can’t stand sitting around,” I said. “Do you like to write? Our whole team contributes to our blog, video scripts and newsletters,” they said to me. Is the Pope Catholic?! ☺
I walked out of the interview on cloud nine. “These are my people,” I thought to myself. Little did I know how much that statement would ring true.
