Meet Mary Kathryn LaVallee, Organizer Extraordinaire and 2021 Rising Stars Cover Winner

Categories: 2021 Rising Stars, Organization

Mary Kathryn LaVallee | Age 25
Owner of OrderUp Design

Mary Kathryn LaVallee has been into home organizing as the owner of OrderUp Design for three years, but she’s actually been in the business for more than a decade. At an early age, her role with her dad’s real estate company sparked an interest in working in the home industry, and a knack for being organized throughout high school and college made it obvious that combining the two was where she’d find her passion. Now, the fact that she gets to help people doing what she loves makes her career, basically, the best job ever.

What’s your business philosophy?
‘Home is where the heart is!’ Being welcomed into someone’s life and having a chance to enhance it is such a pleasure. Home is personal, and the work I get to do every day really does make a difference in people’s lives.

How has your dad had an impact on you as a business owner?
While my dad knows very little about organizing, he knows the ins and outs of running a business better than anyone I know. The journey of starting a business as a young female has been much easier with his years of knowledge and constant support.

How do you give back to the community?
I have based my business on the principle of letting go of items that would be loved somewhere else, so we offer to take donations to different organizations in Atlanta. I also put together goody bags for the homeless with commonly needed donated items. Lastly, I offer to work with nonprofit organizations at a heavily discounted price to help them with any organizing they may need — like Urban Recipe, whose new warehouse space we organized.

What makes you the best at your job?
Being a young business owner is difficult, but I am determined, and I’m a problem solver! I am constantly trying to better myself and my company. Whether it’s passing school with dyslexia or organizing an old house with no storage space, any problem I am faced with, I will find a solution.

www.orderupdesign.com
www.facebook.com/orderupdesign