Getting to know The Filing Fairies (part 2 – Jo)

Hello, my name is Jo or Filing Fairy #2.

I am a daughter, sister, wife, mother, Girl Guide leader, volunteer and a perfectionist. Always have been. I am sure my family and friends think I am OCD in the way I  constantly clean, tidy, sort, throw or file everything. From a young age if something wasn’t where my parents had left it, they would ask ‘Joanne, where did you put…?’ as I was always putting away and throwing out. I was blamed for things going missing, as they would assume I had thrown it out! My cousins would taunt me about my bedroom being so ordered and tidy, that they would sneak in while I was out and move things around just to annoy me.

Having a place for everything, so that everything has its place is my mantra. If it doesn’t have a home, you don’t need it. If you haven’t used or worn it for over a year, you don’t need it. I know where every single thing I own is at any point – my husband doesn’t even bother looking for anything anymore, he just asks – ‘where is…’ and I answer. Most people hate cleaning out their cupboards and organising their files – I love it.

I worked in Event Management for over 11 years and I completed a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2007, with the dream of one day owning and running my own business.

Mara and I met while working in event management. We worked so well together: I wouldn’t even have to ask her where a file was saved on the computer system, as our thoughts were so alike and ordered, it was exactly where I would have saved it. Several times it was mentioned ‘we should start our own business together’. Six years on and 10 months after having my daughter, Mara approached me with the idea of ‘The Filing Fairies’. How could I resist! I had resigned from my previous position after having my daughter, as I wanted to be with her as much as possible, so working from home, doing what I love most – organising – AND running our own business was a dream come true.

I look forward to sharing the journey with you.

Jo