Meeting Location & Time

MOM'S INC. is now WOMEN BALANCING BUSINESS! New name, same great group! Please visit our new web page to see what's happening starting in June 2015:


Thanks for your interest...we look forward to meeting you!

PLEASE NOTE NEW MEETING DAY AND LOCATION:
Mom's Inc. Silver Spring Chapter meets the 3rd TUESDAY of every month from 10:00 AM until Noon at:

The Olney Library, 3500 Olney-Laytonsville Road (Rte.108), Olney, MD 20832 in the Small Meeting Room.

Mark Your Calendar (topics and speakers are subject to change)

COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT in honor of Mother's Day:
Baby Shower - we will collect baby items at our May and June meetings to donate locally for new mothers needing a little help to bring baby home! Please bring your unwrapped contributions for baby boy and girl layettes - onesies, receiving blankets, pacifiers, crib sheets, etc. Mom's Inc. will provide the diaper bags to fill with your donations.

Speakers List

  • 5/19/15 - Guest Speaker - Sheila Martel, Producer, Writer & Mentor and Member Spotlight - Annette M. Bergmann, Realtor - Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, PenFed Realty

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Spot Light on Donna Dettling - Professional Organizer


Sometimes life takes us on a little detour to get to where we are meant to be.

Donna Dettling’s journey to becoming a Professional Organizer started with a career in accounting that spanned more than three decades. She fell into that profession purely by chance, and like many good employees, Donna gave her best at work but knew being an accountant was not her ultimate calling.

The wake-up call came when her corporate accounting position was restructured. All of a sudden Donna had a chance to decide what she really wanted to do. Instead of finding another accounting job, she chose to reinvent herself completely.

Her first steps of taking on this midlife transition were to re-examine her passion internally and her options externally. Under the guidance of a transition coach (resulting from her savvy negotiation as part of the exit package), Donna reviewed her strengths, skills and personality traits. She took note of the career choices made by people around her, including her father who was a business owner. After much soul searching, Donna decided that running a Professional Organizing business was a perfect fit for her.

Fast forward three years, Donna is now solidly staking herself as a Professional Organizer in the Washington, DC area (she has even made it into the Washingtonian Magazine), bringing calm and order to homes and offices. The transition process was not always easy, but with a step-by-step deliberate planning process, a good coach and a nurturing support system, the quest of finding the place she is meant to be has made Donna a much happier, more fulfilled woman.

So, what’s Donna’s strategy for making it as a Professional Organizer?

1. Build the customer pipeline by consistently attending networking events. Donna attends at least one networking event every week.

2. Know that there will be valleys and peaks. Donna tries not to get too worried about the highs and lows of the business.

3. Manage downtime productively. Donna uses her quiet time to write blog postings and brainstorm about marketing.

4. Find your niche. Donna has a particular gift of calming her clients who may be going through a life-changing event. She brings them peace of mind.

5. Diversify revenue streams. Having established herself as an in-home Professional Organizer, Donna is now looking into providing her expertise virtually as an Organizing Coach.

6. Get training from groups such as National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). Donna keeps her profile accessible and her skills sharp by belonging to the trade group.

7. Keep an eye on the latest trends, products and ideas for motivation. Donna checks out Pinterest for new ideas to keeps things fun and inspiring for herself and her clients.

8. Be ready with tools. Donna keeps her supplies - bins, label maker, tapes and more - with her on every client call.

9. Have a good support system. Donna enjoys being a member at support groups such as Moms Inc. and On Purpose Network, where like minded business women help each other grow.

Looking ahead, Donna is seeing the change in how people feel about their “stuff”. While the older generation tended to accumulate possessions - perhaps due to enduring the scarcity caused by the Great Depression, the younger generation has less
attachment to physical properties, especially with rapidly changing technology.

Connecting to people and helping them design and create a place that is unique to their style and helpful to their daily lives is what makes Donna so happy about her chosen profession.
Donna Dettling, Owner
Simpler Life Solutions
Professional Organizing Services
Life and Time Management
(301) 330-8750 office
(301) 467-0423 cell