Meet Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, the Nashville based home organisers who have made organising fun, turning their passion into the Netflix hit, Get Organised with The Home Edit

Tell us about yourselves and how the two of you came to know each other?

We were both new to Nashville and a mutual friend set us up on a “blind date” because she thought we had a lot in common (Jewish, husbands both in the music industry, kids of the same age, wanting to start an organising business). That same night, we came up with our company name, designed our logo, bought our domain, and registered our business. Organisers are nothing if not efficient. Looking back, it’s probably ill-advised to essentially get married after a matter of hours, but we knew it felt meant to be. 

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Tell us about your business? How did the two of you begin your careers in home organisation?  

Clea: We’d each wanted to start organising companies on our own but hadn’t made the leap. Once we met, it just felt right. We’re both extremely organised people, obviously, but coming from different backgrounds, we balance each other in terms of style and utility.

Joanna: I’d never wanted a business partner before meeting Clea. But truly the minute I met her, I thought, this will totally work.

We have seen a huge popularity surge in home organisation and a desire for simplicity in our lives. Why do you think this is?

Clea: There’s so much we can’t control in the world right now but you *can* control the way your home operates. An organised home makes your everyday life feels less chaotic. People are realising how gratifying it can be to just start the day with everything in its place. It lifts a mental burden. Organising gives people something productive to do, rather than just refreshing their news feeds every five minutes.

Joanna: People are definitely looking for a sense of control and to create a more peaceful environment in their home. Life is hard enough…if you can avoid unnecessary frustration in your life, why wouldn’t you? 

How would you describe The Home Edit’s style?

Beautiful, functional, colourful, and cohesive. 

What do you love about your work?

Clea: Helping people bring peace and order to their space. Life runs a lot smoother when you have organised systems on your side. 

Joanna: Most of our clients tell us that after we organise, they feel less stressed. That’s an extremely rewarding part of our job. 

How did your Netflix show, Get Organised with The Home Edit, come about?

Clea: It all started with Molly Sims back in 2016. She found us on Instagram and reached out to us about helping her organise her home and contribute to her new lifestyle book. We obviously jumped at the opportunity and flew out to LA where we spent about three days in Molly’s home working on projects and photographing them. I vividly remember being in the pantry with Joanna, bickering about where to store the spices, and Molly and her husband, Scott, who is a huge producer, turned to each other and were like, “This needs to be a show.” 

Joanna: It’s surreal to think that it all started in Molly’s kitchen. And from there, we were put in touch with Reese Witherspoon and her production company, Hello Sunshine (which actually acquired us earlier this year! So crazy!) and the rest is history. 

Has the success of The Home Edit surprised you?

Joanna: I knew that we would take Nashville by storm and do amazing work in people’s homes. But I honestly thought it would end there.

Clea: I guess the answer is yes and no. I knew that we’d make a splash on Instagram and social if done correctly. It was a space that no other organisers were using, and it’s a visual type of work that we do. I really wanted to make sure that we had a significant social following, and I really wanted a product collection—both of which happened! But it still blows my mind that we’ve grown our company to what it is today. It feels surreal.  

What have you learnt from the past two years while the world has been in the grips of COVID? Has the experience of the pandemic changed how you work?

We’ve never been paused for that long before. So we took the time to re-strategise how we do things, how we interact with our clients, how employees can be socially distanced, all of the stuff that needed to go into it. And we had the bandwidth to do it—which was enormously helpful. 

What is The Home Edit’s favourite project to date? Why?

It’s so hard to choose! We’d probably have to say Gwyneth Paltrow…even to this day. Her playroom and pantry put us on the map.

You both have busy lives with careers, family etc. – how do you balance this?

Clea: I won’t lie, it’s definitely challenging. Our husbands are a huge help—we wouldn’t be where we are today without them. They are so supportive and so capable and we are so lucky. It also helps to have systems in place. We live and breathe by our organised systems. They streamline our life and make everything plug and play. 

Joanna: Yes, what Clea said! We also embrace something we like to call “The Low-Bar Lifestyle.” Life is hard enough. Let’s not set the bar so high that we can’t accomplish things. Let’s just take bite-size pieces as we go. It’s the only way we’re ever going to get through today.

What exciting things does The Home Edit have in store for us?

Now that we’ve joined the Hello Sunshine team, it will allow us to grow in bigger and faster ways than we could on our own—which is so exciting! We’re working on developing a podcast and more products, and also continue to expand the service side of our business.  

If you could give our readers one great piece of advice for organising their home, what would it be?

One of the biggest pitfalls in organising is choosing a project that’s way too involved, too soon. It’s all about staying motivated. Start with a smaller project like a drawer, then take the confidence and knowledge you gain from that and apply it to a slightly larger project. 

Getting to know Joanna and Clea……

Most influential person in your life?

Clea: My mother 

Joanna: Clea

You are both known for wearing the cutest sweaters. What are your favourite fashion labels?

Rails, Ann Taylor Loft, Chinti & Parker 

Favourite overseas destination?

Clea: Paris 

Joanna: London 

Favourite flower?

Clea: Peonies

Joanna:  Hydrangeas 

Favourite book?

Clea: Harry Potter series 

Joanna: Goodnight Moon

Favourite meal out?

Clea: Spicy tuna roll 

Joanna: NY Bagel with vegan scallion cream cheese

Favourite TV show (apart from Get Organised, of course!)?

Clea: The West Wing 

Joanna: Shark Tank 

What item is a must have when home organising?

Clea: Bins. The simplest solution to contain your items and maintain your systems. 

Joanna: Ditto!

IMAGES: Supplied

@thehomeedit

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