Meet the Team
Mindy Godding, CPO®
Meredith Spray, CPO® and SMM-C
Courtney Franges
Janelle Wilson
Lisa Munno
Remy Marcus
Cari DuVal
Obie, ATD®
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Mindy Godding, CPO®
Partner & Founder Certified Professional Organizer I’ve always found excuses to organize people and things, but it wasn’t until I saw an organizing show on HGTV in 2004 that I realized it was a career option! Leaving a successful nine-year career in retail because of a TV show was a huge leap of faith, but I’ve never looked back. While I originally expected to leverage my training and skills in space planning, merchandising, and showcasing, I’ve learned that organizing is more about empowerment and clarity than anything else. But don’t get me wrong—I love to make a closet look like a high-end boutique! I like spaces and lives that are active and full. I find a kindred spirit in people with high expectations and too much on their plate— people who are trying to fit 50 pounds of fabulous into a stylish 10-pound bag! As a chronic over-achiever, I have always struggled with “one-more-thing-itis.” It’s taken me years to learn that when you stop spinning your wheels and have time to focus on what’s important, you make room for opportunities. Whether it is clients or employees in my company, I love meeting new people, maximizing their strengths, and helping them have life experiences that are robust and fulfilling. Building on my own personal sustainability habits, I am passionate about incorporating environmentally conscious practices into organizing work, whether that be through the use of eco-friendly and sustainable products, connecting clients who have excess with community charitable organizations that have a need or promoting the benefits of organization and planning in terms of reducing waste and consumption. I believe that, as global citizens, all individuals and businesses have a responsibility to reduce our negative impact on the environment. I love that my role as an organizer gives me the opportunity to help my clients build these skills. My husband and I share our house and life with our dogs. After years of volunteer therapy dog work with my yellow lab and then my cattle dog, I believe that our four-legged companions can make any space feel like home. If I’m on a phone call or leading a virtual meeting, you can bet a dog is probably on the floor of my office, sleeping in the best patch of sunshine. -
Meredith Spray, CPO® and SMM-C
Human Resources Certified Professional Organizer Certified Senior Move Manager I like to be organized in my own life, to create calm, beautiful spaces. Knowing that I can make a difference in someone’s quality of life while doing something I love adds real value to the work I do. Formerly, as an aesthetician, I helped people feel good about themselves. Organizing isn’t all that different, except it is even more personal. It requires a tremendous amount of trust for people to let you into their home. I have so much compassion and respect for my clients. When we work together, we aren’t just organizing things. I help empower people to feel better about themselves and their space. I know from personal experience that asking for support can be hard, but I’ve learned that it is completely worth it. Fear can hold you back from doing a lot of the things you want to do, but it is a lot more painful to live with regrets than face the fear. I believe in living in the present and having faith that you’ll be able to handle anything that comes your way. What I most enjoy is styling—whether it is personal appearance, like clothes, accessories, and closets, or adding that designer touch, the little details that give a space its own signature. I believe in quality over quantity. It’s fun to help people decide what expresses their own unique style and create a system that is going to work for them. I’m a graduate of the University of Alabama and an avid Crimson Tide fan. I’m also a music lover and enjoy spending time with my husband and toy poodles. I’m a member of the Junior League of Richmond where I serve as a New Member Advisor and I’m also the Membership Director for the National Association of Professional Organizers, Richmond chapter. My favorite organizing product is clear over-the-door shoe organizers. I love using them for bathrooms, home offices, children’s rooms, really anywhere, because you can see everything and it’s a great way to contain small, loose items or in a category by itself. -
Courtney Franges
Operations Manager My background is in administration, primarily for mental health organizations. I’m naturally drawn to helping people. Throughout my childhood, my parents fostered children from different cultures, often kids with disabilities. Biologically, I was one of five, which grew to six through adoption, and we always had a house full of foster siblings. I can remember times when our 15-passenger van wasn’t big enough to hold us all! Growing up surrounded by people from different cultures, backgrounds, and abilities made me very empathetic and taught me the power of kindness. My goal is to always make sure everyone is safe, happy, and included. I also learned the real value of being organized—it’s what made it possible for my parents to change lives! They exemplify my favorite quote, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” In my free time, I love to read and hang out with my beagle Rita and pit bull Hamilton. I’m also a big Harry Potter fan and movie buff. My hobby is crochet and I love the clear over-the-door shoe pockets, which hold all of my yarn and threads organized by color. My dream vacation is to visit a Costa Rican sloth sanctuary! -
Janelle Wilson
Professional Organizer and Team Lead Organizing has been a lifesaver, especially as a stay-at-home mom with two boys. We moved from Brooklyn to Richmond four years ago… into an even smaller house! We have one first-floor closet and no basement. It has been a challenge, but has also helped us focus on what is important. When we bring something into our space it’s because we love it and need it. Thankfully, this wasn’t my first move. After I graduated from Mary Washington College with a degree in Environmental Science, I moved to San Francisco and worked at a tiny startup called zappos.com. My three friends and I were the entire customer service team! After I met my husband, we moved to NYC where I worked in human resources and retail. When I became a mom, I stayed home until they were both in school. After seven years, I’m so excited to get back in the workforce! Abundance Organizing is a great fit for me. I love that this is a women-owned business, the emphasis on professional development, and being part of a team. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science, I am constantly working on integrating practices of sustainability and simplicity in my personal life, so Abundance Organizing’s vision to help the environment by becoming an eco-friendly company really resonates with me. The work also puts my artistic knack and design memory to good use. When I walk into a space, I can see what needs doing and I’m able to come up with a plan. Helping people get tangible results is so rewarding! As someone who cooks a lot, I enjoy an organized kitchen, but my favorite places are creative spaces! The cabinet shop that my father had when I was growing up, with its pegboard of tools, was an inspiration for my sewing room. I have a wall mounted spool rack that holds all of my thread in rainbow order, keeping it organized and my surfaces free! I also rely on clear 56-quart storage bins to rotate the boys’ clothes and toys—if they have too many out at once, it gets overwhelming. They love rediscovering the things that have been binned up and it keeps them excited about what they already have. In our free time, my family enjoys canoeing, roller skating, and foraging for mushrooms, mostly for the fun of finding and photographing them—we only eat them if we know for sure there are no dangerous look-alikes! -
Lisa Munno
Professional Organizer and Team Lead Organizing is a personal passion of mine! While I always enjoy the organizing process, I really love the end result—having more time for the people and activities I care about and having the freedom to be creative because I know there is a place for everything when it’s time to clean up. I’ve always been detail-oriented, dedicated, and committed, so when I decided on a career in professional organizing, I really did my research to see what was out there. When I found Abundance Organizing, I got this WOW feeling! It was everything I was looking for—outstanding training, a great team, and the ability to help people by doing what I love to do. Before joining Abundance, I graduated from Kutztown University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a dual major in marketing and management. From there, I went to work as an administrative assistant in marketing before taking some time off to raise my children. When they were older, the perfect part-time job opportunity landed in my lap and I became a pre-school teacher! I loved watching my students grow and encouraging their creativity. Because I kept things simple, I could let messes happen knowing that clean-up wouldn’t be overwhelming! Being organized really helped me concentrate on building relationships with my students and their families. No matter what the job, I like to bring positive energy to the day. I believe that laughter and having fun will always help get you through the tough things. I focus on really listening and developing genuine rapport with the people I work with. With Abundance, I love the variety of work that we do and being able to provide a service that brings people so much happiness! I also love using the right product to get the perfect look, especially clear acrylic pantry bins and drawer dividers. They make everything amazing! Over the years, I’ve grown in the way I organize. When my husband, two sons, and I recently moved after 21 years in the same house, we decided to keep things pretty simple and organized. We did it as a family and it has been great! Now we have a lot more time to have fun together doing what we love, including scuba diving and playing street hockey! It’s a good feeling when you get to the point in life where you can keep everything organized. I like helping other people get there, too! -
Remy Marcus
Professional Organizer and Social Media Ambassador Organizing has always made me feel better. For fun, I pick a project and knock it out—it reduces my stress. I started by helping my mom and friends organize their closets, but didn’t realize it was a career option until Marie Kondo came along. I was so excited to discover something that combines all my passions—creativity, aesthetics, and helping people! Working for Abundance Organizing is amazing. I love that it’s a small, women-owned business with a team who really cares about each other. We can bounce ideas off each other, which always makes the results better. Helping people in such a personal way that transforms their daily lives is the most rewarding part about working for Abundance. Before Abundance, I studied Psychology and Women and Gender Studies at the University of Mary Washington. I loved learning about mental health and social issues. When you understand where people are coming from, you develop a deeper empathy for what they are going through. My other interest is makeup artistry, which has been a really big creative outlet for me. I love the artistry and making people happy. Working so closely with people helped me build good communication and client service skills. I also developed an eye for the big picture, planning for how to make things look cohesive and pretty. Making things pretty is still one of my favorite things to do in organizing! I also love that we get to spend time with our clients’ pets! I grew up with lots of animals—my mom is a veterinarian—so we always had baby animals that needed to be cared for; raccoons, deer, squirrels, even pigs, which I love! Being around animals every day makes me so happy. I’m extremely family oriented and love spending time with my girlfriend and giant German Shepherd; Ozzy. Our house is very limited on storage, which allows me to get creative with the space. Our closets don’t make any sense—you can’t even fit actual hangers in them, so I use over the door shoe pockets for everything from reusable water bottles to scarves and hats. They create space where there is none! -
Cari DuVal
Professional Organizer Organizing is part of my DNA. My whole life I have been drawn to minimalist decor with intentional placement of everything physical in my home. I have only been able to achieve this by being organized and living a very low clutter life. Seventeen years ago I hired Mindy Godding, now Partner & Founder of Abundance Organizing, to help organize my home after a major renovation. Mindy’s passion strongly influenced me and led me to pursuing a career as a professional organizer. Having started my career out of college as a nurse, I have a servant’s heart for people and have always been passionate about helping people feel better, so transitioning into home organization has been a natural and perfect fit. I find energy from being with others which is why I love the Abundance Organizing team approach. Realizing the different strengths of our team members and where we each shine makes for a gratifying day for both the team and the client. The results at the end of a session with our team are so rewarding. I love to cook and host holiday meals so one of my favorite spaces to organize is a kitchen! Good food from good ingredients doesn’t require a lot of kitchen doodads. If you have good technique and a few quality items you can have great success with less. Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my husband and two grown children. We have a family love of baseball and follow our son’s team everywhere they go. I am a very active member of my church and sing in two different choirs. I love group exercise and shopping with my favorite farmers at the market. I will leave you with one of my personal life mantras: Life is for the living. Don’t waste a day and do something for someone else on a daily basis! -
Obie, ATD®
Alliance Therapy Dog When I was asked to be a part of the Abundance Organizing team, I was super happy. I showed them one of my best high jumps to demonstrate my enthusiasm. I’ve been hearing about Abundance and their work for years. My mom, Mindy, and her team work with individuals who are sometimes feeling overwhelmed or anxious. Clients who are moving or downsizing into senior communities can feel especially stressed. Since my snuggles are so calming for her when she has a bad day, Mom thought I could be helpful in reducing stress for her clients. So she and I went through extensive training to prepare me to become a therapy dog. I had to do things like remain calm and not react when I saw another dog walking toward me— without even getting a treat! Do you have any idea how difficult that is for an outgoing guy like me? I can’t help it that other dogs always want to play with me; I’m a cool dude. After that hard test, I had to remain calm and relaxed when someone wheeled by me in a whirring wheelchair and walked past me with a really loud clanky metal walker. It was challenging at times but I remained focused and I passed my exam. Since we were on a roll during training, I showed off some of my best moves like paw-shake, climb, down-stay, turning circles, and fetch. Because my sister is deaf, I know some sign language. Sitting down with a sign language command was my final trick to earn my Novice Trick Dog certification! Tricks for treats, that’s my motto. Being a part of the AO team is good for me in many ways. I get to ride shotgun in the car, spend more time with my mom, and— most importantly— I get treats when I make people happy. I also like when people give me pats and tell me how handsome I am! In my spare time, I like to play frisbee and wrestle with my sister. She’s 50 pounds bigger than me and very sassy, so I always have to show her who’s boss. After a long day at work I like to sit in my living room bay window and watch the birds and squirrels.