After a pivotal career change, East Cobb's very own Lara Hurst is starting fresh (and helping others do the same) with her new venture, Edit With Lara.
The decision to reinvent herself and pursue a passion wasn't made lightly. Before starting Edit With Lara, Lara was an accomplished marketing professional with longstanding careers at The Weather Channel and CNN. At CNN, she received two News & Documentary Promotional Emmy Awards. She always considered herself a "glorified project manager" in her work managing marketing campaign logistics and creative team members.
Safe to say, the switch from managing projects to managing clutter has been a seamless one for her. Beyond that, her work helping others is close to her heart. The inspiration came to her while clearing out her late parents' house, which took years to finish. She knew others must experience the same emotions when tackling such a heavy task.
That's when she got the idea to help others "edit" their belongings. If a client is willing, Lara suggests compromises, like keeping just one item from a collection, using photos or a memory book to keep the memories alive, or letting them live on in another home through refurbishment or donation to meaningful charitable organizations.
“It is important to me that items that can be donated go to the best charities and help as many people as possible. I will drive out of my way to do this; there is no extra charge, and it makes me feel good that we can make a difference,” says Lara.
While helping seniors and their families is near to her heart, Lara stays busy helping anyone who needs a hand digging out clutter.
“Editing and organizing toys is a big thing these days!”
The process starts with a home visit or sending photos of the spaces that need attention. Lara then sends a flexible proposal and estimate before you're on your way to a fresh, organized space. If the project is emotional or lengthy, Lara is happy to make accommodations like offering shorter sessions or spreading a project out to allow breathing room, and her clients thank her for it.
"Lara is the consummate professional," says realtor Kerry Veale, who worked with Lara to prepare her home for sale. "She is very experienced working with an older audience and moving at their pace and has the perfect combination of getting the job done and objectives met while making the client feel heard and comfortable."
Another client added, “Lara has clear ideas and tools to start the organization process. She was very patient and never pressured me to get rid of anything I wasn’t comfortable with. It was a really great investment for me, and I loved working with Lara!”
Lara is ready to be a meticulous organizer, a voice of reason and a support system for those overwhelmed by clutter. She understands the need to part with unnecessary items while also wanting to hold on to the past. There's no pressure when you choose to Edit With Lara.
"I always follow the client’s lead," Lara assures. "If an item is clearly important to them, I would never pressure them to part with it."
"It's like that old saying," she says. "'There is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.'”
editwithlara.com