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Love Your Space Again

How Leslie Cuti Turned Her Passion for Organizing into a Life-Changing Business

What does it feel like to breathe again?

For Leslie Cuti, owner of Organizing with Leslie, it’s the feeling her clients describe after she helps them transform chaos into clarity. “‘I feel like I can breathe again, like there's been a weight lifted,’” Leslie often hears. “Most people call because they're just overwhelmed, and they just don't know where to start.”

From Classrooms to Closets

After a 25-year career as an educator, Leslie knows firsthand the necessity of systems. Teaching and school administration honed her ability to identify unique needs and create tailored solutions, but it was the demands of her personal life—juggling three kids, her husband’s work travel, and a full-time job—that pushed her to develop organizational systems. “To keep our sanity, I had to figure out how to make our lives run smoothly,” Leslie says. “I had to be able to function and go to work every day, so I taught myself organizational strategies.”

Through meal-planning, schedule management, and navigating chaotic days, she realized that organization isn’t one-size-fits-all. “It’s about designing systems that work for you,” she says.

But becoming a professional organizer wasn’t a one-day decision. The seeds of her business were planted during one of the most challenging seasons of her life. Exactly two months after moving into their dream home, Hurricane Ida struck, “placing four oak trees right in the middle of our brand-new house.” One moment, her family was settling in, and the next, they were packing up again.

In the aftermath, Leslie had to organize everything: insurance claims, logistics, receipts, and the emotional toll. Systems became her lifeline. “The more I took care of these various parts, I realized that there’s a need for people to live organized.” For Leslie, organization isn’t just about a tidy space. It’s about creating calm when life feels out of control, when the storm outside matches the one inside.

Her husband encouraged her to turn her talents into a business. “I thought being organized was just something everyone had to figure out on their own,” Leslie laughs. But when she realized how much relief she could bring to others, it all clicked. “I knew this was what I was meant to do.”

Eighteen months later, Leslie left education to launch her full-time business. It was a leap of faith, but she knew she was being called to help others experience more freedom.

The "With" Makes All the Difference

Leslie chose her company’s name, Organizing With Leslie, with intention. “The with is the biggest part,” she says. “I don’t just walk into your home and organize it while you’re gone. I teach you, walk you through it, and help you create systems that are sustainable.”

Leslie tailors her services to the holistic needs of each client. She helps families declutter, coaches overwhelmed moms to manage busy schedules, optimizes business and office workflows, and even assists with packing and unpacking during moves (what she calls “purge-and-pack”).

“I organize for your lifestyle. I teach you how to maintain a calendar and a schedule that works for you. I teach how to plan weekly meals so that you’re not scrambling at the end of the day when you don’t feel like making dinner or even thinking about whether what’s in the pantry could be made into a meal.”

Leslie also understands that asking for help—and inviting someone into your mess—can feel vulnerable. “We’re taught to think we should just know how to do it all—manage our homes, kids, schedules, meals, and work. When we can’t, it feels like failure,” she says. “But we’re so busy, and these are skills that I didn’t learn in high school or college. It’s okay to reach out for help, and I don’t judge.”

Combining her organizing expertise with life coaching principles, Leslie adds, “Sometimes, the problem isn’t the clutter—it’s our mindset. If you think it’s hopeless, you stay stuck. But when you realize, ‘I can do this,’ everything changes.”

How to Start Living Organized

For those ready to clean up the clutter, Leslie’s process is simple. “It starts with a free consultation,” she says. “No cleaning up beforehand—I need to see real life so we can create systems that truly work for you.”

Whether it’s a one-time reset or ongoing support, Leslie empowers her clients to sustain their progress long-term. “I don’t just ‘fix it’ and walk away,” she says. “I check in, adjust as life changes, and help you maintain your systems for the long haul.”

For busy moms, overwhelmed professionals, empty-nesters ready to downsize, or anyone craving less stress, Leslie says, “You don’t have to live in chaos. Organization is possible—and you don’t have to do it alone.”

This February, as we reflect on what we love most, Leslie encourages us to remember that blessings often wear disguises. Reflecting on the oak trees that destroyed her home but launched her new business, she adds, “Sometimes, seeds are planted when we least expect it.”

In just two years, Leslie has grown a thriving business that helps families love their space—and make space for what matters most. “Every day, I get confirmation that I’m doing exactly what I’m meant to do,” she says. “Organizing isn’t just my job—it brings me pure joy.”

To connect with Leslie and start your own journey toward an organized life, visit organizingwithleslie.com and schedule your free consultation.

We’re taught to think we should just know how to do it all. When we can’t, it feels like failure.

Businesses featured in this article