Published bestseller, Netflix sensation, Founder of lifestyle brand KonMari, wife and mother Marie Kondo had a busy 2019. “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo” burst onto the scene through the streaming service and popularized even more the key question that Kondo asks her clients looking to declutter their homes: does an item spark joy?
Photo Credit: KonMari Media Inc.
Her book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” had already flown off the shelves by the time the show premiered in early 2019, with which singles, couples and families implemented The KonMari Method™. As Kondo says in her website, “The KonMari Method™ encourages keeping only those things that speak to the heart. Discard items that have outlived their purpose; thank them for their service – then let them go.”
You will be stunned at how many things you are ready to say goodbye to in your life once you hold each item in your hands and ask yourself the question. These include clothes, trinkets, photos, decorative items, and anything else under your roof.
From North America to Europe and all the way to Asia, Marie has grown a network of Certified Consultants that implement the KonMari Method™ to help thousands of people in tidying their home.
Marie Kondo kindly joined us for a Q&A.
Photo Credit: KonMari Media Inc.
Haute Living: How has 2020 gone so far for you?
Marie Kondo: The beginning of a new year is always special. I use this time to step back and consider my goals for the year ahead.
HL: What is special about the KonMari lifestyle brand?
MK: KonMari is a lifestyle brand with a suite of products, services and content designed to help organize your home and bring joy to your life. We’re also a platform for connecting and supporting one another on our tidying journeys – which is very powerful. Everything we do is centered around the concept of sparking joy, and I think that’s what makes us special.
Photo Credit: KonMari Media Inc.
HL: How does growing your Certified Consultant network across so many countries’ borders feel?
MK: Right now we have over 350 certified KonMari Consultants in 40 countries – with a waitlist of thousands to join the program. The continued growth and success of such a personal offering is humbling. I’m still amazed at how many people find a sense of purpose in this work! For those unfamiliar with the program, we wrote about its beginnings and expansion here: Organize the World: Behind the Consultant Program.
HL: People are using your name as a verb to describe how they declutter, saying phrases like, “I just Kondo’d my place.” Did you ever think this could be possible?
MK: No! I never imagined this would happen. I’m still surprised – and my family is, too! Kondo is a fairly common last name in Japan – it’s like Smith in the U.S. I’ve heard of other Kondos from Japan being asked if they’re good at tidying when they travel abroad.
Photo Credit: KonMari Media Inc.
HL: When you were a professional tidying consultant, what was the longest time that you consulted a home? Why?
MK: Two years. My client was a very busy doctor who ran her own clinic, and we could only meet once a month. She lived in a very large three-story house, and she owned a lot of stuff. By the end of our time together her house has transformed – it was a completely different home.
HL: Your fans want to know, do you have any news on season two of “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo”?
MK: I’m excited to report that season two is in development – stay tuned!
Photo Credit: KonMari Media Inc.
