Inspiring Conversations with Courtney Plaster of Decluttered Digital

Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Plaster. 

Hi Courtney, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Sure! I’ve always been both left-brained and right-brained. As a kid, I was a dancer but I also loved putting together component furniture (like IKEA but before we had IKEA). I have an Art Degree from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and also put myself through an online program for Front-End Development. Growing up, I knew that I didn’t want a traditional career but never thought I would be a business owner.

My career before this was as a hairstylist. I loved doing hair but after 20 years the work became too physical. It was also hard to manage a kid in school with the amount of activities and school closures when I had to be at the salon every day. So, I made a career change.

At first, I looked for a job in tech. The ability to work remotely was appealing but eventually, I felt that the tech space was not right for me. In early 2020 I took a job as Web & Graphic Design Coordinator for Carolina Housing at UNC. I learned so much about Marketing and Digital Accessibility during this time. Then the pandemic hit. I started an LLC and used it to start building my own business.

I founded Decluttered Digital in November of 2020. It’s the perfect marriage of working with people, problem-solving, and using the wide range of tech knowledge I’ve acquired over the last 3 to 4 years. We celebrated our 1st anniversary this past month and are excited to continue to grow in 2022.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say certainly not. But is it ever smooth when you’re building a business? Aside from wearing many hats as a small business owner, I think the early struggles were mostly related to what services I should offer.

The response to the new business was huge and, in the beginning, I felt that I needed to be an expert in every single thing people needed help with. This obviously became exhausting and I realized it wasn’t a sustainable business model either. Over the past year I have fine-tuned our service offerings and I now focus on fewer things so that I am able to do them well.

As you know, we’re big fans of Decluttered Digital. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Decluttered Digital is an organizing agency specializing in Digital Organization, Photo Organization, and Productivity Consulting. We follow a philosophy of Digital Minimalism in our approach and focus on optimizing productivity, efficiency, and daily flow. 

Our Digital Organizing clients range from people looking to tighten up their existing digital systems all the way to those who struggle with chronic disorganization. We also work with families, seniors, and small businesses. Our goal is to help clients gain the skills to use their technology with confidence and intention.

Our Photo Organizing services include scanning and properly storing old family photos, digitizing slides and negatives, transferring other media like old VHS and audio tapes, private cloud storage, backups, digital photo organizing, professional printing, and digital restoration.

What sets Decluttered Digital apart is the personal experience we offer to our clients while keeping it local. Digital Organizing clients can exhale and know that they are in a judgment-free zone while they ask questions and get help. Photo Organizing clients can rest assured that their precious family memories are being handled by the best local vendors.

Whether you want to hand things off to be managed for you or if you want to be a part of the project every step of the way, Decluttered Digital can accommodate your needs.

What’s next?
Decluttered Digital just turned 1 last month so it’s all up from here! Right now, I am focusing on building out my studio with more equipment, networking with local partners, and growing my client base. My future goals are to build a team of organizers to reach more of the Triangle area as well as to create a studio space where clients can come to learn and work independently with help from Decluttered Digital consultants.

Pricing:

• 4-Hour Consulting Bundle – $400
• White-Glove Scanning – starting at $1.99/print
• Standard Scanning – starting at $0.49/print
• Digital Restoration – $50/half hour
• Archival & Cloud Storage – upon consultation

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.decluttereddigital.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/decluttereddigital/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/decluttereddigital

Image Credits
Brad Bunyea