Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Comer.
Hi Christina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hi, I’m Christina Comer. I love organizing. Growing up, my family made cleaning and organizing fun and we were often called upon for assistance by friends and family. Later in life I was able to integrate my optimism of organizing into my professional and scholarly pursuits.
Initially I received my B.S. in Mass Communication in 2009 from Methodist University. I started working in the field of applied Behavior Analysis shortly after, and received my M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2013 from Ball State University. Upon completing field work experience and sitting for the qualifying exam, I became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst 2015. As of 2025 I have been a BCBA for 10 years. Currently I use my knowledge of ABA and Organization to help others strategize, organize, and maintain their personal and professional spaces.
Not a lot of people know what ABA is and what BCBAs do. ABA uses research, data, and scientific approaches to understand how environmental factors influence behavior. It looks at the function of behavior (or the “why”), and seeks to understand how behavior and the environment are affected by each other. A BCBA is someone who uses that data and research to then analyze, develop, teach, and maintain socially significant changes in the lives of those experiencing exceptional challenges. A Professional Organizer is someone who supports others in structuring their spaces to make it easier for them to manage and live within their environment, much the way a BCBA would. BCBAs normally deal with people and organizers deal with their stuff.
When I initially began helping others, I noticed the negative impacts that physical clutter had on people’s emotions and behavior. I directly observed how it increased their stress levels. I learned that it was not enough just to organize a space for someone, but that it was equally as important to teach them how to organize and create lasting habits to ease and ultimately eliminate that stress so that they could enjoy being in their environment. I founded Functional Shui in 2016 to promote and provide balance and harmony both within a person and with their outward environment.
While it was fun helping friends and family organize, starting a business was completely different. I was terrified and starting from scratch. I was beginning a business and learning how to do so at the same time. I started with late nights and many many keyword searches researching how to acquire a domain and business name, learning the differences between LLCs and sole proprietorships, learning about the insurance coverage needed, paperwork, contracts, and so on.
To gain reviews and build my portfolio, I sought out friends and family. I provided free organizing sessions to them in exchange for reviews and before and after photos. This helped me build my initial client base and further shape my general organization strategies and repertoire. A fellow BCBA and great friend reached out for help when she was about to move. She is an absolutely brilliant behavior analyst who drew a blank when it came to sorting her stuff. I came over one evening and was able to help begin packing and have her space organized and ready for an out of town guest she had been trying to prepare for weeks for in about 4 hours. When I was done, she looked at me and said “Why aren’t you doing this for a living!? This is what you should be doing!” Later that night, I designed a logo. A few months later, after I had researched and sorted out the logistics of getting started, I began advertising and very slowly acquiring more clients. I told another co-worker about what I was doing and she immediately asked me to organize for her mother. The experiences continued and became more frequent. Progress was very slow which left me with a lot of uncertainty about whether or not I would get somewhere and when, but I went from long nights researching to hosting conference workshops.
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?
The road has not been smooth. The biggest challenge I initially faced was mustering the courage and confidence to get started. While I was very excited to begin, having an idea and then following it through was easier imagined then actualized. I was completely overwhelmed, and I had no clue how to begin a business. I was also beginning this journey with a very modest (almost non-existent) budget while holding down a full time job. I am also a quiet more introverted person, so putting myself out there and meeting new people was definitely challenging. First I set small goals for myself like I would for a client, and over time those small accomplishments added up to bigger ones. Eventually as I learned more about the process and started completing larger goals, everything began to run more smoothly, but it took a long time. Initially that was very frustrating because not seeing progress or making very slow progress often felt like failure,
Even as I progressed and became more confident in running my business, the challenges continued. For example when I started, I was not a parent, but now I am a mother of four wonderful little ones, so I have spent many years learning to adjust and overcome challenges related to raising my children and caring for my family while running my business. I am also managing a 25 acre homestead with animals with my spouse. I find that I am still constantly learning to adjust on a daily basis, just like my clients (this is something they often find relatable as people don’t always want perfect so much as they want reliable and trustworthy). While the road was not in any way smooth and progress was slow, I am still thankful for the process and those that supported me and gave me those chances. Without those initial opportunities and encouragement, I don’t know that I would have persisted.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Originally, I became a BCBA who just happened to have a knack for organizing. I had always loved to organize but had never planned or thought about doing anything with it professionally. The deeper I delve into my studies of ABA, the more commonalities I came across that related to organizing and found myself in the action of organizing. For example, I found myself organizing the local ABA clinic I was working in. I immediately set out to transform the spaces that employees were avoiding. I found that upon organizing them and making them inviting and useful, they were much more used and frequented and people wanted to stay in them and in the office.
What sets me apart is my ability to observe beyond a cluttered environment and really focus on the people within it and how they interact with it. There are several organizers who put a heavy focus on creating a certain aesthetic. While that is nice, and may be what a client is looking for, it does not always serve or benefit the client in the long term. What also sets me apart is my educational background and work experience. I specialize in studying how a client interacts with their environment and the items in it, and then making correlations and evaluations based on those observations. For example, during the initial meeting or during the first organizing session I can observe what areas of the home stresses the client out the most or what items or spaces provoke negative emotions or behavior (such as increased anxiety and avoidance) and then provide a specialized plan for how to proceed. What I provide and recommend comes on an individual basis so depending on their overall goals and stress levels, the approach I recommend to one client may not be what I recommend to another. For example, sometimes I recommend tackling the most stressful areas of the home first and that way everything else feels easier for the client afterward. It is a great confidence booster for them and shows them that they are capable of doing this on their own. However, another client may need a simpler approach and we may start with a smaller and easier area of the home in order to build their confidence and skills.
I am most proud of my ability to utilize my areas of previous study and bring them into a new field. I find that many people who have reached out to me have a diagnosis of some kind and my field of study and prior work experience allows me to provide individualized care where additional challenges outside of organizing persist. Sometimes that means helping them organize events in their lives. For example I have assisted elderly clients arrange transportation, grocery pickup, and home health services.
I am also proud of my practical approach. Often I will suggest using what the client has on hand instead of buying any additional tools or storage that can usually cause more clutter. I find that the more we clean out and consolidate items, the more we are able to repurpose and how the clients get excited about repurposing those items.
I specialize in meeting people where they are at and this includes in their daily routines and life. A lot of clients that I work with have young children, physical limitations, or are limited by their work schedule. I specialize in working around people’s schedules. Some of the best organizing sessions have been including family members such as spouses or children that weren’t initially involved. It is awesome to see how motivated they all become when working together toward one common goal. I have had the pleasure of working with multiple family members. It is very rewarding seeing not only a client’s home and goals come together, but also family members and friends as well.
I am very transparent about pricing and communication. If I feel that a client has needs beyond my capabilities, I will refer them to someone else and try to help them locate the additional services they require. Most people are unsure about hiring an organizer and really don’t know what to expect. One way I try to ease that uncertainty is to provide a free 30 minute initial video consultation or virtual walkthrough and then if clients want to move forward, I book a short 2 hour trial session so they can see what my process is like and if it will fit their needs and goals. Again, I always try to meet clients where they are at. Sometimes that is at the very beginning, middle, or end. Some need continuous services and others feel confident to move forward on their own. I always try to reassure clients with open communication that if they would like to stop or continue services at any point they may. Organizing services are an investment and a way to help clients feel confident about that investment is to assure them of these things.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Initially, not everyone was on board for me to begin this process or there were some who were doubtful. There were those who were supportive through the beginning. One of my biggest supporters was Erica Valko, a brilliant BCBA who can make anyone feel confident, which is a genuine super power. I have a very supportive husband. Along the way, others became more supportive. I am very blessed to have an extremely supportive network of family members that assist me now.
Pricing:
- Solo organizing (starting at $40 per hour)
- Teamwork organizing (starting at $35 per hour)
- Onsite coaching ($20 per hour)
- Virtual coaching ($15 per hour)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://functional-shui.com/
- Instagram: Functional_shui_organization
