MEET DEB

DEBRA BAIDA, Life organizer & coach

I started my organizing business in 2007 after two decades working as a photo editor in New York and San Francisco. In many ways the transition made a lot of sense – collaborating with photographers and art directors to edit images for the purpose of telling stories, translated quite naturally into working with peoples’ lives and their stuff. I collaborate with my clients to edit, embrace, and reclaim their spaces so they can effectively continue to pursue and create their stories. Admittedly, too, I believe the organizing gene has been as prominent in my DNA as is the gene for curly hair.

Organizing and coaching provide me with a meaningful and creative outlet to share skills and information that empower individuals to bring about positive change in their lives. Connecting with people fuels my days, and I continue to be inspired and humbled by those who invite me into their homes and professional worlds.

Throughout my pursuits, I maintain a strong commitment to participating in the local community. I have been a San Francisco Green Business since 2008, and I was trained as a Green Home Assessor for a pilot program initiated by the Department of the Environment in 2011. For  five years, I was a volunteer project captain for Rebuilding Together San Francisco (RTSF), and I continue to collaborate with their staff to incorporate professional organizers into their efforts. I am the current leader of the Environmentally Conscious Organizers Special Interest Group (ECO SIG) for the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and serve as the Community Associate Partner Liaison for NAPO-SFBA.

In other parts of my life I am a photographer who refuses to give up black-and-white film, a sustainable food advocate who loves sharing her latest local find, an avid cook who considers time in the kitchen a form of meditation, and a voracious reader. I reside in San Francisco with my partner, Sven, my collaborator in simple living and eco-citizenry.

Liberated spaces is a motivating force in my life and in the collaborations with my clients. In my blog of the same name, musings and findings loosely pertaining to organizing, sustainable living, and creativity intersect and mingle. These are themes that fill my waking hours, though they’ve yet to infiltrate my sleeping hours.