Wannabe Clutter Free | Declutter, Simplify, Find Freedom Podcast By Deanna Yates | Professional Organizer Decluttering Coach Wannabe Minimalist cover art

Wannabe Clutter Free | Declutter, Simplify, Find Freedom

Wannabe Clutter Free | Declutter, Simplify, Find Freedom

By: Deanna Yates | Professional Organizer Decluttering Coach Wannabe Minimalist
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Ready to finally calm the overwhelm and create a home and life you actually enjoy? The Wannabe Clutter Free podcast is here to help you clear the clutter, simplify your routines, and find freedom in the life you’re building. I’m Deanna Yates, a busy mom who knows what it’s like to juggle family, career, and the never-ending piles of stuff. From selling 80% of what we owned to travel with our toddler, to managing the daily chaos of running a home with a school-aged kid, I’ve learned that living with less isn’t about deprivation. It’s about creating more space, more peace, and more joy. Each week, I share real-life stories, simple decluttering strategies, and mindset shifts that make it easier to let go of what’s weighing you down. You’ll also hear from inspiring guests who share practical tips and fresh perspectives on minimalism, home organization, intentional living, and building habits that last. If you’re tired of feeling buried in clutter and crave a home that feels calm, welcoming, and easy to manage, this show is for you. It’s not about perfection. It’s about progress, freedom, and finding space for what truly matters to you.All rights reserved. Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • Discover the Secrets to an Organized and Joyful Home with Ea Fuqua and Meg DeLong (Ep 302)

    Discover the Secrets to an Organized and Joyful Home with Ea Fuqua and Meg DeLong (Ep 302)
    Mar 25 2026
    Professional organizers and sisters Meg DeLong and Ea Fuqua share practical, sustainable strategies for organizing your home based on function and intention rather than perfection. Discover how to create spaces that support your lifestyle and embrace real-life solutions without pressure. **************** ⁠⁠⁠RESOURCES⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get all the links and resources at wannabeclutterfree.com/302 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tidy Up Book on Amazon⁠ ⁠IKEA Storage ⁠⁠Solutions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Meg & Ea: The Tidy Home Nashville Instagram Facebook Pinterest TikTok ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Deanna Yates, the host of Wannabe Clutter Free on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get my children's book: Lenora and Her Super Duper Messy Room⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ **************** What does it actually look like when a professional organizer walks through your front door for the first time? Spoiler: it probably doesn't look like what you're imagining — and it definitely doesn't require a Pinterest-perfect pantry. Meg DeLong and Ea Fuqua are sisters and the founders of The Tidy Home Nashville. In nearly seven years of professional organizing, they've seen it all. And their message? Refreshingly real. Function first. Perfection never. And for the love of all things tidy, stop organizing your fridge. They also just released their first book, Tidying Up, and today they're breaking it all down for us. In this episode, you'll learn: What actually happens during a first consultation (everyone hides stuff in closets, yes, everyone) Why organization has to fit how you actually live, not how you think you should live The fridge organizing myth and why they're unapologetically anti-fridge How to create systems that grow and shift with your family over time Why the junk drawer is the best place to start (every. single. time.) What Tidying Up is really for (hint: it's not for people who already have it together) How to get your whole household on board without becoming the organization police Their evolution from perfection → function → intentionality, and what that means for your home Time Stamps: 00:00 - Meet Meg & Ea: sisters, professional organizers, and the story behind The Tidy Home Nashville 01:33 - What a first consultation actually looks like (and why you don't need to pre-clean) 09:20 - Function over pretty: building systems that fit how you actually live 22:30 - Why big decluttering sessions backfire — and what to do instead 32:07 - Their new book Tidying Up: room-by-room, no perfection required 44:30 - The anti-fridge stance + intentional living as an organizing philosophy 55:55 - Getting the whole family on board + where to find Meg & Ea **************** Music: Fresh Lift by Shane Ivers - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.silvermansound.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ **************** We’d love to hear how you’re applying the strategies discussed in this episode. Share your stories and tips with us on social media (@wannabeclutterfree). Don’t forget to subscribe for more insightful episodes designed to make your busy life a bit easier. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • The Art of Bending Time: How to Beat Burnout and Get More Done with Michelle Niemeyer (Ep 301)

    The Art of Bending Time: How to Beat Burnout and Get More Done with Michelle Niemeyer (Ep 301)
    Mar 18 2026
    Feeling burned out and stretched too thin? Former attorney turned burnout expert Michelle Niemeyer shares her "bending time" framework to help you find clarity, fill your energy reserves, and get more done in less time without losing yourself in the process. **************** ⁠⁠RESOURCES⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get all the links and resources at wannabeclutterfree.com/301⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Michelle Niemeyer: ⁠⁠Michelle's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Free clarity meditation: text CLARITY to 33777 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Deanna Yates, the host of Wannabe Clutter Free on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get my children's book: Lenora and Her Super Duper Messy Room⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ **************** What if the reason you can't get it all done isn't a time problem but an energy problem? Michelle Niemeyer is a speaker, consultant, and former attorney who burned out after 20+ years in law. That burnout led to an autoimmune diagnosis and became the wake-up call that changed everything. She shares The Art of Bending Time, a framework that helps you expand what you can accomplish by getting clear on what matters, cutting the junk, and filling your energy reserves. The conversation also explores burnout warning signs, why women struggle with guilt around self-care, and how families can function as a team. In this episode, you'll learn: The burnout sign Michelle ignored for years that eventually made her body shut down How one dad doubled his sales in a single week by changing just one thing about his morning The simple clarity exercise that reveals what actually fills your cup (most people have never done this) Why the phrase "work-life balance" might be the very thing keeping you stuck and overwhelmed What 80 unused boats on a Miami dock taught Michelle about the clutter we're killing ourselves to maintain Time Stamps: 0:00 Introduction 1:20 Who is Michelle Niemeyer and what she does 2:16 What is "bending time" and how it works 3:54 The 80/20 rule and why we waste time on busy work 5:51 Flow state and why physical health matters for productivity 7:11 Why "work-life balance" can actually be destructive 9:25 Signs of burnout: Michelle's personal story 13:56 The clarity exercise: finding what lights you up 17:47 How to weave your "sparks" into daily life 21:06 The power of small moments of connection 26:31 Why women feel guilty taking time for themselves 27:30 Treating your family like a team 33:51 Burnout to autoimmune disease: Michelle's health wake-up call 38:45 Bending time revisited: cutting junk, expanding capacity 41:38 Stop chasing a lifestyle that doesn't light you up 43:29 The boat dock story: things we own but never use **************** Music: Fresh Lift by Shane Ivers - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.silvermansound.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ **************** We’d love to hear how you’re applying the strategies discussed in this episode. Share your stories and tips with us on social media (@wannabeclutterfree). Don’t forget to subscribe for more insightful episodes designed to make your busy life a bit easier. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    53 mins
  • Decluttering: A Hidden Political Revolution? (Ep 300)

    Decluttering: A Hidden Political Revolution? (Ep 300)
    Mar 11 2026
    Your clutter isn't a personal failing. It's the intended result of a system that profits from your overwhelm. Episode 300 is about opting out -- and taking back your power. Resources Mentioned: No New Things by Ashlee Piper "Sit Still Look Pretty" by Daya Wannabe Clutter Free on Instagram (30-day declutter series) ⁠⁠Deanna's Best Decluttering Resources⁠⁠ Three hundred episodes. When I started this show, I thought decluttering was about getting rid of stuff. And it is. But it's not only that. The more I've done this work, the more I've realized the stuff was never really the problem. The problem is what keeps creating the stuff. For episode 300, I finally go there. Your clutter is not an accident. It is not a personal failing. It is, in significant part, the intended result of a trillion-dollar industry that profits from your overwhelm, your insecurity, and your desire to feel better right now. Desire is manufactured. Algorithms aren't showing you what you love -- they're showing you what you're most likely to buy. The "treat yourself" culture is a sales strategy. And the chaos that keeps you too exhausted to pay attention? Worth money to the people selling it. But here's where it gets good: once you see it, you can't unsee it. And that's where your power starts. Buying less is not deprivation. It's defection. Every time you walk past a sale and keep walking, you are opting out of a system that is counting on you not to. Every purchase is a vote for the kind of world you want to live in. In this episode I cover: Why clutter keeps coming back no matter how often you declutter How desire gets manufactured (and the Stanley cup is a perfect example) The $44 billion self-storage industry and what it says about all of us Why voting with your dollars is one of the most direct forms of civic participation The mental clutter side: what short-form content is doing to your sense of enough 5 low-lift ways to start opting out this week If this episode resonated with you, share it with one person who needs to hear it. Text it to a friend who's been drowning in stuff and can't figure out why. The message that clutter is not your fault (and that you have more power than you think) deserves to reach more people. You're how it gets there. Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and if you have two minutes, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts makes a real difference. Thank you for 300 episodes. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 -- Welcome + 300 episodes milestone 2:38 -- The story that changed how I see everything (the Amazon tab moment) 5:46 -- How desire is manufactured (ads, algorithms, "treat yourself" culture) 9:36 -- Why your overwhelm is worth money to someone 11:27 -- No New Things by Ashlee Piper + the reframe 12:42 -- Not buying is not deprivation. It's voting with your dollars 16:10 -- Feeling smaller and disconnected -- and what's still in your control 18:36 -- Mental clutter: what short-form content is doing to your sense of enough 19:57 -- The highlight reel fallacy 22:17 -- 5 practical experiments to start opting out 26:24 -- The hole in the boat: why decluttering without stopping the inflow never works 27:30 -- 300 episodes: what I actually believe 28:37 -- My one ask for episode 300 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    33 mins
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