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hat happens when two neat freaks meet? Chicago-area expatriates whose husbands had been transferred to Silicon Valley, Ashley Murphy and Molly Graves met by chance while shopping in San Francisco, and instantly bonded over their shared hometown—as well as their shared passion for organization. In 2010, the newfound friends decided to turn their passion into a business, and launched Neat Method, more as a fun hobby than anything else. But in a town in which tech tycoons have more money than time, Neat Method’s concept— seamless, luxurious, uber-fast home organization that’s hands-off for the client—quickly turned into a full-fledged business. Suddenly, the pair found themselves organizing closets, setting up home offices and micromanaging moves for executives at companies like Twitter, Facebook and Uber, where Graves’s husband Ryan had come to work as head of global operations for the then-start-up company. Meanwhile, in 2013, Murphy’s husband was transferred back to Chicago, so Murphy and Graves decided to launch the concept here. After finding success, this all-female entrepreneurial business became a fully-licensed brand, expanding to 12 different locations across the country, including San Diego, Scottsdale, St. Louis, Columbus, Milwaukee and New York, among others. This month, Neat Method launches in Hinsdale, where Murphy just so happens to be a resident. While the San Francisco business caters to singles—mostly men in the tech industry—, Murphy says the Hinsdale location will focus on families, especially the kinds of families that don’t have time to squeeze organization in between ballet lessons, hockey practice and soccer games. “With families, typically it’s the kids’ spaces— the bedrooms, the playroom, the mudroom and the Continued on the next page
Neat Method co-owners Ashley Murphy and Molly Graves