The Home Edit first won our hearts with their photos of immaculately organized spaces; then we got to know the gals behind the brand, and we were in love. Hilarious, down-to-earth and honest, Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer show their flawless work on their Instagram feed and their true selves via Instagram stories. In no time at all, we were hooked on watching the behind-the-scenes footage of the daily lives of these personal organizers. Those who are familiar with their stories can relate to our obsession over Joanna’s fear of flying, Clea’s love of champagne and the pair’s “low-bar lifestyle.” This duo launched The Home Edit, a full-service home organization company, to help clients intentionally and seamlessly marry form and function. They went into business with the quest of turning a traditional industry on their side — and were successful in doing so. With a client roster that includes Hillary Scott, Mandy Moore, Gwyneth Paltrow and Doug the Pug, an upcoming show on Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine channel (just announced!), a soon-to-publish book, 553k Instagram followers and organizational skills to boot, it’s no wonder The Home Edit is at the top of the organizational game. Today, we welcome Clea and Joanna as our FACES of the South!
What role has Instagram played in your success?
Clea: Instagram is the perfect tool to visually explain, share and promote our exact kind of business. We were the first to really use social media as a strong tool to grow our business and quickly came to realize that pictures of beautifully organized spaces seem to elicit a visceral sense of calm. Then, Instagram Stories came along, which documents our “surviving not thriving” lives as moms, business owners, etc. — and such clear, honest contrast from our beautifully curated Instagram feed.
Who was the first “big” client you got?
Joanna: Very, very early on in our business we took a trip to L.A. and organized the spaces of some high-profile celebrities, including Christina Applegate and Selma Blair. These were Clea’s friends from L.A. Our first Nashville celebrity was Hillary Scott from Lady Antebellum, which was also so much fun!
Was that a turning point?
C: That first L.A. “promo trip” in October of 2015 was a pivotal moment for us. We simultaneously began a client base in Nashville, but also a bit of awareness in L.A., too.
What has been the biggest challenge in growing the business?
J: Our biggest challenge is growing the business and still being available for our families. We have had the amazing opportunity to travel a lot in the past three years, which has largely impacted the expansion of our service business and brand — but is also hard with young kids (we each have two children under 7 years old).
Are your homes immaculate? Do your children/husbands live up to your organizational standards?
J: Ha! Well, yes … pretty immaculate. But, that does not mean that they don’t get messy. They definitely do … we have kids! It just means that the organizational systems are good, and that everything is easy to clean up. It also means we are constantly purging and editing, as unwanted items seem to still sneak into our houses, too. Our husbands and kids are pretty good, but the truth is even if they weren’t, we would be behind them doing it. We both need to have well maintained and organized spaces to function.
C: My house is perfection if I do say so myself. My kids even know when the “blue snack section” of the pantry needs to be refilled. Everything has a home, and everything is returned to that home at the end of the day … or I will toss it, and my household is well aware. I’m so fun to live with!
If you could organize one person’s home, who would it be?
J: Oh … tough one! The Queen of England? Oprah? Andy Cohen? It’s too hard to narrow to one person!
C: I second the vote for any of the royals, Oprah and Andy Cohen, but I will also add Beyoncé because it’s her world, and we just live in it.
You have been filming for a television show but have kept the details pretty hush, hush. Anything you can share with us today about what the show will look like?
J: If you are needing a bit of laugh, with a very pretty reveal at the end, this show will be for you! We are ourselves — great at organizing and failing at most everything else … the camera captures this comedic juxtaposition.
C: Our show was finally announced, and it will premiere in the fall on Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine channel on AT&T’s DirectTV, DirecTV Now and U-Verse! It’s crazy to say, but it’s true and actually happening.
And what can we expect from your book?
C: Our book will be a beautiful, visual gallery of spaces, along with accompanying text to guide, motivate and educate you on how to bring these organizational concepts and strategies to life in your own home. And, it’s not lacking in humor or anecdotes either.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
J: Learning how to prioritize and being realistic with our time and commitments
C: Getting everything done, being pulled in 100 directions, and not being able to do all things and be in all places at once
What is your favorite trait about your co-founder?
J: I have a tie of my two favorite traits about Clea: her ability to teach herself literally anything that she chooses to do, and her sense of humor and wit. She is so funny, and we laugh until we cry.
C: I have a tie, too. Joanna’s loyalty is second to none. She is like a human Golden Retriever who will never let you down and will always be there when needed. My second favorite is her laugh — and we laugh a lot, so that works great.
Why did you choose Nashville as your home base?
C: Ha! We didn’t choose Nashville … it chose our husbands (for their jobs), and we both (independently) agreed it was the right place for us to raise our families. The irony is that had our husbands not been given these opportunities here, neither of us would have moved here … and never met.
What’d you have for breakfast today?
J: Overnight oats with hemp seeds and strawberries. I start the day off strong and may or may not be totally derailed by the end …
C: I have a sad vegan protein shake every morning and hope to make it through to lunch.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
J: I wanted to own luxury hotels.
C: Can I take Joanna’s? That’s good! In reality, I always wanted to work in fashion. I loved it and wanted to be a part of that world.
What books are on your bedside table? (And are books allowed on the bedside table or do they have to be arranged according to color on the shelf?)
J: A revolving assortment of business and design-related books — my two favorite topics to read about at night.
C: Books, plural?? No. One book at a time. I try to keep up with Reese Witherspoon/Hello Sunshine’s Book Club, so it’s usually the current selection!
What is the best piece of advice you have received and from whom?
J: “Don’t focus on the problem, focus on the solution.” This was the advice that my (very entrepreneurial) grandfather always reminded all of his kids and grandkids.
C: “Never take the first room the hotel gives you.” — my mother
Name three things you can’t live without, excluding faith, family and friends.
J: Candy, bagels and pizza
C: Champagne, my phone, and the last is a tie between a champagne glass and a phone charger. Both are critical.
Thank you, Clea and Joanna, for inspiring us to organize and making us laugh. Thanks to Ashley Hylbert for today’s photos of The Home Edit.
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Meet more amazing women from around the South. Click HERE to check out our FACES archives.
