From Messy to Successful: Ría Safford’s Journey

Ría Safford, the founder of Ríorganize, has transformed what started as a side gig—helping friends tidy their spaces—into a luxury home organizing business that’s worth seven figures. It’s pretty impressive, really, especially considering she often considers herself a naturally messy person.

This week, Safford shared with a news outlet how her struggles with her chaotic lifestyle fueled her creativity and motivated her to build a business that thrives on organization.

“I couldn’t keep my life together. Everything was messy, and there were just no systems in place,” she explained. “So, I started figuring out what systems worked for me and realized I could help others do the same.”

Now, Ríorganize employs lifestyle experts who assist people in finding stylish and practical ways to declutter. They tackle everything from kitchen pantries to entire homes, even offering a mobile service to clients.

“Our core service involves overhauling entire homes, helping clients edit their belongings, find new storage solutions, and install meaningful organization systems,” she noted.

Safford’s team focuses on understanding client habits to identify key changes that lead to a more streamlined and stress-free life.

Interestingly, during the pandemic, she launched a mobile service that includes packing assistance and household organization—a response to the increased demand for such services.

“We handle everything from packing up to moving and unpacking to organizing the entire household. It’s all part of the relocation process,” she said.

When asked about her entrepreneurial journey, Safford admitted she’s not exactly your conventional organizer. “I was naturally disorganized. I had a daughter at 24, and let’s just say that brought a lot of confusion,” she reflected.

The idea for Ríorganize traces back to her university days, where she first envisioned it during marketing classes.

After realizing corporate life wasn’t her path, especially after becoming a mother, she pivoted to entrepreneurship. “I knew I had to make something work to pay the bills and I wanted to be home more,” she shared.

Ríorganize operates in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas, recently expanding to Dallas. The business has caught the eye of major publications and has celebrity clients like model Chrissy Teigen.

Safford revealed that a significant breakthrough occurred in 2019 when she organized Teigen’s pantry, which then went viral on social media.

“I was cooking dinner when suddenly my phone started blowing up. I was like, ‘What’s happening?’” She laughed, recounting how People Magazine called her shortly after Teigen’s post went viral, racking up 1.4 million likes.

She credits a previous connection with Kardashian hairstylist Jen Atkin for leading her to the Teigen opportunity. “That was a real game-changer for me,” Safford said.

For those looking to be more organized on their own, she has a couple of tips. First, “Don’t buy things without a purpose. People often find themselves impulse buying at places like Costco just because something is on sale or looks cute. Those items might not even help with organization.”

Secondly, she advises that you should allocate enough time for any reorganizing project.

Safford will be sharing more insights on “Fox & Friends” on June 23rd at 6:50 am ET.