I am a personal concierge, and I have had the wonderful opportunity to work alongside Virginia on a few occassions. I do not offer organizing services as part of my business, so I needed to find someone REALLY good to refer my clients. After all, my reputation is on the line. Thankfully, I found Virginia at Comfortable Structure. She is a natural at this organizing stuff. She's not only knowledgeable and full of organizing tips, she is also an expert at handling all of the other "stuff" that comes up around organizing. She's efficient, organized (duh), and just a fabulous person. The name Comfortable Structure couldn't be more fitting. I obviously recommend her to all of my clients, and I am happy to say I recommend her to all of you as well! read more

As an interior designer with my own business, I often help other people get organized and set up their spaces for maximum productivity. However, when it came to our own office, I needed some help to get a big picture view and take advantage of every inch in our small office. Virginia came highly recommended from another small business owner, and I could immediately tell why. She not only practices the organization that she preaches, but her philosophy of carefully tailoring advice to fit with each client's preferred way of working makes changes doable and long-lasting rather than overwhelming or short-lived. Things were not totally smooth - after her first visit I still had some confusion about our plan for the furniture layout and was not sure the arrangement was going to allow us access to the things we needed. Virginia works fast in an in-person session and I am used to taking time to mull things over and think through all the details and potential chain reactions. However, when I expressed this to her she immediately offered to come back again for no additional fee. The second meeting she was careful to make sure that all my concerns were addressed before she left, and they were. I now have a concrete plan that I can execute over the next few months to get the office prepared for new employees as we grow. That's one huge weight off my shoulders and now I can focus on the 1,000 other things I need to do. Thanks, Virginia! read more

I am a photographer. And, a business owner. My habit is to hide everything unattractive behind the shield of curtains in my studio. "Hiding" does not mean, "putting things in their correct and organized place". It means, shove every last paper, piece of mail, piece of fabric or the pair of scissors behind the curtain. Comfortable Structure took everything off of the shelves, helped me emotionally go through the "stuff" and then put it back in a planned and organized manner. I am so grateful for the strategies that I have learned through my alliance with Comfortable Structure. read more

I am a busy real estate agent working from my home office. My office tends to be cluttered, with piles of papers and old files lying around that I'm intending to deal with someday, and other miscellaneous junk that should be somewhere else, but I somehow just never seem to make the time to start sorting it all out. It's probably not that I couldn't somehow figure out what to do with any particular piece of paper if I were to pick it up and take the time and effort to focus on where it really belongs, but rather that I don't actually really want to do it, and I don't really have a well thought out organization scheme for all that stuff. I wasn't sure exactly what value Virginia would add, given that I felt that I could handle organizing everything myself if I would only take the time to do it. But since I obviously DON'T take the time, I decided to kickstart my efforts to unclutter my workspace by having Virginia come in and work with me. My only regret about that is not having done so about 5 years ago! Part of what Virginia did was to make me focus on each piece of paper lying around, and determine whether it was something that I still needed, and if so, where the best place for it would be. What I wasn't expecting, though, was for her to explain to me why I tend to collect piles of stuff (if I understood correctly, I'm a visual person, and this is something visual people tend to do), and then help me figure out how I could best store that information, or best ensure that I don't forget to do a particular task that I was supposed to do (even if it wasn't something that I could easily put in my Outlook calendar). Virginia helped me create an organizational vision for my whole office and (unexpectedly) provided me with specific strategies, both practical (turning my "to do" book into a multi-purpose information holder with different tabs representing different aspects of my life and business) and theoretical (how to group files in my file cabinet so that I'd instinctively know where to place any particular piece of paper), to cope with maintaining my office in a more orderly and welcoming fashion. I got so much more than I expected from working with her, and am very happy that I overcame my initial skepticism and reluctance and hired her to help me. She's great at what she does, and I'm confident that just about anyone can benefit from working with her! read more

I think Virginia is great! She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to organizing and structuring space to be as efficient as possible. What has her stand heads above the rest is the fact that she customizes her work to your own personality and style. As a result, the structure and organization remains long after she's helped you put it into place. This has been my experience. In a couple of short sessions, Virginia helped me with my business closet (files, supplies, and workspace) and a personal closet of mine (which had vexed me for years) and two months later it looks the same as the day she left. Her solutions were spot on and I continue to feel like a success at keeping it all together. She made it easy for me. P.S. she's also a wiz at time management. I highly recommend Virginia as a professional organizer and to improve your office and home organization. You'll be so happy you did. read more

Overall I am a very organized person but when it comes to my emails, they seem to always build up and bring on extra stress and work. Not only did Virginia come to my office and teach me how to organize my emails, she helped teach my staff as well. Now we have systems in place which allow us to save time and stay on top of our game. She is extremely friendly and easy to work with. I would totally recommend Virginia to anyone who is unorganized, stressed out or just needs some fine tuning on their existing systems. read more

In general, I'm an organized and disciplined person. That's why it was so frustrating for me when I couldn't seem to get a good method down for keeping track of all my professional contacts. I tried several different Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software applications and a homemade excel spreadsheet, and I didn't like any of them for various reasons. I was beginning to think I needed to pay someone a ton of money to design a custom CRM program for me. Good thing I took half an hour to talk it out with Virginia first. She helped me sort through the various issues on why my contacts management was disorganized. After listening and clarifying, she finally suggested I try something shockingly simple. I ended up using a simple task tool I already was using for other things (and is free). It's nothing fancy, but it fits my needs. I've stuck it with it for a month now, and my stress was replaced with empowerment. No one falls through the cracks now! read more

Virginia was hired to help me organize my home, after living her 5 years we still hadn't found a really functional way to organize key areas. The challenge is that with ADD it is hard for me to stay organized and I needed systems that didn't require a lot of focus and time. Virginia was able to work with me, learning a lot about my thought processes and come up with some solutions that were based on my strengths and would address some of my challenges. Virginia will definitely be coming back to help with some more projects. It was an incredibly satisfying experience and a month later the systems are still working. read more

Virginia was able to (in an amazingly short period of time) change the systems that managed our office emailing from one giant inbox full over never-going-to-catch-up correspondence into something that was not merely organized things but also made sense and quick to manage thus ending a major productivity bottleneck Focused and to the point she has the ability to see not only what isn't working but also figure out how to fix it in a way that is going to be most productive towards what your business really needs it to do. Couldn't recommend more highly. read more

Virginia Maddan of Comfortable Structure was the featured speaker for the Golden Gate Business Association's (GGBA) Talk of the Town speaker series. As a small business owner, I'm always interested in learning ways to maximize my time and increase productivity. One of the things I struggle with is remaining on task with phone calls and email hijacking my time. I left Virginia's talk with practical solutions that I can implement today. I also have ideas for improving my workflow by simply adjusting my current filing system. I'm thrilled!! Organizing can be a very intimidating prospect for some people, but Virginia has a way of inspiring action without being a drill sergeant. She truly has a way of connecting with people, cutting through the "BS," and getting right to the heart of the matter. While I have not had the opportunity to work with Virginia one-on-one (YET), I would recommend her services without hesitation. She's definitely an expert!! read more

I just had to update this review! I've worked with Virginia a few times more and I have to report that everything she has helped me with still works!... even as my business is growing! All the organizing I tried to do on my own, on the other hand, has fallen apart . In the end, this has resulted in so much wasted time. Recently, I hired someone to come and work a few hours a week. Stubbornly, I tried to put the systems in place the assistant would need in order to do each task well. Virginia helped me create easy flowing, self-sufficient systems so that I don't use up my time to giving the assistant tasks and explaining, etc. She saved me from giving up on the idea of hiring someone because I was convinced that it would save me time if I just did the work myself. If you're time is valuable to you.. If you are done wasting time attempting to make your workflow easier and more efficient... If you want to hire an employee to help and don't have the time to train them so they don't need constant micromanaging.. Hire Virginia. Don't think twice about it or analyze it. If you've spent the time to research an organizer online (like through YELP), then you've found the solution. The value I received from our work together is priceless! read more

I'm thrilled that I decided to work with Virginia-- it was worth every penny. I knew I needed to get organized, especially after living in the same apartment for many years and not doing a great job of getting rid of old things. However, I kept thinking that if I just buckled down, I should be able to do it myself. It wasn't happening though, so I decided to make the investment in getting help, and a friend recommended Virginia. Many of the reviews here mentioned staying organized well after working with Virginia, and that has been my experience too! In addition to helping me go through, get rid of, and organize actual items in person, Virginia also taught me strategies and methods of envisioning what I want, examining resistance that comes up, and developing tactics for moving through it all to put solutions in place that really work, all while providing just the right amount of structure, process, and accountability to help me meet my goals. After working with Virginia, my apartment is looking and feeling the way I have been wanting it to for a looong time, and it feels really wonderful! Thank you Virginia! read more

Virginia is a master of her trade! I worked with her in a business capacity to help me streamline my procedures and practices to save me time, energy, and money! Her process is easy and flexible. My business (and life) went through some major changes while I was working with her, she took it all in stride and really help me mold the practice for the future. I am now able to see expansion as an exciting process instead of a scary one! Thank you, Virginia, for your amazing insight and invaluable assistance in getting my business to where it needs to be! I can't thank you enough! read more

As a busy professional and soon-to-be father, I came to Virginia to get assistance streamlining work flow in order to save time spent sifting through piles of paperwork that naturally accrue over the course of the week. We worked together for two months. The results were amazing and far exceeded my initial hopes!! The paperwork problem disappeared almost immediately through easy-to-use strategies and systems that Virginia recommended. We worked together to help enhance my weekly productivity and I was able to accomplish so much more. Bottom line, Virginia really gets to know your unique needs and goals and tailors her services to help address those needs and achieve the goals. The value I received from utilizing Comfortable Structure far outweighed the investment. My family and I thank you for your help!! read more

Virginia helped me change my mindset and prepare me for a big change within my work in just one month. She's long term focused, generous, and just the kind of help you'd want when getting organized both mentally and physically. If you've got a system that's not serving you as it should, contact Virginia. read more

We have had an office in our 2 bedroom apartment for the last 3 years that always had to be better organized. We always procrastinated since there was no immediate urge to do so. However, with news of a baby on the way we were now in desperate need of a professional to help us clean out the room and use the space more efficiently. Virginia ended up doing a great job for us. She planned the layout of the room with the crib, changing table, desk, etc. She also helped us find space in our closets (and we thought we had no space!) to move some very large items off the floor and give us more room to work with. She also gave us some very good ideas about organizing other places in our apartment that I would have never thought of. We are now ready to accommodate baby in our small SF apartment and have Virginia to thank in helping us in the crucial first step. read more

I had found Virginia to be so helpful 3 years ago, I decided to hire her again to help me work on creating systems to help me be more efficient in my buiness. I worked with her over the course of 3 months and I have to say I am over the moon with my new systems and strategies. From tackling my email inbox, to using a Planner Pad (life changing tool for me!) to scheduling tasks, I feel so uch more efficient. I loved that Virginia took notes of everything we did so I can refer to them to continue fine tuning and working on what we discussed. If you need help organizing your time, your space, your workflow or systems, definitely give Virginia of Comfortable Structure a ring. She is brillant, and I promise she won't judge your lack of systems or organization! ;) read more

Virginia is amazing at creating systems for business owners. We share some clients and I know her work. Attorneys (and other small business owners) start out by thinking this is something they wouldn't need outside help for, but they're always amazed at how efficiently things run after working with her. I hear people say "I don't have time to take help with my business!" Well, that is exactly why you should hire Virginia. She will get you your time back. I love having her as a resource for my clients because she helps them save time and increase their billable hours. read more

As a busy (harried) director of a compliance department -- with ADHD! -- I was skeptical of how meaningful phone consultation would be without any in-person support or accountability. I was surprised at how immediately useful it was, and really can't say enough about Virginia. The most valuable aspects of working with her were: * She totally "gets" ADHD/ADD! Specifically, she is flexible, understanding, compassionate, practical, has a ton of suggestions for alternate ways of getting stuff done, "normalizes" the experience of feeling chronically overwhelmed and constantly working in emergency-mode, and tailors her approach and recommendations for each person to help you work with your strengths. These qualities in a coach should be helpful for anyone, but my number one priority in working with a business/productivity coach (besides great ideas/strategies) was someone who would understand, accept, and work with me with all my strengths and challenges. * She is a great listener and is skilled at summarizing and prioritizing my (sometimes) chaotic rambling and ideas, and keeping me focused and on-track. She is very knowledgeable and creative, and helped me hone in on (1) what would be the best "leverage move" or give me the most bang for my buck, and (2) how to *operationalize* "great ideas." The books are full of great ideas, but implementation? Not so much. * Her process (twice monthly 45-minute phone sessions) is actually efficient, practical, and embeds a level of accountability. Her way of working with Google docs and taking/organizing all the meeting notes in real time was completely new to me and very helpful. I really came to rely on her notes even though I generally prefer to do that myself because just taking in information auditorily (without something visual and/or kinesthetic) is not the best way for me to absorb information. If you're wondering if this system will work for you, consult with her, and give it a try. I'm SO glad I did! I'm currently on a "vacation" from working with her until I'm sure my upcoming fiscal year's budget is approved, but I fully intend to continue consulting with Virginia! I feel really good about the work we've done over the last 4 months, and I love the way we did this. It was very, very much worth it for me. read more

Virginia and her team are incredible! I have a client that was overwhelmed by the process of preparing his family home for sale after his mother passed. He was very emotional and was having a hard time prioritizing, organizing and generally getting unstuck. I called in Virginia and she and her team helped my client decide what was important and what wasn't. She helped him pack the essentials and trash the junk. She totally saved the day. It's hard to move forward when you're overwhelmed and Virginia created a path forward. read more

I worked with Virginia for just one session and wouldn't hesitate to hire her again. I was dreading a slightly traumatic experience since I detest dealing with clutter, but she made it as pleasant as confronting long-neglected disorganized papers and files possibly could be. She was totally pleasant, efficient and absolutely professional. She focused exactly on what needed most to be done and proposed dead-simple little solutions tailored for me after asking questions about how I do things naturally already. And, a few months later when she emailed to follow up, she mentioned a brief piece of specific advice so obvious and overlooked yet fundamental, that it still sticks with me after a couple of years! Totally impressed. read more

Virginia is a miracle worker. She took my worst nightmares (junk drawers, paper piles) and made them disappear. I have so much more time in my day now because I never spend a minute looking for anything - I know where everything is. I hired Virginia to organize my apartment, office, and storage unit and she did it in record time. I could have never achieved this without her because she gave me the push I needed to take action and actually toss a lot of things that I didn't really need. She is part organizer, part psychologist ("Why do you need three of those?"), and part coach. She has boundless patience and finds pleasure in what I consider the most tedious tasks. Do yourself a favor and hire her - it will be one of the best decisions you ever make. read more

I live in NYC, and run a 5-person business from home. I honestly could not imagine how Virginia would organize me remotely. But that didn't stop me from hiring her at first sight. I have places for my things, but I love to shop and accumulate. I sent Virginia extensive photos of an apartment that looked like it had (there's no other way to put it) exploded. She considered each one carefully and calmly. Speaking with Virginia made my predicament real--it helped me organize my thoughts before organizing my space. it also gave me deadlines. In just three half-hour PHONE sessions over two weeks, my apartment improved by 75%. I'd put things back in their place, found new homes for new things, and gotten ruthless with things I knew were done living here. She also helped me organize an impossible purse, and gave me a simple strategy for desperate moments in the future. Bravo Virginia the miracle worker. Don't let distance keep you from letting her contribute! read more

Virginia is fantastic! After having our first baby, my house was in chaos. I still hadn't packed away my maternity things and my son was at the age where pulling the contents out of every cabinet was his top priority. In our first meeting, Virginia came in and listened to my story, my concerns and my goals and she put together a plan that I could implement alone or she could help me with. Before leaving, she organized my entire kitchen! Totally invigorated from that victory, I invited Virginia back and she worked her magic on my closet and my filing cabinet, as well as other clutter hotspots throughout the house. Virginia puts you at ease immediately, has fantastic, realistic tips and works in a very swift and non-judgmental way. I'd recommend her for complete home overhauls or just a few hours of coaching while de-cluttering. read more

I started working with Virginia about a month ago, I wish I could have started working with her from the onset of my business. As a life coach, I am constantly flooded with emails and projects. Virginia is helping me to strategize so I can increase my productivity and spend less time doing the things I don't enjoy so I can spend more time doing what I love. All I can say is I wish I would have found her sooner! I know she can book out for months, so call now if you are wishing you had more hours in your day because that's exactly what she'll do for you! read more

Can I please just tell you how much I LOVE Virginia Maddan of Comfortable Structure? Before working with her, not only were my drawers and closets a total mess, but my taxes weren't done, and my business organization was in shambles. In just 3 short months Virginia has helped me manifest my home office, helped me do my taxes, organize my closets, cupboards and home space, and has most importantly helped me devise a plan to get out of debt in 9 months! I love this woman. Last week she helped me create an excel spreadsheet of every thing that was coming in and going out monetarily in my life, and the results have been exponential. If you need support with organization in any way, V is your girl... Thanks so much Virginia! read more

I first met with Virginia soon before my wedding when my then fiance was going to be moving into my small condo. The prior five years were spent filling up my two bedroom condo and suddenly I needed to make space for someone else. Virginia and I have met a handful of times now and our condo is SO organized!! Everything has it's place and I've been able to maintain the organization. I feel better about my space than I have in years. We systematically went through room by room and made space for my husband. Additionally, we organized closets, shelves, and created storage for all for the new things we received for our wedding. I'm so grateful that Virginia was referred to me . . . next I'll be using her to help my office!! read more

Virginia helped our family get organized after a recent move. She did a fantastic job of organizing our office, kitchen and children's rooms. She found the perfect spice rack for us and put it in a drawer. I never would have thought of that! Virginia eats, sleeps and breaths organization. If you are feeling overwhelmed with mess and clutter call Comfortable Structures and begin the possess of freeing yourself and your family from the added stress being disorganized will cause. read more

Virginia has helped me get organized with my business in a very short period of time. I had been putting off getting organized and looked to her for help. Virginia will put you at ease and leave a lasting, positive impact on your business or home. read more

Virginia's input is invaluable. She helps you cut through a morass of projects, goals and systems and helps you define your priorities. I now have a simple structure with which to organize each week to achieve what's most important, while spending appropriate time to efficiently advance my mid- and long-range goals. Virginia makes it easy to open up about things you know you could handle better, and knows what questions to ask to get you to see what you need to focus on to enhance your productivity. HIghly recommend! read more

I think of myself as very organized but I got completely stuck with the mess in my garage. Virginia totally turned it around for me this week. In 3 hours I was ready for my upcoming garage sale and got into boxes I hadn't looked in for years. When I made my appointment with her, I couldn't imagine what we would do for 3 hours. It became very clear as we made one accomplishment after another. Definitely hire Virginia, it's very well worth your time and investment. read more

After one phone call and one in-person meeting with Virginia, I knew she was the perfect fit for my family and properties in San Francisco. Not only is her organizational skills stellar, but her communication with her customers is far above those in her industry. Any problems, issues, or questions were addressed quickly and resolved without any headaches. Thank you for improving our lives, our properties, and our peace of mind. Your truly irreplaceable! read more

I'm not behind in my work! I'm totally on top of things right now thanks to Virginia. She gives you very practical things you can do to fix problems now. We addressed real issue that impact my business. She's given me good strategies and a mental frame of mind that are helping my business run more smoothly and be more profitable. She understands my business and I how I think and work. I don't know how it came to be that she understands these things so well. But it's cool and kinda scary. As we worked together, she hit the nail on the head and her advice has me sticking to doing things that I've been meaning to do for years. read more

Recently, I had a consultation with Virgina about my upcoming moves, there are two. She was extremely professional and offered me great tips for packing and staying organized during my move. I am hiring her to help me in a few months as we move into our permanant residence. She is going to come and help me organize the movers, my kitchen, and random other problem spots. It is the first time in my life that I am looking forward to move day! read more

She did a marvelous job, from the first time we spoke on the phone to the appointment we had, in seeking out what *my* specific needs were, and what I needed to get into place to help me on day-to-day tasks. I'd recommend her to anyone, because I think she would be able to adjust to fit what the client needed, rather than a pre-fit set of solutions. read more

Virginia is an organizing rockstar! She showed up at my apartment with her tape measure in hand and didn't waste any time getting into what needed to be done. While I am pretty organized myself, I thought I could do a better job, mostly to save my energy and to make my life more efficient. Virginia doesn't just organize your home, she makes everything in your space FLOW better so that you just FEEL better. If you think you're organized, I would not hesitate at all to work with Virginia. She will make your space better than you can ever imagine. read more

Virginia is just awesome. I was overwhelmed with my workload and Virginia gave me great time management advice that I could implement immediately to decrease my stress. I was so impressed, I had her come and give a presentation to the entire staff at my firm on time management and productivity. Again she was superb. I highly recommend her! read more

I wanted to write an update. Thanks to Virginia I have kept up her lessons on discarding unnecessary papers and other stuff. Virginia is the real deal. I am thankful but more importantly my wife and office staff are thankful. read more

I am so happy that I worked with Virginia Maddan of Comfortable Structure. After several months of living with more than a dozen boxes that were still unpacked after my move (from a house to a one-bedroom apartment), I met with Virginia. Virginia put me at ease from the very beginning. I do not consider myself a "naturally organized" person, and the thought of having to sort through boxes in an already cluttered house made me anxious and stressed. I knew from speaking to Virginia that she had been faced with far more challenging situations, and that she would be able to help me with my home. The afternoon passed quickly and painlessly. And the best part? She left with all of the items I was donating or sending to the dump! The empty space in my apartment was evidence of her effectiveness and showed how much we had accomplished. I am so grateful for Virginia, and highly recommend her to anyone wanting a clutter-free, organized space! read more

After starting a new business, I hired Virginia to come in and assess my processes and procedures. I had found myself running around putting out brush fires here and there, with no real sense of how to get control of my schedule and my emails. After working with Virginia, the brush fires were out, my calendar was under control, and I had a fantastic system in place to handle incoming and archived emails. Any business owner, and particularly busy lawyers, would benefit greatly from working with Virginia. Highly recommend. read more