Hands up if this scenario sounds familiar: You’re standing in the middle of a room, surrounded by your objects. Some you know you would never part with in a million years, some you’re only too glad to get rid of, but some have a giant question mark hovering over them. What to do with these?
Hard as it is to answer this question, imagine how much more difficult it becomes when every item has a memory attached to it, and is steeped in sentiment. That’s where Marylou Bawden comes in. Occupying a rather unique spot, somewhere between a moving company and a home organising service, Marylou’s company, Clear Path Senior and Specialty Moving Managers, helps people – specifically retirees relocating to a smaller home – sift through what they need, what they can do without, and what they’re unsure of.
Marylou explains that the idea for the business was born during Covid. “After my mother-in-law moved in with my sister-in-law for the duration of lockdown, she decided it was time to downsize permanently from her home of 52 years,” Marylou explains. The family spent seemingly endless Saturdays clearing out possessions accumulated over more than half a century, and although Marylou’s mother-in-law was completely on board and eager for the move, she was also paralysed by indecision at times. “She’d pick something up and then put it down again, unsure of whether she wanted to keep it or chuck it. That’s when I realised that there are thousands of South Africans facing a similar conundrum. What’s more, because so many of them have seen their children immigrate, there’s no one to help them through this difficult and often emotional process.”
The timing of Marylou’s epiphany wasn’t surprising, given that she’d recently lost her job in events – an industry which had practically ceased to exist after lockdown was announced. With more time on her hands than she was used to, she allowed herself to explore her passions and interests. “At one point, I even considered starting a business focused on soil, because I was really into composting at the time. My husband was greatly relieved when I found somewhere else to invest my energies – he had been encouraging me to find my niche because, although I knew I needed to find a job, I was also certain that I wanted to start a business rather than take direction from someone else.”
Fair enough – but wasn’t it scary to take up life as an entrepreneur at a time when many businesses were being forced to shut their doors? Not at all, Marylou says. “In a way, the pandemic gave me a blank canvas. One of my friends always tells me she wishes she had the guts to do what I’d done – but, as I always say, it’s easy when you have nothing to lose.”
Even so, Marylou admits that the first few months of Clear Path’s existence were rough going. Her experience helping her mother-in-law move prompted her to do some online research, which brought up the National Association of Senior and Specialty Moving Managers in the United States. “I thought that if the Association could gather more than 1 000 members, there was certainly space for such a service in South Africa,” she recalls. She developed the concept , launched a website in November 2020, and netted her first clients in March – one year after her retrenchment. “I felt that everything in my life had led to this point. I started my career helping my mother in her antiques store, which gave me contacts among the South African Antique, Art and Design Association (SAADA) – so I have a solid knowledge of which items have value and which don’t. In turn, my work with SAADA led me to eventing, where I learnt project management skills.” That’s why, although she hadn’t moved house in 25 years, Marylou is more than qualified to help people about to start on their new chapter. “I don’t think I could have done this job when I was younger. I wouldn’t have had the maturity, patience and empathy I need to guide people through this time.”
It’s a privilege to be able to do so, Marylou says. Because, although she acknowledges that there is enormous emotion attached to packing up a life, she also acknowledges the truth in the old adage, a problem shared is a problem halved. “It’s tremendously rewarding to come home, knowing that I have helped someone who is making very difficult decisions, often at a very stressful time. After all, most people make the move to a retirement village because of health reasons or perhaps because they have lost a spouse.” Although Marylou doesn’t tell her clients what to do, she is able to point out that they are probably not likely to use a cracked, chipped platter (especially if they have five others to choose from), or that their new couch might just squeeze into a smaller room – but only if they leave an armchair behind. “Because I’m not emotionally involved, I’m able to ask questions that get people thinking about what they really want or really need. And if I know an item has value, I can help them with that, too.”
Marylou’s fledgling business has grown to the point where she now employs a number of on-the-ground helpers and admin staff – but she’s keen to see it grow further. The question is what form that growth will take: It might mean establishing branches in Cape Town or Durban, for example. “I’m always thinking about what will happen next, and I love that. I love that it feels as though anything is possible; anything is achievable.”
Details: clear-path.co.za,[email protected]
Marylou’s tips for decluttering
- Start by setting up four piles: Keep, donate, sell and discard.
- Keep a strict ‘one touch’ policy: If you’ve put something in one pile, leave it there. Don’t go back and reconsider if you might want to do something different with it.
- Break tidying into manageable tasks. For example, don’t set out to clear a room. Start with a single drawer in the room and continue onto something else once that drawer is complete.
- If you’re not sure what to do with an item, ask yourself: When was the last time I used it? Is it cracked, chipped or stained?
- Now’s the time to use all those beautiful items you’ve saved ‘for best’. Allow them to give you joy.
- A tip for children: Be patient with your parents. If they give you an item you just don’t want, understand that it might be because it’s easier for them than simply throwing it away.
Text: Lisa Witepski • Photo: MEGAN BRETT.
