Alaina Yonkers is the type of person who would organize a closet just for fun. And then she realized this fun hobby of hers is something people would more than willingly pay for. In fact, professional home organizing and decluttering services proved to be so in demand that she was able to make a career of it!

Her business, Dynamic Order, has become Central Massachusetts' premier professional organizing service provider. Alaina and her team support residential clients throughout the process of decluttering, sorting, donating, and creating a functional home that leaves them feeling amazing.

In this episode, we chat with Alaina about her sincere love for organizing, how she turned that passion into a successful business, some common organizing pain points for people, and her favorite jobs to tackle.

Dynamic Order's Website: Dynamic Order | Professional Organizer | Worcester, MA (dynamic-order.com)

Instagram: Alaina Yonkers | Dynamic Order LLC (@dynamic_order) • Instagram photos and videos

Karen Spencer is the Executive Director of Girls on the Run - Worcester County, a chapter she started one decade ago in 2014!

Girls on the Run is a continent-wide nonprofit organization that seeks to empower young girls through teamwork, friendship, and running. Their fun, evidence-based programs inspire participants to recognize their inner strength, increase their level of physical activity, imagine their possibilities, and confidently stand up for themselves and others.

We talk with Karen about the upcoming fall season for GOTR Worcester County, their need for volunteers and donations, and all the ways you can get involved to support their mission.

Girls on the Run (Worc. Co.) on Instagram: Girls on the Run Worcester County (@gotrworcester) • Instagram photos and videos

Website: Girls on the Run Worcester County (gotr-worc.org)

This week, we meet Leigh Soucy, owner of The Thicket in Worcester! Coming up on its one-year business-versary, The Thicket is a vintage and secondhand clothing store for fat folx located on Brussels Street in Worcester (upstairs from Acoustic Java).

Leigh is on a mission to change the narrative around fat bodies, self-love, and body acceptance. With her store, she wants to help others find clothes that make them feel most themselves and ready to take on the world.

The Thicket on Instagram: The Thicket (@thicketworcester) • Instagram photos and videos

Website: The Thicket (thicketworcester.com)

Some people eat to live, but Tina Vo lives to eat!

Tina started reviewing local restaurants and eateries in 2017 under the Instagram name "Live to Eat Food," and ever since, she's become a well-known foodie in the Central Mass area and beyond!

While being a foodie is a dedicated hobby and passion of hers, Tina is also a primary care nurse practitioner and recently started a side business doing aesthetic (botox & filler) and weight-loss injections under the name Tinaesthetics by Dr. Vo!

We chat with Tina about her food and bubble tea obsessions, her favorite places to eat locally, her career in primary care, and how she got into the business of doing injectables.

Live to Eat Food on Instagram: Tina | Worcester | LTEF (@livetoeatfood) • Instagram photos and videos

Tinaesthetics by Dr. Vo on Instagram: Tinaesthetics by Dr. Vo (@tinaestheticsbydrvo) • Instagram photos and videos

Tinaesthetics by Dr. Vo Website: Home | Tinaesthetics (tinaestheticsbydrvo.com)

This week we finally get to chat with the highly-recommended-to-us Ashling Rowen! So many previous Girls Just Wanna guests have named Ashling as a fellow woman business owner they love, so we just had to meet her for ourselves!

Ashling owns Infinity Events, a full-service event planning company specializing in bespoke affairs for corporations and nonprofits. She's been an event planner for over 20 years, the last 4.5 of which for her own event planning business.

We chat with Ashling about her experience, her favorite events to plan, what "full-service" really means in her industry, and more!

Infinity Events Website: Infinity Events - Event Planner, Event Management, Event Coordinator (infinityeventsco.com)

Infinity Events on Instagram: Infinity Events (@infinityeventsco) • Instagram photos and videos

From cute trinket dishes and jewelry holders to beautiful bowls and fun home decor, leana Arias makes ceramics by hand and sells them under the business Pottery by Ile.

In this episode, she explains how what started as a fun activity to do with her daughter turned into a passion and eventually into a side hustle! Ileana sells her unique, one-of-a-kind pieces at pop-ups and craft markets, as well as on Etsy.

Pottery by Ile on Instagram: Pottery By Ile (@potterybyile) • Instagram photos and videos

On Etsy: PotteryByIle - Etsy

Our friend Julia Sachs is on the show this week to talk about her dramatic career change from selling diamonds to now selling dumpsters! She shares how she wound up at E.L. Harvey, a local, comprehensive waste management company, and what her day-to-day looks like as a Construction Recycling Manager. We also chat about how her "Diamonds to Dumpsters" Instagram page came to be.

E.L. Harvey's Website: Dumpster Rental & Waste Disposal | E.L. Harvey Westborough (elharvey.com)

E.L. Harvey's Instagram: E.L. Harvey & Sons (@el_harveyandsons) • Instagram photos and videos

Julia's Diamonds to Dumpsters Instagram: Julia (@diamonds_to_dumpsters) • Instagram photos and videos

This week, we sit down with Julie Bowditch, Executive Director of CASA Project Worcester County—a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for the best interest of children in foster care in our region.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) are assigned to amplify the children’s voices, advocate for their best interests, and support them on their path toward a safe and permanent home.

We talk to Julie about all the incredible work their organization and its volunteers are doing, as well as all the work that remains to be done.

CASA Project Worcester County Website: CASA Project (thecasaproject.org)

Instagram: CASA Project Worcester County (@casa_worcester) • Instagram photos and videos