Maria Gracia                     Return to Get Organized Now! Blog

Biography

My specialty is helping people get better organized to live the kind of stress- free lives they've always dreamed of, so they have plenty of time for family, friends, recreation, vacations, hobbies and everything else they love to do.

During my ten years with Dun and Bradstreet's Nielsen Media Research in New York, I worked as a marketing, organizing and management specialist. Throughout my tenure, I managed the data analysis department, worked with hundreds of television stations and advertising agencies, and developed effective, productive systems for my clients and staff.

Today, my family and I live in Watertown, Wisconsin (a very neighborly, Mayberry-like town) where my husband, Joe, and I operate our company, Effective Business Systems. I founded Get Organized Now! in 1996.

Get Organized Now! is dedicated to helping you organize your home, your office and your life. My Get Organized Now! Web site is currently visited by nearly a million people per year worldwide and my free Get Organized Now! Newsletter is delivered to hundreds of thousands of subscribers worldwide.

On my web site, you'll find tons of free tips, ideas, checklists, articles, challenges, e-courses, slideshows, clinics and recipes--just to name a few of our goodies. The Get Organized Now! Discussion Forum, frequented by thousands of visitors each month, offers visitors a chance to post questions, share ideas and get motivated.

I am the author of the Finally Organized, Finally Free series which, I'm thrilled to reveal, has been read by thousands of people all over the world. In addition, I have other helpful organizing products, sold worldwide, which can be found in my Get Organized Now! Store.

On the homefront, I enjoy spending time with my husband and best friend, Joe, and our beautiful and amazing daughter, Amanda.

We travel frequently, taking both long vacations and shorter day trips. When on the road, we're always on the lookout for that perfect, little, cozy restaurant.

We welcome daily perks such as taking our daugther to the playground, going to the movies and savoring a special treat at the local ice cream shoppe.

Amanda is involved in ballet, tap, poms, piano lessons and swimming lessons--and still has time for plenty of fun activities with family and friends. We make the most of our driving time to these activities too, with fun games and educational activities.

I love to cook and am always experimenting with new recipes. As soon as my town opens the summer farmer's market each year, I'm there!

I am actively involved with my town's local Newcomers and Neighbors Club and am the president of the Home and School Association (think PTO) at my daughter's school.

I read books and magazines for both educational and recreational purposes. Each month, I attend a monthly local book chat. Basically a group of women choose one book each month that we all read and discuss in detail. It's such a pleasure to be able to not only read a book, but then to be able to hear different perspectives on it.

In addition, I'm an avid scrapbooker and spend at least four hours each week on this hobby. My daughter will never be at a loss for photographs--that is for sure! I'm sure you'll see my layouts posted from time to time.

My favorite season is fall and I look forward to the foliage, pumpkin picking, apple cider and hayrides each year.