Pandemic forces Newton woman to turn her passion project into a booming business

NEWTON, Mass. — A Newton woman started up her passion project in the middle of the pandemic and it has grown into a booming business. Her mission is to help families be more organized and efficient in the space they spend the most time in — their home. Her all-female team is tackling clutter, keeping homes tidy and functional.

Tina Jellinek is all about keeping things tidy.

“Once we have it contained, then we’ll bring it over into the space,” said Tina Jellinek, owner of Tidy by Tina as she helped organize a client’s home.

This professional organizer’s goal is to help families live a more efficient and productive lifestyle.

“It’s easy, it’s intuitive,” said Jellinek.

But starting out, things weren’t so easy for Tina.

“I was a single mom going to school at night, trying to make ends meet, really limited on resources and time,” said Jellinek.

Once Tina met her husband, she went back to school full time and got a job in commercial real estate project management. When COVID-19 hit, her office stayed open. But with a three-month-old, a daughter in middle school, and her husband’s overnight hours as a first responder, she knew something had to give.

“I really had to take a hard look and see like what skills did I possess that I could possibly do something with while being present for my children?” said Jellinek.

Tina decided to use her skills keeping executives efficient and apply them to home life — helping other overwhelmed parents like herself feel a little more organized while maintaining busy schedules. She started Tidy by Tina in October of 2020 — and it has grown to a team of eight women.

“It was a passion project out of the pandemic to just really help one other overwhelmed parent,” said Jellinek. “And what it’s grown into, we’ve served over 60 families. We’ve helped them in their most stressful situations.”

From organizing, to moving, to estate sales — Tina’s team helps people sort through their clutter and restore functional spaces.

“So really producing environments that make you feel good, make you feel productive, make it easy to be in enriched your life,” said Jellinek.

One of Tidy by Tina’s missions is self-care. She says we often spend a lot of money on hair, makeup and nails, but why not invest more in your home and organize the space that you spend most of your time in. For items that don’t have a use, one of other Tina’s missions is to donate it someone who could use it.

“Being a single mom experiencing domestic violence and overcoming that, I still remember the first pot, the pair of pots and pans that I got when I was a single mom and what that meant to me,” said Jellinek.

Tina’s goal is to continue to grow her brand and help other families feel a sense of calm and peace in their home, something she has finally been able to provide for her daughter.

“It’s empowering and I’m pretty proud of myself,” said Jellinek. “And I just hope that she’s able to look at this and whatever she chooses to do and knows that she can be resilient to get through anything because she’s already been through the toughest part of her life.”

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2023 Cox Media Group