About Me

I was not born organized.

<gasp>

I became organized through years of self-education and trial-and-error early in my career.

<sigh>

I graduated from Wake Forest University using a weekly calendar and eventually earned a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology.  But even more than my 25+ years of corporate and small business management experience, being a mom has taught me the importance of being organized, setting priorities, and balancing work and life.

In 2007, it occurred to me that other businesspeople shouldn’t have to struggle with getting organized like I did, so I quit my corporate job and hung out my shingle as a productivity coach, speaker, and writer. Since then, I have helped thousands of businesspeople nationwide maximize their effectiveness, balance their priorities, and generate outstanding results.

Here are some things that I love:  my family (of course – all else pales in comparison), helping overworked and underappreciated people (this is my business site after all), my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (his name is Dobby), cooking in a crock pot, and Spanish moss (minus the chiggers).

I dislike raw onions and the feeling that I may have let someone down.  I believe that perfectionism is a key cause of disorganization, and I blame my ridiculously unattainable desire to be perfect for the struggles I often have to manage my time and not overbook myself.  Yes, even organized folks have these struggles.

If you are still reading, then it’s probably time to stop.

Still here?  Hey, how about we connect on Twitter, Facebook, and/or LinkedIn

Okay, it is really time to stop.

…but make sure you sign up for my newsletter before you leave.

 

Melissa Gratias, Ph.D

Melissa Gratias, Ph.D

Dr. Gratias is a productivity specialist who finds life-affirming messages in Muppet movies and Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes.  Despite being a time management expert, she can’t read a watch very well.  Follow @melissagratias on Twitter, but don’t ask her what time it is.

What do people say about working with me?

Melissa Gratias is a high energy, motivated consultant. If you need to get organized, reduce clutter and increase your business professionalism, then you need to hire Melissa. She is excellent in her ... Read More

Legal Manager

Melissa provided our work group with excellent business process and organization advice. The implementation of her advice created a more productive action-oriented work environment. Her ideas led to a... Read More

Manufacturing Executive

Melissa’s expertise has been very valuable to my business particularly for human resources issues within my small business. Melissa has helped me evaluate my firm’s goals, policies, procedures and... Read More

Attorney/Business Owner

I hired Melissa to help streamline my email and time management activities. Melissa did an excellent job with both items and I have definitely been more productive. Melissa’s expertise, professional... Read More

I/S Manager

I thought the experience was very good. I have always struggled with organization personally and it just feels good to have a clean desk and a plan to keep it that way.

Product Manager