A third child. An exciting Container Store collab. And a brand new book in the works. Organizational
guru Marie Kondo has been quite busy since her breakout Netflix series debuted in 2019.
Keep watching to see what she's been up to lately.
Marie Kondo was quick to open an e-commerce shop after the success of her Netflix series in 2019.
And while it may seem hypocritical to start selling items after convincing
others to clear out their excess junk, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal,
Kondo claimed she wasn't "trying to encourage over-purchasing." Instead, she explained that
the idea came from fans asking about the type of products she uses. Kondo told the outlet:
"I want to express how much I enjoy each item so that it's evident to the viewers
that the material item itself is effective in creating this tangible experience of joy."
The online store includes wellness items such as a tuning fork with a crystal to
reset the energy in your home, incense, aromatherapy, and minimalistic pajamas.
You can also find a whole section of Japanese staples like flower frogs, kimono robes,
desktop zen gardens, tea sets, and more. And of course, there's plenty
of organizational items and tools. For those who think they may have the
organizational skills to become the next Marie Kondo, there's a way to prove it.
Kondo's been training others to be official KonMari consultants for years,
but she now has an online program where anyone can register for the course and be on their way
to becoming a certified consultant in her "spark joy" method and even make a new career out of it.
"Hi, I'm Marie Kondo. I'm so excited to introduce my tidying course."
According to the KonMari website, the course costs $2,250 plus an annual fee of $500
to renew licenses. In it, certified instructors teach the fundamentals of
her method and how to start a small business in professional organizing. The website's
directory demonstrates that people all over the world have started KonMari tidying businesses.
"I got the opportunity to come to the training and I was blown away
by just the number of kindred spirits that I met. And it just all felt right."
It's an involved process, however. Kondo explained to Forbes:
"You must attend a Consultant Certification Course, practice tidying with two clients,
and then take a written exam. There are seven consecutive steps involved, which
include everything from tidying your own home to attending one of these courses to taking an exam."
"When you complete this course, I am sure that you too
can finish tidying and live a life that sparks joy."
In 2020, Marie Kondo decided to add another book to her list of achievements.
Branching out of her usual focus on the home, the book is titled Joy at Work:
Organizing Your Professional Life. The book was co-written with author
and instructor Scott Sonenshein, who holds a PhD in organizational behavior.
Together, the celebrity entrepreneur and professor created a work that was partly
her philosophy applied to professional life and partly his contribution about the more
psychological and behavioral aspect of organizing in corporate settings. In an
interview with Good Housekeeping, Kondo explained,
"When we ask ourselves what sparks joy, we reconnect with our inner self
and discover what's really important to us. This approach can be applied to all
aspects of life –- from your home to your career."
As for Sonenshein, he noted to Fast Company,
"There's a lot of clutter, not just on the desk, but in our minds,
in the conference room, and on our computers.
All these distractions get in the way of doing the job that we might otherwise love."
Kondo also offers practical advice in the book,
like keeping your desk completely clear of any distractions and
organizing papers vertically so things don't get lost in never-ending, overwhelming stacks.
"Get ready to experience the life-changing magic of tidying up."
While many of us were freaking out during the chaos of 2020 from inside our work-from-home dens,
Marie Kondo was all about keeping it zen. Kondo told The New York Times:
"It is a challenging and uncertain time, but it may also be an opportunity
to express gratitude for your space and to tidy up if you've been wanting to."
She shared her daily diary with the newspaper in Spring 2020 during the
early days of the pandemic lockdown. It should come as no surprise that her days
at home were planned and organized to a T, including a schedule of lighting incense,
meditating, tending to her garden, exercising, cooking, and spending time with her kids,
all while somehow still managing to work several hours a day.
And of course, she also encouraged using the extra time at home to tidy. Because more people
were attempting to "Marie Kondo" their lives, she noticed another wave of intense interest in
the KonMari method. The tidying master explained to Forbes that in response to so many requests
for help, she created an 8-week Tidy Challenge. Sharing practical advice for staying balanced
in work-from-home situations, she suggested creating a strict schedule that separates
work and down time. Speaking with Extra TV about tidying up tips during the pandemic,
she explained that something as simple as a flower on your desk can "spark joy" in trying times.
Marie Kondo has been married to partner Takumi Kawahara since 2014. They reportedly
met while waiting for an elevator in Japan around 2005, but it took a while for their
relationship to fully blossom. Kawahara and Kondo are more than husband and wife;
they're also business partners. Their home life has centered on Kondo's "sparking joy" philosophy,
and for her, having children was a large part of her dreams.
The couple already had two children together when in 2021,
Kondo announced on her Instagram she was pregnant with her third child.
She welcomed the baby in April 2021, posting a photo of the newborn on Instagram, writing,
"I am over the moon welcoming this bundle of joy into our family."
If you're wondering how Kondo stays as tidy as ever with two toddlers and a baby,
the answer is, she doesn't always. Kondo wrote on her KonMari blog:
"Motherhood taught me to be more forgiving of myself. The joy that comes from parenting
exceeds any satisfaction that could have come from a perfectly neat home."
Though fans didn't get a full new season of Tidying Up, they were able to get a
fresh dose of uplifting organization content with Marie Kondo's three-episode special,
Sparking Joy, which aired in 2021. In a statement to People, Kondo said,
"I am thrilled about my new series, which shifts the focus from how to tidy to why you should
tidy — and the emotional benefits that resonate in relationships, businesses and communities."
The trailer radiates an uplifting and joyful vibe as it displays emotional responses from the
people she's helping. The show was well-liked by critics and was certainly enough to give fans some
new inspiration to find a Marie Kondo-esque calm within themselves and get to tidying.
If you shopped at The Container Store, you've likely seen a large photograph of Marie Kondo
advertising her new line of sustainable products at the organization mega-store.
Called The Container Store x KonMari, the collaboration made sense. In 2019, during
the height of the Marie Kondo frenzy in America, Container Stores sales increased by 9%, according
to Fast Company. She was helping the Container Store make money before she even intended to.
Because so many organizational products are made of not-so-Earth-friendly plastic,
inevitably creating more waste, Kondo decided to focus on creating products
made from sustainable materials like bamboo for her Container Store
line. Container Store chief merchandising officer John Gehre told Business of Home:
"The collection was a bold undertaking, as we wanted to fuse sustainability,
premium products, and Marie's personal style together. Our buying team traveled all over
the world to accomplish a collection [that's like] nothing you have ever seen in our stores."
At the store, she sells everything from wooden hangers to aesthetically pleasing hampers.
With a successful consulting empire, best-selling books, hit TV shows, and several e-commerce
ventures, you're probably thinking Marie Kondo must be worth millions. And you're correct. Marie
Kondo's net worth is estimated to be around $8 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
In 2020, Japanese retail giant Rakuten became the majority shareholder in KonMari Media Inc.,
per S&P global. Though the amount of the deal was undisclosed, it was likely a large sum.
Kondo's business prowess has left some speculating about whether or not she has sold out.
Former New York Times writer Alison Roman called Kondo "greedy" in an interview with
The New Consumer. Kondo addressed the remarks in an interview with The Daily Beast, saying,
"I always try to teach people to cherish what you already have, and in buying new things,
I really encourage people to be as selective as possible. And I do have my online shop, but it's
after you finish tidying, [...] that you start to add new things to your life that truly spark joy."
As for the Rakuten purchase, Kondo's husband, Takumi Kawahara, told Fast
Company that it made sense because Rakuten is such a widespread and prevalent company in Japan
and that it is aligned with Kondo's goal. Kondo told The Guardian:
"I want tidying and organization to be spread throughout the world."
And she may make a few more million in the process.
For those itching to get some new KonMari Method content, there's good news.
Marie Kondo will continue to expand her philosophy in a new book called
Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life that is set to be
released in November 2022. In the press release for the new title, the tidying expert explained,
"I created this book as a guide for both those who have already adopted the KonMari Method
and those who might be new to the philosophy. My hope is that readers can learn how to visualize
their ideal life so that their homes, activities and relationships can spark joy every day."
Kurashi is a Japanese word meaning "way of life."
In it, Kondo offers suggestions and steps for finding one's own "kurashi."
The book will reportedly be filled with images designed to inspire.
"We all have clutter in our hearts and that's what needs tidying."
As for Kondo's future, she plans to continue spreading the gospel of tidying to new audiences.
When The Guardian asked what her greatest achievement was,
she answered, quote, "organizing the world."
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