How to Build Organizational Systems That Last With Carla Zwaan

Carla Zwaan

Carla Zwaan is a Certified Productive Environment Specialist who helps entrepreneurs transform cluttered physical and digital workspaces into organized, productive environments. Through her VIP office and digital transformations, she helps business owners make intentional decisions about what to keep, what to eliminate, and how to organize information so it can be easily retrieved. Her approach focuses on creating sustainable organizational systems rather than relying on temporary fixes, new apps, or organizing hacks.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[04:00] Why organizational systems are more effective than quick fixes, productivity hacks, or constantly adding new tools.
[05:40] The essential components of an organized office and how the same principles apply to physical and digital workspaces.
[09:10] Three questions that help you decide whether to act on, reference, or eliminate information and materials.
[11:05] How to organize physical mail, email, and incoming ideas using one consistent system.
[18:25] Why a searchable information system and ongoing accountability are essential for maintaining organization.

In this episode:

Being organized isn't about having fewer things. It's about having a system that tells you what to do with everything that comes your way.

In this episode, Adi Klevit interviews Carla Zwaan about how entrepreneurs can eliminate clutter, reduce overwhelm, and create productive work environments. Carla explains why buying another organizing tool or adopting the latest productivity hack rarely solves the underlying problem. Instead, lasting organization comes from establishing a consistent system for making decisions about information, tasks, and physical materials. She shares how the organizational principles developed by Barbara Hemphill continue to help businesses create order in both physical and digital environments.

Carla introduces a practical approach built around three decisions: act on it, keep it for reference, or toss it. She explains how this method applies to everything from incoming paperwork and email to the ideas and tasks that constantly occupy an entrepreneur's mind. Adi connects these principles to the importance of having clear processes and procedures in a business. When information is consistently captured, categorized, and stored, employees spend less time searching for what they need and can focus more on productive work.

The conversation also explores what it takes to maintain an organized environment after the initial transformation. Carla emphasizes that a good organizational system must make information easy to find, even when the person who originally stored it is unavailable. She also explains how weekly accountability helps clients develop new habits that keep their systems working over time. The result is not simply a cleaner office, but a repeatable way of managing information that supports efficiency, consistency, and peace of mind.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

“What we really need is a system to keep everything flowing.”
“You have to have the system in place in order to keep things flowing.”
“The implementation starts with three basic questions.”
“Is this something that you want to act on? Is this something that you'd like to reference? Or can you ultimately toss it?”
“What is the worst thing that can happen if I decided to toss this item today?”
“The whole point is being able to retrieve it again."

Action Steps:

Establish a consistent system for incoming information. Create a defined process for handling paperwork, email, and new ideas so information doesn't accumulate without a purpose.
Use the act, reference, or toss method. Make a decision about each item or piece of information instead of leaving it in an inbox or on a desk indefinitely.
Separate actionable tasks from reference materials. Use a task management system for work that requires action and a searchable reference system for information you may need later.
Evaluate what you actually need to keep. Review old files, books, documents, and materials. Ask what would happen if you no longer had them, and remove items that no longer serve a purpose.
Make information easy to retrieve. Organize and label physical and digital materials so you and others can quickly locate what is needed without relying on memory.
Build accountability into your organizational processes. Schedule regular reviews to reinforce new habits, prevent clutter from returning, and ensure your systems continue to work.

Sponsor for this episode:

This episode is brought to you by Business Success Consulting Group.

At Business Success Consulting Group, we create custom processes and tailor-made management systems so businesses can thrive.

Businesses simply can’t survive without workable systems and well-documented processes. That’s why our team of experienced professionals takes care of it for you.

We provide business owners, entrepreneurs, and key executives with six phases to success, along with the long-lasting systems necessary to support business expansion.

So, what are you waiting for? Do yourself a favor and cut the chaos out of your business.

Visit bizsuccesscg.com today or email info@bizsuccesscg.com to schedule a free consultation.