HER LIFE Magazine

herlife | business spotlightJoy RaffertyNo matter how small or large theproject, California Closets can makean enviable difference in your livingspace, with projects that rangefrom several hundred to severalthousand dollars. They work withthe various tastes and budgets oftheir customers.by ann e. butenasphotography by jill richardsonHave you ever been afraid to walk into your closet? No, I don’tmean because there might be monsters in there, but becausethe most frightening thing about it is how disorganized, overstuffedand simply not efficient from a best use of space perspective itcould be?Fortunately, help is at hand, and the experts of California Closetsare here to create a more appealing and functional space in yourhome, not just for closets, but also for mud rooms, entertainment centers,pantries, kids’ rooms, offices, garages and more. If clutter needs tobe conquered, California Closets rules!As part of a growing national franchise, local owners Joy and SeanRafferty have been helping people organize and take control of accumulatedstuff and seemingly out-of-control spaces in their homes forthe past nine years, and are having the time of their lives doing so.With showrooms in Albany (952 Troy Schenectady Road inLatham) and Syracuse (3210 Erie Boulevard East in the Ruby TuesdayPlaza), and serving 33 counties in upstate New York, Joy and Sean aretrusted experts you’ll want to consult if your home feels like it’s unnecessarilybursting at the seams with the things life seems to bring intoyour home, literally squeezing you out of your rightful living spaces.“The best part of my job is the smiles we bring to people’s faces,giving them a sense of peace and control in their home. We makepeople’s lives easier,” said Joy.This experienced husband and wife duo bring to the table theirown unique skill sets that allow them to operate a successful and thrivingbusiness together. “We each have separate functions,” noted Joy.“While he runs the manufacturing and operations side of the business,I manage our showrooms and all of our marketing efforts.”The road to establishing their business had a rather circuitous,yet decidedly purposeful, plan. Joy was originally in pharmaceuticalsales back in the late 1990s while Sean was honing his business and accountingskills working in finance for Albany International, a job thattook them and their twins, two years old at the time, to Brazil for nearlythree years, and then to New Orleans before bringing them back tofamiliar home turf in Albany 18 months later.Settling back into a routine in New York presented many questionsand opportunities for Joy. Should she have another child? Returnto school? Establish a new career?“It was around that time that the idea to operate a California Closetsfranchise presented itself,” said Joy. “It was very appealing to us inthat it could be operated during normal business hours while allowingus to enjoy our family at the same time.” They jumped in and haven’tlooked back since.“At California Closets, we design and build custom storage32 HERLIFEnewyork.com