Matt and Jaime Drescher are the owners of Kitchen Wise and Closet Wise, a Twin Cities company that offers organizational solutions to clients for every part of their home.
“In practice, what that looks like is we come and design kitchen and closet systems for our clients,” says Matt, a Sheboygan, Wisconsin native who, before entering college, attended seventeen different schools.
“I guess you could say I moved around quite a bit,” Matt adds with his patented hearty chuckle.
For college, Matt enrolled at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.
That’s where he met his future wife, Jaime, a Nebraska native who grew up in farm country.
Together, the couple, post-college, had four kids, and they spent fifteen glorious years in Colorado Springs.
During their time in Colorado, Matt worked at a power plant and Jaime raised the children.
They were the perfect embodiment of the American Dream, but eventually, Matt was offered a position with Xcel Energy in Minnesota, so the Dreschers headed north, settling in Becker, Minnesota.
To many, it appeared the Dreschers would continue to raise their children and lead a relatively normal life, but suddenly, there was a shift in the way Matt viewed his career prospects.
“I got to a point where I wasn’t challenged anymore, and I wasn’t given opportunities to challenge myself,” Matt says of his corporate job, so about a year after moving to Minnesota, he made it known to his network on LinkedIn that he was open to finding a new job.
Not long after notifying LinkedIn of his newfound aspirations, a man reached out and asked Matt if he wanted to “explore alternative career paths.”
“I wasn’t quite sure what he meant by `alternative,’ and so I was hoping he wasn’t going to ask me to take my clothes off,” Matt jokes.
Initially reluctant to entertain the man’s inquiry, Matt eventually started a dialogue with the random messenger, who Matt soon discovered worked with despondent corporate employees to see if entrepreneurship was a viable career option for them.
After a series of tests and countless conversations with the messenger and Jaime, Matt found becoming an organizational solution expert enticing.
“Jaime loved being a stay-at-home mom and taking care of our kids, but I wanted her to be a part of whatever business venture I undertook because she’s so talented, and she has skills that I simply don’t,” Matt shares.
Recalls Jaime, fondly, and with an equally genuine chuckle:
“I was actually concerned because I didn’t know what he [Matt] was getting us into. I had no idea how to reorganize a kitchen or a closet. I don’t think I even knew how to read a tape measure.”
Today, the pair from opposite ends of the Midwest seamlessly complement each other in the daily operations of Kitchen and Closet Wise.
For context, Matt excels at the literal reconstruction of spaces, and Jaime thrives at consulting clients on design options uniquely tailored to their vision and budget.
Process-wise, at present, Matt and Jaime both go to consultations together, and each are actively involved with each project at every step of the process.
“Matt will measure dimensions, and I focus on building the relationship and assessing what our clients want so that they’re comfortable with whichever direction we ultimately move forward with,” Jaime explains.
Adds Matt:
“Business coaches might not like the fact that we both go out to homes, but we have found that by having both of us present at the initial consultation, the rapport with each client grows. More importantly, the final product turns out great because while I focus on actually building out the design, Jamie is simply fantastic at taking a concept that the client has envisioned and turning it into a full-fledged design.”
With kitchen reorganizations, typically, the Drescher’s clients are around retirement age because they are attracted to the idea of having easier access to things in their kitchen.
“As people age, it’s more difficult for them to reach places like the back of the cupboard, and so with what we do, we’re able to offer a better solution that requires less physical exertion,” Matt says.
”In general though, our clients usually have some discretionary income and they’re looking for something nice. They want to be more organized but aren’t necessarily sure how. That’s where we become involved and showcase our value proposition.”
Again, Matt and Jaime can reorganize virtually any space in a home, even outdoor sheds, and due to the amount of repeat business they earn, it’s safe to say the Dreschers have no problem turning even the most complicated spaces into models of productivity.
“Anywhere you have stuff,” Jaime says, “we can optimize that space to maximize efficiency.”
In terms of cost, working with the Dreschers is not cheap.
Matt says that their average kitchen reorganization runs clients about $3,500, which is considerably less than most every other kitchen remodeling option on the market.
On the low end, some projects total around $1,800, but the Dreschers have also done kitchen projects that have approached $7,000 because of the types of materials the client wanted.
With main bedroom closets, those figures increase to an average of around $5,000 per project, depending on the full scope of work.
“We’ve had clients who want to do crown molding, elaborate door profiles, lighting, and other upgrades; so even the closets can get pretty expensive, but with that being said, we’re not actively trying to sell clients on a specific material or brand. Rather, when we meet with clients, we’re trying to assess what kind of aesthetic and functionality they want for their space, and then we’re matching them up with a product and service that best fits their specific needs and budget,” explains Matt.
Affirms Jaime:
“If a client has a specific budget that they’re working with, I’m really good at getting them at or close to a price point that works for them.”
In an industry that, ironically enough, is often devoid of personal touch, Matt and Jaime’s two-pronged approach is what differentiates them among their competitors.
Regulars at home shows across the Twin Cities, the duo also generate tons of business because as the people who sell the project, they are also the same people managing production and installing the materials.
“We care about our customers,” Jaime modestly asserts.
“I look at every closet space or kitchen space as if it were my own. I would never encourage someone to build a design that I would never construct in my own home.”
To further enhance their customer service experience, Jaime also creates a digital rendering of the project during the initial consultation, and then their clients can alter that rendering as they see fit.
“This allows customers to make changes on the fly and get the final product to exactly where they want it to be,” Jaime mentions.
In the coming years, Matt and Jaime are working to develop a storefront where potential clients can visit before ever scheduling an in-home consultation.
The fact that they’re considering expanding their presence indicates the company is steadily ascending, but as with all growth, there are inherent challenges that then arise.
“Our capacity is being stretched this year as we continue to grow and expand our customer base,” says the perpetually optimistic Jaime, “so adding another designer and installer is likely the next phase in our development.”
Adds Matt, concluding our conversation with dreams for the future, but gratitude for the present:
“Like any business owner, of course I would like to eventually step away from the day-to-day operations and focus more on bigger picture things, but I’m also realistic enough to understand that to get to that point it will require a continuation of what we’re doing now, and then being able to teach those same concepts to any future employees we have.”
“In that sense, I’m excited for the future, but I’m also not in a hurry to get away from the present, because I love what I do, and I feel so lucky to be able to do it all with my amazing wife.” QS
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