Over 20 Years of Happy Clients - Call to Schedule Your "Space Walk" | 205 - 326 - 7025
THE SPACE CADETS TEAM
MEET OUR FOUNDER
As a recovering “Messy”, Kim McBrayer understands exactly how so many of her clients feel. She may not have been born organized, but Kim was absolutely born to organize!
In 2001, Kim discovered the professional organizing industry after working in event planning for businesses, churches, non-profit groups and cities since 1995. In this diverse work, she realized that her true passion always revolved around helping people to find organization. With this passion to help others, she founded All Spaced Out, one of the nation’s first residential organizing firms. Kim became a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and served on the National Board of Directors; is a Golden Circle member; and was selected as a 2009 Top 40 Under 40 in Birmingham by the Birmingham Business Journal. Most recently, she was selected to participate in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business National Program.
As her business grew, Kim’s personal experiences began to mirror the needs of her clients. She battled through a divorce, a terminal fight with cancer in her son, Carson Sumpter, several moves, a new marriage to her high school sweetheart, a blended family, and the battle of addiction in her husband. In the middle of the uncertainty woven through her world, Kim had to let go of her first business in order to care for her son and hold onto the frayed edges of her family. The experience of Carson's passing left her reeling, and yet she found the strength and courage to keep moving forward for her daughter, Cassidy and husband, Brett.
In 2013, after some time to heal and find firm footing again, Kim re-entered the organizing world, opening Space Cadets. Determined to re-establish this new company, focusing on space planning and design, as well as a production team to handle installations and hands-on organizing, she also opened a retail shop and online store to offer quality organizing accessories. After outgrowing the first storefront in November 2019, Space Cadets moved into the Brook Highland location where they expanded the accessories line, along with a design center and showroom for the closet and garage installation services. Specializing in residential renovations and improvements, the Cadets also work alongside Homebuilders in their remodeling and new construction needs.
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At the same time that her business world was coming into place, Kim’s husband suffered from a serious fall, leaving him with a Traumatic Brain Injury, eventually resulting in Frontal Lobe Dementia. After a long battle with this terrible illness, Brett passed away in April 2020.
To say that Kim’s life has been a very complicated series of learning events would be a severe understatement, but because of each new chapter in her story, Kim has found the joy, the beauty, the grace, and the hope that makes her able to identify and empathize with all of her staff and clients she serves. She understands how necessary good organization is in order to find peace and comfort in a chaotic and ever-changing world, and how important preparation is when faced with new uncertainties. Kim hopes that sharing her message of overcoming challenges, enjoying a simpler and more organized life, and by sifting through the very many layers that make up each of our stories, we can find purpose in the pain and triumph from the tragedy.
IN THE NEWS
In the Spring of 2020, Kim McBrayer was selected to participate in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. GS10K is a $500 million national program, created with Babson College, and designed to help small businesses in the United States create jobs and economic growth by providing entrepreneurs with a practical business education, and business support services. This program comes from the belief that small businesses are the backbone to every community and if they are strong, it will strengthen a community and lead to a stronger America.
Alabama Baby & Child Fall 2013
September 30, 2013
Hoarding: Buried Alive
Season 4 Episode 9 : "Are You Serious?"
March 11, 2012
WXJC Radio : Dancing In The Rain
October 30, 2016 - October 21, 2018
280 Living : Women in Business 2020
December 26, 2019
280 Living: Creating Space
December 21, 2019
Kim, 38, is a certified professional organizer and founder of All Spaced Out, (now Space Cadets), a closet design and organization company. The business has grown rapidly and the company has expanded to a 1,400 square-foot warehouse and 700 square foot showroom, with additional plans to grow across the region.
Education: B.A. Communication, University of Alabama, 1992
What was your first job? Church pianist at 12 years old.
Why did you choose your profession? It chose me actually! I am a Recovering Messy that realized the difference organizing made in my own life and that I could share the lessons from personal experience with others.
Birmingham Business Journal's 2009 Top 40 Under 40
From The Birmingham Business Journal interview
What was the turning point in your career?
After running this business from my home with
one part-time installer, I met a “sink-or-swim” moment when my major supplier went out of business and I still had orders to fill. It was either close down or reinvent myself. Next thing I knew, I had a showroom, offices and warehouse with more than 10 employees.
What is your guiding business principle? The Golden Rule.
What is your yardstick of success? Our returning clients and referrals are high, which says we are doing something right. That is success to me!
What are the characteristics a good leader must have? Passion and integrity – everything else will fall in line.
Who is your biggest mentor? Proverbs tells us the wise seek counsel from many advisors, so I have many mentors that help me look at life’s decisions from several angles.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? To be true to who you are as you climb toward success, lifting your foot in faith and the step will be there.
What’s the worst advice you’ve ever received? To not get my hopes up and dream too big. What a limitation on the potential!
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned? To always do the right thing, even if it is not easy.
What one word best describes you? Passionate
What would be your first choice if you had to pick a new career? Open a teen center (club) where they can come to hang out, complete with games, activities, tutoring services, youth counselors for problems both big and small, as well as a place to stay overnight if they’re in serious trouble.
What’s your favorite…
Restaurant? Chick-Fil-A – seriously! Always good, always fast and always nice.
Book? Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard
Movie? The Legend of Bagger Vance.
Vacation spot? Sunny afternoon on my back porch - as simple as it gets–no packing, no travel, no stress!
Favorite city? Colorado Springs, Colo.
Guilty pleasure? Chocolate and Sunday naps
Hobbies? Music, Alabama football and photography
If you could eat dinner with any person, living or dead, who would it be?
My kids - every chance I get!
Alabama, Auburn or someone else? Alabama - Roll Tide!
What civic organizations are you involved with? Board of Certified Professional Organizers (BCPO); National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO ), Golden Circle NAPO Leadership Committee Chair, NAPO Ambassador; Westwood Baptist Church, youth counselor; Area 51 Band Sponsor; Quantum Leap Instructor; ALAPO, founder.