2015 Most Influential Women Honoree: Betsy Miller

Forget six degrees of Kevin Bacon. Try six degrees of Betsy Miller.

Miller began working as a Springfield-based, small-business owner whose reach now extends nationwide.

“The Springfield community quickly realized we had a one-woman organizing dynamo in our midst,” says Laura Greene, senior counsel at Husch Blackwell LLP who has witnessed Miller’s tidying techniques. “It has become a game to play six degrees of Betsy, because so many professionals and Springfield families rely on her organizing genius.

“She connects us all.”

Miller founded 2B Organized LLC in 1997, tackling everything from a single closet to out-of-state moves.

“Organizing wasn’t a well-known profession,” says Miller. “This was before HGTV, ‘Hoarders’ and Pinterest. It was a challenge explaining to people what 2B Organized was all about.”

Miller no longer struggles to explain what she does, having appeared on television and venturing into the three-year process of franchising, a move that has drawn interest from as far away as Hungary and Australia.

“I have two running franchisees in Missouri, have one under contract in Kansas and maintain 75 to 100 active clients of my own,” Miller says. “2B Organized has helped hundreds of clients over the years. I have worked on A&E’s ‘Hoarders,’ ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,’ am working on a pilot for HGTV and writing my own book.”

Miller’s involvement with ABC’s “Extreme Makeover” spanned two episodes in different seasons, including when the crew worked in Joplin following the 2011 tornado that destroyed portions of the city.

“The Joplin project included the building of seven homes in seven days for victims of the EF5 tornado,” Miller says.

“My job involved weeks of planning and nearly two weeks on-site where I managed the VIP area and storage for all seven homes. The VIP space served as a kitchen, dining and entertainment area for the builders, their crew and major corporate sponsors.”

Greene, who used 2B Organized following a remodeling, says Miller’s involvement in the community is surpassed by few.

“Betsy personally stepped up when I founded Springfield Women of Influence. She attended the very first meeting, and her involvement led to a doubling of membership in just the first year,” Greene says. “There is no question Betsy has improved the Springfield business and philanthropic communities. Her leadership has encouraged men and women to make personal and professional changes that lead to growth and opportunity for themselves and others.”

Miller, a fourth-generation Springfieldian, says she’s loyal to her hometown and is proud to support it whenever possible.

She is a founding member of the Springfield Police Department Foundation and sits on the board of several organizations, including Safe & Sanitary Homes and GYN Cancers Alliance.

“I believe Springfield is a small, big town full of dedicated local businesses that are truly the backbone of our community. I strive to emulate the success of many of the nationwide businesses that originated right here in the Ozarks,” Miller says.