Patty Horton – founder & cpo®

Patty grew up on a large cattle ranch on the state line of the western Dakotas. At a young age she was introduced to the responsibilities of careful planning, creative and resourceful problem solving, and the importance of teamwork. At the same time, a love and respect for the land and its creatures was instilled in her that ultimately steered her toward a simplified lifestyle.

Patty founded Straighten Your Paths in 2003 following 16 years in the corporate arena where she continued to hone her instinctive organizational skills managing day-to-day operations including revenue and expense flow for multi-million dollar companies. She has recruited and managed teams of 4 to 40 people while planning and implementing systems to help her teams reach their goals.

Patty is a commissioned Stephen Minister and has walked alongside many care-receivers providing care to those experiencing life transitions. “Often traveling through life, people with needs suffer silently or don’t find the level of care they need,” says Horton, “This can eventually lead to disorganization and an overwhelming feeling of not knowing which direction to turn next.” Her passion for helping fellow travelers journey through life inspired the rise of Straighten Your Paths.

When she’s not coaching, organizing, staging, or managing projects, she enjoys family time, reading, writing, gardening and golfing. One of her greatest joys is giving back to others through various mission work in which she is involved.

Cindy Torvik – team leader

“A place for everything and everything in its place,” is Cindy’s organizing motto. A life-long organizer, Cindy excelsat containing and controlling chaos. As the wife of a husband who travels, a mother of three busy children, a breast cancer survivor, a fitness instructor, and an active member in her church, Cindy fully understands the importance of a positive attitude, and prioritizing and planning to keep disorder and chaos under control. Cindy and her husband are loyal UNI Panther fans and committed fitness enthusiasts. In her spare time she enjoys scrap-booking and reading. How does she find time for it all? Cindy claims it comes down to planning, following through with those plans, being prepared with backup plans, and maintaining a joyful attitude throughout.

Jane Jansen – team leader

Jane believes all deserve to live and work in a peaceful environment. “There are many things we can’t control in life, thus when people want to learn how to improve their environments, I want to help them accomplish this,” claims Jansen. Jane recently moved to Ames from Northwest Iowa where she and her husband raised a family and owned and operated an independent grocery store for 18 years. Running a successful retail store requires strong time management habits and consistent attention to detail; skills she sharpened early in life growing up on an Iowa farm. One of Jane’s favorite roles in the business was interacting with customers and employees. She also enjoys volunteering in her community, reading, and traveling. Before joining the Straighten Your Paths team, Jane became a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and began taking classes in 2007 to pursue her passion at the professional level. Jane is leading expansion efforts for Straighten Your Paths in the Ames market.