CBL Episode #130 Alexandria Reed's-Boundaries, Branding, and Business Growth in the Cleaning Industry

Ever wondered what separates a side hustle from a thriving cleaning business? Alexandria Reed's transformation from struggling single mom to successful entrepreneur with Pure Elegance Cleaning Company reveals exactly that.

Alexandria takes us through her remarkable journey, from the early days of "Alexandria's Cleaning Company" to her strategic rebrand. She candidly shares how she initially charged just $160 for an entire move-out cleaning job—a price that makes her laugh now. The turning point came when Alexandria decided to position her business as a luxury service rather than just another cleaning option. Using AI to generate her new company name, she created a brand that resonates with clients who view professional cleaning as both essential and indulgent.

What truly sets Alexandria's story apart is her embrace of digital transformation. She's implemented clever solutions like embedding JotForm on her website for streamlined quotes and using Google Forms for job applications to filter out less serious candidates. By leveraging Jobber's built-in features, she's eliminated the need for separate document signing services, saving both time and money. These practical innovations have allowed her business to operate more efficiently while presenting a more professional image to clients.

Perhaps the most powerful takeaway from Alexandria's experience is the importance of boundaries. "Create boundaries. You wil

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Erica Paynter is the brains behind My Virtual Bookkeeper, a bookkeeping firm for cleaning companies, and the creator of Clean Co. Cash Flow Academy and the Clean Co. Collective. She’s on a mission to help cleaning business owners make sense of their numbers without boring them to tears! Erica’s all about turning messy books into profit-packed powerhouses.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Tempo: 120.0

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:52

Welcome to Cleaning Business Life, where we spotlight real stories from real cleaning business owners. Today we're sitting down with Alexandria Reed, a former student of Clean Freaks University and a powerhouse behind Pure Elegance Cleaning Company. From learning the ropes to leading her own successful business, alexandria shares her journey, the lessons she's learned and how she's carved out her place in the cleaning industry with confidence and class.

Speaker 2: 1:23

Recording in progress. Welcome everyone, my name is Shannon Miller and I am your host, and I am joined with my co-host, ms Jamie Renko, and we have our wonderful guest, Ms Alexandria Reed. Welcome, welcome, welcome. How are you?

Speaker 3: 1:40

I'm well, how are you?

Speaker 2: 1:41

Good, good, I'm super excited to have you here. Alexandria is going to tell us about her entrepreneurial journey, and we're going to talk a little bit about building her brand, because you were actually one company and then you started a second company and then rebranded yourself and had all of this wonderful stuff happen. Um, so it's called pure elegance, right? Do I have the name of that, right? Okay, and um, go ahead. I didn't move the mic over, so we'll just do that real quick. What's the story behind the name?

Speaker 3: 2:21

Honestly, I used AI to come up with the name.

Speaker 2: 2:25

I love it. Yes, I love the AI. It doesn't need hard anymore.

Speaker 4: 2:30

It just came out before the show took off, so you put it in there and it just gave you a bunch of options to pick.

Speaker 3: 2:39

Well, it asked me some of the things that I wanted to have in the name, like, because you know, initially it was Alexandria's Cleaning Company, so I wanted it to be more professional because you know you don't hear like big major companies being named after anyone.

Speaker 2: 2:54

Right Coca-Cola.

Speaker 3: 2:56

Right, named after anyone, right? So I wanted to give something that was like luxury. Um, because I feel like cleaning is a luxury. Even though we're an essential, it's also a luxury like I be jealous my clients sometimes when they're just kicked back on the couch feet up and like I'm cleaning we've all been there, let me lift your legs.

Speaker 1: 3:18

Vacuum under, put your legs back I feel like it also targets.

Speaker 4: 3:23

It targets a certain demographic, you know, uh, that captures a certain, and that's what we essentially are trying to do for sure, yeah, for sure, that the eco, eco-conscious connoisseurs and Exactly yeah.

Speaker 2: 3:45

So what role has marketing and branding played with building and growing your company?

Speaker 3: 3:51

I feel like it's definitely helped people take me more seriously, understand that this is an actual business versus me. Just uh, doing this as a side hustle uh, really popular. In my area. We have hundreds of cleaning ladies. Nothing wrong with being a cleaning lady, but you know there's a difference definitely there's a difference between having skin.

Speaker 4: 4:13

Skin in the game is what? Uh, being insured bonded, you can be bonded even as a solo cleaner. Yeah, um, yes, that I think, but yeah, I think it uh definitely sends a message. It does it does so how? How has uh business been going for you though?

Speaker 3: 4:52

it's been going good, much better. Uh, I know, initially one of the big things I struggled with was the structure and just being a business owner. When I look back at that 2022 Alexandria how did? We make it.

Speaker 4: 5:11

You know, I think we jumped on the same bandwagon around the same time I mean right around. I mean it could have been a couple of months apart, but it was about the same year, the same time. And I've watched, we've watched each other grow and I remember all of us just coming together on these Zoom conferences that we would have how wild was that, it was so crazy, but it was also cool and we could tell each other our weekly struggles and that was hard. It was hard to learn to structure. For sure, that was such a growing pain. But, yes, and you did it. And um, how? Whenever? Because I thought about rebranding. But then I looked at kind of like the cost and I'm like I gotta just keep flowing with this right now.

Speaker 4: 6:17

Um was is rebranding yourself? What? What kind of steps do you have to do in order to? Because you, you wiped Alexandria cleaning, clean off the mat and introduce pure Elegance? What kind of steps did you take to get Pure Elegance going? Oh gosh, I mean now that there's rebranding is huge, because now you have, you know how to structure your business. You learned in everything with Alexandria, right, alexandria Cleaning, and then you incorporated that and took it from Alexandria. Cleaning over to Pure Elegance rebranding. What were some of the steps that you took?

Speaker 3: 7:12

Just the branding itself, you know, just a new look, look, a new feel. Um, like you said, definitely more structured. I'm really big on like automating as much as I can. I like things to be digital. I've figured out a lot of ways to make that happen. Um, I'd say those are the biggest things yeah, digital is big, isn't it?

Speaker 2: 7:33

it is it is little is to make everything run smoothly.

Speaker 3: 7:38

Oh, can you say that again? I'm sorry, cut out it's okay.

Speaker 2: 7:41

What? What were some of the things that you used to make things more digital? You said you figured out some digital things. Why don't you share those with us for someone who might be trying to figure out rebranding or trying to do that or um, what were some of the things that you made more digital to make it more streamlined for you?

Speaker 3: 7:58

Like the quoting process. Initially I was using the jobber forms, which those are great for like a quick quote, but I have put if I can get my words out, I use job form to make something more personalized, where, if someone is looking for like a quick ballpark figure, they just have to answer, like I think, four questions and then if they want something that's more accurate and detailed, there's like a longer survey and then there's an option for a phone call. So if someone is just, you know, not really tech savvy, or if they just don't feel like it, I give them a call and I have a chance and I send out my quotes through Jobber. I've actually been able to take DocuSign out of the process. So now, yes, that makes it way cheaper too.

Speaker 3: 8:47

It does On that grow plan with Jobber, you can attach your terms and conditions to PDF, so I make sure that I put that in there and I let. I got this message that I send all my clients where it's like you know, we're thrilled to let you know we have this data available at this time and all that jazz in it. At the end it tells them, by accepting the quote, that they are approving acknowledgement of the terms of terms and conditions. It sounds nice on paper.

Speaker 2: 9:19

You'd be surprised how many people still don't read those darn things once they get them. And then they have an issue and then they're like well, I'm like did you get you checked the box? Did you not see or read? Did you not get a chance? You know that they didn't, but you're like you just want to say did you read what I you just signed? But it happens, it totally happens. So I like the job form option. Is that like embedded in your website? Yes, awesome, so I'll have to check that out and that's pure elegancecom uh, pure elegance, clean dot com okay, just so others can check it out.

Speaker 2: 9:52

You get some extra traffic to your site, which will be good. Yeah, that's awesome. And then, what kind of systems and tools, what other types of systems and tools have you implemented to make your business run smoothly?

Speaker 3: 10:05

I also post my job listings on Indeed and I have a Google form that's also embedded on my website so that people can fill out the actual application. I found that that's a really good way to kind of weed out people who are more serious. Actually, the application that I got from the structure and scale profit class I always try to figure out the acronym. I'm like how do you say it?

Speaker 2: 10:33

I only know it because I created a course, the Structure Scale and Profit Cleaning Business Academy. So that's S-S-P-C-A, right? I'm kidding, it's my course, right? I can write it out. Let's see Structure Scale, Profit Cleaning Business. Yeah, it's S-S-P-C-B-A. For those who are listening, it's early in the morning for all three of us yes so that's.

Speaker 2: 11:01

That's awesome, um. I I love that they can go right to your website and fill out an application. It does prove that they are being serious, um for that. And then what? What are you doing to ensure consistency, um, of the quality of cleaning that you guys are providing? It's just you and a small crew, right? I'm trying to remember. You have to forgive me.

Speaker 3: 11:25

Yes, it is. I just recently took on a subcontractor. She has her own company, but I think that it'll be a good fit for those heavier jobs that come up every now and then.

Speaker 2: 11:41

Yeah extra set of hands is always nice.

Speaker 4: 11:43

Oh, it's lovely it is you ended up going with, uh, the subcontractor route?

Speaker 3: 11:48

I remember this is my first time yeah, because you had w2s before right.

Speaker 2: 11:53

Yes, yes yep, yep I think this is going to be easier this way, and then you can segue back in whatever direction you choose to go for sure, yes, I'm thinking I'm.

Speaker 3: 12:04

I want to do half and half. Certain things have a hybrid contractors yes yeah, same.

Speaker 2: 12:12

I like the hybrid model definitely. It's more flexible, it gives you opportunity. And then there's not the pressure of constantly producing hours for people, because it does. If you're not groomed for those of you who are new to this, if you're not groomed and conditioned to the ebbs and flows of the cleaning industry because it does it comes in like waves or the tide. It can be a little nerve wracking having to come up with so many houses to cover $20,000 a week in payroll. It can be a little like quite knuckle-ish. So I like the hybrid approach for sure. And then in the past you had had training opportunities. You don't have to train any 1099s. So what is the most valuable lesson you have learned as a cleaning business owner? I'm cheating off my sheet if you guys are watching this. What's the most valuable lesson you've learned as a cleaning business owner?

Speaker 3: 13:09

Create boundaries. Definitely have to create boundaries. You will run yourself rugged mentally, physically. Yeah, I almost took myself out with, as you know, all those fun moments Back aches and I'm still working like 12 hours and two o'clock in the morning, which, yeah, no.

Speaker 2: 13:36

We've all done it. Yeah, we're. You know. I remember at one point I was my son had was just getting ready to graduate high school and I had not enough people and too many jobs. And I'm out there working in my business instead of on it and um, he goes mom, are you okay? I'm like I'm just really tired and he just like so he's like powering through like three or four jobs for me and he's like, okay, we're done. I'm like, oh, thank God. But it was just. You know.

Speaker 2: 14:02

In that moment you're like, okay, how do I not do this again? And then it took some serious like taking a step back, looking at it, trying to figure out what works better. It never happened again, but I totally. When people tell me, oh my gosh, I've worked a 15 hour day and I have to be back tomorrow morning, I'm like you need to. If you go down, the whole ship goes with you. Yes, and there's no one. The client doesn't care, they're just looking to have their house serviced. They don't care that you're a human being, that you have little babies or any of this other stuff going on.

Speaker 4: 14:33

They just want yeah they want theirs cleaned and they think they're the only person that you have whenever they call you at nine o'clock at night 200 plus Right.

Speaker 3: 14:48

Yes.

Speaker 2: 14:49

So having clear boundaries, what other? What other advice could you give the newbies if they're coming up through the ranks?

Speaker 3: 14:58

Honestly, I would take your class as early as possible, that structuring class. It's really a lifesaver, like having the SOPs that are already built for you. Having these terms and conditions, even your agreements just that whole process will save someone a lot of heartache.

Speaker 4: 15:21

Right and you actually have to implement these right.

Speaker 2: 15:26

I mean yes.

Speaker 4: 15:27

It's not like here I'm going to buy this course and magic's going to happen, and magic's gonna happen. You actually gotta. That's when the work begins. Yes, it's like here, here's some direction of how to get to where you need to go, but you gotta do the work.

Speaker 2: 15:50

Yes, yeah yes, definitely you gotta do the work. That's the most important part, I know, and it's over. It can be overwhelming, especially because everyone thinks that, oh, I'm going to get into the cleaning industry and there's like this, I'm just going to do this thing, and it doesn't always work out like you anticipate. So you're trying to figure out how to fit the pieces of the puzzle together and then the boundary thing is huge with the contracts and everything else, because if you don't have those, as we've all experienced that people overstep every opportunity you give them. They do, they do.

Speaker 3: 16:26

Every time.

Speaker 2: 16:30

People are like because I've had people go God, you're really like mean, I'm like I'm not mean. I've just been doing this so long and I know I see the patterns right. It's the same MO from person to person. You see the different personality types and you know that a certain personality type is going to go further than this other personality type. So your boundaries have to be a little more firmer because they'll be like well, there was a speck of dust right there and you're like I didn't see it, didn't you do?

Speaker 2: 16:56

it with me this bucket house right there and you're like I don't see it.

Speaker 3: 16:59

Didn't you do it with me? Yeah, and then when you bend those, when you bend those rules, you got to bend it for everybody, because what makes this person so special? And then you just find yourself like how did I get here?

Speaker 2: 17:11

Yeah, and we have. I mean, it's just we live in such interesting times. I think that a lot of people look for opportunities to take advantage of small business owners. And I know I've said this before, but we are the 23rd trade. We're mostly women-based trade. I mean, no other period of time in the history of America has there been a trade run almost entirely by women. So there's this whole dynamic that we want to because we're broomed society, societal, dictates that we people please. So this is the perfect industry because we want to, people please, to satisfy that need. But it's when you go past those boundaries of people pleasing that people get like how many times have we heard it's not that dirty, you can just broom sweep it that's actually something that I take as a red flag.

Speaker 3: 18:57

I experienced the opposite, like I have people that are like, oh my god, my house is horrible and I'm like, all right, brace myself and I get in there and I'm like, what, what, just like the ones where it's like oh, it'll just be a quick wipe down.

Speaker 2: 19:11

Oh, I love it I don't understand why it took you so long. It wasn't that dirty and you're like, oh my gosh, this is horrible people. It's always the panicked call from the cleaning tech. I need to talk to you right now. I need to talk to you right now. I need to talk to you right now right now, yeah, yeah 4.30 in the morning. Oh yeah, that's awful too, yeah.

Speaker 3: 19:43

Can you share a moment of success that made you feel proud of what you built? Yes, Last year.

Speaker 2: 19:52

I actually entered a competition here for business owners.

Speaker 4: 19:55

It was kind of like a shark tape type deal. I was so proud of you for doing that. Okay, so you entered the competition and what happened? I pitched my business.

Speaker 3: 20:04

You had to come up with a business plan, for you know showing your business to the panel and, based off the business plan, if you were, I think, the top four yeah, top four were selected to move to the next round, where we go into the Shark Tank type environment. And I got up there, pitched my business and I did win fourth place. I didn't talk enough about my financials. I was so focused on like getting up there and just actually doing it that I yeah, that was big for you For sure.

Speaker 4: 20:37

If anybody doesn't know, alexandria has been so shy. This is such a great girl. This is wonderful watching you grow like you have and coming out of your shell, and it's really beautiful to watch. Um, thank you yeah it's really, uh, a beautiful thing whenever you see somebody's head just keep raising up a little higher and walking out on. Yes, this stage, like you have, you've got a presence about you and it's a really beautiful thing, thank you. What, what do you wish? You knew when you started that you know now.

Speaker 3: 21:31

Research is actually needed for cleaning, because let me tell you that first, move out clean. I did. Oh, oh, my goodness. I think the red flag for the client should have been when I charged that low and she was like are you sure I charged 160 for the whole thing. She's like are you sure I'm like, yeah, that was the red flag for both of us.

Speaker 4: 21:56

Hey, you know what it got the practice. You learned a lot, didn't you?

Speaker 3: 22:00

I did, I did, I did and I'm so glad, like when I see a lot of the you know we all see the famous like toilet bowl cleaner, oven cleaner and bath tubs Like oh my goodness. But I'm super big on like let's make sure that we're reading the label. Like I just found out that, oh my gosh, not long ago, that the Swiffers you pop them and they fluff out. I didn't know that, me neither. Wait, what the Swiffer dusters? Once you attach the actual refills, you like pop the stick and it'll make it fluff out. I seen someone post it and I was like wow, it is on the box. No, it's not.

Speaker 2: 22:49

Do you pull it out and make it pop? How does that I mean? Do you slam it against something?

Speaker 3: 22:54

I'm like once you stick them on to like the little teeth thing. I just like take the stick and you like pop it against your hand lightly and you'll see it like fluff out and I was like, wow, interesting then you kind of go grow into a more a for real professional learning, acidic um and more.

Speaker 4: 23:25

I learned more about germs and mold and uh, how mold is porous and and what actually kills mold and um, bleach and all that stuff. You know we, we end up growing and evolving and then, yeah, putting that in place. So what kind of plans are you trying to expand? What's your next goal? What's up next for Pure Elegance?

Speaker 3: 24:03

In the next year. Honestly, I hope to be able to add on either pressure washing or carpet cleaning. I'm kind of going back and forth. We can do, like you know, patios and stuff like that right now, but I'd like to be able to do like the sides of houses and yes, Pressure washing is the way to go.

Speaker 2: 24:23

It's less of an investment for sure, because carpet cleaning is like a $60,000 investment if you buy a rig. Depends on if you have a mounted or unmounted. There's so many options. But yeah, I would do pressure washing. It's more specialized, got to know what you mean. There's practice involved. I can see you out there with the and then they have those little attachments for like sidewalks and stuff.

Speaker 4: 24:48

Yes, for um those. I've seen them like out in front of the banks. They want to make sure that their sidewalks are all nice and clean and they have those I I don't know and start. You can get all sorts of add-ons for those.

Speaker 3: 25:05

I've started to look into a little bit of it.

Speaker 4: 25:07

That sounds fun. How did you get?

Speaker 2: 25:10

to play with water. Who doesn't want to do that? I love it, absolutely love it.

Speaker 4: 25:20

Yeah, that's great, that's great. So what, what, even? What's motivating you um to keep going even through like your hardest days.

Speaker 3: 25:35

honestly, I was drowning trying to do nine to five work as a single mom. They don't, uh, they don't really make those for us as single moms out here. You know, kids get sick, you're dealing with stuff and I mean got kids to take care of, so but it's funny, starting off thinking about how I started this as like something that I thought would be a side hustle, and then now I'm out here with the business and actual mission, because I do like to focus on mental health, like you know, cleanliness and mental health go hand in hand.

Speaker 2: 26:11

They do. It really does. I was excited in 2020 when they named us essential, but when you really look at the impacts of people being, you know I don't want to say forced air quotes when people were required to stay home, there was a lot of a lot of stuff that went down a lot. I mean, we won't get into the ugliness of covid or any of that other stuff, but cleaning and your mental health are hand in hand and you there, one holds the hand of the other and you cannot be in your own environment and not be impacted by everything that's going on. I mean, I saw a reel the other day and it was a hoarding situation and just the one room. The person had claimed that they spent the three of them in hazmat suits. They've spent 30 hours cleaning the one room.

Speaker 2: 26:59

I'm like, oh my gosh. So I'm trying to scope out to see. You know me, I'm like I want to know all of the details. I want to know how big the room is. I want to know how many bags of trash they took out. I want to know how many labor hours they spent. I want to know what they made.

Speaker 2: 27:11

I want to know all of it, so I'm like trying to calculate behind the scenes. But I was just it and it was a military person and I felt really bad because they and I've always been an advocate for you know, especially when you're serving our country, you should get automatic mental health decompression, counseling, therapy, whatever they're calling it nowadays. It does affect you, and it affects not only you but your family unit, and there's just certain things that you just can't overcome by yourself. That's why I'm really big into collaboration. Collaboration is huge, so coming together as a community of cleaners and helping people. I know that there's a couple of non-for-profits. There's Servant's Heart right, I think that's an official non-for-profit with the American House Cleaners Association. There's Cleaning for a Reason, and I believe there's another one. I can't quite recall what that name of that other third entity is. I just saw it in a flash somewhere when I was scrolling, doing whatever I was doing. But I do feel that cleaning does directly impact your mental health, for sure.

Speaker 3: 28:22

It is. You cannot thrive in chaos. Every time I get into a depression spell, the first thing I'm like, yep, I'm gonna lay back down because I'm not doing that yeah, you know your blinders up and I feel like, um, maybe that's what it is.

Speaker 4: 28:36

Is that we can relate to some of these people, uh, some of our clients I, I always go in with the. You know we, we're always nonjudgmental, for sure, and the dirtier the better sometimes. But some of these walkthroughs whenever I still have to do a walkthrough you can relate. You can see the chaos in the mom's eyes like help, and you know that their heart is heavy and they have just put their blinders up and they just they have no idea and they're reaching for anything. You know, and I can definitely relate to that in so many. I think that's part of our cleaning industry, as we can relate to how it feels whenever you're in a dark spot like that and it does, believe it or not, cleaning it uplifts, it brings it, it brings a little bit of joy to your heart, like like you can breathe and that heaviness is off of your heart. Yes, yes, I can definitely relate to that.

Speaker 2: 29:45

I can relate to that as well as our clients for sure, for sure it has a lot to do with the energy fields as well, because solid items take or what appear we won't get into the whole scientific is this matter? Is this not matter? But the the energy field in your space that you reside in does impact you directly. And then, depending on how your house is structured, there's a lot Feng shui. Believe it or not, feng shui plays a lot into someone's environment, so that's like the second layer. After you get it cleaned, you can have someone professionally feng shui your property, you know, activate your prosperity section. But they were directly impacted by the energy field in our home. So that's why, um, it's good to have house cleaning at least, at least monthly.

Speaker 2: 30:37

Um, I know, sometimes it's a budget thing and we we all hear about oh my gosh, I can't believe this is what you charge. But the reality is, is for a real business, it costs money to be a legitimate business. If you can't afford a legitimate business, do find someone that you can afford, but don't wait until it's like the city has to come in and go. Oh my God. We've all seen the video footage of homes, you know, and it just goes on and on and on. There is a podcast episode that I'm interested in doing, and it was a retired detective, I believe. She was in Texas and she went through a bout of depression and no one caught it in time and ultimately her house filled up with all the layers and there was dogs and cats and they found her buried at the front door underneath three feet of debris.

Speaker 2: 31:48

So I'm not sure how debris moved around because I have questions, right, you know me, I'm like wiring my one self. So it does.

Speaker 3: 31:55

It does your, your space does affect you like that for For sure, and that's another thing to add on to someone. That's new. Stick to your prices. Stick to your prices. There are people out there that will pay what you ask for. Yep and even more. I have clients that I charge what I charge, and I've gotten hundreds of dollars in tips.

Speaker 2: 32:19

So there we go, and that's the way to work it. Don't discount your worth or the entirety of your job because in their minds they can't afford it or they don't want to pay. There are other clients that will pay hand over fist all the time. Yes, for sure that. What advice would you give to someone who is just starting their own cleaning business?

Speaker 3: 32:45

Get ready to pick yourself up by the bootstraps. It's a journey, but it's it's worth it. You know, I love the flexibility and I love the impact that I make. Oh yeah.

Speaker 2: 32:59

I like befores and afters myself.

Speaker 4: 33:05

Yeah, the before and after and the flexibility yes, kid drop off, kid drop off, kid pick up Right Works for a lot of us, right? Yes, oh, my God, you know I run with W2 employees so you know that was hard to learn how to structure all that. And, trust me, I've been all in Shannon's inbox all the time. Ah, trying to remain face in front of everybody. Yes, now the world knows, but I did not always have it together I still don't have someone in your back pocket, though.

Speaker 2: 33:47

I mean, I think back to when I stepped into this industry. We didn't have, like, we didn't have facebook groups, we didn't have, we barely had facebook. I mean, you had to market the traditional method, which was either referrals or through the newspaper or the magazine or whatever you know, the traditional methods which are no longer traditional, and there wasn't anybody that you could actually go to. Hey, franchise owner, I know you just paid a half a million for your franchise. Can you help me out? It's just like you have to figure it out on your own to see if it was going to work. So there was, there wasn't Google. I mean, you could Google some things, but there wasn't a whole plethora of information. You kind of had to invent the wheel as you went.

Speaker 2: 34:30

So, um, it's, it's definitely a journey and it's definitely um, there are there's the hardcore cleaning people like us and because we love it, and we're like totally geeky, like that. And then there's the hardcore cleaning people like us and because we love it and we're like totally geeky, like that. And then there's other people like, okay, well, I'm just doing this for extra money, and it becomes a side hustle, and then it kind of grows that way and then other people just do it temporarily. So it just depends on whatever works best for you. Um, my only concern is that you don't do the tiktok videos with the toilet bowl cleaner, please, just for life. So I'm like, okay, so you're putting 52 chemicals in a high rise building. What does that do For?

Speaker 3: 35:12

everybody down below you. My aunt, still to this day, will use ammonia and bleach, I'm like that's not magic gas Like stop, that is so dangerous.

Speaker 2: 35:22

It is dangerous. I don't think people realize what they're inadvertently doing to themselves For sure.

Speaker 4: 35:31

Oh yeah, I'm thinking back to it, do you think?

Speaker 2: 35:33

that there are any misconceptions to the cleaning industry that you'd like to clear up.

Speaker 3: 35:38

Oh, definitely, definitely.

Speaker 4: 35:41

I'm going to miss them. Yeah, you'd like to clear up? Oh, definitely, we could probably have a whole podcast just on that.

Speaker 3: 35:47

Oh yes, Probably a continuation.

Speaker 3: 35:49

Part one, part two, part three yes, like you know, being just a cleaner, we're not just the cleaners. It's not an easy job. It's very backbreaking, you know, and not like in an arrogant way, but most people don't know how to clean. I mean, I admitted that like my first move out clean. I'm sorry, that was not no. No, but you learned Definitely. And also that we're business owners with expenses. Even though it may look like we made 70 bucks an hour, it definitely was not it. If the job is paying that much per hour, imagine the expenses. Yeah, over about 60 to 70% of my funds are taken from expenses.

Speaker 4: 36:39

Yeah, just to expenses.

Speaker 3: 36:40

Yeah, yeah, and that's on a good month.

Speaker 2: 36:45

That's if there are no flukes, that's if you guys don't mess it up Right Cause I've I've eaten it on jobs. I'm like we didn't make anything and I just bled out money on that job. That. Another big conception, I think, is that we're um, that we don't know what we're doing Well, some of us don't and that we're all uneducated and that you know we're all.

Speaker 4: 37:04

That's my favorite oh yeah, or I'm a doctor and I don't even make that an hour, or I'm a nurse and I don't even make that it's just not the worst.

Speaker 3: 37:13

Yes, or like it's looked down upon like I mean, I've done worse. I'm just saying I used to be a cna and uh yeah, instead of cleaning the toilet.

Speaker 2: 37:28

I was cleaning the mess maker itself, you know. So that's never pleasant either, but yeah, there, I think that there are a lot of misconceptions, um, with the cleaning industry, and you're probably right. We probably could have a whole podcast just based. We could bullet point them and then, what do you wish?

Speaker 4: 37:48

I'm sorry, jamie, go ahead no, I said that's a good idea. I'm gonna write that down definitely.

Speaker 2: 37:53

And what do you wish? You knew when you started that you know now for all the newbies in the house.

Speaker 3: 38:00

Mainly on the pricing. I really didn't realize that people really will pay your price. You know, of course there are not as many that will pay as they may pay a hundred bucks for cleaning, but you find yourself having one client. Sometimes that equals out to having four others. So just stick to it.

Speaker 1: 38:20

Definitely have patience.

Speaker 4: 38:24

Have patience because it will come. Yes, right, they will come. Just have some patience. I was always taught to Shannon to charge as if you had a big company. Charge like you already have employees and you know you have all these huge, even if you're not there yet, even if you're not there.

Speaker 4: 38:54

Yet you, you, I feel like you, uh, in visualize it and it starts manifesting itself. So I have taken heed to that and always, you know, even if I was down to two employees, it was, like you know, I have 16 employees that I need to be you.

Speaker 3: 39:21

This is what we charge, so I can relate to that, yeah definitely, definitely and definitely not learning to be kind to yourself, to you know, any business owner of any sort of business, you have to be able to give yourself grace, because it's it's difficult. You're building something from the ground up. A lot of people that you think will support you may not, and you know you have people telling you no, no, no. You only hear these few yeses here. You make one mistake and some people are mean, just you know.

Speaker 2: 39:51

Be kind to yourself if you're not fortunate enough to have people around you yeah just unfortunately, in the industry wide, there are a lot of people who take pleasure in making you have this pleasure and I'm working. I have to remind people constantly. I'm like you know, if we could walk, and I have to remind them and you can say this to your own clients you know, if we could walk on water we'd be be doing other things. And I get blanket statement right Because it's true, if we could walk on water we wouldn't be doing this. We'd have finger things we would be working on right.

Speaker 3: 40:30

Definitely.

Speaker 2: 40:31

I still have yet to achieve walking on water, but it's just a friendly reminder. Hey, we're human, we're a human-based industry and we make mistakes 's some of the stuff that people like get themselves worked up over. It's just like, seriously, now I'm not just like with the service that we're providing, but it's like the most minuscule, like little, teeny, weeny, weeny thing. So you have to like pacify them to. You know, stroke, stroke, stroke. And it becomes this whole how to, and then it becomes how to manage the humans. Right, how do I manage the humans who are clinic techs? How do I manage the humans who are my clients? And it really does become, you know, learning the different types of personalities and and it just becomes like you push the button for this one, you push this button and this button for that one.

Speaker 4: 41:18

Yes, it does, yes, become a thing after a while but at the end of the day, right, it is a great business to be in oh, I love it, it is it is a great business to be it.

Speaker 4: 41:32

Call me selfish, but it makes me feel good because I'm not only. We're not only able to take care of ourselves and our families. We're providing a roof over our heads A lot of people. There's a lot of money to be made here, but there's also a lot of joy that we're giving to the community. I don't know, it's a really good business to be in. It's a lot of it's a lot of fun. It is a lot of fun even though it can be stressful at moments and you know bootstrap, but that's with anything. It becomes, I don't know, so fun and it's just like oh, I'm a business owner, you know I love tap, tap.

Speaker 3: 42:23

I love a good challenge, so the bootstraps is good for me.

Speaker 4: 42:25

I like to I think that's where you, too, I think that's where we shine, throw me stress and it's like my hold my coffee.

Speaker 2: 42:43

I'm coming for you yes I think your threshold for handling things becomes higher and higher and higher. But there are a lot of good moments of being a cleaning business owner. I think the good outweighs the bad at any given time.

Speaker 3: 42:59

It's unfortunate that that we remember just the bad things, because there are a lot of good things, definitely yes yes, and I do definitely remember keep those good things in mind, like being able to take care of my family. You know, not having to fear losing my job or some of my things have actually made me a better boss that I had to deal with as being an employee. You know, try to be empathetic towards my staff and right, because it's important, like the boss has to be a good boss too. You got to do our employees right. It's nothing worse than getting punished for working hard.

Speaker 4: 44:08

Right, exactly. Oh yeah, because we've been right down in the trenches. You know I've done jobs like that and I know how backbreaking it is and I know what. You know. We know what a good employee or a good subcontractor should be worth, because it's like I know I see you. Yes, mm-hmm, definitely like that.

Speaker 2: 44:40

So you're going to add on power washing? Is there anything else you're going to add on for Pure Elegance Cleaning Company?

Speaker 3: 44:48

Just expanding our reach. I'd like to go into more parts of Oklahoma, maybe to certain parts of Texas that aren't as far out.

Speaker 2: 44:57

You're centrally located, that's for sure.

Speaker 4: 45:00

Yes, I'm trying to see the demographic. What area? Not exact area, but what area are you?

Speaker 3: 45:11

I'm in Oklahoma. I live like right next to a military base and we have a bunch of small towns, so my words, my words. I can't get my words out. We have a bunch of small towns surrounding us and where we are yeah, we're like almost on the border of Texas on one side.

Speaker 4: 45:36

Oh, okay, yeah, Okay, I see what you're saying.

Speaker 3: 45:40

I got you Like we got one hour to get to one of the cities and a couple of the cities actually in Texas. I don't feel like that's too bad of a drive because I want to be able to drive myself, you know, if I have to.

Speaker 4: 45:51

But right, right, no, no, that's that's about. Our service area is about an hour, I mean that's. So I'm trying, would. I would love to be able to expand the reach too. And yes, right, I'm going to tell you, whenever I visited Santa Clara, as soon as we pulled in, I remember looking my husband looking over at me and he my mouth is just drooling. He goes that's a lot of money, isn't it? And I said, yeah, I was just like can you imagine we actually lived in a city. Everybody comes from a small town nowadays, especially in the cleaning industry. So expanding the reach is just, boy, that's the dream.

Speaker 3: 46:44

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I see myself in the future as like a merrymates. But yeah, pure elegance.

Speaker 4: 46:55

But a pure elegance right.

Speaker 3: 46:57

Yeah, actually, in my pitch, competition papers that's, you got to put down your competitors and in my eyes that they're my competitors, their mates, yeah.

Speaker 4: 47:08

Yeah, oh, I like it. That's the best way that I've heard anybody look at something like that is what you just said right there. The only competitor I see is Mary Maids. I love that.

Speaker 2: 47:28

Yeah, I don't think they're as revered as they were, like a decade ago or even two decades ago.

Speaker 4: 47:33

I don't hear of them at all. They never come up on any of my feeds and you know, you know how geeked out I am on on cleaning or cleaning businesses. I never, ever do. I see Mary Maids.

Speaker 2: 47:48

What is it? It's Mary Maids, molly Maids. Who's the third one? I'm trying to remember what the third one is, but yeah, I don't see them come up on my feed either.

Speaker 4: 48:01

No, no, they're kind of weird. I don't really market anymore unless I. I don't know. I don't know what happened. I don't know what happened there?

Speaker 2: 48:08

market the traditional method through tv commercials. Who knows?

Speaker 3: 48:12

yeah, in my town I get um asked about them often like oh, you're like a local version I'm like thank you, my marketing is working.

Speaker 4: 48:24

That's got to feel good. Do you attend events and stuff? Are you part of?

Speaker 3: 48:37

any associations there. I was a part of the Young Professionals of Lawton. I plan to get back there and I'm also looking towards.

Speaker 4: 48:46

We have a group here called the lawton business women um well, there's a lot of um it seems like a lot of resources for business there. Yes, a little more. I mean maybe, probably because I don't reach out, but I I just know the Small Business Association, or what is that Small Business? They're everywhere in America. Yes, we have that here, but maybe I'll look into more stuff.

Speaker 3: 49:17

I'm writing, as you're telling me, some of this yeah, we have a bunch of smaller things in the community. A lot of people here are, you know we support each other to grow.

Speaker 4: 49:33

I love that. I love community. I do. I love community, and that is probably one of your biggest resources, too. Is your community? Yes, because I want to see you thrive. And people start seeing you and believe in you. You know, yes, especially whenever you're out and about, I just it feels, it feels good to be Recognized. It does you know, not just, and everybody knows now that you know we're not just cleaning ladies, we're professional. You, know.

Speaker 3: 50:12

Yes, that's actually my thing when I am introducing myself, as I'm not not just a cleaning lady. You're not.

Speaker 4: 50:20

Not a cleaning lady. Yeah, you don't wear a t-shirt like that.

Speaker 2: 50:30

Good idea, yeah, I I'm gonna write that down, yeah I'm writing it down myself. Yeah, do you have any questions for us? I we kind of covered um the gamut there. Um, I usually like to ask if you guys have any questions of us to see. There's always, you know, you never know we get some really good questions. So if you have something that you need to ask us, by all means fire away. Hmm.

Speaker 3: 50:58

Not that I can think of Nope.

Speaker 2: 51:01

Beautiful, beautiful.

Speaker 3: 51:03

Well, thank you, there was a guy I heard you guys talk with. Oh, I'm sorry.

Speaker 2: 51:07

Go ahead. You were always talking Go ahead.

Speaker 3: 51:10

There was a guy that had a carpet cleaning business. I heard you guys interview him. I was listening to mom's. Oh, ron, ron I think so oh yeah, that was one of my favorites. He was so like he had great stories.

Speaker 4: 51:24

He had a great background. Huh, he favorites. He was so like. He had great stories he had a great background. Huh, he does, he does Great background. Yes, he was brilliant. He was, but wait, there's more. I was like I was all ears.

Speaker 3: 51:39

I was like, no, yes, and I was doing a job, while I was like, oh my goodness, I need to listen to this when I'm not at work, so I can write some stuff down.

Speaker 2: 51:50

I like him. He's very honest and upfront and he was very generous to come on the show and I got him out of Cleaners Connect because those guys are all carpet cleaners in there and he's actually he announced he's getting ready to retire before he hits 50. And so he's going to be an absentee owner. So he actually hired a coach, a life coach, to get him back on track, to see where he's going to go, so that he can get to the next level. I was so proud of him. Wow to him, I think wow. So, yeah, he, he, I think he's. Um, he told me he was gonna do over two million this year. Just imperfectly, I I'm, he does other things as well, but I was just like all right. But yeah, he said I loved his story, I love the background story of it and how he just kind of came into fruition and I love his energy. He's a good guy.

Speaker 4: 52:46

Yes, yes, oh, I love hearing that. I love hearing how much people listen to this and and it resonates with them and it helps. That's that's our main goal is making sure that this reaches to those people that, just like you and I, alexandria, that when we first started we had no idea nothing of direction or anything and and it's just, we have come full circle and it was a great. This was a great meetup, it was it was.

Speaker 2: 53:30

We had some good times, the three of us together. I think it's awesome. I love seeing where you guys are. I love seeing where you're going to go. I love pushing you in the direction you need to be. I'm just like I said, I'm just happy to be here. That's what I tell everyone.

Speaker 3: 53:48

They're like what are you doing? I'm just happy to be here. Okay, I do hope that they Go ahead. I'm so sorry. I just wanted to end with I do hope that people do know with your classes that they really are uh beneficial. Also the structure and scale. I mean, like I said, I have a bunch of them.

Speaker 2: 54:07

I think I've got like 10 things on my uh in my courses contract bundlesief, the move out cleaning debrief that I did, which was the first time ever. I'm gonna string another one together after I submit my project like a superstar yeah oh my goodness yes, the mass blueprint or uh, pricing blueprint mastermind.

Speaker 3: 54:47

Yes, yes, a breakdown of how to price, because I think that is one of the things that you do struggle. You know, I'm not gonna lie, that was one of the ones I probably struggled with the most, trying to figure out.

Speaker 4: 54:59

I still do. I, I um, I'm actually gonna write, write down JotForm. I'll probably talk to you a little more about that later, about how you implement it, because I just use Jobber and I would love to be able to not do walkthroughs, like I said. You know, our thing is an hour out each way north, south, east but you can use Zapier and stuff to automate.

Speaker 3: 55:36

I know you're very more techie definitely reach out anytime you need me. I got you.

Speaker 4: 55:43

I guess there we go well on that note. Yes, yes, definitely reach out anytime you need me.

Speaker 2: 55:46

I got you, I guess. Well, on that note, thanks so much for coming on, alexandria, it was good to see you.

Speaker 3: 55:52

You're welcome. It was good to see you too. Take care you too. Thank you so much, you're welcome. Bye, bye.