Filthy Rich Cleaners: The Cleaning Business Podcast

Post-construction cleaning is one of the most in-demand, highest-paying niches in the cleaning industry, but there are few guidelines on how to do it right. In this episode, Stephanie sits down with Samantha Price, founder of Cleansite Solutions in South Florida, to break down everything cleaning business owners need to know about post-construction work. Samantha shares how she launched her business with zero construction cleaning experience and eventually landed commercial accounts through cold calling and showing up at job sites. She talks through the three phases of construction cleaning, her flat-rate pricing approach, the equipment that actually matters, and more!  📌 What You'll Learn — How to get your first post-construction client through cold calling and drop-offs at job sites — The difference between rough cleaning, final cleaning, and touch-up cleaning — Why flat-rate pricing works better than hourly for construction clients — What equipment you actually need (and what to skip) — The #1 mistake cleaners make when they come from residential to construction sites — Why bidding a little lower on your first job with a contractor is a smart long-term strategy — How independent contractors make sense for post-construction work specifically — How Samantha has earned repeat business from 100% of the contractors she's ever worked with Resources Mentioned — ZenMaid Software: https://get.zenmaid.com — ZenMaid Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/zenmaidmastermind — Cleansite Solutions Website: https://www.cleansitesouthflorida.com/ — Cleansite Solutions on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleansite_southflorida/ 👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/ ✉️ Subscribe to ZenMaid's Weekly Newsletter: https://zenmaid.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/ 📖 Read the full transcript: 

If you think your market is too small, think again! In this episode, Stephanie talks with Julia Callahan, founder of Jubilee Cleaning Co., who went from knocking on doors to building a $100K/month cleaning company in under two years — all while serving a suburban/rural area outside Pittsburgh. Julia shares what it really took to leave a six-figure medical sales career, handle ego and criticism, switch from 1099 to W2 early, and build a sustainable growth engine. She and Stephanie also share key leadership moments that business owners need to face to prioritize standards over comfort.   📌 What You’ll Learn — How Julia hit $100K months in under two years  — Why saying YES to commercial cleaning accelerated growth  — The attendance incentive system that reduces call-offs  — How commission-based pay works for cleaning teams  — How they drive (and reward) 5-star reviews  — What to do when a clean goes sideways (and costs $10K)  — How to overcome price objections using “scope swaps”  — How to fill schedule gaps by upselling deep-clean bundles  — Why recurring bookings should be sold immediately  — The leadership skills that unlock scale   Resources Mentioned — Million Dollar Home Cleaning Coaching Group: https://homecleaningcoaching.com/homecleaningcourses?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnL6wLgGp7zGeSnikVk30hftg9RLFYRfpDlgMPIWaKhTgf5omG4n2mmS9m6Q0_aem_SUDQ2EjtoUd7oefLvKz_ww — Stephanie's Administrative Bundle: https://serene-clean.com/downloads/administrative-documents-bundle/ — ZenMaid Software: https://get.zenmaid.com    👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/ ✉️ Subscribe to ZenMaid's Weekly Newsletter: https://zenmaid.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/   📖 Read the full transcript: https://zenmaid.com/magazine/how-julia-went-from-0-to-100k-months-in-under-2-years/

Katie Bradley is all over cleaning social media — but she’s not here for the viral “bucket of water on the floor” bullsh*t. In this episode, Stephanie sits down with Katie, Owner of Maid Busters in Cincinnati, Ohio (aka “Come Clean with Katie” online), to talk about what social media gets wrong, what real pros do instead, and how to run a cleaning business that protects clients’ homes and the cleaner’s body. This episode dives deep into safer product choices, simpler kits, stainless steel that actually looks good, and the boundaries that keep cleaners from burning out.   📌 What You’ll Learn  — Why viral cleaning hacks can damage floors, counters, and finishes (and how to professionally say “no” to risky requests)  — Katie’s simplified cleaning kit essentials  — Why oils and “shine” products can cause buildup (and how to educate clients without making it weird_  — Boundaries that prevent resentment: clutter fees, scope clarity, and contracts that back you up  — The real reason raising prices feels scary and how to stop “getting in clients’ pockets”  — Content creation while cleaning  — Why reliability is a competitive advantage   👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/ ✉️ Subscribe to ZenMaid's Weekly Newsletter: https://zenmaid.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/   📖 Read the full transcript: https://zenmaid.com/magazine/katie-bradleys-simple-kit-strategy-for-faster-safer-more-profitable-cleans/

Are your cleaners going overtime or skipping check-ins? Before you blame the cleaner, you need to check yourself first 😉 In this solo episode, Stephanie breaks down one of the most common and costly problems in cleaning businesses: cleaners going over their approved time with no communication. Inspired by a real question from the ZenMaid Mastermind and a recent consulting call, Stephanie walks through every layer of the problem and gives practical, implementable fixes for each one.   📌 What You’ll Learn — Why the problem often starts with your estimating, not your cleaner's speed — What production rates are and how to audit yours using real data — How to calculate labor hours for first-time cleans, maintenance cleans, and vacant homes — Why cleaners need to know their approved time explicitly — How to set up a midpoint check-in process that gives you time to adjust before it's too late — The difference in risk between hourly vs. flat rate when jobs run long — How pay structure (hourly vs. performance-based) drives cleaner behavior — Why a fast feedback loop matters more than a formal sit-down — When to send a cleaner back through training vs. when it's a discipline issue — Legal considerations around docking pay for W2 employees who go over approved time   Resources Mentioned: — Serene Clean Document Bundles: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services  — Estimated Times Free Template: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q75a_fQMs0fcwGGMr5tCQL6ZwtnGJqO9bc2slfx9Qfo/edit?tab=t.0  👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/ ✉️ Subscribe to ZenMaid's Weekly Newsletter: https://zenmaid.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/ 📖 Read the full transcript: https://zenmaid.com/magazine/why-your-cleaners-keep-going-over-time/

In this episode of Filthy Rich Cleaners, Stephanie sits down with Kai DeMoss, owner of Kai Cleans in San Francisco, to talk about how they went from a gig cleaner to a cleaning business owner. Kai talks about their experience on platforms like Homeaglow and the good, bad, and ugly that came with it — from the signup process and “AI support,” to pricing caps, client expectations, and why the platform attracts cost-conscious customers. Kai also shares what it really took to transition off platforms, lean into a niche community for early adopter clients, raise prices without spiraling, and start building real momentum through relationship-based networking. 📌 What You’ll Learn — What Homeaglow looks like from the cleaner side (and why clients get so frustrated) — How pricing works on platforms and where the “ceiling” shows up — Simple personal touches that help solo cleaners stand out fast — Why taking platform clients off-app usually isn’t worth it (even if you could) — How Kai found early adopter clients by leaning into a niche community — A practical way to reframe price increases (and get time freedom back) — How networking groups like chambers of commerce can turn into long-term lead engines — The “three types of people” Kai believes every business owner needs   👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/ ✉️ Subscribe to ZenMaid's Weekly Newsletter: https://zenmaid.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/   📖 Read the full transcript: https://zenmaid.com/magazine/how-kai-demoss-went-from-a-gig-app-cleaner-to-real-clients-in-san-francisco/

In this episode, Stephanie sits down with Emily Cox of Just Peachy Cleaning Professionals to talk about what it really looks like to build (and rebuild) a cleaning business. Emily shares how she went from a struggling new mom bartending late nights to launching a cleaning business on a whim, then scaling to a full team… only to make a partnership decision that nearly burned it all down. She walks through what went wrong, how she started over from scratch, and the systems that helped her grow back to $330K in annual revenue. 📌 What You’ll Learn — What to prioritize in due diligence, and why “customers + employees” is the whole game — How Marko approached price increases without causing churn — The operational risk of technical debt in long-running cleaning companies — Culture integration tips when you become the new owner — Why incentives work for things like attendance bonuses, cancellation fees, and behavior changes — Hiring and integrating a great VA — How tight service areas and supply policies can simplify operations in a big city   Resources Mentioned — Book: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson 👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/ ✉️ Subscribe to ZenMaid's Weekly Newsletter: https://zenmaid.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/   🎙️ Listen to the Podcast 📖 Read the full transcript: https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/how-emily-built-a-330k-cleaning-business-after-starting-over-from-zero/ 

Is this our longest episode yet?! Join Stephanie for a consulting-style living room conversation with Jennifer Dorn, Owner of Augusta Housekeeping, about what it takes to scale a cleaning business without blowing up your margins, team, or sanity. Jennifer talks through her journey being in the early growth stage, navigating staffing challenges, pricing mistakes, payroll pressure, and the fear that comes with scaling “too fast” or “not fast enough.” Stephanie talks through where to focus, what systems matter most, and how to think strategically about commercial accounts, production rates, and cleaner structure. 📌 What You’ll Learn — How to think strategically about scaling when revenue is still small  — Why commercial accounts can create faster, more stable growth  — How to structure individual cleaners vs. teams (and when to use each)  — The biggest pricing and payroll mistakes new owners make  — How flat-rate and “approved hours” pay models change cleaner behavior  — Why production rates and walkthroughs are non-negotiable  — How to use testimonials and Google reviews as your best marketing asset  — What to consider before taking on Airbnb and event-based work  — How to protect quality while incentivizing speed and efficiency 👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/ ✉️ Subscribe to ZenMaid's Weekly Newsletter: https://zenmaid.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/   🎙️ Listen to the Podcast 📖 Read the full transcript: https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/consult-style-session-on-scaling-fast-while-staffing-smart-with-jennifer-dorn/

A 6-hour orientation SOUNDS excessive...until you see what it actually fixes! In this solo episode, Stephanie breaks down Serene Clean’s full orientation structure, including why they built it, what’s inside it, and how it transformed onboarding from chaotic to scalable and clear. She explains how orientation functions like a sales + education experience for the “internal customer,” and how building it forced the company to eliminate gray areas. Stephanie also shares which tools they use, how they introduce software, pay, benefits, safety, code of conduct, “at-the-clean” expectations, and more!  What You’ll Learn — Why orientation reduces overwhelm and improves retention — How to structure orientation, even if you start bare-bones — What Serene Clean covers in their 6-hour walkthrough — How to onboard “culture” and expectations without info-dumping — The software setup flow: ZenMaid, Slack, Gusto, Train, and more — How orientation eliminates gray areas and creates scalable accountability — The safety section checklist (including situational awareness + SOS tools) — How to teach “how to be an employee here” before field training starts Resources Mentioned ZenMaid onboarding article: https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/checklists-to-onboard-new-cleaning-employees/ Trainual Software: https://trainual.com/ 👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/ ✉️ Subscribe to ZenMaid's Weekly Newsletter: https://zenmaid.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/ 🎙️ Listen to the Podcast: 📖 Read the full transcript: https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/how-serene-clean-built-a-rockstar-new-cleaner-orientation-program/

A cleaning business acquisition that goes from 0 to 25 cleaners overnight? That’s exactly what happened in Chicago to Marko Lazarevic! In this episode, Stephanie talks with Marko, a former finance professional who acquired Manic Maids (a residential-heavy cleaning company operating since 1990), to talk about what surprised him after taking over and how he’s been modernizing an “old-school” operation. After growing the business by 20% (already!) since taking over, he breaks down what he looked for during due diligence, and how he's giving internal systems a huge facelift without wrecking culture, retention, reputation, or client trust.   📌 What You’ll Learn — What to prioritize in due diligence, and why “customers + employees” is the whole game — How Marko approached price increases without causing churn — The operational risk of technical debt in long-running cleaning companies — Culture integration tips when you become the new owner — Why incentives work for things like attendance bonuses, cancellation fees, and behavior changes — Hiring and integrating a great VA — How tight service areas and supply policies can simplify operations in a big city   Resources Mentioned — Manic Maids: https://manicmaids.com/   👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: Serene-cleanConsulting Services - Serene Clean ✉️ Subscribe to ZenMaid's Weekly Newsletter: Newsletter Sign Up   🎙️ Listen to the Podcast: 📖 Read the full transcript: (link)

2026 is the year that Stephanie buckles down for Serene Clean, and after a month, she's here to share a business update! January was a great month, but it wasn't because of luck. Stephanie breaks down the exact behavior changes that helped Serene Clean blow past its monthly recurring revenue goal, even without an impressive close rate (yet).   She shares the real wins from January and the behind-the-scenes systems that made them happen, including aggressive lead follow-up, a new “ongoing contact” status in ClickUp, adding phone calls back into the process, and introducing a simple one-hour-free offer after 30 days.   📌 What You’ll Learn — How Serene Clean added ~$2,400 in MRR in January (and why it wasn’t from a higher close rate) — The follow-up cadence that turns “dead leads” into booked recurring clients — Why silence isn’t a “no” and when a lead becomes truly dead — How one small offer can generate massive ROI without cheapening your brand — The leading indicators Stephanie tracks daily/weekly to drive predictable growth — Real production rate benchmarks for deep cleans, first-time cleans, and maintenance cleans   Resources Mentioned: — ClickUp: https://clickup.com/ — ZenMaid: https://get.zenmaid.com/ — Mailchimp: https://mailchimp.com/ — Quo/OpenPhone (+ ZenMaid referral link): https://www.openphone.com/perks/zenmaid?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=partnerstack&utm_content=community_experts&utm_campaign=c92107ec7cc9&pscd=get.openphone.com&ps_partner_key=YzkyMTA3ZWM3Y2M5&fbclid=IwY2xjawMr03ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBleUtsVnZtUjlJa2h5ZWpwAR7Gp8p4NVVF-Y8WODTTXb-NJi57ltYrsQs-pyFmuaRR4gMrj6TGYWpL1zlA_Q_aem_Ey2JG_AkBSk_SI8w5kDOBA&ps_xid=iGpmmTBqEJNW4d&gsxid=iGpmmTBqEJNW4d&gspk=YzkyMTA3ZWM3Y2M5 — Drew Larson's Filthy Rich Cleaners episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NIBCsJQWkc   👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/ ✉️ Subscribe to ZenMaid's Weekly Newsletter: https://zenmaid.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/   🎙️ Listen to the Podcast: 🎧 Spotify: (link) 🎧 Apple Podcasts: (link) 📖 Read the full transcript: (link)

  In this episode, Stephanie sits down with industry veteran Sharon Tinberg to break down one of the most frustrating parts of running a cleaning business: training that doesn’t stick. With decades of experience and nearly $2 million in annual revenue under her belt, Sharon shares exactly what most owners get wrong, as well as how to fix it with simple, repeatable systems. Resources Mentioned — ZenMaid: https://get.zenmaid.com/ — Clean Smart Academy: https://www.cleansmartacademy.com/ 📌 What You’ll Learn — Why shadowing trainers creates inconsistency and higher turnover — The difference between process and procedure (and why it matters) — How Sharon trained cleaners to clean homes correctly in just days — The overlooked details cleaners miss most — and how to prevent it — How periodic tasks improve client retention and reduce deep cleans — What it really took to manage 754 recurring clients successfully — How structured training systems lead to faster cleans and happier teams   👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/ ✉️ Subscribe to ZenMaid's Weekly Newsletter: https://zenmaid.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/   🎙️ Listen to the Podcast: 📖 Read the full transcript: https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/sharon-tinbergs-cleaners-training-system/

In this solo episode, Stephanie tackles a listener question that came in through the ZenMaid newsletter! This is one that hits so many cleaning business owners — how do you grow when it feels like you’re always stuck choosing between turning down work… or hiring too early and scrambling to fill a schedule? Stephanie breaks down the real meaning of “always be hiring,” why the fix isn’t actually hiring nonstop (but rather building a pipeline), and how to create a more structured system for hiring cadence, regional staffing, and travel-heavy scheduling. 📌 What You’ll Learn — What “always be hiring” actually means (no, it’s not onboarding every week) — How to build a candidate pipeline so you’re never starting from zero — A simple way to decide when to hire based on capacity + training lead time — Why zoning your service area can reduce chaos and travel costs — How part-time hiring can solve the “schedule fill” pressure — When to charge travel fees and how to justify them — How Serene Clean approaches travel pay, home bases, and scheduling strategy — Why driving pay structure can make or break profitability in a large service radius Resources Mentioned — ZenMaid's Weekly Newsletter: https://zenmaid.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/  👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/ ✉️ Subscribe to ZenMaid's Weekly Newsletter: https://zenmaid.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/    🎙️ Listen to the Podcast: 📖 Read the full transcript: https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/managing-service-area-hiring-and-travel-costs-cleaning-business/

Welcome back to Filthy Rich Cleaners! In this episode, Stephanie sits down with Jacques Bastien, co-founder of Chery Maids in Tampa, Florida, to talk about what it takes to scale fast without burning out. Jacques shares how Chery Maids grew to 6 cleaning teams and 100–150 cleans per month in only 1.5 years, why he and his wife walked away from short-term rentals, and more. He and Stephanie talk about failure, marriage + business boundaries, hiring virtual team members, and Jacque's deeper mission behind his work supporting Black and Brown creators. 📌 What You’ll Learn — Why Jacques ditched short-term rental cleanings for a simpler residential model — The SEAD framework: Systematize, Eliminate, Automate, Delegate — What to focus on before SOPs, and why most people do it backwards — How to reduce stress by designing your business rules — A practical way to create scripts/SOPs by recording real work and using AI to draft documentation — Challenges of recruiting quality cleaners when reputation matters — How Jacques and his wife split roles to work together — How virtual team members can run real, important operations Resources Mentioned Book: The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss Book: The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande Book: The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It―A Guide to Starting a Business in a Productive and Successful Way by Michael E. Gerber   👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/   🎙️ Listen to the Podcast: 📖 Read the full transcript: https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/building-a-cleaning-business-without-being-the-cleaner/

In this episode of Filthy Rich Cleaners, Stephanie gets real about the messy middle of leadership: boundaries. You need boundaries to protect your business, yourself, your employees, and your sanity, especially when you’re a natural people-pleaser.   She breaks down why exceptions (made out of guilt, fear, scarcity, etc.) do more harm than good, and shares real scenarios from consulting calls and Serene Clean’s own history. Listen in for scenarios like the “but they’re a great cleaner” trap, pay advance requests, clients texting techs directly, cancellation policy inconsistency, vacation rental scope creep, and super weird asks from clients.   📌 What You’ll Learn — Why “Yeah, but they’re a great cleaner” is usually a leadership red flag — How inconsistent enforcement undermines your authority (and your confidence) — The power of policies to enforce blanket rules — Boundaries that you need to prevent chaos — How to reduce business liability (pets, service providers, watching kids, etc. — Simple scheduling boundaries to implement — Why doing “little extras” sets staff up for complaints later on — How to stop being held hostage by bad behavior and rebuild the power seat   👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/   🎙️ Listen to the Podcast: 🎧 Spotify: (link) 🎧 Apple Podcasts: (link) 📖 Read the full transcript: (link)

In this episode, Stephanie sits down with Juan and Regina Jaramillo of Bright Corners Cleaning Service in Ocala, Florida to talk about all things commercial clients, including cold knocking, follow-ups, repeat clients, walkthroughs, bidding, systems, and more! ✨   Juan and Regina share how they started in residential and why they stayed obsessed with commercial, even when it took six months to land the first client. They also share a haunted-building story that’s now officially in Filthy Rich Cleaners' history 👻 If you're thinking about taking on commercial clients, this one's for you! 📌 What You’ll Learn — Why Mondays are the best day to land commercial accounts — How they approach cold walk-ins, follow-ups, and relationship building — What to look for during a walkthrough (measurements, photos, blueprints) — Why “one production rate” doesn’t exist in commercial cleaning — How they simplify training (including limiting chemicals to reduce confusion) — How they use a photo documentation system to “tell a story” — When it makes sense to lease equipment instead of buying it — What accounts are most profitable (medical, private schools, car dealerships) — The red flags that make them walk away from a prospect — How they think about scaling leadership, i.e., lead tech vs. field manager vs. subcontracting Resources Mentioned Bright Corners Cleaning Service: https://brightcornersservices.com/ The ZenMaid Mastermind Facebook group (free to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/zenmaidmastermind   👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/   🎙️ Listen to the Podcast: 📖 Read the full transcript: (link)

Overpriced, underpriced, or just right? In this episode, Stephanie is brutally honest about the pricing story she’s been telling herself and the fear that kept Serene Clean stuck at $55 per man-hour for way too long. She talks about what finally pushed her to treat pricing like an experiment and why it's not actually an emotional decision, even though it often feels like one. Stephanie also shares numbers that matter and the margins you should be looking for when evaluating your pricing strategy.   📌 What You’ll Learn — Why “the ceiling in my market” is usually a fear-based story, not a fact — How to raise prices without destabilizing your schedule (batch increases vs. blanket changes) — The new Serene Clean pricing split that separates recurring vs. one-off/first-time cleans — How to use pricing to incentivize recurring revenue and hit monthly MRR goals — What to review when bookings drop — The role of social proof, follow-up systems, and value-building in closing higher rates   Resources Mentioned — Newsletter Sign-up: https://zenmaid.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/ — Steven and Anna's podcast episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBJCvAXymgs — ZenMaid Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/zenmaidmastermind   👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/ ✉️ Subscribe to ZenMaid's Weekly Newsletter: https://zenmaid.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/   🎙️ Listen to the Podcast: 📖 Read the full transcript: https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/on-pricing-fear-and-profit-margins/

In this episode, Stephanie sits down with Yari Ising, owner of a fast-growing cleaning company in Pennsylvania, whose story will light a fire under anyone who’s ever considered starting over. Yari shares how a surprise pregnancy, a move to a brand-new community, and a sudden shift in federal work requirements pushed her to bet on herself — and turn a “side hustle” into a real business. She explains what’s helped her stand out in a competitive market, how she’s building systems with Notion, and more.   📌 What You’ll Learn — How Yari validated demand instantly by calling local builders — Why Google visibility and reviews can unlock “big-league” opportunities — The early client strategies that worked (Thumbtack, referrals, and consistency) — How to build an operations hub with Notion (SOPs, tasks, candidates, content) — What to focus on when time, staffing, and growth all hit at once — How to stop overthinking and get better at fast decision-making — Mindset shifts like “Your business isn’t for everybody” + “Everything is figureoutable” — Why asking for help is a scaling strategy   Resources Mentioned — Notion: https://www.notion.com/ — Thumbtack: https://www.thumbtack.com/ — Nextdoor: https://nextdoor.com/ — ClickUp: https://app.clickup.com/ — Pink’s Window Cleaning: https://pinkswindows.com/ — The Financial Diet: https://thefinancialdiet.com/   👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/   🎙️ Listen to the Podcast: 📖 Read the full transcript: https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/how-yari-ising-called-2-builders-and-accidentally-built-a-cleaning-company/

In this solo episode, Stephanie pulls back the curtain on what really happened inside Serene Clean in 2025 and takes ownership of the leadership choices that contributed to a revenue drop.   She shares an honest accountability review of the year, including how exciting new opportunities (podcasting, consulting, partnerships, speaking) unintentionally fragmented her focus, how she mistook comfort for safety, and why obsessing over lagging indicators kept her stuck in reaction mode. Stephanie also breaks down the numbers and talks about the mindset shift that’s fueling her 2026 comeback!   📌 What You’ll Learn — The hidden cost of “shiny opportunity” overload (and how it fragments leadership focus) — Why “stable” is not the same as “safe” in a cleaning business — The difference between lagging vs. leading indicators (and what to track instead) — How protected availability affects first-time cleans, recurring clients, and growth — What Stephanie’s 2026 revenue goal is and the behavior changes she’s making to hit it   Resources Mentioned — Extreme Ownership book: https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057 — ZenMaid Mastermind (Facebook group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/zenmaidmastermind — ZenMaid Cleaning Business Software: https://get.zenmaid.com/   👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/   🎙️ Listen to the Podcast: 📖 Read the full transcript: https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/leadership-mistakes-that-cost-serene-clean-120k/

In this episode, Stephanie sits down with Drew Larison of Five Door Media to break down why marketing “isn’t working” for many cleaning businesses, and how to fix it.   Stephanie and Drew walk through the “Five Doors” framework: choosing the right platform, creating scroll-stopping content, dialing in targeting, tightening up what happens after the click, and mastering the sales follow-up that actually turns leads into long-term recurring revenue. They also talk CleanCon, what to expect, and why this industry’s trust factor changes everything. 📌 What You’ll Learn — How to tell fast if you’re advertising on the wrong platform — Why video wins right now (and how to start even if you hate being on camera) — The most common creative mistakes that make people scroll past your ads — Targeting tweaks that improve lead quality (income, neighborhoods, service areas) — Why homepages are not landing pages—and what to do instead — How long forms, clunky pages, and too many questions kill conversions — Why “speed to lead” matters (and how follow-up should actually work) — What Clean Con is and why it’s built specifically for residential cleaners Resources Mentioned CleanCon Conference 2026: https://www.mycleancon.com/ Five Door Media: https://www.fivedoormedia.com/ SendJim Direct Mail Marketing: https://sendjim.com/ DOPE Marketing Direct Mail: https://www.dopemarketing.com/ Profit First Book: https://www.amazon.com/Profit-First-Transform-Cash-Eating-Money-Making/dp/073521414X   👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/   🎙️ Listen to the Podcast: 📖 Read the full transcript: https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/drew-larisons-take-on-google-vs-facebook-ads-for-cleaners/

Free cleanings sound insane... until you use them strategically 👀 In this episode, Stephanie breaks down one of Serene Clean’s “secret weapons”: Giving away free cleanings with guardrails, and how it’s driven real results across the business. She walks through four specific buckets where free cleanings create leverage: 1) Learning your production rates 2) Generating reviews and visibility 3) Building culture through giving 4) Reducing risk (especially when bidding commercial jobs)   📌 What You’ll Learn — How Stephanie used 10 free cleanings before opening Serene Clean (and why it mattered) — Why first-time cleans take longer than you think — and how to track room-by-room timing — The #1 rule: set guardrails (hours + scope) so “free” doesn’t become a disaster — How to turn free cleanings into reviews, social proof, and lead generation — Why Google reviews matter more than Stephanie realized early on — How giveaways drive visibility (and why Stephanie boosts the giveaway video) — How “Cleaning for a Reason” and nomination programs build trust, culture, and retention — A smart way to use free cleaning to reduce risk and collect bidding data for commercial — How free commercial “sample cleans” can help you prove quality and avoid underbidding   Resources Mentioned: — Cleaning for a Reason (nonprofit): https://cleaningforareason.org/ — ZenMaid Booking Forms / ZenMaid Scheduling Software: https://get.zenmaid.com/   👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com 📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/   🎙️ Listen to the Podcast: 📖 Read the full transcript: https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/the-free-cleaning-strategy-that-grows-your-business/