The Cleaning Journey

What if one local influencer could bring your cleaning business 20 new inquiries overnight? That's exactly what happened to Courtney Nunes, founder of Green Leaf Cleaning, when her very first client shared her experience on social media. In Part 2 of The Cleaning Journey, Courtney joins Misa to break down the marketing strategies that helped her grow Green Leaf Cleaning into a business with 18 employees, approximately 100 recurring clients, and operations in Maryland and Florida. Rather than relying heavily on paid advertising, Courtney built her business through organic social media, relationships, and collaborations with local influencers. She shares how she finds influencers, structures collaborations, tracks referrals, and decides which marketing strategies are worth continuing. We also discuss: • How a single Facebook recommendation generated 20 cleaning inquiries • Finding local influencers who actually reach your ideal customers • Offering complimentary cleanings in exchange for honest reviews and social media exposure • Why follower count doesn't always translate into paying customers • Tracking referrals and measuring marketing results • Her experience spending $3,000 on Google Ads • Using virtual assistants and automation to reclaim time • Leading employees with compassion while maintaining accountability • Building a company culture that supports both the business and its people Misa also shares his approach to marketing: commit to a strategy for 90 days, track the results, and make decisions based on real numbers. If you're looking for creative ways to market your cleaning company, generate recurring clients, and become a stronger leader, this conversation is full of practical ideas. Missed Part 1? Watch Courtney's journey from her first cleaning job to building a growing team. CONNECT WITH COURTNEY: Website: https://www.greenleaforganics.org/ Instagram: @green_leaf_cleaning_md_fl Subscribe to The Cleaning Journey for more conversations about growing and leading a successful cleaning business. #TheCleaningJourney #CleaningBusinessMarketing #SocialMediaMarketing #CleaningBusiness #Entrepreneurship If you're serious about building systems that remove you as the bottleneck, you need the right tools. We recommend Jobber to manage scheduling, quoting, invoicing, and client communication all in one place. Start your 2-week free trial and get 20% off for 6 months here: https://go.getjobber.com/misael For YouTube and Spotify: 🎥Subscribe: @misaavalos For more cleaning tips videos! 📲 Instagram: @cleaningjourney 📲 Instagram: @misa.avalos Jobber: https://go.getjobber.com/misael 🎙️Spotify: The Cleaning Journey Podcast On Spotify 📞1-on-1 Call (45-FREE Minutes to talk about your business, CRAZYY, I know): 👇 https://scheduler.zoom.us/misael-avalos/free-discovery-call Want to be in the podcast? Please fill out this form, and we will contact you. Your journey matters! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kSJKn_kbH4JP8i53hpNEP6tQJqeXArlqqvtt1LJgUPQ/edit

What started as a way to support her family turned into a rapidly growing cleaning business with 18 employees, approximately 100 recurring clients, and a second location. In Part 1 of The Cleaning Journey, Misa sits down with Courtney Nunes, founder of Green Leaf Cleaning, to discuss how she went from being a stay-at-home mom looking for flexible work to building a successful cleaning company in less than two years. Courtney shares the reality behind that growth, including her very first 12-hour cleaning job, a difficult experience hiring her first cleaners, and the mistakes that pushed her to develop better systems, training, and processes. In this episode, we cover: • How Courtney started Green Leaf Cleaning with no local network or clients • The challenges of hiring and managing cleaners for the first time • Why she transitioned from independent contractors to W-2 employees • Building training systems, SOPs, and quality standards • Learning to set boundaries with clients and protect profitability • Why every mistake can become an opportunity to improve your business Courtney's story is a reminder that you don't need to have everything figured out before you start. You just need to be willing to learn, adapt, and keep moving forward. In Part 2, we dive into the marketing strategies that helped Green Leaf Cleaning grow, including local influencer collaborations, social media, and building a business that doesn't depend entirely on the owner. CONNECT WITH COURTNEY: Website: [https://www.greenleaforganics.org/](https://www.greenleaforganics.org/) Instagram: [green_leaf_cleaning_maryland](https://www.instagram.com/green_leaf_cleaning_maryland/#) Subscribe to The Cleaning Journey for real conversations with cleaning business owners about entrepreneurship, leadership, systems, and growth. #TheCleaningJourney #CleaningBusiness #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #CleaningBusinessOwner If you're serious about building systems that remove you as the bottleneck, you need the right tools. We recommend Jobber to manage scheduling, quoting, invoicing, and client communication all in one place. Start your 2-week free trial and get 20% off for 6 months here: https://go.getjobber.com/misael For YouTube and Spotify: 🎥Subscribe: @misaavalos For more cleaning tips videos! 📲 Instagram: @cleaningjourney 📲 Instagram: @misa.avalos Jobber: https://go.getjobber.com/misael 🎙️Spotify: The Cleaning Journey Podcast On Spotify 📞1-on-1 Call (45-FREE Minutes to talk about your business, CRAZYY, I know): 👇 https://scheduler.zoom.us/misael-avalos/free-discovery-call Want to be in the podcast? Please fill out this form, and we will contact you. Your journey matters! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kSJKn_kbH4JP8i53hpNEP6tQJqeXArlqqvtt1LJgUPQ/edit

Kimberly Zorrilla came to the United States from Venezuela with a background as an attorney, little money, and no English. She started cleaning out of necessity. Today, nearly 10 years later, she has built a cleaning company generating more than $100,000 per month with a team of roughly 30 people—and she's now focused on building the systems, leadership, and infrastructure that can take the company into its next chapter. In this episode of The Cleaning Journey, Misael sits down with Kimberly to talk about what it actually took to build the business from the ground up. They discuss: • Working 90+ hour weeks in the early years • Making her first hire just six months into the business • Creating a culture where cleaning is treated as a real career • Hiring, training, accountability, and protecting your standards • The mistakes Kimberly made with finances early on • Why business owners need to understand what they delegate • Faith, family, rest, and learning when to stop hustling • Building systems that can support the next level of growth • Preparing a company to eventually operate without the owner • Why the systems that get you to $500K won't necessarily get you to $1M • Kimberly's advice for anyone starting from zero Kimberly's story is a reminder that building something meaningful takes time. There is no perfect start. There is no shortcut around learning, making mistakes, developing as a leader, and continuing to evolve as the business grows. If you're building a cleaning company—or starting over and wondering whether you can actually do it—this conversation is for you. Learn More About Kimberly & Kiros Cleaning Experts Follow Kimberly's journey and learn more about Kiros Cleaning Experts: 🌐 kiroscleaningexperts.com 📸 Instagram: @kiroscleaningexperts 📘 Facebook: Kiros Cleaning Experts Subscribe to The Cleaning Journey for more conversations with cleaning business owners, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders who are building businesses that last. If you're serious about building systems that remove you as the bottleneck, you need the right tools. We recommend Jobber to manage scheduling, quoting, invoicing, and client communication all in one place. Start your 2-week free trial and get 20% off for 6 months here: https://go.getjobber.com/misael For YouTube and Spotify: 🎥Subscribe: @misaavalos For more cleaning tips videos! 📲 Instagram: @cleaningjourney 📲 Instagram: @misa.avalos Jobber: https://go.getjobber.com/misael 🎙️Spotify: The Cleaning Journey Podcast On Spotify 📞1-on-1 Call (45-FREE Minutes to talk about your business, CRAZYY, I know): 👇 https://scheduler.zoom.us/misael-avalos/free-discovery-call Want to be in the podcast? Please fill out this form, and we will contact you. Your journey matters! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kSJKn_kbH4JP8i53hpNEP6tQJqeXArlqqvtt1LJgUPQ/edit

What can 46 years in the cleaning industry teach you about building a business that actually lasts? In this episode of The Cleaning Journey, Misa sits down with Kevin Kluth, who started doing janitorial work at just 18 years old in 1980. What began with a few office-cleaning accounts eventually grew into carpet cleaning, specialized rug washing, a team of employees, and more than four decades of lessons about business, leadership, training, and growth. Kevin shares why one of his biggest lessons was learning to stop doing everything himself, how he trained employees to serve clients without him, and why cleaning business owners should build a company that could eventually operate — or even be sold — without depending entirely on the owner. They also get into: • How Kevin landed his first cleaning accounts through referrals • Why he transitioned from janitorial work into carpet cleaning • Why he chose rug washing over restoration work • The slow-season promotion he's used for more than a decade • Why hiring a bookkeeper or accountant is worth the money • How to train technicians you can actually trust • Why owners who stay on every job need to charge accordingly • The importance of professional training and certification • Why social media isn't a replacement for real education • Building systems that allow the business to run without you • Creating a company someone would actually want to buy • Why there are nearly unlimited niches inside the cleaning industry • What Kevin would tell an owner who's only one or two years into the journey After more than four decades in the industry, Kevin's message is simple: keep learning, surround yourself with people who are better than you at what they do, build systems, and don't spend your entire career trapped inside the technician role. If you're building a cleaning business and wondering what it takes to stay in the game for the long haul, this episode is for you. Subscribe to The Cleaning Journey for more conversations with cleaning business owners and industry leaders sharing the real lessons behind building, growing, and leading a cleaning company. #CleaningBusiness #Entrepreneurship #CarpetCleaning #BusinessGrowth #TheCleaningJourney If you're serious about building systems that remove you as the bottleneck, you need the right tools. We recommend Jobber to manage scheduling, quoting, invoicing, and client communication all in one place. Start your 2-week free trial and get 20% off for 6 months here: https://go.getjobber.com/misael For YouTube and Spotify: 🎥Subscribe: @misaavalos For more cleaning tips videos! 📲 Instagram: @cleaningjourney 📲 Instagram: @misa.avalos Jobber: https://go.getjobber.com/misael 🎙️Spotify: The Cleaning Journey Podcast On Spotify 📞1-on-1 Call (45-FREE Minutes to talk about your business, CRAZYY, I know): 👇 https://scheduler.zoom.us/misael-avalos/free-discovery-call Want to be in the podcast? Please fill out this form, and we will contact you. Your journey matters! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kSJKn_kbH4JP8i53hpNEP6tQJqeXArlqqvtt1LJgUPQ/edit

What if your clients stopped seeing cleaning as another expense—and started seeing it as an investment in their business? In this episode of The Cleaning Journey, Misael sits down with Eddie Dauti, founder and owner of Accurate ProClean, a commercial cleaning and facility maintenance company celebrating 20 years in business. Before entering the cleaning industry, Eddie worked as an executive chef, where his attention to cleanliness, organization, and detail ultimately opened the door to an entirely new career. It started when a longtime restaurant customer asked Eddie to clean an office. Eddie initially declined—he had no experience in the cleaning industry—but eventually took the opportunity. One office led to another, referrals started coming in, and Eddie found himself cleaning after long shifts in the kitchen. In June 2006, he officially founded Accurate ProClean. Today, Accurate ProClean provides janitorial services, floor care, carpet cleaning, post-construction cleanup, and specialty cleaning for commercial facilities throughout New Jersey, including schools, office buildings, healthcare facilities, and other businesses. Eddie and Misael dive into what those 20 years have taught him about selling value instead of price, educating customers, maintaining high standards, and building relationships that last. In this episode: • Why cleaning should be positioned as an investment—not an expense • Eddie's journey from executive chef to cleaning business owner • How to educate clients instead of competing on price • Why going cheap eventually leads to cutting corners • Using demonstrations and before-and-after photos to prove value • How strategic upselling can grow commercial accounts • Why the right product, equipment, and knowledge matter • Knowing when it's better to walk away from a job • How confidence grows through experience and education • The importance of building partnerships instead of being "just another contractor" Twenty years later, Eddie's philosophy remains simple: do quality work, build strong relationships, and let the results speak for themselves. Or, as Eddie puts it: "We don't cut corners. We clean them." Connect with Accurate ProClean: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accurateproclean Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/accurateproclean Subscribe to The Cleaning Journey for more conversations with cleaning business owners and industry leaders about building stronger, more profitable businesses. #TheCleaningJourney #CleaningBusiness #CommercialCleaning #FacilityMaintenance #Entrepreneurship If you're serious about building systems that remove you as the bottleneck, you need the right tools. We recommend Jobber to manage scheduling, quoting, invoicing, and client communication all in one place. Start your 2-week free trial and get 20% off for 6 months here: https://go.getjobber.com/misael For YouTube and Spotify: 🎥Subscribe: @misaavalos For more cleaning tips videos! 📲 Instagram: @cleaningjourney 📲 Instagram: @misa.avalos Jobber: https://go.getjobber.com/misael 🎙️Spotify: The Cleaning Journey Podcast On Spotify 📞1-on-1 Call (45-FREE Minutes to talk about your business, CRAZYY, I know): 👇 https://scheduler.zoom.us/misael-avalos/free-discovery-call Want to be in the podcast? Please fill out this form, and we will contact you. Your journey matters! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kSJKn_kbH4JP8i53hpNEP6tQJqeXArlqqvtt1LJgUPQ/edit