Nicole's journey from exhausted solo cleaner to successful product creator exemplifies the power of resilience when facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles. After years of physical strain from cleaning houses and working crime scenes, a pivotal moment came when she sat on a client's stairs, her body aching, and asked for divine intervention to find a new path forward.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which devastated many cleaning businesses, became her unexpected catalyst for transformation. While clients paused services and her income plummeted, Nicole diversified by taking on specialized cleaning jobs and creating social media content. What began as survival tactics evolved into something far more significant when her cleaning videos unexpectedly went viral, opening a door she never anticipated.

Rather than following the conventional route of white-labeling someone else's formula, Nicole created her 5-in-1 Castle Cleaner from scratch, initially mixing batches in five-gallon buckets at home. As demand grew, she scaled production to ten gallons at a time before ultimately partnering with a formulator to create a repeatable chemical formula suitable for commercial manufacturing. This development now allows her to plan production runs of thousands of gallons and expand into bulk sizes beyond her original 32-ounce bottles.

The entrepreneurial wisdom Nicole shares resonates beyond the cleaning industry: "You are capable of doing everything any other human can... somebody invented everything out there. So why should I not be able to?" Her story reminds us that persistence through multiple failures often precedes breakthrough success – if the 16th attempt doesn't work, try the 17th.

Ready to transform your cleaning routine with a product born from real-world cleaning expertise? Follow Castle Cleaners on social media platforms and check out the 5-in-1 all-purpose cleaner that's changing how people approach household cleaning.

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It can be crowed when trying to figure out who you are going to learn from

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.

support@myvbk.com

Up your cleaning game, join over 6000 Cleaning Business Owners most of whom are located here in the United States.

Support the show

Questions? Feel free to reach out!

Shannon Miller: cleaningbusinesslife@gmail.com

Join my FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583362158497744
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIjMz_-9YyiFvNVIgb61iYg

See Shannon's latest courses: www.KleanFreaksUnversity.com

When your employees rarely see each other face-to-face, how do you build a strong company culture? Michelle from White Rhino Cleaning Company joins us to reveal the strategies that have helped her 56-employee commercial cleaning operation thrive for nearly three decades.

Building culture in field-based businesses requires intentional design. Michelle walks us through White Rhino's approach, from their collaboratively developed core values (community, quality, excellence, equity, and integrity) to their comprehensive communication strategy. The monthly newsletter featuring employee spotlights, regular leadership gatherings, and annual appreciation events create connection points that overcome the isolation field employees often experience.

What sets White Rhino apart is their commitment to professional development. Michelle explains how they've implemented DISC assessments to improve team dynamics, created specialized training for "live" versus "closed" cleaning environments, and developed protocols for handling unexpected situations. Her approach to giving feedback—using the "sandwich method" and emphasizing that corrections are "for the business, not personal"—demonstrates emotional intelligence that permeates the organization.

The conversation offers practical takeaways for any service business owner, from leveraging free community resources like library meeting rooms to participating in local chambers of commerce. Michelle's insights on community involvement, including sponsoring holiday light displays and participating in local festivals, showcase how external engagement reinforces internal culture.

Whether you're leading a commercial or residential cleaning operation, this episode provides a blueprint for creating a cohesive team that delivers consistent, high-quality service—even when team members rarely work in the same physical space. Learn how thoughtful leadership, clear communication, and strategic team building can transform your cleaning business culture.

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It can be crowed when trying to figure out who you are going to learn from

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.

support@myvbk.com

Up your cleaning game, join over 6000 Cleaning Business Owners most of whom are located here in the United States.

Support the show

Questions? Feel free to reach out!

Shannon Miller: cleaningbusinesslife@gmail.com

Join my FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583362158497744
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIjMz_-9YyiFvNVIgb61iYg

See Shannon's latest courses: www.KleanFreaksUnversity.com

Every professional cleaner's nightmare unfolded in real-time as Jamie and Shannon recounted horror stories of damage caused by TikTok cleaning hacks gone wrong. At the heart of their discussion was a cautionary tale about a cleaner who used a pumice stone on a glass shower door after "seeing creators do it on TikTok," resulting in permanent, expensive scratches that the mortified cleaner had to confess to their client.

The hosts didn't hold back on the harsh realities facing cleaning professionals who experiment with untested methods in clients' homes. "Shower doors can be fifteen hundred to two thousand dollars," Shannon emphasized, highlighting that insurance won't cover such damages when they result from negligence or improper technique. Both hosts agreed that such mistakes "scream unprofessionalism" and can permanently damage your reputation through negative word-of-mouth, even when clients appear understanding in the moment.

Beyond the financial consequences, Jamie and Shannon explored the deeper issue of education in the cleaning industry. They stressed that true professionals understand the science behind cleaning—that it's fundamentally "various forms of friction with lubrication"—and know which tools are appropriate for different surfaces. They recommended resources like the American House Cleaners Association for proper certification and training, noting that "knowledge is power" that no one can take away once you've gained it.

Ready to elevate your cleaning business beyond amateur mistakes? Stop experimenting in clients' homes, invest in proper training for yourself and your team, and remember that true professionals test new techniques at home first. Your reputation—and your clients' expensive fixtures—will thank you.

Send us a text

It can be crowed when trying to figure out who you are going to learn from

Up your cleaning game, join over 6000 Cleaning Business Owners most of whom are located here in the United States.

Support the show

Questions? Feel free to reach out!

Shannon Miller: cleaningbusinesslife@gmail.com

Join my FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583362158497744
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIjMz_-9YyiFvNVIgb61iYg

See Shannon's latest courses: www.KleanFreaksUnversity.com