Filthy Rich Cleaners: The Cleaning Business Podcast

#4: Wild Client Stories and How to Survive the Hard Days with Cheryl Hajjar

From starting with "just a mop and a caddy" as a single mom to running multiple successful service businesses, Cheryl shares her incredible journey building Made Bright in Boston. In this candid conversation, she spills the real talk about client theft accusations, difficult customers taking down Christmas trees during cleanings, and how she and her husband turned a $25,000 power washing investment into a thriving second business.
 
Whether you're dreaming of starting a cleaning business or already in the trenches, Cheryl's honest stories about employee drama, client expectations, and work-life balance will make you feel less alone - and give you practical tips for growing your own empire.
 
Key Moments:
0:00 - Cheryl's journey from single mom to business owner
8:45 - Managing expectations with first-time cleaning clients
15:30 - Horror stories: theft accusations and problem customers
28:15 - Adding power washing services and scaling up
35:40 - Finding balance as an entrepreneur
42:20 - Tips for husband-wife business partnerships
48:15 - Building a supportive company culture for working moms
55:30 - The future of the cleaning industry
 
Mentioned in this Episode:
Sisters Who Scale Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sisterswhoscale/
Drop the Mop and Scale Program: https://www.sisterswhoscale.com/store
E-Myth Revisited (Michael Gerber): https://bit.ly/4g3DBvU
Extreme Ownership (Jocko Willink): https://bit.ly/4g7ouBB
ZenMaid Software: https://get.zenmaid.com/
 
Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com/
 
Rather read than listen? Check out the full episode write-up on our blog at https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/filthy-rich-cleaners-podcast-episode-4/

#3: The Secret Sauce to Growing from $10K to $40K Monthly Revenue

Want to know how Stephanie grew her cleaning business from $10,000 to $37,000 monthly revenue in less than a year - during COVID? In this episode, she spills all her growth secrets, including the exact strategies that helped Serene Clean make these massive jumps in revenue.
 
She breaks down the three key ingredients that skyrocketed her business: getting killer social proof (including a clever $5 trick to get more Google reviews), landing commercial accounts that are worth 20 residential clients, and a group interview hack that saves tons of time in hiring. Whether you're stuck at $10K or dreaming of hitting your first $20K month, this episode is packed with actionable tips you can use right now.
 
Key Moments:
0:00 - The importance of weekly team meetings
4:15 - Serene Clean's growth journey by the numbers
8:30 - Why Google reviews matter more than Facebook
12:45 - The secret to getting video testimonials
18:20 - Why commercial accounts are game-changers
25:10 - Group interviews: the hiring solution you need
32:15 - Building a constant candidate pipeline
 
Mentioned in this Episode:
ZenMaid Mastermind Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/zenmaidmastermind/
Google My Business: https://www.google.com/intl/en_us/business/
Indeed: https://www.indeed.com/
Vista Print (for review cards): https://www.vistaprint.com/
 
Try ZenMaid free for 14 day: https://get.zenmaid.com/
 
Rather read than listen? Check out the full episode write-up on our blog at https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/filthy-rich-cleaners-podcast-episode-3/

#2: Building a Luxury Home Assistant Business with Simone Angell

Meet Simone Angell, who turned her dream of helping busy moms into a booming luxury housekeeping company. As a single mom of five, she started House Mom Home Services in January 2020 - right when COVID hit. Instead of letting that stop her, she used it to her advantage and built something amazing.
 
Today, her team doesn't just clean houses - they run entire households, from folding laundry to meal prep to organizing. In this juicy conversation, Simone spills all her secrets - like why she fires clients who don't fit (even wealthy ones), how she handles people who try to steal her staff, and the exact systems she uses to keep quality sky-high. If you've ever dreamed of building a premium cleaning service that charges premium prices, this episode is pure gold.
 
Key Moments:
0:00 - Introduction & House Mom's origin story
4:15 - Navigating business growth during COVID
8:30 - Creating a family-friendly workplace culture
15:45 - Building a luxury service model
22:10 - Managing client expectations and communication
35:20 - Handling challenging situations professionally
42:50 - Training and quality control systems
49:30 - Future growth plans and expansion strategy
 
Mentioned in this Episode:
House Mom Home Services: https://www.housemum.com/
Google Docs: https://docs.google.com/document/
ZenMaid Software Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com/
 
Rather read than listen? Check out the full episode write-up on our blog at https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/filthy-rich-cleaners-podcast-episode-2/

#1: How Stephanie Pipkin's Side Hustle Grew into a Million-Dollar Cleaning Business

Meet Stephanie Pipkin, your host and owner of Serene Clean. In this first episode, she tells the story of how she started her cleaning business at age 22 with just a flyer and a hope to make some side income. Today, at 28, her company makes $1.4M in revenue, and she runs it from Savannah, Georgia while her team operates in Wisconsin. Stephanie gets real about all the ups and downs - from her first employee ghosting her (and crying about it) to managing hundreds of cleaners at a military base during the Afghan refugee crisis. She talks about what it's really like to run a cleaning business, including dealing with problem employees, building a solid team, and creating a company culture she's proud of.
 
Key Moments:
0:00 - Who's Stephanie and what's Serene Clean?
2:13 - Life before cleaning (waitressing and office work)
6:42 - How a YouTube video changed everything
11:00 - First employees - the good, bad, and ghosted 24:30 -
Making it through COVID
32:59 - The huge Fort McCoy project
39:57 - Why she's starting this podcast
46:04 - What actually works when starting out
52:17 - How the business runs today
 
Mentioned in this Episode:
Profit First
Clean My Space YouTube Channel
ZenMaid Software
QuickBooks
 
Want to make your cleaning business run smoother? Try ZenMaid free for 14 days at https://app.zenmaid.com/sign-up
Rather read than listen? Check out the full episode write-up on our blog at https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/filthy-rich-cleaners-podcast-episode-1/