In this episode, I sit down with Silver, owner of Angel's Cleaning Service, to explore how a business born out of necessity transformed into a company focused on doing good for employees, clients, and the community. Silver shares the unfiltered journey of inheriting a family business, scaling from a mother-daughter team to managing employees, and learning the hard business lessons that nobody warns you about.
Key Takeaways:
Legacy isn't just inherited - it has to be earned. Silver turned her family's survival-mode cleaning business into a values-driven company that prioritizes employee wellbeing and natural cleaning methods. What started as necessity became intentional.
Hiring for core values transforms everything. After struggling with traditional hiring approaches, Silver learned about hiring based on core values - being real, being positive, doing what's right - rather than just skills. This shift dramatically improved employee retention and service quality.
Systems and training become essential when scaling. What seems like "common sense" to an expert isn't obvious to new employees. Silver invested in building a full training program with modules, quizzes, and gradual pay increases tied to completion.
The business side hits different than the service side. Learning legalities, taxes, insurance, and compliance became Silver's biggest challenge when scaling. These are skills that aren't taught when you grow up "just knowing how to clean."
Natural cleaning products are trending, but also necessary. After experiencing sensitivity during pregnancies and hearing employee complaints from other companies, Silver committed to using natural products like Mrs. Meyer's for both health and building trust with clients.
Timestamps:
[00:03:00] The origin story: How Silver's mom started cleaning after getting fired from multiple jobs as a single parent
[00:04:00] Grandma Lois's influence: The family cleaning legacy that started it all ("you could eat off of Lois's floors")
[00:06:30] Growing up in the business: Silver as a little kid with her coloring book in office building lobbies
[00:15:00] How health issues forced the business to "fall into Silver's lap" 10 years ago
[00:21:00] Silver's philosophy on serving others and giving people their time back
[00:23:30] The difference between "get in, get out quick" cleaners and quality service providers
[00:27:00] Finding a hiring coach who taught core values-based hiring
[00:30:30] From grandma's harsh chemicals to natural products for health and safety
[00:40:00] Three-month academy with modules, quizzes, and performance-based pay increases
[00:45:30] Examples of why detailed training is necessary (like cleaning top to bottom)
[00:49:30] The legal complexities, taxes, insurance, and business skills nobody prepares you for
Resources Mentioned:
Contact Silver and Angel's Cleaning Service!
https://www.angelscleaningservicenw.com/
silver@angelscleaningservicenw.com
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