Filthy Rich Cleaners: The Cleaning Business Podcast

By ZenMaidBusiness Entrepreneurship

Filthy Rich Cleaners: The Cleaning Business Podcast episodes

April 23 #133: The Paper Checklist That Built a Million-Dollar Cleaning Business
Most cleaning business owners think checklists are unnecessary friction and just another paper to hold onto. But Stephanie thinks they're one of the main reasons she built a million-dollar company, and she's ready to convince you 😉
In this solo episode, Stephanie breaks down every angle of why Serene Clean has used a physical paper checklist at every single residential appointment since the very first free cleans she ever did. She also shares exactly what Serene Clean puts on theirs, including a notes section, an abbreviation key, a safety checklist, and QR codes for reviews.

📌 What You'll Learn
— Why relying on memory instead of checklists is the #1 source of quality issues in cleaning businesses
— How to create consistency across multiple staff members, different trainers, and ongoing turnover
— The team accountability system Serene Clean uses, so there's never a "he said, she said" after a complaint
— Why the checklist is one of Stephanie's most powerful sales tools
— How a personal notes section at the bottom gets cleaning techs more tips
— The abbreviation key Serene Clean added so clients always know why a task was skipped
— How QR codes on the checklist drive more Google reviews without feeling pushy
— When a digital checklist is the right starting point
— What a safety checklist looks like and why it matters for client trust

Resources Mentioned:
Filthy Rich Cleaners Ep. 70 on Client Cancellations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjSQPf4O604

👉 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/
47 min
April 21 #132: A $25K Revenue Drop Made Us More Profitable?! What My Q1 Review Taught Me About My Business
Revenue is down $25,000, yet profit is up 53%. How does that happen? And what does it actually mean for the business? In this solo episode, Stephanie walks through her full Q1 2026 financial and business review for Serene Clean (the same report she presented to her management team that week). She covers the data analysis she did to uncover her insights, why revenue is down but profit is up, and the three hidden costs that a lost commercial account was bleeding from the business for months, and so much more.

📌 What You'll Learn
— How Serene Clean brought in less revenue in Q1 2026 but made 53% more profit than the same quarter last year
— The three hidden costs one bad commercial account was silently creating (overtime, training, and call-out chaos)
— Why Stephanie is adding a dedicated training line item in Gusto, and how you can do it too, regardless of your payroll software
— How to calculate the true cost of a failed hire, including what most owners never think to track
— Why call-out hours dropped by 355 compared to Q1 of last year
— How 46% of first-time cleans converted to recurring clients in Q1
— Why Serene Clean went from lead-constrained to capacity-constrained in a single quarter
— The MRR goal Stephanie set for 2026, how she broke it into a monthly action plan, and whether they're on track
— How price increases across 98 clients added $22,573 in revenue from the same customer base
— How to use AI (specifically Claude) to analyze payroll data, appointment history, and sales reports together

Resources Mentioned
— Filthy Rich Cleaners Ep. 103 — Stephanie's full 2025 year-end financial review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-GpAnCO2nM
— ZenMaid (cleaning business 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/
✉️ Subscribe to ZenMaid's Weekly Newsletter: https://zenmaid.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/
57 min
April 16 #131: "We've Cleaned It All" — 18 Years of Vacation Rental Secrets
She left nursing, started cleaning for friends as therapy, and accidentally built an 18-year cleaning empire in one of the wildest cities in America. LaShanda Brown has seen (and cleaned) everything 👀
In this episode, Stephanie sits down with LaShanda, owner of Sweeping Hands Cleaning Service in New Orleans, Louisiana, to talk about how she transitioned from a decade-long nursing career into cleaning, grew her business entirely on word of mouth, and built a 60% vacation-rental-focused operation complete with her own property management company. They talk about the wildest horror stories LaShanda has experienced, as well as advice on things like logistics, flat-rate pricing, and schedule routing through Mardi Gras parades.
📌 What You'll Learn
— How LaShanda went from nursing to owning an 18-year residential and vacation rental cleaning business
— Why word of mouth has been her only growth strategy
— How to price vacation rental cleanings with a flat rate that accounts for worst-case guests
— The off-site laundry system Sweeping Hands uses to run high-volume STR clients (color-coded bags, two shifts, property-specific labels)
— How to set expectations with first-time Airbnb owners so you stay in control of the scope
— Scheduling strategies for turnovers in a city full of parades, street closures, and unpredictable events
— Why she won't hire couples but does hire family members
— The pivotal COVID moment that led her to lock herself in an Airbnb for 5 days and finally build her ClickUp system
— How business coaches helped transform parts of her business
— Why knowing what you keep (not just what you make) is what ultimately builds wealth
Resources Mentioned
— Sweeping Hands Cleaning Service Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweepinghandscleaning/
— ZenMaid cleaning business scheduling software: https://get.zenmaid.com/
— ClickUp: https://clickup.com/
— RingCentral: https://www.ringcentral.com/
— CleanCon (Austin, Texas in September): https://www.mycleancon.com/austin
👉 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/
59 min
April 14 #130: The Real Mental Side of Running a Cleaning Business, with Kala Pomeroy
Every cleaning business owner Kala Pomeroy has ever spoken with, from brand-new solo operators to teams of 50, has one thing in common: the fear that they're doing it wrong.

In this episode, Stephanie sits down with Kala, a 10-year cleaning business owner in Southeast Texas and full-time ZenMaid Customer Success Specialist. Kala shares her own journey from solo cleaner to remote business operator, including how she landed her ZenMaid job after a homeless man broke into her hotel room the night before her interview. Stephanie and Kala talk through the mental patterns holding cleaning business owners back and how to build systems without losing your mind.

📌 What You'll Learn
— Why pricing anxiety shows up at every stage of business, from solo operators to 50-person teams
— How analysis paralysis is costing you more time than imperfect action ever would
— The difference between what should be automated and what should stay human in your cleaning business
— Why you need to map out a process on paper before you ever touch a single software tool
— How to stop comparing yourself to bigger businesses and start running your own race
— Why cleaning is not unskilled labor and why you should be proud of what you do!
Resources Mentioned
— ZenMaid Pricing Calculator: https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/how-much-to-charge-house-cleaning-2026/
— ZenMaid Mastermind Facebook Group: 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/
58 min
April 09#129: 7 Lessons in 7 Years of Running a Cleaning Business
Happy 7 years in business to Serene Clean! 🥳 In this episode, Stephanie talks about 7 lessons she's learned — one for each year — owning and operating Serene Clean. From 2019 to now, Serene Clean is a $1.5 million company that she runs remotely from Savannah, Georgia, and Stephanie covers these 7 important lessons she picked up over the years:
Always be hiring
Raise your prices before you're ready
Difficult clients cost much more than the business they bring in
Your values are the decision maker, even when you're not in the room
The vacation test — you can let go and delegate more than you think
You're going to keep having mindset-shifting moments, so don't be scared of the change
Community is what keeps you from quitting

Resources Mentioned
— Episode 42: Group Interviews for Your Cleaning Business: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzpln5-Z0-A
— Thou Shall Prosper by Daniel Lapin: https://www.amazon.com/Thou-Shall-Prosper-Commandments-Making/dp/0470485884
— Profit First by Mike Michalowicz: https://www.amazon.com/Profit-First-Transform-Cash-Eating-Money-Making/dp/073521414X
— ZenMaid Mastermind (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/
✉️ Subscribe to ZenMaid's Weekly Newsletter: https://zenmaid.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/

📖 Read the full transcript:
1 hr 9 min
April 07 #128: How Jonathan Berger Runs a NYC Cleaning Empire Remotely From Southeast Asia
Jonathan Berger was living in his car and driving for Uber when the idea for Cleanzilla began. Now he runs 400+ recurring clients across New York City and just came back from six months in Southeast Asia.
In this episode, Stephanie sits down with Jonathan, co-founder and co-owner of Cleanzilla in New York City, to learn more about his origin story. From dropping out of high school, living in his car, and meeting his wife Anna, Jonathan has since built a multi-six-figure residential cleaning business across Manhattan and Queens. He breaks down the NYC logistics of running a cleaning business with solo cleaners, subway systems, and 600–1,500 sq ft apartments, how he cut ad spend from $8,000 to $1,500 per month while keeping 15–20 inbound leads per day, and how he and Anna built the systems to step away from the business for months at a time.
📌 What You'll Learn
— How Cleanzilla scaled from Google Calendar to a fully remote operations setup with ZenMaid, Notion, and Quo
— Why Jonathan dropped from $8K/month in Google Ads to $1,500/month in SEO but maintained the same lead volume
— The "Pizzeria Effect:" how to stand out when you have five competitors on every block
— How to structure a team that runs without you
— What running a cleaning business in NYC actually looks like, including solo cleaners, metro cards, condensed supply kits, and apartment-only routing
— How Jonathan and Anna built word-of-mouth hiring by treating their team like family
— The honest truth about running a business with your spouse
Resources Mentioned
— ZenMaid (scheduling and CRM software): https://get.zenmaid.com/
— CBF / Cleaning Business Fundamentals by Debbie Sardone: https://debbiesardone.com/
— CBF Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cleaningbusinessprofits/
— Quo, formerly OpenPhone, affiliate 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
👉 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/
1 hr
April 02 #127: Creating Genuine Content for Your Business (Live from CleanCon)
Personable content that shows you (and your brand's) personality might be what your marketing strategy is missing! In this episode — recorded live from CleanCon in Indianapolis — Stephanie sits down with Nicole Somerstein, ZenMaid's Content Marketing Manager, to talk about why personable content can elevate your brand and build trust with cleaning clients. Nicole brings a marketer's eye to an industry she's come to love, and together, they break down why authenticity wins — while also sprinkling in some life advice ✨ And yes, Nicole is the one who wrote this podcast description.
📌 What You'll Learn
— Why your most imperfect, unplanned content often performs best
— Why cleaning businesses need an About Us page with a real face and a real story
— The difference between selling content and awareness content, and why you need both
— How to stop competing against other owners' timelines and focus on your own race
— Why getting on video is one of the highest-trust moves a cleaning business can make
Resources Mentioned:
CleanCon conference — https://www.mycleancon.com/
Drew Larson's episode — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NIBCsJQWkc
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/
29 min
March 31 #126: Sean Parry on Google Maps SEO for Cleaners
Welcome back to Filthy Rich Cleaners! In this episode, Stephanie sits down for round two with Sean Parry, one of the leading automation, marketing, and SEO experts in the cleaning industry. Sean returns to break down the “black box” of local SEO and share practical, actionable strategies for cleaning business owners who want to generate more leads from Google. He dives into why ranking in the Google Maps top three is critical, and explains the website structure, Google Business Profile optimization, and consistency strategies that help cleaners rank higher and convert better.

📌 What You’ll Learn
— Why the Google Maps top 3 drives the majority of local clicks
— How Google Maps SEO can influence ChatGPT recommendations, too
— The website foundation of service pages + location pages
— What to put on your homepage “above the fold” so humans (and Google) trust you
— A realistic content target
— Why Google rewards consistency over big content dumps
— How real photos + proper image titles/alt text strengthen local signals
— The balance between SEO content and conversion-focused design
— Google Business Profile optimizations
— Backlinks explained
— Why “gray hat” SEO can tank your rankings
— The power of going hyperlocal first to win proximity-based rankings

Resources Mentioned:
— Project83 (Sean’s Marketing Agency): https://www.project83.co/
— Sean Parry's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sean_parry

👉 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/sean-parry-on-google-maps-seo-for-cleaners/
1 hr 12 min
March 26 #125: When to Fight for a Client (And When to Fire Them)
Not every client cancellation means you failed, and not every client is worth saving. In this episode, Stephanie walks through three client situations that happened within a single week at Serene Clean, including a long-term weekly residential client who canceled after years, Stephanie's very first free-clean customer ever who just nearly left after a cleaner ignored her instructions, and a small commercial account that Serene Clean chose to fire after years of unpleasant behavior.
📌 What You'll Learn
— How to handle a client cancellation when the cleaner is in the wrong
— Why comparing a current cleaner to a former employee is a red flag that rarely resolves itself
— When offering a free re-clean is the right move to save a long-term client relationship
— Why quality checking the first appointment back after a save is non-negotiable
— How to recognize when a client simply cannot be pleased
— The opportunity cost of keeping a difficult client on your roster
— How to write a professional "breakup email" to fire a client with class
— Why listening to your cleaners' feedback about specific accounts matters
👉 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:
40 min
March 24 #124: Samantha Price on Post-Construction Cleaning 101
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:
1 hr

About Filthy Rich Cleaners: The Cleaning Business Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Filthy Rich Cleaners is the free cleaning business coach you never knew you needed. Hosted by Stephanie Pipkin, founder of Serene Clean, every episode delivers real, tactical advice you'd normally…