This is our 200th episode.  And in this solo episode, host James Harper reflects on the 10 most powerful lessons learned from interviewing the top leaders in the janitorial industry. Whether you’ve listened to one episode or all 200, this is the one to revisit if you want clarity, direction, and real wisdom.

From faith-driven leadership to knowing your numbers, James breaks down the mindset, habits, and strategies of the most successful cleaning company owners he’s met. This episode is packed with practical takeaways to help you grow your business and your impact.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:

• ✅ Why endurance beats genius in business
• ✅The difference between status and substance
• ✅What the best cleaning companies track—and what they don’t
• ✅Why leadership transfers and your company won’t outgrow you
• ✅The “last hour” legacy test that every founder should consider

⏱ Episode Breakdown:

• 00:00 – You Are Your Only Competition
• 00:42 – 200 Episodes: Reflections and Gratitude
• 05:58 – The 10 Lessons from the Show
• 27:46 – Shoutouts and Community Appreciation
• 31:19 – What’s Next: The Next 100 Episodes
• 32:34 – Major Announcement: 2026 Event in Dallas

🎟New Event Coming Soon

We’re leveling up. Our next live event is in February 2026 in Dallas, TX.  Stay tuned for the exact date and registration link. The room will be full of leaders you want to learn from. Don't miss it.

👉 Subscribe to The Profitable Cleaner for more sales strategy, leadership training, and community conversations.

🔗 Explore More:

•  Sales Masterclass Episode → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgTHnMpmyFA
•  Join the Profit Advisory Board (Our Business Growth Community) → https://advisoryboard.profitablecleaner.com/

💼 Our Trusted Partners:

• ✅ uSource: All-in-one hub for the facility maintenance industry – Start Free Trial
• ✅ Team Engine: Hire, communicate, and manage your workforce – Learn More
• ✅ Swept: Janitorial software that scales with you – Check It Out

🙌🏼 Join Our Community:

• 🚀 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitablecleaner/
• 📈 Join to be a member to our Profit Advisory Board (Business Growth Community): https://advisoryboard.profitablecleaner.com/

📲 Follow Us:

•  📸 Instagram → @profitablecleaner 
•  💼 LinkedIn → The Profitable Cleaner
•  📘 Facebook → The Profitable Cleaner 

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If you've ever lost a contract, underbid a job, or made a costly mistake in your cleaning business — this episode is for you.

In Episode #12 of Polishing Profits, industry veterans Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan CBSE, and Ed Selkow reveal their most painful failures and exactly how they turned those lessons into long-term success. From ruined French doors to $1.5M in debt — nothing is off-limits.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

• ✅How to bounce back after losing a major contract
• ✅How to turn a cleaning disaster into a long-term win
• ✅The hidden cost of poor supervision, bad pricing, and bad financial habits
• ✅Why ignoring your financials can cost you everything
• ✅Real tactics for turning mistakes into money

👉 Whether you're new to the game or scaling past $1M+, this is a must-watch for cleaning business owners who want to grow stronger after setbacks.

🧠 This Episode Is For:

• Cleaning company owners who’ve hit a wall (or a loss)
• Managers struggling to train, retain, and supervise staff
• Entrepreneurs who feel alone when things go wrong
• Anyone who needs a reminder: failure isn’t final
• Leaders ready to stop fixing symptoms and start solving root problems

🕒 Episode Highlights:

• 02:20 – How to analyze and learn from mistakes
• 05:45 – Dealing with addiction and people problems in the field
• 10:53 – When poor supervision cost $400+ in repairs
• 14:50 – The dangers of ignoring your financials
• 23:38 – The real cost of not training your team
• 28:12 – Why repeating failure becomes your fault
• 30:33 – Final lessons: Get up, fix it, and move forward
  
  
  

🧠 Resources:

•  ➡️ Catch up on previous episodes of Polishing Profits here:

 The Profitable Cleaner Network 

🔗 Where to Find Your Hosts

• Sharon Cowan, CBSE – LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
• Mark Anderson – LinkedIn
• Ed Selkow – Facebook

About Polishing Profits

Polishing Profits is hosted by three of the most respected leaders in the janitorial industry—Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, and Ed Selkow. With over 140 years of combined experience, they’ve built and scaled cleaning companies, coached hundreds of owners, and helped countless teams grow stronger.

Every episode delivers real stories, actionable strategies, and tools to build a cleaning business that thrives.

Produced by The Profitable Cleaner Network.

Text Our Community JOIN today

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This episode is all about what actually works when it comes to sales in the commercial cleaning industry.

Host James Harper just spent a full week on the ground with a $18M cleaning company as they launched a new market - and what he saw changed the game.

From how they book walkthroughs to how they do cold walk-ins and follow-up, this episode breaks down a proven playbook that you can start using today—even if you're just getting started.

🎙 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• ✅ Why “starting from zero” is a mindset (even for $18M companies)
• ✅ The 3-part strategy to get more walkthroughs and quotes
• ✅ How to use door-to-door sales to build real pipeline fast
• ✅ What kind of follow-up actually gets responses in 2025
• ✅ How top companies use simple execution to dominate new markets
• ✅ Why there’s no sales silver bullet—but there IS a proven system

👋 About This Episode:

 This is a solo episode from host James Harper, pulling back the curtain on what real sales effort looks like - and how even big companies win with small, consistent moves.

🔗 Explore More:

•  Sales Masterclass Episode → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgTHnMpmyFA
•  Join the Profit Advisory Board (Our Business Growth Community) → https://advisoryboard.profitablecleaner.com/

👇 Listen now to hear how the pros are building pipeline—and how you can, too.

💼 Our Trusted Partners:

• ✅ uSource: All-in-one hub for the facility maintenance industry – Start Free Trial
• ✅ Team Engine: Hire, communicate, and manage your workforce – Learn More
• ✅ Swept: Janitorial software that scales with you – Check It Out

🙌🏼 Join Our Community:

• 🚀 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitablecleaner/
• 📈 Join to be a member to our Profit Advisory Board (Business Growth Community): https://advisoryboard.profitablecleaner.com/

📲 Follow Us:

•  📸 Instagram → @profitablecleaner - https://www.instagram.com/profitablecleaner/ 
•  💼 LinkedIn → The Profitable Cleaner- https://www.linkedin.com/company/profitablecleaner/ 
•  📘 Facebook → The Profitable Cleaner - https://www.facebook.com/theprofitablecleaner 

Text Our Community JOIN today

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Lets talk about “Guerrilla Management”: How to Think Differently and Win in Business

In this eye-opening episode, your hosts Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan CBSE, and Ed Selkow, dive into the mindset behind Guerrilla Management — the art of solving business problems by stepping outside traditional systems and building smarter, more flexible teams.

From empowering front-line supervisors to pivoting your org structure, you’ll hear real stories of unconventional decision-making that led to higher profits, lower turnover, and better service.

💥 Expect plenty of laughs, wisdom, and 140+ years of combined experience talking shop.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

• ✅ Why “If you always do what you’ve always done…” is a trap
• ✅ How Sharon’s risky pivot fixed her staffing crisis
• ✅ The power of decentralized decision-making
• ✅ Why most org charts in cleaning are outdated
• ✅ How to build autonomy at the point of service
• ✅ Why empowerment creates loyalty, speed & growth

🧠 This Episode Is For:

• Cleaning business owners stuck in the same management cycles
• Operators frustrated by turnover and service inconsistency
• Leaders ready to think differently and try bold ideas
• Teams looking to boost retention, efficiency, and culture
  
  

🕒 Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 – Guerrilla Management: What It Is (and Isn’t)
• 03:30 – Business Lessons from Revolutionaries & Netflix
• 08:10 – Sharon’s risky (but profitable) field leadership pivot
• 11:30 – Rethinking your org chart to retain more clients
• 17:00 – The 7 Principles of Guerrilla Management
• 24:00 – How to train teams to make smart decisions
  
  

🧠 Resources:

•  ➡️ Catch up on previous episodes of Polishing Profits here:  The Profitable Cleaner Network - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKiuPQwwn4m9gWk0lBbzKVg5LwhwErhwn 

🔗 Where to Find Your Hosts

• Sharon Cowan, CBSE – LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
• Mark Anderson – LinkedIn
• Ed Selkow – Facebook

About Polishing Profits

Polishing Profits is hosted by three of the most respected leaders in the janitorial industry—Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, and Ed Selkow. With over 140 years of combined experience, they’ve built and scaled cleaning companies, coached hundreds of owners, and helped countless teams grow stronger.

Every episode delivers real stories, actionable strategies, and tools to build a cleaning business that thrives.

Produced by The Profitable Cleaner Network.

Text Our Community JOIN today

Support the show

What does it really take to scale a cleaning business past $20M—and keep evolving while you do it?

In this episode of The Profitable Cleaner Podcast, we sit down with Ricky Regalado—founder of Rozalado Services, Route, and Cleaning & Cocktails—to unpack the mindset, systems, and strategy that got him here.

From the early days cleaning franchise accounts with no license, to building a 650+ person team across 30+ states, Ricky shares the hard truths about reinvention, leadership, and scaling in an ever-changing industry.

🎙 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• ✅ Why Ricky reinvented his tech platform (Route) after years of trial and error
• ✅ The hybrid W2 + subcontractor model that helped Rozalado scale nationally
• ✅ What most cleaning companies get wrong about using tech
• ✅ How Cleaning & Cocktails became one of the industry’s top subcontractor-focused event
• ✅ Why people—not tech—are your real competitive edge
• ✅ What to expect from the new “Deal Bar” model for prime-sub matchmaking

👋 About This Episode:
Ricky Regalado is one of the most trusted voices in the cleaning industry—and for good reason. In this raw and honest conversation, he pulls back the curtain on what it takes to not just grow, but endure. If you're serious about scaling your cleaning company and want to learn from someone who's done it all, this episode is a must-listen.

🔗 Explore More:
 • Learn more about Route and Rozalado Services → https://www.getroute.com/

• Get your tickets for Cleaning & Cocktails event and get a 15% discount with our code: TPC15 → https://cleaningandcocktails.com

👇 Watch or listen now to get a real-world blueprint for scaling smarter—with people, process, and purpose.

💼 Our Trusted Partners:

• ✅ uSource: All-in-one hub for the facility maintenance industry – Start Free Trial
• ✅ Team Engine: Hire, communicate, and manage your workforce – Learn More
• ✅ Swept: Janitorial software that scales with you – Check It Out

🙌🏼 Join Our Community:

• 🚀 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitablecleaner/
• 📈 Join to be a member to our Profit Advisory Board (Business Growth Community): https://advisoryboard.profitablecleaner.com/

📲 Follow Us:
 📸 Instagram → @profitablecleaner - https://www.instagram.com/profitablecleaner/
💼 LinkedIn → The Profitable Cleaner- https://www.linkedin.com/company/profitablecleaner/
📘 Facebook → The Profitable Cleaner - https://www.facebook.com/theprofitablecleaner 

Text Our Community JOIN today

Support the show

Restaurant Cleaning: Hidden Profits or Guaranteed Headaches?

Your hosts Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan CBSE, and Ed Selkow tackle one of the most controversial topics in commercial cleaning: Should you take on restaurant cleaning contracts?

In this episode of Polishing Profits, the team shares real stories and hard lessons from decades cleaning everything from greasy spoons to 5-star hotel kitchens.

You’ll discover:

•  ✅ Why restaurants are the easiest accounts to land—and the hardest to keep profitable
•  ✅ The dirty secrets behind restaurant cleaning margins
•  ✅ How to avoid the common traps that drain time, cash, and sanity
•  ✅ When restaurants make sense for a new cleaning business
•  ✅ What to consider before you sign your first restaurant contract

Whether you’re a startup janitorial company or a seasoned operator, this episode will help you decide if chasing restaurant dollars is worth the grind.

🎙️ What You’ll Learn:

• Why restaurant cleaning is high-risk/high-reward
• How to calculate if the cash flow is worth the chaos
• The hidden costs (late payments, tough schedules, sanitation headaches)
• Alternatives to restaurant cleaning if you’re scaling up

🕒 Episode Breakdown:
 00:00 – Welcome & why we’re talking restaurants
 01:27 – The pros and cons of restaurant accounts
 03:49 – Real stories: from bar bathrooms to 5-star kitchens
 06:09 – Why expectations are so high (and budgets so low)
 08:32 – How cleaning restaurants shapes your business mindset
 16:53 – Final advice: is it worth it?

📌 This Episode is For:

• New cleaning business owners looking for their first contracts
• Operators wondering if restaurants are worth the hassle
• Anyone growing a janitorial company who wants to avoid costly mistakes

🧠 Resources:

•  ➡️ Catch up on previous episodes of Polishing Profits here: The Profitable Cleaner Network 

🔗 Where to Find Your Hosts

• Sharon Cowan, CBSE – LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
• Mark Anderson – LinkedIn
• Ed Selkow – Facebook

About Polishing Profits

Polishing Profits is hosted by three of the most respected leaders in the janitorial industry—Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, and Ed Selkow. With over 140 years of combined experience, they’ve built and scaled cleaning companies, coached hundreds of owners, and helped countless teams grow stronger.

Every episode delivers real stories, actionable strategies, and tools to build a cleaning business that thrives.

Produced by The Profitable Cleaner Network.

Text Our Community JOIN today

Support the show

This week, we’re flipping the script.

In this unique episode of The Profitable Cleaner Podcast, James Harper isn’t hosting—he’s the guest. Originally recorded on Dan and Lexi Schindler’s show, The Cleaning Hustle Podcast, we’re bringing you this candid conversation because it’s packed with lessons you need to hear.

From the truth about “cheap labor” VAs to how to create a culture of loyalty, performance, and trust across borders—this conversation is a masterclass in building virtual teams the right way.

🎙 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• ✅ Why hiring a $3/hour VA is usually a huge mistake
• ✅ How to build a remote culture that actually sticks
• ✅ The real difference between hiring freelancers vs. a fully supported agency
• ✅ What every cleaning company (and every business) should know about virtual staffing
• ✅ How Power Placing grew from an experiment into a proven model
• ✅ Why treating virtual talent like real team members is the ultimate competitive advantage

👋 About This Episode:
 This conversation was first released by The Cleaning Hustle Podcast (hosted by Dan & Lexi Schindler). James sits down with them to talk openly about entrepreneurship, remote work, and building a business with purpose.

🔗 Explore More:
 • Learn more about Power Placing & Browse vetted VA profiles → www.powerplacing.com
• Connect with Dan & Lexi → The Cleaning Hustle 

👇 Watch or listen now to discover how to rethink virtual hiring and unlock new capacity for your business.

💼 Our Trusted Partners:

• ✅ uSource: All-in-one hub for the facility maintenance industry – Start Free Trial
•  ✅ Team Engine: Hire, communicate, and manage your workforce – Learn More
•  ✅ Swept: Janitorial software that scales with you – Check It Out

🙌🏼 Join Our Community:

• 🚀 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitablecleaner/
• 📈 Join to be a member to our Profit Advisory Board (Business Growth Community): https://advisoryboard.profitablecleaner.com/

📲 Follow Us:

•  📸 Instagram → @profitablecleaner - https://www.instagram.com/profitablecleaner/ 
•  💼 LinkedIn → The Profitable Cleaner- https://www.linkedin.com/company/profitablecleaner/ 
•  📘 Facebook → The Profitable Cleaner - https://www.facebook.com/theprofitablecleaner 

Text Our Community JOIN today

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Your hosts Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan CBSE, and Ed Selkow dive into operational efficiency and process improvement in this episode of Polishing Profits.

If you think standard operating procedures (SOPs) are only for big companies, think again. Whether you’re a solo operator or managing 100 people, clear, documented workflows are the backbone of quality, consistency, and growth.

From onboarding and training to inspections and customer follow-ups, SOPs are what keep your company out of the horror stories - and off the client chopping block.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:

• ✅ Why “winging it” costs you time, money, and reputation
• ✅ How to start building SOPs (without feeling overwhelmed)
• ✅ The 3-legged stool of operations, finance, and HR—and how to keep it balanced
• ✅ Why documented processes create predictable outcomes
• ✅ The magic question never to ask your customers
• ✅ How to create checklists, scorecards, and accountability loops

📌 This Episode Is For:

•  ✔️ Cleaning company owners tired of constant chaos
•  ✔️ Operators struggling to scale and delegate effectively
•  ✔️ Managers ready to improve training and accountability
•  ✔️ Anyone who wants to build a business that works without them

🕒 Episode Breakdown:
 00:00 – Why small companies need processes too
 02:35 – The domino effect of poor workflows
 04:23 – The 3-legged stool of sustainable growth
 06:09 – Defining quality and standard operating procedures
 08:04 – The right (and wrong) ways to talk to clients
 10:10 – Final thoughts and next steps

📌 Resources:
 ➡️ Catch up on previous episodes of Polishing Profits here:
 The Profitable Cleaner Network 

🔗 Where to Find Your Hosts

• Sharon Cowan, CBSE – LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
• Mark Anderson – LinkedIn
• Ed Selkow – Facebook

About Polishing Profits

Polishing Profits is hosted by three of the most respected leaders in the janitorial industry—Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, and Ed Selkow. With over 140 years of combined experience, they’ve built and scaled cleaning companies, coached hundreds of owners, and helped countless teams grow stronger.

Every episode delivers real stories, actionable strategies, and tools to build a cleaning business that thrives.

 Produced by The Profitable Cleaner Network

Text Our Community JOIN today

Support the show

Success in business isn’t just about tactics—it’s about perspective, resilience, and the mindset you build when everything is on the line.

In this episode, James sits down with Danny Keels—janitorial sales leader, Army veteran, and seasoned entrepreneur—to unpack an incredible journey from combat zones in Somalia to closing multi-million dollar contracts in the cleaning industry.

Danny shares:

• The life-changing lessons he learned serving in Somalia
• How military discipline shaped his approach to sales
• The power of persistence when clients say “no”
• Why authentic relationships—not the cheapest bid—win in the long run
• The mindset that keeps him grounded as a father, husband, and professional

If you’re in janitorial sales, leadership, or just trying to build a business that lasts, this episode is packed with hard-won insights you won’t hear anywhere else.

Whether you’re scaling past $5M or still landing your first big accounts, this one’s for those who refuse to quit.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

• ✅ The unexpected link between military service and business success
• ✅ How to stay consistent when deals take 6–18 months
• ✅ The right (and wrong) ways to approach big RFPs
• ✅ Simple daily habits that build unshakable focus
• ✅ Why “cheaper isn’t better”—and how to prove your value

⏱️ Episode Breakdown:

(00:00) – What Clients Really Want (Hint: Not Just Price)
(04:00) – Danny’s Story: From Somalia to Sales
(10:00) – Mindset Shifts That Change Everything
(18:00) – Why Adversity Creates Better Leaders
(25:00) – Building Trust Over Years (Not Weeks)
(35:00) – Overcoming Rejection & Staying Persistent
(45:00) – The Real Definition of Success
(50:00) – Closing Reflections and Final Advice

💼 Our Trusted Partners:

• ✅ uSource: All-in-one hub for the facility maintenance industry – Start Free Trial
• ✅ Team Engine: Hire, communicate, and manage your workforce – Learn More
• ✅ Swept: Janitorial software that scales with you – Check It Out

🙌🏼 Join Our Community:

• 🚀 Facebook Group: Join here 
• 📈 Join to be a member to our Profit Advisory Board (Business Growth Community)

📲 Follow Us:

•  📸 Instagram → @profitablecleaner 
•  💼 LinkedIn → The Profitable Cleaner
•  📘 Facebook → The Profitable Cleaner 

Text Our Community JOIN today

Support the show

Most entrepreneurs measure themselves by how much they earn, what they own, or how much they invest. But what happens when your biggest investment goes bad—and you lose almost everything?

In this episode, James sits down with Ben Kennedy—a successful personal injury attorney, father, cancer survivor, and business owner—to talk about the mindset it takes to build a fulfilling life that goes beyond dollars.

Ben shares powerful lessons on:

• Losing nearly $100K to fraud (and why he doesn’t let it define him)
• Navigating cancer as a teenager and finding purpose through adversity
• Building trust and transparency in a traditionally “stiff” industry
• Why chasing more money can sabotage your joy (and how he let go)
• The real difference between success and fulfillment

If you’ve ever struggled with tying your identity to your income, this conversation will hit home.

Whether you’re leading a multimillion-dollar cleaning company or just trying to build something that matters, this episode is packed with stories and mindset shifts you won’t forget.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

•  ✅ How Ben overcame cancer at 15 and used adversity to fuel purpose
•  ✅ The mindset shift that helped him detach self-worth from net worth
•  ✅ How to protect yourself from fraud (and recover from bad investments)
•  ✅ Why humility and communication are the real superpowers in business
•  ✅ The art of negotiation and building trust in any industry

⏱️ Episode Breakdown:
 (00:00) – Why Net Worth Doesn’t Define You
 (02:00) – Ben’s Early Career & Losing His Job in the Financial Crisis
 (06:30) – Becoming a Lawyer After Cancer
 (12:00) – Life Lessons From the Courtroom
 (18:00) – Negotiation & Handling Difficult Clients
 (26:00) – The $80K Investment That Went Bad
 (35:00) – Processing Failure Without Losing Yourself
 (42:00) – Detaching Success From Your Bank Account
 (50:00) – Final Takeaways & Life Advice

💼 Want to Connect With Ben?

•  🔗 Website → https://kennedyinjurylawyers.com/ 
•  🔗 Connect on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/btkennedy/ 

💼 Brought to You By Our Partners:

• ✅ uSource: All-in-one hub for the facility maintenance industry  – Start Free Trial 
• ✅ Team Engine: Hire, communicate, and manage your workforce – Learn More 
• ✅ Swept: Janitorial software that scales with you – Check it Out
  
  
  

👥 Join The Profitable Cleaner Community

• Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitablecleaner/
• Join to be a member to our Profit Advisory Board (Business Growth Community)

📲 Follow Us:

• 📸 Instagram → @profitablecleaner
• 💼 LinkedIn → The Profitable Cleaner
• 📘 Facebook → The Profitable Cleaner

Text Our Community JOIN today

Support the show