Cleaning Business Life

Shannon Miller & Jamie Runco
  • 4.7 (30)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Cleaning Business Life is the podcast for cleaning business owners who want to build a profitable company without sacrificing their entire life to do it. Hosted by industry leaders Shannon Miller and Jamie Runco, the show brings real-world conversations about pricing, hiring, leadership, systems, boundaries, profitability, and sustainable growth. With more than 240 episodes rooted in actual cleaning-industry experience, you’ll hear the lessons, mistakes, hard decisions, and strategies that business owners rarely talk about publicly. Whether you’re starting your cleaning company, stuck inside the daily operations, or ready to grow into the CEO role, you’ll find honest guidance to help you charge more, earn more, and stress less. No hype. No surface-level advice. Just real cleaning-business conversations from women who have built the businesses themselves.  Want more help building a profitable cleaning business? Join Shannon’s email list for practical strategies, resources, and program updates:https://klean-freaks-university.newzenler.com/f/welcome-to-klean-freaks-university-1 Want to get a hold of us? Please email us at cleaningbusinesslife@gmail.com

  1. 1h ago

    EP 231 | She Thought Her Cleaning Business Was Making Twice as Much

    This podcast is powered by Klean Freaks University.com — where real cleaners build real empires. From mop buckets to million-dollar systems, we teach you how to clean smarter, lead stronger, and scale faster. Jamie thought her cleaning business was making twice as much as it actually was. When duplicated income was discovered in her books, it was a difficult financial wake-up call—but learning the truth gave Jamie the information she needed to transform her business. In this episode, Jamie shares how working with Erica Paynter helped her clean up her bookkeeping, double her actual revenue within a year, implement Profit First, and create a financial operating system she can finally understand and trust. Jamie and Erica discuss separating taxes, payroll, operating expenses, profit, and owner’s pay; knowing when the business can afford to hire; and using Jobber, QuickBooks, Gusto, and Relay to build systems that work together. This conversation is about more than bookkeeping. It’s about the confidence that comes from understanding your real numbers and making decisions based on facts instead of financial emergencies. Learn more about Erica Paynter and the bookkeeping, advisory services, and financial resources available through CleanCo CEO: https://cleancoceo.com Be sure to tell Erica that Jamie and the Cleaning Business Life podcast sent you! Support the show Thanks for tuning in to Cleaning Business Life — the podcast for cleaning business owners who want to build a profitable, sustainable company without burning out. Hosted by Shannon Miller and Jamie Runco, each episode pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to start, grow, and scale a cleaning business — covering pricing, systems, leadership, boundaries, and the real conversations most people avoid. 🎧 New episodes 2x weekly  📚 Resources, show notes, and programs: https://kleanfreaksuniversity.com Because in life — and in business — clean is just the beginning. — Shannon & Jamie

  2. 4d ago

    MTM EP #4| How Do You Train Your First Hire From 90 Minutes Away?

    This podcast is powered by Klean Freaks University.com — where real cleaners build real empires. From mop buckets to million-dollar systems, we teach you how to clean smarter, lead stronger, and scale faster. How do you train your first employee when your new location is 90 minutes away—and you have no intention of becoming the cleaner or full-time trainer? In Episode 4 of March to a Million, Shannon and Jamie explore the real logistics behind hiring and training a cleaning technician remotely. Shannon shares her developing plan for training homes, secret shoppers, video-based lessons, quality-control checklists, and in-person validation as she prepares to hire for the new Gilbert market. Jamie also shares what she is currently learning from hiring through Indeed, including the difference between free and sponsored listings, screening applicants, testing whether candidates can follow instructions, and improving a job post to attract the right people. This is the messy middle of expansion: building the training systems, documenting expectations, navigating the return to W-2 employees, and determining which parts of cleaning can be taught through video—and which must be learned by doing. In this episode: • Training employees from a distance • Using training homes and secret shoppers • Creating an employee training course • Establishing clear quality-control standards • Hiring through Indeed • Screening applicants for attention and reliability • Using technology, checklists, and SOPs • Building a company that does not depend on the owner cleaning Apply for the Structure, Scale and Profit Cleaning Business Academy Scholarship: https://forms.gle/pAxjWGs3L7oKMUJM7 Learn more about the Structure, Scale and Profit Cleaning Business Academy: https://klean-freaks-university.newzenler.com/courses/scale-up-your-cleaning-business-with-sspcba-academy Try Jobber: https://share.getjobber.com/mzhfwVu Connect with Shannon and Klean Freaks University: https://kleanfreaksuniversity.com/ Learn more about Jamie and Above All Cleaning Services: https://www.facebook.com/jamie.runco.1 Support the show Thanks for tuning in to Cleaning Business Life — the podcast for cleaning business owners who want to build a profitable, sustainable company without burning out. Hosted by Shannon Miller and Jamie Runco, each episode pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to start, grow, and scale a cleaning business — covering pricing, systems, leadership, boundaries, and the real conversations most people avoid. 🎧 New episodes 2x weekly  📚 Resources, show notes, and programs: https://kleanfreaksuniversity.com Because in life — and in business — clean is just the beginning. — Shannon & Jamie

  3. Sep 23

    MTM EP #3 | Building in Public

    This podcast is powered by Klean Freaks University.com — where real cleaners build real empires. From mop buckets to million-dollar systems, we teach you how to clean smarter, lead stronger, and scale faster. What does it really look like to build a cleaning business before the success story has been polished? In Episode 3 of March to a Million, Shannon Miller and Jamie Runco share what is happening behind the scenes as they build their next chapters in real time. Shannon is preparing to launch Gilbert Tidy Clean in a new market 90 minutes away—this time with a structured W-2 business model. She talks about returning to the W-2 world after eight or nine years, brushing up on current employment requirements, researching the new market, and intentionally building the infrastructure before opening the doors. Jamie shares what life looks like now that she is completely out of the field and working from her office full-time. From implementing Profit First and creating employee career paths to strengthening her hiring, onboarding, and leadership systems, she is building Above All Cleaning Services for its next level of growth. They also discuss investing in coaching, protecting employees from unsafe requests, handling scope creep, charging appropriately for last-minute work, and the fear and uncertainty that can accompany business growth. This is what building in public looks like: learning, implementing, questioning yourself, and continuing to move forward before you know exactly how the story will end. Follow Gilbert Tidy Clean: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61591860864454 Apply for scholarship Klean Freaks University:  https://kleanfreaksuniversity.com/scholarship/ Support the show Thanks for tuning in to Cleaning Business Life — the podcast for cleaning business owners who want to build a profitable, sustainable company without burning out. Hosted by Shannon Miller and Jamie Runco, each episode pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to start, grow, and scale a cleaning business — covering pricing, systems, leadership, boundaries, and the real conversations most people avoid. 🎧 New episodes 2x weekly  📚 Resources, show notes, and programs: https://kleanfreaksuniversity.com Because in life — and in business — clean is just the beginning. — Shannon & Jamie

  4. Sep 19

    Ep. 230 | The Cleaning Fairy Who Broke In—and Left a $75 Bill

    This podcast is powered by Klean Freaks University.com — where real cleaners build real empires. From mop buckets to million-dollar systems, we teach you how to clean smarter, lead stronger, and scale faster. In 2012, Ohio cleaning-business owner Susan Warren entered a stranger’s unlocked home, cleaned it without permission, and left behind a handwritten bill for $75—on a napkin. Even more alarming, the homeowner’s 19-year-old daughter was asleep upstairs while Susan cleaned downstairs. In this episode, Shannon shares the bizarre story of the so-called “Cleaning Fairy” and the important cleaning-business lessons hiding underneath it. We’re talking about client consent, access versus authorization, proper entry procedures, professional boundaries, and why you cannot perform an unapproved service and expect the client to pay. Shannon also compares Susan’s $75 price in 2012 to what the same cleaning might reasonably cost in today’s market—approximately $180–$210. Cleaning businesses are built on trust. No matter how good your intentions are, an unlocked door is not permission to enter—and an invoice written on a napkin does not create a contract. If you need contracts for your cleaning business then I suggest you take this class! https://klean-freaks-university.newzenler.com/courses/the-contract-client-clarity-bundle Support the show Thanks for tuning in to Cleaning Business Life — the podcast for cleaning business owners who want to build a profitable, sustainable company without burning out. Hosted by Shannon Miller and Jamie Runco, each episode pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to start, grow, and scale a cleaning business — covering pricing, systems, leadership, boundaries, and the real conversations most people avoid. 🎧 New episodes 2x weekly  📚 Resources, show notes, and programs: https://kleanfreaksuniversity.com Because in life — and in business — clean is just the beginning. — Shannon & Jamie

  5. Sep 16

    The Three-Minute Bid That Took Me Years to Build | Ep. 229

    This podcast is powered by Klean Freaks University.com — where real cleaners build real empires. From mop buckets to million-dollar systems, we teach you how to clean smarter, lead stronger, and scale faster. A cleaning estimate recently took me less than three minutes to create and send—but the system behind it took years to build. I’ve used Jobber since 2015, and both the software and my cleaning business have changed immensely since then. As I prepare to expand Prescott Tidy Clean into another market, I’m cleaning up old files, updating services and pricing, strengthening our deposit requirements, and creating a process that doesn’t depend entirely on me. In this episode, I discuss phone and text-based estimates, signatures, deposits, scope creep, payment collection, tipping through invoices, and why pricing may be adjusted after we assess a home’s actual condition, lifestyle, and level of need. The estimate took three minutes—but it was built from years of experience and thousands of cleaning bids. Chaos is expensive, but every system we build gives us more time, consistency, and freedom. Here is my link to Jobber if you want to try it out.  https://share.getjobber.com/mzhfwVu Support the show Thanks for tuning in to Cleaning Business Life — the podcast for cleaning business owners who want to build a profitable, sustainable company without burning out. Hosted by Shannon Miller and Jamie Runco, each episode pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to start, grow, and scale a cleaning business — covering pricing, systems, leadership, boundaries, and the real conversations most people avoid. 🎧 New episodes 2x weekly  📚 Resources, show notes, and programs: https://kleanfreaksuniversity.com Because in life — and in business — clean is just the beginning. — Shannon & Jamie

  6. Sep 12

    You Cannot Change an Organization From the Bottom—with Barbara Atkinson | Ep. 228

    This podcast is powered by Klean Freaks University.com — where real cleaners build real empires. From mop buckets to million-dollar systems, we teach you how to clean smarter, lead stronger, and scale faster. You cannot change an organization unless change starts at the top. In this episode of Cleaning Business Life, Shannon sits down with Barbara Atkinson to discuss leadership, company culture, communication, accountability, and what it really takes to build a team that performs well. Barbara brings nearly 40 years of corporate experience in technology, data engineering, business process management, and team leadership. She explains why workplace culture exists whether you intentionally create it or not—and why the behavior modeled by leadership eventually appears throughout the entire organization. In this conversation, we discuss: • Why organizational change must begin at the top • How leadership behavior affects employee performance • Why leaders of struggling teams need to look in the mirror • The importance of clearly defined values and expectations • How better onboarding and written procedures reduce confusion • Why character and integrity can matter more than experience • How to recognize employees in ways that are meaningful to them • Why employees need to feel appreciated, supported, and valued • How company culture affects retention, morale, and the customer experience If your employees are struggling, communication keeps breaking down, or your company culture isn’t what you intended it to be, this conversation will challenge you to examine the leadership supporting the entire organization. Because you cannot change an organization from the bottom. Leadership has to be willing to change first. Powerpoint: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Q3Q9G1qjZ47IiZaGER9xZ9Ia6sF7UZWZ/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110510830607544039277&rtpof=true&sd=true Support the show Thanks for tuning in to Cleaning Business Life — the podcast for cleaning business owners who want to build a profitable, sustainable company without burning out. Hosted by Shannon Miller and Jamie Runco, each episode pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to start, grow, and scale a cleaning business — covering pricing, systems, leadership, boundaries, and the real conversations most people avoid. 🎧 New episodes 2x weekly  📚 Resources, show notes, and programs: https://kleanfreaksuniversity.com Because in life — and in business — clean is just the beginning. — Shannon & Jamie

  7. Sep 9

    EP. 227 | The Customer Is Not Always Right: Setting Boundaries Without Losing Your Professionalism

    This podcast is powered by Klean Freaks University.com — where real cleaners build real empires. From mop buckets to million-dollar systems, we teach you how to clean smarter, lead stronger, and scale faster. The customer may be hiring your cleaning company, but they are not running it. In this episode, Shannon and Jamie discuss why excellent customer service does not mean giving clients everything they demand. From refund requests and bad-review threats to unrealistic expectations and customers who mistreat employees, cleaning business owners need policies and boundaries that protect the company. You’ll learn how to remain professional during difficult conversations, enforce your policies consistently, stand behind your cleaning technicians, and recognize when it may be time to end a client relationship. Being professional does not require being a pushover. Clear expectations create healthier client relationships—and a healthier cleaning business. Support the show Thanks for tuning in to Cleaning Business Life — the podcast for cleaning business owners who want to build a profitable, sustainable company without burning out. Hosted by Shannon Miller and Jamie Runco, each episode pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to start, grow, and scale a cleaning business — covering pricing, systems, leadership, boundaries, and the real conversations most people avoid. 🎧 New episodes 2x weekly  📚 Resources, show notes, and programs: https://kleanfreaksuniversity.com Because in life — and in business — clean is just the beginning. — Shannon & Jamie

  8. Sep 5

    MTM #2 | The Decisions Nobody Sees That Build a Successful Business

    This podcast is powered by Klean Freaks University.com — where real cleaners build real empires. From mop buckets to million-dollar systems, we teach you how to clean smarter, lead stronger, and scale faster. In Episode 2 of March to a Million, Shannon Miller and Jamie explore the reality that business growth isn't built on one big breakthrough—it's built on hundreds of small decisions made consistently over time. From morning routines and time blocking to documenting systems, hiring, planning, and staying consistent when results aren't immediate, this conversation takes listeners behind the scenes of what entrepreneurship really looks like. This isn't a polished success story. It's two business owners documenting the messy middle while they're living it. If you've ever wondered why some businesses continue to grow while others stall, this episode is a reminder that success is rarely about one massive decision. It's about showing up, making the next right choice, and trusting that those small decisions will eventually compound into something much bigger. Join us as we continue documenting the real journey toward building businesses, creating freedom, and making decisions that our future selves will thank us for. Thanks for listening to March to a Million. If you're enjoying the journey, be sure to follow the podcast and join us for the next chapter. Support the show Thanks for tuning in to Cleaning Business Life — the podcast for cleaning business owners who want to build a profitable, sustainable company without burning out. Hosted by Shannon Miller and Jamie Runco, each episode pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to start, grow, and scale a cleaning business — covering pricing, systems, leadership, boundaries, and the real conversations most people avoid. 🎧 New episodes 2x weekly  📚 Resources, show notes, and programs: https://kleanfreaksuniversity.com Because in life — and in business — clean is just the beginning. — Shannon & Jamie

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4.7
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

Cleaning Business Life is the podcast for cleaning business owners who want to build a profitable company without sacrificing their entire life to do it. Hosted by industry leaders Shannon Miller and Jamie Runco, the show brings real-world conversations about pricing, hiring, leadership, systems, boundaries, profitability, and sustainable growth. With more than 240 episodes rooted in actual cleaning-industry experience, you’ll hear the lessons, mistakes, hard decisions, and strategies that business owners rarely talk about publicly. Whether you’re starting your cleaning company, stuck inside the daily operations, or ready to grow into the CEO role, you’ll find honest guidance to help you charge more, earn more, and stress less. No hype. No surface-level advice. Just real cleaning-business conversations from women who have built the businesses themselves.  Want more help building a profitable cleaning business? Join Shannon’s email list for practical strategies, resources, and program updates:https://klean-freaks-university.newzenler.com/f/welcome-to-klean-freaks-university-1 Want to get a hold of us? Please email us at cleaningbusinesslife@gmail.com

Information

  • Creator
    Shannon Miller & Jamie Runco
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    242
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Cleaning Business Life
  • Show Website
    Cleaning Business Life

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