Filthy Rich Cleaners: The Cleaning Business Podcast

What happens when your biggest fear as a leader is being misunderstood? In this solo episode, Stephanie gets real about the constant push and pull between wanting to be understood and needing to make confident decisions as a business owner. Fresh back from Barcelona with the ZenMaid team (and some serious luggage drama), she dives deep into why explaining the "why" behind your decisions is crucial for buy-in, but over-explaining can make you look weak and defensive. From mop bucket mutinies to price increase psychology, Stephanie shares how to communicate with confidence while accepting that some people will misinterpret your intentions no matter what you do.
What You'll Learn:
Why "because I said so" leadership kills team buy-in (and what to do instead)
The psychology behind price increase communications that clients actually embrace
How to explain your decisions without sounding defensive or insecure
Why some people will intentionally misunderstand you (and how to handle it)
The art of proactive communication that prevents drama before it starts
🔗 Resources Mentioned:
Start With Why by Simon Sinek
Radical Candor by Kim Scott
ZenMaid Software: https://get.zenmaid.com/
Maid Summit (free registration): Register here
🎧 Listen to the podcast:
Spotify: Listen here
Apple Podcasts: Listen here
📝 Read the full transcript: Read here

Most cleaning business owners know their funnel could be better, but where do you even start?
In this episode, Katie Jenks of Serene Clean joins Stephanie Pipkin to unpack the real-world funnel transformation that helped Serene Clean fill its calendar fast. From low-converting forms to forgettable follow-ups, Stephanie shares the exact changes she made with Katie’s help to plug the leaks, and the numbers to prove it worked.
They break down every part of the funnel: website tweaks, lead magnets, automations, metrics, and mindset. This isn’t theory, it’s the behind-the-scenes of a cleaning company that went from silent inboxes to booked-out schedules.
If you’ve ever wondered what actually moves the needle in your marketing funnel, this episode is your blueprint.
🎯 Key Takeaways:
How Katie identified the “silent killers” inside her original funnel
What finally made her website start converting—not just existing
Stephanie’s advice that led to higher-quality leads and faster bookings
Why Serene Clean ditched the fluff and doubled down on simplicity
The small email tweak that changed everything
How to track what’s working (without feeling overwhelmed by data)
🔗 Resources mentioned:
Cosulting - Stephanie Pipkin
👀 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days!https://get.zenmaid.com
🎧 Listen to the podcast:
Spotify: Episode 55 
Apple Podcasts: Episode 55 
📖 Read the full transcript:https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/double-your-bookings-with-katie-stephanies-cleaning-funnel-fixes/

Hiring doesn’t have to be painful or regretful.
In this episode, ZenMaid’s Stephanie Pipkin shares the exact hiring system she built to train and retain a 7-figure cleaning team without complaints, micromanagement, or drama. You’ll hear the hard lessons behind her transition from solo cleaner to true CEO, and how she rebuilt her business with freedom, boundaries, and a culture that runs itself.
This isn’t theory. It’s the actual step-by-step hiring process Stephanie used to go from overwhelmed to in control, and she’s handing it over to you.
If you’re tired of wasting time on interviews that go nowhere, struggling to find people who stay, or constantly jumping back into the field... this episode will shift everything.
🎯 Key Takeaways:
The biggest mistake most cleaning owners make when hiring (and how to fix it)
How Stephanie uses “level-based accountability” to stop micromanaging
Why she stopped hiring people who “just want a job”
Her 4-part retention formula that works even when you’re not watching
A simple system to train faster and increase loyalty
The mindset shift that turned her into a true CEO
🔗 Resources mentioned:
Cosulting - Stephanie Pipkin
The Level-Based Accountability Framework
ZenMaid
👀 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days!https://get.zenmaid.com
🎧 Listen to the podcast:
Spotify: Episode 54 (link placeholder)
Apple Podcasts: Episode 54 (link placeholder)
📖 Read the full transcript:https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/stop-the-turnover-spiral-how-to-build-a-drama-free-dream-team/

Most cleaning businesses struggle with hiring. But what if your biggest bottleneck wasn’t finding people, it was how you were filtering them?
In this episode, Stephanie sits down with industry veteran Juan Chaparro, founder of Gmaids and creator of PipeHire, to unpack how he and his wife Karen accidentally started a cleaning company at age 20, scaled it remotely from Colombia and Miami, and built a thriving culture using only W-2 employees.
Juan reveals the hiring disaster that forced him to invent PipeHire, how their business runs with zero office visits, and the core values that keep their team loyal, efficient, and happy, even across time zones.
Whether you’re drowning in Indeed resumes, debating IC vs. employee, or dreaming of managing from the beach, this one’s for you.
🎯 Key Takeaways:
Why independent contractors might be costing you more than employees
How Juan replaced his entire IC team with W-2s—and kept scaling
The remote company playbook: managing a team without ever stepping into the office
How PipeHire filters applicants before they hit your calendar
The 5 values that drive loyalty and retention at Gmaids
Essential oils, culture workshops, and the surprising secret to glowing reviews
🔗 Resources mentioned:
PipeHire: Hiring Software for Cleaning Companies
Panorama Conferencia
Gmaids Green Cleaning Services
Juan Chaparro’s Website
👀 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days!https://get.zenmaid.com
🎧 Listen to the podcast:
Spotify: Episode 53 (link placeholder)
Apple Podcasts: Episode 53 (link placeholder)
📖 Read the full transcript:https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/from-accidental-startup-to-remote-empire-juan-chaparro-on-culture-w-2s-pipehire/

Every cleaning business has expenses that quietly eat into profits. Insurance policies you set and forget. Training steps that slip over time. Processes that used to work but don’t anymore.
In this episode, Stephanie shares how she uncovered over $10,000 in annual savings by auditing Serene Clean’s insurance and why taking a hard look at all your costs and policies is essential. She also explains how her team improves training and policies when complaints come in, making sure small problems don’t grow into big ones.
 
Key Takeaways:
How Stephanie saved over $10,000 a year on insurance
Why “set it and forget it” costs can wreck your margins
How to audit and renegotiate policies for real savings
Using customer complaints to improve training and quality
Making your policies living documents that evolve with your business
Building a culture of accountability (without micromanaging)
🔗 Resources mentioned:
-ZenMaid (of course 😉)
https://get.zenmaid.com/
-Penn National Insurance (for dividend-based workers comp policies)
Try ZenMaid free for 14 days!
 
Book a consulting call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/
 
🎧 Listen to the podcast:
Spotify: [link to your Spotify episode]
Apple Podcasts: [link to your Apple Podcasts episode]
📝 Read the full transcript: [LINK]

Ever wonder what it takes to go from cleaning tech to essential operations leader in your cleaning business? In this candid episode, Stephanie sits down with April West Serene Clean’s payroll administrator, accounts manager, and longtime right hand.They share honest stories about extreme cleans (the Cat House! the Chicken House!), the reality of managing call-outs, building sustainable company culture, and learning to set boundaries with clients. April reflects on joining Serene Clean as a part-time technician with triplets at home and growing into her critical role today, all while keeping a sense of humor about the industry’s messy realities.Key Takeaways in this Episode:
Why flexibility beats high wages for attracting long-term staff
How to nurture part-timers into loyal team members
Setting clear boundaries with clients (and each other)
The messy, hilarious truths of extreme cleans
Improving training, onboarding, and quality control as you scale
How software choices (ZenMaid, Gusto, Trainual) made admin easier
Balancing mission, culture, and accountability in a growing team
 Resources mentioned:
ZenMaid. https://get.zenmaid.com/
Serene Clean Consulting. https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services
 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: ZenMaid Free Trial
 Read the full transcript: Blog post

Every cleaner has a nightmare client story... The client who left surprises in the toilet. The one who flipped out over late fees. The one who thought hiring you meant cleaning up fleas.
 
In this episode, Stephanie walks through Serene Clean’s 10-page client guideline document — and the real stories behind each policy. Learn what to include, how to roll it out, and why you’ll sleep better once it’s signed.
 
Key Takeaways:
Why client guidelines are non-negotiable for cleaning businesses
What to include in your policy (and how to get it signed without hassle)
How to set expectations around pets, poop, payment, and more
Why digital signatures can save you in a dispute
The unexpected benefit of sounding more professional — and weeding out bad clients
 
Resources Mentioned:
SignRequest
ZenMaid (of course 😉)
Try ZenMaid free for 14 days!
 
Read the full write-up: [Blog Link]

Getting fired and divorced at 24 led Mila Thee Hostkeyper on an unexpected journey from teaching English in Korea to building a thriving vacation rental cleaning business across Houston, Dallas, and Austin. Her secret? An unshakeable belief that she could "figure it out."
 
Mila shares how she went from cleaning her first Thumbtack gigs to landing 68 units from a single client, why she hires exclusively Spanish-speaking cleaners, and how she handles the unique challenges of vacation rental turnovers. Plus, learn her pricing strategy that eliminates last-minute booking headaches and why she believes being "cutthroat" is essential for success.
 
Key Takeaways:
Why vacation rental cleaning requires a completely different mindset than residential
How to price same-day turnovers to protect your schedule and profits
The power of hunting down clients instead of waiting for them to find you
How to maintain quality control when scaling across multiple cities
The importance of believing in your ability to "figure it out"
 
🔗 Resources mentioned:
Thumbtack
Score.org's mentoring program
Mila Millions YouTube Channel
 
Try ZenMaid free for 14 days!
 
Book a consulting call with Stephanie. 
Rather read than listen? Check out the full episode write-up on our blog

Your website should be doing two things: getting you more leads and helping pre-sell your services to those leads. But if you're making one of these 8 mistakes, it might be doing neither.
 
In this tactical solo episode, Stephanie walks through the biggest website errors she sees on consulting calls — and the exact fixes you can make to turn your site into a lead-generating machine.
 
Key Takeaways:
The biggest call-to-action mistake most cleaning websites make
How to write an About section that builds trust and pre-sells clients
The number one way to use reviews (and the type that books the most jobs)
Why stock photos could be killing your credibility
What ZenMaid forms can do when they’re embedded right
 
Mentioned in this Episode:
ZenMaid Booking Forms
ZenMaid Digital Checklists
SereneClean.com – For booking form examples
Canva Templates – For testimonial and photo layouts
 
Try ZenMaid free for 14 days.
 
Rather read than listen? Check out the full episode write-up on our blog. [LINK]

Ashley spent 14 years in the healthcare industry — until burnout, COVID, and caregiving for her dad pushed her to look for something more flexible. She applied for a cleaning job. Serene Clean said no. Then she applied again. And again. Four years later, she’s one of the company’s most beloved cleaning techs.
 
In this heartfelt episode, Stephanie sits down with Ashley to reflect on her journey from job applicant to core team member — and what Serene Clean’s culture, flexibility, and purpose-driven work have meant to her life. If you want to know what makes employees stay (and thrive), this one’s for you.
 
Key Takeaways:
Why part-time staff can be your most loyal team members
How Serene Clean built a culture that employees fight to join
Tips for training, feedback, and setting expectations from a tech’s POV
What ZenMaid looks like from the field — and why it matters
Why hiring from healthcare might be your best-kept secret
 
Try ZenMaid free for 14 days!
Rather read than listen? Check out the full episode write-up on our blog.