Filthy Rich Cleaners: The Cleaning Business Podcast

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.

What do you do when four cleaners quit or get fired in a single week — including one who worked with you for years?
In this raw and emotional solo episode, Stephanie opens up about one of the hardest weeks in Serene Clean’s history. From betrayal and burnout to tough conversations and short-staffed chaos, she breaks down what really happened, what she learned, and how she found the strength to lead anyway. If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re cut out for this, this episode is for you.
Key Takeaways:
What to do when multiple team members quit in a short time
How to fire someone you love (and still sleep at night)
The emotional toll of leadership no one warns you about
Why staff documentation and signed policies can protect you from unemployment claims
How to regain control when things feel totally out of control
What makes people trust you as a leader — even when you’re falling apart
Try ZenMaid free for 14 days! 
Rather read than listen? Check out the full episode write-up on our blog.

What drives someone to launch a cleaning business as a teenager — and grow it into a thriving, booked-out service while pregnant and raising a family?
In this episode, Stephanie interviews Zaila Filler, a young cleaning business owner from Indiana who started out scrubbing Airbnbs to escape a tough home life. They cover the wild reality of starting from scratch, training staff while dilated in the hospital, and why pricing and policies can make or break your early growth.
 
Expect honest talk, hilarious stories, and some hard-won lessons on staffing, systems, and scaling.
 
Key Takeaways:
Why your first few hires will probably quit (and why that’s normal)
The “aha” moment that doubled Zyla’s initial clean prices
How to handle flaky team members without losing your mind
Red flags to watch for in new hires (and clients!)
When to start charging more — and how to test your rates
Using Square + ZenMaid to simplify payments and invoicing
Mentioned in this Episode:
ZenMaid Digital Checklists
Serene Clean’s Onboarding Docs
Try ZenMaid free for 14 days!
Rather read than listen? Check out the full episode write-up on our blog.

Stephanie takes you behind the scenes of Serene Clean’s growth — from charging $30/hour and paying $12/hour, all the way to $55/hour and six figures in monthly revenue.
 
You’ll hear exactly what the business was charging, paying, and earning at every stage — plus when benefits were added, how price increases impacted hiring, and what finally pushed Stephanie to offer health insurance. It’s an honest, detailed timeline packed with practical insights for every cleaning business owner.
 
Key Takeaways:
The exact rates Serene Clean charged at every growth stage
How Stephanie set employee wages based on a 40% labor cost model
What benefits were added (and when the business could afford them)
Why starting at $40/hour is crucial if you plan to scale
How pricing affects employee retention and client loyalty
Serene Clean’s journey to zero complaints across 1,400+ cleanings
 
Mentioned in this Episode:
ZenMaid Facebook Mastermind group
Group Interview System – see Episode 42
ZenMaid checklist & scheduling features
QuickBooks Online
💻 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days
 
Rather read than listen? Check out the full episode write-up on our blog.
 

Stephanie sits down with Crystal Davidson — Serene Clean’s very first employee — to talk about what it was really like in the early days. From working out of Stephanie’s apartment to helping build a million-dollar company, Crystal has seen (and survived) it all.
 
They cover what made her leave a stable healthcare career for a part-time cleaning job, how her role evolved over time, and what it actually takes to build a loyal leadership team in an industry known for high turnover. It’s an honest, behind-the-scenes look at how trust, flexibility, and shared values can shape a workplace that people never want to leave.
Key Takeaways:
The early chaos at Serene Clean — and what kept her from quitting
What made Stephanie know Crystal was a “diamond” hire
How Crystal’s role evolved into Director of HR (without a roadmap)
The #1 mistake they used to make when hiring under pressure
What makes a truly flexible workplace — and why it matters
Mentioned in this Episode:
ZenMaid Facebook Mastermind
Group interviews (LINK TO Episode 42)
Try ZenMaid free for 14 days
Rather read than listen? Check out the full episode write-up on our blog.