We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Courtnie James . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Courtnie below.

Courtnie , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My business started as a hobby, or a side hustle. I was a busy mom working in law-enforcement, and in the Army Reserves.

After I had my third child, who is my only son, my side hustle became a small business. My son was diagnosed with autism and the world changed for me. Now my son needed me more than anything in this world, and I would need to guide my daughters and my fiancé to be able to help him as well.

It was so hard and complicated to get help for my son while working, that I had to leave my job and the reserves to take care of him full-time and fight for the help he needed. I found out very quickly that I am the only one who is going to advocate for my son so I had to fight to make sure that not only was he treated like other kids, but that he got the same help.

His pediatrician was the only doctor who pushed as hard as I did. Because she’s watched my older children grow she knew, as well as I did that something was wrong with my son. We all know but life happens, but we also know that the bills don’t stop. I do have a very supportive fiancé, his dad who wanted me to just sit back and let him handle everything.

Being the person that I am I have never been in this position so I turned my hobby into a small business. I believe that if you’re going to start a business, it should be something that you love and some thing that you are passionate about. I love helping others vision become reality. I love the joy I see on their faces when their home looks brand new again, and the item came out to be everything the imagined. My business is me it’s how I do what I love while taking care of the people I love.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I make your dream a reality whether it’s the residential cleaning, or creating a custom item for you or a loved one. I do move-in and move-out cleanings as well as come into your home on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis. Since I know, two homes are not, the same I do not charged based on a package. I charge based on your needs. Each cleaning service is customize for that specific client. I don’t have a catchall service because I want them to get what they are asking for without having to pay for extra.

I customize, tumblers, mugs shirts, masks, robes, Christmas sacks, just about anything you could think of. I love putting a smile on others face by helping them give someone a very special gift, whether it’s for birthdays, anniversaries, special holidays or a gift just because, I make sure that it’s special.

As you can see my business is two individual businesses rolled into one to make it very unique. I’ve always been passionate about service to others, and my business lets me be of service to others in more than one capacity.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

My most effective strategy for growing my clientele, has been word of mouth. I have never been big on social media or into all of the multiple platforms until I started my business. I don’t have hundreds of thousands of followers but I do have grace. I have respect, I am loyal to my customers and I’m humble. I have been growing my social media presence more recently, but the majority of my clientele comes from referrals from my other clients.

Yes, social media is a big thing, but many people still share their great experiences. All it takes is for you to do what you love to do to the best of your ability, and your clientele will grow.. People share good experiences just like they share the bad ones ,so if you have a good experience with a client, whenever your services are needed they are going to recommend you first. I work with so many different people through referrals and word of mouth.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson that I had to unlearn was not to expect your biggest cheerleader’s to be the people that are closest to you.

I thought that once I started my business and start promoting it that the people closest to me would share and spread the word just like I was. I also thought they would be some of my first customers, but they were not. I realized that the strangers that I don’t know were first. The people on the Internet and out in the world that I didn’t know supported me first just to verify that my product is everything I said it was, and for that I am grateful.

Go into your business with the mindset that you are presenting your business to everyone in the world, and even though you may not get the support firsthand that you are looking for it will come. I had to realize I had to believe in myself and my business as much as I want to others to believe.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.courtniecleaningandcustoms.com
• Instagram: Courtnie_cleaning_customs
• Facebook: Courtnie Cleaning & Customs
• Linkedin: Courtnie James