We were lucky to catch up with Carly Garrett recently and have shared our conversation below.
Carly , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
I am so happy to be a business owner. There are days when my schedule is full and things are crazy but it takes me almost no time to remember how lucky I am to be working for myself. I don’t have to book off when my kiddos need me, I can do a lot of my work remotely and I love the flexibility of the day to day for both my clients and myself. Also, the sky is the limit when you work for yourself, there’s no salary cap and no excuses- you are responsible for your growth and your business. I just love it!
Carly , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I come from a hospitality management background- from the age of 17 years old I have been managing people. I absolutely love it and wouldn’t trade that experience for the world. After having my second kiddo I figured it was time for a change. I took a job managing their local daycare. During that time my husband decided we should start a cleaning company called Hill Country Hands (here in Dripping Springs TX), it truly started with a good website. My husband and I actually did our first cleanings and eventually it grew and currently I still own the business but I have an incredible General Manager who runs the business, an assistant manager and a team of 10 contractors. who are the reason for our success. We have actually won Best Housekeeping in Dripping Springs for the last 3 years consecutively.
From there I branched out into the wonderful world of fitness. My husband is a Former NFL Player and has a sports performance training business called Swift Sessions, so this was an easy and natural transition for me. I own Carly Garrett Fitness & Nutrition specializing in women’s strength training and I am passionate about what I do. Each client brings me a different level of energy, age and experience and I get to connect with them on so many levels during our sessions all the while helping them build muscle and reach their goals.
Finally, I decided I needed a passion project. I started working as a Vacation Specialist for Dream Vacations with Bridget Stephens who I have worked with in the past at The W Austin. She owns the franchise and has been an incredible support for me. This industry is so much fun because my clients don’t pay me for my services, our suppliers do, so I get to save clients time and money all the while learning about new places and researching fun vacations. It is a wonderful fit and makes a ton of sense for me since I love to travel with my family. We spent the summer checking out a lot of different US cities (since I am from Canada I haven’t experienced them all… yet, and we did a few other trips.) I love this business because I truly am at my best and happiest when exploring new things and learning about all the other cultures and experiences the world has to offer.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
The best source of new clients for me has been local Facebook groups. There are a lot of “mama” oriented Facebook groups in Dripping Springs, like minded mama’s supporting each other with their needs or resources, as well as just some of the other local groups. When we first started the cleaning company we would post every week on Small Business Tuesday and we would just get more and more people reaching out for a free quote. I am sure we haven’t been perfect through the years- as a small cleaning company it is hard to fully guarantee that every team member would clean the way we would or the way each client would like, but one thing we have always gotten right is our customer service and that combined with our Facebook posts really helped us grow. I also joined a women’s entrepreneur group called MPOWER a few years back, and the support from a solid group of strong boss ladies has been a game changer.
Any advice for managing a team?
I have been managing people for over 20 years and the one thing I cannot say enough is the importance of being genuine. Connecting with each individual on your team and personalizing their interaction or experience is key. Really truly caring about the people who care for your clients is a game changer. Not only that, you can feel good about the way you do business- give grace when needed, support those who are struggling, ask questions that help you get to know each person, say thank you often, reward and celebrate the good. People will work hard for you and they will care about your clients if you genuinely care about them. People first.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cgarrett.dreamvacations.com/travel/cruises/Editorial.html?edType=Custom%20Page&pagename=resort-tours www.hillcountryhands.com
- Instagram: @carlygarrettfitness @dreamvacayswithcarly @hillcountryhands
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carlygarrettfitness https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092175067744 https://www.facebook.com/hillcountryhands