We recently connected with Caila Driscoll and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Caila, thanks for joining us today. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

Many people have asked me, “Caila, how did you get to where you are today?” Or, “You’re still in your twenties?! You got lucky! Look at your business now!”

But can I say just one thing? It was far from “luck.”

Never does productive, healthy growth happen overnight. NEVER. I remember being 16 years old, in my little Iowan small town, sitting in my tiny bedroom on the floor, and I opened up this book called the Bible. It said, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.”

I made that my life motto.

When I moved to Kansas City at the age of 20, I was in the middle of earning my business/ministry degrees, and I was given the names of a few elderly women who needed help keeping their homes clean. I began to form relationships with them, and I grew to love and care for them very quickly! I was faithful in those moments to them. Always on time, reliable, consistent, detailed, and I CARED.

Always keeping that motto “Faithful in little makes you faithful in large.”

I was quickly referred, and within 6 months my business had grown to more than 40 clients. I realized my passion was to create more time for people to live life to the fullest by taking housecleaning off their to-do list. I was good at cleaning, yes, but more important to me was using that talent to SERVE my community.

Nine years later, I am now 29 and have 3 children, a hardworking husband, and a business with 15 employees who walk in the door of a home or business over 500 times a month. If there are three statements I would want anyone reading this to remember and hold onto, it would be these:

NEVER FORGET YOUR WHY.

WHO YOU ARE IS WHO YOU ATTRACT.

FAITHFUL IN LITTLE MAKES YOU FAITHFUL IN MORE.

How did I scale my business, you ask? I CARED for people, I attracted the people who had the same values and vision as me, and I was faithful in the little and eventually given more.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hunter and I have three beautiful girls who are our world! We are super active in our church community and have a passion to see people run after their dreams. We fulfill this by motivating creativity and coaching others in their abilities to become who they are called to be! With my love for people and Hunter’s love to provide a safe culture within our company, we have learned how to make the workplace FUN and PRODUCTIVE!

My husband and I chose to work in this industry because for us, we aren’t just cleaning a house. We’re cleaning a home. A home is where memories are made, people feel safe, and life is lived. Our hearts want to create more time for people to do the things they love and not worry about spending precious time keeping the house clean. I have always loved cleaning, and our team has the same passion and care for others. This passion creates time for families, and time is something, once spent, we can never get back.

What sets us apart within our business is our culture! Our company catchphrase is P.E.A.C.E. – passionate, excellent, adaptable, communicators who are eager to grow, learn, and do a great job! We CARE for our clients and treat every home or business like it’s ours. We also strive to keep the personal touch, even as we have grown.

If you asked me who or what I am most proud of about my brand, it would be all of the team members who make our company great. They make a HUGE difference in the lives of the community, and they truly ROCK at their skill in professional cleaning and leaving those finishing touches. Our admin team is a true selfless group of people who are always coming to the table asking how they can serve their coworkers and community better.

Hunter and I wake up everyday thankful. Thankful in the hard, thankful in the easy. I think that is what life is all about.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

I originally planned that, when I had children, cleaning would become a great side hustle for me so I could still be a stay-at-home mom most of the time. Once I had my babies, I really dealt with a season of internal struggle. I wanted to be home with them, but I also wanted to still contribute to the community and produce wealth for my family. That is when I began looking forward to the future.

Was there a way that I could be a stay-at-home mom but still be producing wealth for my family through my business?

For five years, my husband and I worked HARD. We listened to every podcast; read books; started working on processes for hiring, our culture, and cleaning; and treated what we had in our hands WELL.

By laying that groundwork, we were able to grow to the point that now I am able to be a stay-at-home momma with my youngest, and I am getting to homeschool my oldest in the fall, which was a DREAM of mine from the very beginning of motherhood.

We had to sacrifice for a few years to gain what we have now: freedom for our family to do whatever we want to do, yet still making an income that supports not only us but is also enough to GIVE to those around us.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Can I first say the word CARE? The most effective strategy for growth is CARE. Caring for your employees, caring for the families and businesses you serve–I feel like that has been lost in a lot of today’s society. When people feel cared for, they want to support your business.

On a more practical note: Word of mouth, social media, and getting onto the neighborhood community pages have been our most effective advertisers. Our best clients always come from referrals from their neighbors, whether via word-of-mouth or on a community page. To facilitate this, we offer a referral program. We love rewarding people for sharing us with their friends!

Cleaning is no longer a luxury for most. It is a necessity! COVID really changed the minds of a lot of people about the importance of a clean home and business, and that has worked in our favor!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://cailascleaningcrew.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cailascleaningcrew/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CailasCleaningCrew
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cailas-cleaning-crew/