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

Ignacio, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I truly believe that my parents played a foundational role in shaping who I am today, both personally and professionally. They instilled a mindset that has guided me through every aspect of my life, and their teachings continue to influence the way I approach challenges, opportunities, and success.

One of the most significant lessons I learned from my father was the distinction between two types of people: those who make things happen and those who let life pass by without taking action. He always emphasized the importance of showing up, doing the work, being bold, dreaming big, and having the resilience to see things through. His belief that *you decide who you want to be* has been a driving force behind my ambitions. Whether it’s pursuing my career or personal goals, I’ve always strived to be the kind of person who takes action, embraces challenges, and pushes forward, no matter the obstacles. One memory that stands out is when I started my business. There were moments of doubt and uncertainty, but my father’s voice in the back of my mind always reminded me to take the leap and trust my ability to make things happen.

From my mother, I learned the importance of excellence, no matter the path you choose. Whether you want to be a singer, a business owner, or anything in between, she taught me to always strive to be the best. For her, it wasn’t just about success in the traditional sense—it was about living with integrity, developing strong habits, and nurturing core values like self-discipline, determination, and faith. Her philosophy of seeking excellence in everything has been a guiding principle in my journey, reminding me that true success comes from not just what you achieve, but how you achieve it. This mindset has shaped the way I approach leadership, business, and personal growth.

Together, my parents gave me the tools to dream big but also to work hard, stay disciplined, and remain grounded in my values. These lessons have been instrumental in helping me navigate the complexities of life and business, and for that, I’m forever grateful.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Originally, I came to the United States to pursue a career in music and acting, which remains a very important part of my professional life and I had learned to manage both companies successfully.

However, when I arrived, I faced limitations as a student and couldn’t get a regular job. My family was also going through hard times, so I needed to find a way to support myself here in America and help them financially. Thanks to an uncle and aunt, I was hired at one of the largest janitorial companies in the country, starting as a janitor. I thought it would be a temporary job, but I quickly found myself growing within the company, moving up from janitor to porter, supervisor, operations manager, Area Manager, Regional Manager and eventually being offered the role of vice president. This 12-year journey gave me a deep understanding of the industry, and I developed skills that allowed me to excel.

At one point, I was juggling four jobs—working for the janitorial company, driving for Lyft and Uber, Instacart, teaching voice lessons, and performing music—all to make ends meet. It was a grueling time in my life, but it taught me resilience and discipline. After having meaningful conversations with two mentors and one of my closest friends, I was encouraged to start my own cleaning company. Initially, I was hesitant since my passion was still in music, but they helped me see outside of the box and that I had built a unique set of skills in the industry, and I could leverage those to succeed quickly.

When I started my business, I was fortunate to have a team that believed in my vision and joined me when they learned I was leaving the company. With my background in operations, customer service, and leadership, I was able to get the business up and running faster than expected. What started as a way to support my music career and provide for my family turned into something much bigger. Two years into the business, it grew rapidly, and I realized that I needed to focus on building systems, which led me to hire a business coach, Ricky Blair. Ricky helped me rebrand and structure the company in a way that didn’t rely solely on me, transforming it from a job into a scalable business.

One of the pivotal moments for our company came during the pandemic. We were one of the few cleaning companies with the necessary certifications to operate at scale, and we were able to secure major contracts with high-profile clients such as Puma, Sobel & Westex, Macy’s, Cubework, Marriott Hotels, Paul Mitchell, the University of San Bernardino, F45, to name a few. Partnerships with companies like Smart Janitorial and friendships with their owners also played a significant role in our growth since they were kind enough to support our growth constantly.

More recently, I’ve become deeply involved in procurement, thanks to mentors like Jenny Ergon from JP Morgan and Andrew Barrera from Pacela. This has allowed us to secure contracts with the City of Los Angeles and organizations like Caltrans, Cal State Fullerton, DMV, USPS, Whiting and Turner, etc. Today, our company employs around 100 people, and our revenue has been doubling year after year. I’m most proud of the team we’ve built and the impact we’re making, not just in terms of growth, but in creating jobs and opportunities for others.

What sets us apart is our commitment to excellence and our ability to deliver quality work for high-visibility clients while maintaining a personalized approach. We solve our clients’ problems by providing reliable, high-quality cleaning services that they can trust, especially in environments where standards are critical.

I want potential clients and partners to know that we’re not just a cleaning company—we’re a team that’s passionate about our work and committed to continuous improvement. We believe in creating lasting relationships with our clients, driven by trust, integrity, and the desire to exceed expectations.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

My team and I built a strong reputation for delivering high-quality janitorial and specialty services—such as post-construction cleaning, carpet cleaning, window cleaning, and solar panel cleaning—which helped our company scale quickly. By the end of 2022, we had reached our best revenue so far and expanded to over 50 employees servicing LA County, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.

However, 2023 brought serious challenges. The economic downturn caused many of our largest clients to reduce operations, relocate, or drastically cut budgets, which led to a significant loss of revenue. It was a tough situation, and I faced a difficult choice: either reduce the team and let people go or take a leap of faith and retain the team while waiting for our next breakthrough. I knew I had to step out of my comfort zone and figure out a new path. That’s when I realized I needed to dive deep into learning about sales and truly understand its power.

I took a course from Patrick B. David of Valuetainment in Miami, which completely shifted my perspective on how our business strategy needed to evolve. Before this, we only had three sources of lead generation, but a year and a half later, we now have nine. I also found a new marketing partner, Polaris Marketing, led by CEO Jenny White. Over the past year and a half, Jenny and her team have played a crucial role in our growth.

I had to go beyond the basics, developing an affiliate program and implementing new strategies like cold calling, door knocking, and farming. One of the biggest lessons I learned was the importance of building stronger relationships through networking events and meeting new potential clients, which led to more referrals. We also focused on creating more sales opportunities within our existing book of business. All of these efforts combined have been instrumental in turning the company around.

A pivotal moment came in March 2023, when my banker at Chase, Blanca Gonzalez, recommended a JP Morgan course for entrepreneurs. At first, I wasn’t sure, but it turned out to be a turning point. Through the course, I met Jenny Aragon, who introduced me to the world of certifications and procurement. With her guidance, and with help from Andrew Barrera at Pace LA, we secured our first RFP—a very large a five-year contract with the City of Los Angeles Housing Department.

This contract stabilized our finances and opened doors to new opportunities with major organizations like Caltrans, Cal State Fullerton, and Whiting-Turner. We’re now active on procurement platforms like CalProcurement and PlanetBids, significantly expanding our potential for growth.

It was a rough year and a half, during which we had to operate at a near loss, bearing a tremendous mental, emotional, and physical weight. The responsibility to deliver results was immense, and the odds were stacked against us. But, thank God, the new strategy worked, and we emerged stronger and wiser. We’ve developed new systems that will support the upcoming scaling of our company.

I believe that God’s blessing, combined with smart work, working intelligently and strategically, and resilience, has been key to our success. In 2023 alone, we added 30 to 40 new positions, and our journey from being a micro-company to a medium-small business has been fueled by strong partnerships and a dedicated team.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

It’s essential to remember that you’re in the human business. You’re working with people, not just roles, so you need to adapt to the unique individuals around you. It’s about seeing things from different perspectives—not just as a business owner, but by stepping into the shoes of your area manager, crew member, sales manager, accounting director, or any other team member.

Creating a culture that focuses on both the client and the team is crucial. We need to ensure that everyone shares the same mission and vision while cultivating good habits. I always emphasize excellence, integrity, and fostering a teamwork mindset, so the team understands that we rely on them to drive results. They need to feel that they’re part of the company’s growth and vision and can take pride in their contributions.

A key part of maintaining high morale is helping your team grow their mindset. At our company, we have a book club where we read books like *Atomic Habits* by James Clear, *How to Win Friends and Influence People* by Dale Carnegie, and *Your Next Five Moves* by Patrick B. David. We also expose our team to masterminds, podcasts, and other resources so they can grow alongside the company. It’s important to create an environment where they’re not just working for the company, but growing with it.

It’s equally important to understand what motivates each team member—what their goals, personal needs, and vision are, both in their professional and personal lives. When you align their personal plans with the company’s objectives, you create a strong bond. They’re going to “wear the jersey” and be ready to go through walls for you because they feel invested, knowing the success of the company will benefit them not only economically but also in terms of professional growth and fulfillment.

Lastly, it’s critical to ensure that everything is done the right way—for the client, the employees, and the company. By staying in compliance and maintaining strong leadership, you build a team that constantly backs you up, creating value for the company as a whole.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ariacleaningservices.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ignacio_alvestegui?igsh=MWg3Y2p6dHM4a3hhYg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-alvestegui-8a7980187?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Yelp: https://yelp.to/ANJktYZpo8

Image Credits

Berny Flores on shot of the team working