We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michell’la Dukes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Michell’la , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
When I think of my mother and grandmother, I picture Superwoman. My grandmother assisted my mother in raising her three children as my father was not present. I still don’t know how they did it. Raising children, pursuing your passions, and attempting to put food on the table are all difficult tasks. She had my grandmother to help her navigate the highs and lows of parenting, and I’m extremely grateful for that. I obviously didn’t realize it at the time, but now that I do, I’m so happy I got to witness how hard my mom worked and how much she sacrificed. She put in a lot of effort, as did my grandma. When my grandma was just 10 years old, she began working. Despite the fact that neither my family nor I were wealthy. We never went without anything thanks to them.
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?
When the pandemic hit in 2020, I was furloughed and then eventually let go. I worked in hospitality at the time. The travel and tourism industries suffered the most. It was definitely an unquestionably frightening period for us all. Needless to say, I recognized an opportunity to profit from the circumstance right away. What better time to start a cleaning company than during a pandemic? I didn’t know when things would get better or ever go back to normal at that point. I had to figure out how to pivot on my own and not rely on a 9-5 job to support me. I yearned for security and the chance to create something truly great that I could call my own. Cleaning and organizing are one of my favorite things to do, and I get to help individuals uplift their homes. Why not go for it in a more environmentally friendly manner? Keeping everything green and chemical free. I invested in the best eco-friendly cleaning supplies; my bf gifted me Dyson vacuum to get me going. I was aware that running this business was much more than just buying supplies and cleaning. I knew it would not be easy so I did extensive research and read a lot about different chemicals, my target audience and watched a lot of videos to better understand the industry. I received my first monthly bid in a matter of weeks. It was GO TIME!
Things slowed down somewhat when I got pregnant last year and gave birth to my daughter in February of 2022. Prior to that, I went back to work full-time as an HR Coordinator because I could no longer physically clean homes due to my terrible morning sickness and constant exhaustion. I had not actively hired anyone as of yet. I didn’t let that discourage me; I remained headstrong in my company’s success; I didn’t give up; I kept my business open and did not close. Despite this, I kept working and came up with a lot of ways to benefit from it.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
When you own a cleaning business, marketing is very different because the majority of your clients come from referrals and word-of-mouth advertising. The first time you provide outstanding service, the customer will always remember you for it. It sets the mood for each potential customer.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
A cleaning business can be started with very little money. Naturally, having a decent vacuum, business cards and lots of energy but initiative is the most important thing.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @livinggreencleaning
- Twitter: @livinggreencln