We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Savannah Samples a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Savannah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission the drives your brand?
When I was in college, I started nannying to cover my bills. I began working with 2 families—one family was strictly childcare and the other I was doing everything but!
I grew my work by word-of-mouth from 2 households to 12 while going to school full time. I observed that most households weren’t really looking for a nanny…they were looking for an extra pair of hands.
If you think about it, “back in the day” the mother-figure would stay at home while the father-figure was out working to provide for the family. However, this is no longer the regular family dynamic! Now, it usually takes both parents working to provide for the household—especially families living in the city! The helping hand from one parent is no longer available. This leads to more tasks not getting done, relationships being compromised over laundry, and high stress all around. I realized that I was helping with more than just laundry. I was reducing the stress and load in the household which was leading to better relationships and more time for family.
One of my original moms, Amber, asked me if I ever thought about starting a business. Honestly, I come from humble beginnings. Having a regular 9-5 + benefits was my dream after college. However, she got my entrepreneur wheels turning, and I decided to make this dream a reality!
In 2016, I started with my 12 households (one was a CrossFit gym I cleaned every Sunday for $75) and a whole bunch of trial and error. I don’t care how much schooling you go to for entrepreneurship, nobody can teach you how to run your own business. You just have to do it.
I struggled with my balance between business and school, leading a team as a 20yo, making sure I eat and sleep (looking back, I don’t think I did much of either), discovering my value, learning the difference between being a boss and being controlling, and holding on to my personal relationships so I still have them in 10 years.
As exhausting as those years were, I am so grateful that my focus during that time was building a business that gives back. We have received feedback:
• “You’re saving my marriage.”
•”I now have time on the weekends to hangout with my kids.”
•”After running my business all day, I get to focus on what I get to eat for dinner instead of my over-piling laundry.”
•”I get to eat healthier and save money because my Angel’s meal prep gives me the opportunity to eat more at home.”
•”Dropping off packages for my company is a huge convenience I will happily pay for.”
Our client feedback fills my heart bank! I love getting the opportunity to serve households all across Atlanta and look forward to expanding beyond!
Angel Assistance’s mission is to reduce the stress in the home by tackling the monotonous daily to-do list. Whether you’re a single entrepreneur or an active family of 6, we love to create more time for living!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I started college in 2012 on a scholarship and dreams in the big city of Atlanta. I realized shortly after I was going to need to get a job to maintain a living. I started nannying for two families and realized that I wasn’t really watching kids a lot of the time. I was going to the grocery store, organizing the linen closet, unloading the dryer, and a variety of other tasks around the home. I did some research and realized there wasn’t a service that catered to these households, so I decided to create my own!
Angel Assistance is a household service that provides assistance for the modern household. Whether you’re a busy, single entrepreneur or a fun family of six, an Angel can come alongside your family to tackle those tasks that make you say “UGHHHH” every time you think about them!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I come from more humble beginnings, so my life plan was to have a stable 9-5 with health insurance. That was my dream life! I showed up in Atlanta for college, majoring in Accounting, with a plan to live that numbers life. I chose to move out of the college dorms my sophomore year (back then the dorms were more expensive than rent…) and started my journey of independency (with lots of help from my grandma). I ask a friend if I could borrow her car and started nannying while I was in school to pay my bills. I really enjoyed it, but I realized something quickly. I wasn’t just nannying. A lot of times I would show up and there would be a grocery list or an open pantry door. A lot of families now have dual income households, so that helping hand is no longer in the home. I became that helping hand. While going to school full time and switching my major to education with a minor in sociology, my work grew from two families to twelve families. One of my moms sparked a conversation one day in her kitchen about entrepreneurship. If it wasn’t for Amber, I would have not thought about starting my own company. The only successful, full-time entrepreneur I knew of in my family was my late grandfather. I didn’t even know how to get a business license.
At 21 years old, I was balancing a full time school schedule, working for 12 different families (one being a Crossfit gym cleaning on Sundays), trying to party with friends when I could, and now establishing an official business. It took me a good year to figure out how to get a license, pick what type of business I wanted to run, write a business plan, and get a website up. Nick from Foundation 86 worked creatively with me to design my first logo and website. It was me, literally a dozen clients, and my 22 years-old, non-degree promise to deliver good business.
Since then, we have served over 100 households in Atlanta and surrounding. We have gone through over 500 applications and hand-picked a few dozen Angels on this journey. We survived a pandemic with a home-based service business by pivoting to cater to the virtual learning environment. Proudly, we are in our 7th year of business with 6 Angels and one kickass Operations Manager. Shoutout to you, Alex!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One major lesson I had to unlearn is nobody wants a controlling boss. Any situation in life can be broken down into a micro analysis. My micro analysis was that I had carried the family curse of control into my company, and it was slowly suffocating my success.
When you start a business so young, a lot of your help comes from friends and family. If you depend solely on your business to pay your bills, it takes a toll on you emotionally. I felt like I had to 100% control every aspect of my business, my Angels, and my clients in order to be successful exactly how I wanted to be. I was controlling way more than I was praying and releasing, and that was my problem.
I made a big mistake of only profiting 5-15% (before taxes–yikes). I’d hire an Angel, pay them more than market value at $16/hr, charge my client $18/hr, and feel like I had to duplicate myself exactly in every Angel to be proud of my $10/day profit. LOL. When Angels didn’t show up for work, my immediate reaction was anger because I had no control over their arrival time. When I would drop the ball, I would race to my first anxiety attack in results of messing up. I wanted everything exactly like it was planned to go in my head. I was also keeping clients that were driving me absolutely insane. I’d pass them on to an Angel. They’d drive my Angel insane. My Angel would quit. I’d be back with the same client I dreaded working with. All in the name of a *slight* profit. Yuck!
I wish I could go back and shake myself at 22, letting out a long “whyyyyyyy” to my face. I have realized that a lot of my control stems from being raised in a controlling environment that was a result of another controlling environment. Lots of therapy and life coaching. :D
Around 25, I sat in my backyard and did a deep dive of my company. I went back to my “why”. I reflected on my few years of hiring clients and Angels. (Simplifying your process is always the answer!) My “why” for Angel Assistance is simply to provide the best household service in Atlanta that is centered around care and relationship. An Angel is going to be late. An Angel is going to ask off. A client is going to take a week vacation from hours. You’re going to accidentally use bleach instead of laundry detergent. To put it simply: shit. happens.
I know I hire Angels that have the best heart and want to work hard. I know I pick clients that support their families and truly appreciate our help. I know we are in our 7th year of business purposefully.
If I could help any new entrepreneur, I’d find them in a spot of stress and uncertainty and tell them just to let it go. It’ll work out. You are putting the work in; you will see your harvest. You’ll get the hundreds of “no”s and the one right “yes”. You only have so many years here. Don’t waste them trying to control all the details. It’s a fun-sucking way to live!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.angelassistance.org
- Instagram: @angelassistanceatl
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelAssistanceATL
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/angel-assistance-atl/
Image Credits
Totem Agency Co. Angela Wingard- Angie & Co.