Cleaning Business Life
Cleaning Business Life is the podcast for cleaning business owners who want to build a profitable company without sacrificing their entire life to do it.
Hosted by industry leaders Shannon Miller and Jamie Runco, the show brings real-world conversations about pricing, hiring, leadership, systems, boundaries, profitability, and sustainable growth.
With more than 240 episodes rooted in actual cleaning-industry experience, you’ll hear the lessons, mistakes, hard decisions, and strategies that business owners rarely talk about publicly.
Whether you’re starting your cleaning company, stuck inside the daily operations, or ready to grow into the CEO role, you’ll find honest guidance to help you charge more, earn more, and stress less.
No hype. No surface-level advice. Just real cleaning-business conversations from women who have built the businesses themselves.
Want more help building a profitable cleaning business? Join Shannon’s email list for practical strategies, resources, and program updates:
https://klean-freaks-university.newzenler.com/f/welcome-to-klean-freaks-university-1
Want to get a hold of us? Please email us at cleaningbusinesslife@gmail.com
Episodes
237 episodes
You Cannot Change an Organization From the Bottom—with Barbara Atkinson | Ep. 228
You cannot change an organization unless change starts at the top.In this episode of Cleaning Business Life, Shannon sits down with Barbara Atkinson to discuss leadership, company culture, communication, accountability, and what it reall...
EP. 227 | The Customer Is Not Always Right: Setting Boundaries Without Losing Your Professionalism
The customer may be hiring your cleaning company, but they are not running it.In this episode, Shannon and Jamie discuss why excellent customer service does not mean giving clients everything they demand. From refund requests and bad-rev...
MTM #2 | The Decisions Nobody Sees That Build a Successful Business
In Episode 2 of March to a Million, Shannon Miller and Jamie explore the reality that business growth isn't built on one big breakthrough—it's built on hundreds of small decisions made consistently over time.From morning routines and tim...
How Misa Built a $2 Million Cleaning Business Working 2 Hours a Week | Ep. 226
What does it take to build a cleaning business that no longer depends on you every day?In this episode, Shannon and Jamie sit down with Misa, owner of a Tucson cleaning company projected to reach $2 million this year—while requiring only...
Stop Hiring 1099s When What You Really Need Is an Employee | Ep. 225
1099 or W-2? The answer isn't simply about which option is easier or cheaper — it's about what kind of business you're actually trying to build.In this episode of Cleaning Business Life, Shannon and Jamie break down the real-world differ...
Remembering Jeff Campbell: The Man Who Changed How We Clean | Ep. 224
Jeff Campbell, founder of The Clean Team and creator of the Speed Cleaning method, passed away on August 13, 2026.In this tribute episode, Shannon reflects on Jeff’s extraordinary influence on the residential cleaning industry and her ow...
March to a Million #1: The Messy Middle
Everyone loves a success story.Almost nobody gets to experience one while it's still unfolding.Welcome to March to a Million—a new series documenting the real journey of building a business in real time....
Cleaning Business Damages — Who Pays When Something Gets Broken? Ep.223
If you own a cleaning company long enough, eventually something is going to get broken, scratched, chipped, or damaged.The question is: What happens next?In this episode of Cleaning Business Life, Shannon breaks down wh...
Ep. 222 | Company Culture That Keeps Great Employees: Leadership, Retention & Growth with Donny Minchillo
What does company culture actually look like inside a growing cleaning business—and can it really help you keep great employees?In Episode 222 of Cleaning Business Life, Shannon sits down with Donny Minchillo, owner of Joy of Cleaning, t...
Why People Really Book Deep Cleans Ep. 221
When most people book a deep cleaning, they're not really paying for spotless baseboards or perfectly folded towels.They're paying for relief.In this episode of Cleaning Business Life, Shannon Miller explores the emotiona...
From Chaos to Profit | Inside the Structure, Scale & Profit Cleaning Business Academy Ep. 220
What does it really take to build a cleaning business that creates freedom, stability, and profit?In this episode of Cleaning Business Life, Shannon Miller takes you behind the scenes of the Structure, Scale & Profit Cleanin...
Pepsi vs. Coke — What the Cola Wars Can Teach Your Cleaning Business Ep. 219
Did Pepsi really win the Cola Wars? If so, why did Coca-Cola remain one of the most recognizable brands in the world?In this episode of Cleaning Business Life, Shannon Miller takes a nostalgic look back at the Pepsi Challenge, t...
When Trust Is Broken: What Every Cleaning Business Can Learn from the Arizona Hospital Housekeeper Case Ep. 218 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I would lean into your philosophy rather than the crime itself. Here's a Buzzsprout description that sounds like Cleaning Business Life:When a patient enters a hospital, trust is assumed.Patients trust doctors, nur...
Every Business Has a Comforter Problem (And It's Not About Bedding) Ep. 216
At first glance, this episode is about comforters, duvets, quilts, and Airbnb bedding.But it quickly becomes something much bigger.After reading more than 70 comments in a Facebook discussion among short-term rental owners, Shanno...
Why We Created CleanCon: The Story Behind the Movement | Ep. 215
Have you ever wondered how CleanCon came to life?In this episode of Cleaning Business Life, Jamie Runco and Shannon Miller sit down with the four co-founders of CleanCon—Holly Moore, Molly Moran, Drew Larison, and Erin Larison—t...
Training Day One: What Should It Look Like? Ep. 214
Welcome back to Cleaning Business Life!Hiring someone is only the first step. What happens on their very first day can have a lasting impact on whether they become a confident, long-term employee—or start looking for another job...
Interview Red Flags: How to Hire Better Employees | Ep 213
Hiring the wrong employee can cost you far more than a few days of training.It can cost you customers, morale, time, and confidence.In this episode of Cleaning Business Life, Shannon Miller and Jamie Runco discuss the interview re...
Your Customers Don't Pay for YOU for HARD WORK | EP 212
Your Customers Don't Pay You for Hard WorkWorking hard is something to be proud of.But here's the truth many business owners need to hear...Your customers don't pay you for how hard you worked. They pay you for th...
Culture Starts at the Top with Paul Germo | Ep. 210
Company culture isn't built by accident—it starts with leadership.In this episode of Cleaning Business Life, Shannon sits down with Paul Germo for an honest conversation about what really creates a strong company culture. They explore th...
The Company Needs Protection From You | Ep. 209
As business owners, we spend a lot of time worrying about competitors, the economy, staffing, pricing, and finding new customers.But what if the biggest threat to your business is sitting in the owner's chair?In this episode of Cl...
I Built an Entire System to Avoid Wearing Culottes | Ep. 208
I was taught from a young age to follow the rules.The problem was... I hated the rules.More specifically, I hated culottes.What followed was an elaborate daily operation involving school uniforms, carefully rolled clothing,...
Stop Selling Time. Sell the Scope of Work ~ Holly Moore | Ep. 207
What does it really take to build an $11.5 million cleaning company?In this episode of Cleaning Business Life, Jamie Runco and Shannon Miller sit down with Holly Moore, founder of Maids & Moore, creator of The Cleaning Software, Foun...
From $100K to $2M: The Systems Behind Growth | Ep. 206
Growth is exciting—until it starts breaking everything underneath it.In this episode of Cleaning Business Life, Shannon Miller and Jamie Runco discuss the scaling pains that every cleaning business owner eventually faces as their company...