Lifting Others Through Laundry | Always Lifting Ep. 11

Today’s guests are Ally and MC, lifelong friends, moms, and co-founders of Lessen the Loads, a service that helps families (and more) offload laundry and clutter so they can get time back for what matters most.

Topics Discussed: 
- How a real-life “overwhelmed mom” moment sparked the business
- Going from lab partners to business partners and why their friendship works
- Building a flexible, well-paid work opportunity for moms in the community
- How the business expanded beyond families to seniors and local businesses
- Early challenges, trial-and-error lessons, and their mantra: “Say yes, figure it out later”
- Creating culture with a remote contractor team through appreciation and support
- The unexpected things found in laundry (yes, it gets wild)
- The bigger message: outsourcing without guilt and choosing services over stuff

See links below for more info about Lesson Loads! 
Learn more about Lesson Loads and their services https://lessentheloads.com/
Follow them on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lessen.the.loads/
Follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lessentheloads
Connect with them info@lessentheloads.com

Transcript

0:13

Today's guests are the definition of a perfect partnership. Lifelong friends, moms, entrepreneurs, and the creators of one of my favorite life hacks. Allie and MC are the co-founders of Lessen the Loads, a business built from a moment of real life challenge that now lifts the burden of laundry and clutter, freeing up families to focus on what truly matters. Their story is fun, heartfelt, and a great reminder that sometimes the best ideas come from everyday struggles. Alley and MC, I am thrilled that you're here. Thank you. So are we. We're so excited. Thanks, Karen. So, yeah, my favorite life hack. Uh, I love your service, and we'll get into what that is. So thank you for coming. And one of the things that I think is so cool is that you guys are lifelong friends. So why don't we start? MC, why don't you talk a little bit? How long have you known each other? Let's talk a little bit about your friendship. Sure, sure, definitely. So um Allie and I have known each other. Um, well, I don't want to put numbers on it at this point. So I won't put numbers on it, but since high school, so we actually were in the same homeroom from day one. And um we were in the same homeroom the whole four years. Shout out to A5 uh from from Pius. Um but our junior year was when we had to take uh chemistry, and that was when we really became close-knit. Uh we were actually tagged up as lab partners, and so now I joke, you know, we went from lab partners to business partners and it all it all just. And MC's the only reason I passed chemistry. I just want to put that out there. I would not have passed without her. Playing to each other's strengths, right? Literally. Yeah, yes. Awesome. Well, the whole idea then that's led you to where you are today with Lessons Aload came from, I think, what you guys have described as this moment of feeling overwhelmed. Allie, why don't you tell us a little bit about what that was like and and sort of the spark that created all of this? Yeah, and so I'm Emsy and I have been friends, you know, ever since then. Um, but really Lesson Aload started after I had my third baby. Um, and he was gonna be my last baby at the time. Didn't end up working out that way because now I have a fourth. But um, you know, I am not the household diva type person. Um, you know, that stuff has never come like naturally to me that I enjoy doing. You know, I don't like folding laundry. I know a lot of people do, um, which I've since learned. Uh bless you for being the one who brings that to us. Um, but honestly, I was I was sitting in my rocker, you know, with my last baby at the time, sitting there for a nap. He was, he was sleeping. And I'm sitting there staring at mounds, and I'm not kidding you when I say mounds of laundry piles, and I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt for sitting there holding him while I was napping, why while he was napping. And I was like, this is ridiculous that I feel like I shouldn't I need to put him down and I should be folding laundry or doing household stuff. Um, you know, I I should have just been able to enjoy that moment, right? Last baby napping. No, I felt so guilty. And that was a turning point for me. I was like, this is ridiculous. This is absurd that I feel this way. Something needs to change. And after that, I hired a mom off of a local Facebook group because I was like, I laundry is my biggest pain point. You know, other other people, it was it's other things, right? But laundry for me was it. I could get it washed, but I couldn't get it. You know, those next steps are really difficult and time consuming. Laundry is the most time-consuming thing because I always say you can go and wash a few dishes all in all in the same time frame. Laundry, you can't do that. You have to put it in the washer. You need to wait for, you know, it's like a whole process. Um I can't before you all I can't tell you the number of times I've washed something before I started using service and I and I forgot about it. And then you got a washer and got really nasty and stinky, and then I had to wash it again. And then you're like washing the same load three times, which is so re which is, yeah, it's ridiculous. Anyways, so um I hired a mom off of a local mom's group. She came in and changed my entire life. She would just start out coming in for three hours every single week just to fold and put away my laundry. And then I realized there's something missing here for everybody else, right? Everybody couldn't believe I hired somebody just to fold and put away laundry. It was like an absurd concept to people. They were like, what? Like, that's a thing. And I was like, well, it's not. Right. Or we're gonna make it a thing. Because I truly felt that household help should be affordable and readily available to moms in all, you know, that come from all different kinds of families or have all different kinds of families. And so really, MC and I then um, you know, were chatting one day and I was like, you know, guys, this changed my life. And Emce was the only one out of our friends who was crazy enough to say, let's do it. And four years later, I love that you are like busting this myth that everybody has to be like a super mom or a super, you know, whatever. And and I know um for anybody who's tuning in, like you might look at me and be like, oh, Karen, she's got it all figured out. She's got but I have lots of people who are helping me. And so I think by busting the myth, you have to do it all yourself and and that you know, somehow you have to be able to juggle everything. Um, and you can't ask your health. I think it's a it's a really great myth to bust. The only way that you can actually be a super mom or do it all, right? It doesn't even have to be a mom, like just doing it all, right, as a business owner, as someone who has a million different priorities is asking for help. Yeah, right. That's the only way that people get all these things done and they think, oh, I've got it all figured out. Well, yeah, because I said, hey, I need help. And the reality is for most people, folding and putting away laundry isn't really moving the needle much for them, right? Most people aren't enjoying that, or that's not really impactful for their family, where they could be spending time in, you know, other areas. And that's really what it was for me. Like that's not really doing much for me. I don't enjoy it. No, no, no, actually doing quite the opposite. Like, um, so I've never been happier. I've I haven't done really my laundry in four years now. Amazing. I haven't put a thing in a drawer. Amazing. Uh and so where when did you realize? So you come together, you you have this moment where you're like, okay, you figure you you you want everybody to be able to have this. How do you how do you make that happen? And and where how are you guys making this partnership happen? Tell me more. So so like Ali said, it was a couple of girlfriends we were sitting around one day and she said, I think there's something here. And you know we always say, like, we're crazy enough to say yes, and we'll figure it out later. And and that's we've done that from day one. And that was in that moment we said, Okay, yes, let's figure this out. So I think I said to her, All right, I'm coming over on Monday, we're gonna figure out some a way to do this, you know. And I think, you know, the big thing for us was that when she had posted, so she hired a local mom, but then that mom actually ended up needing to to move on and and she did something else. So she needed to find somebody to replace her. And when she posted in a in a mom's group, it blew up. And there was people saying, I need the service. There was people saying, I want this, you know, I want to work I want to work for you. So we thought, well, it's it's simple as posting in a mom's group. Like I think that's really, you know, all we need to do. And that's literally all we have done for the last four years has been posting in moms groups. Because let's be honest, moms are running the household, right? And they're the ones that are looking for for that help. And that's that's exactly how it it took off. And we we quickly realized, I mean, you know, her and I sat down and I said, Okay, you can kind of, you know, run the background, I'll do the laundry, you know, that's kind of how it was gonna work. And we didn't think, you know, it would I guess jump off as quickly as it did. And we quickly were like, oh my gosh, we need to hire, we need to hire people, we need to hire. And then what turned into well, let's hire stay-at-home moms because they're the ones that one are pros at this at this job, and two, you know, now this is giving them an opportunity to make income or bring income in for their family where they otherwise might not have been able to do that because they don't have, you know, that flexibility, right? Like this provides that opportunity for them to pick it up with their kids in the car or, you know, do a quick job when their kids are in daycare for the for two hours or preschool, you know. Yep. Um and that's really important to us. That was really that was, you know, very original early on. We were like, we want to provide a flexible, good paying income opportunity to moms who otherwise wouldn't be able to work because of the little ones at home. Um, and so, you know, even off the bat, we pay more than any other laundry service out there. I mean, this was but you know, even our accountant was like, I wouldn't I wouldn't do that. And uh since day one, we have paid more than any other laundry service um to our girls. And it's nice because they're all contractors, they pick their own schedule, they pick the jobs they want. They say yes or no to anything. So if it doesn't fit their family, doesn't work for their family, they don't take it. So we're we're really passionate both ways about helping families obviously offload, you know, household tasks, but also really passionate about supporting women in our communities and and giving them a way to earn money at home. It's one of my favorite things about your model is that is that win win-win piece of it, right? Like that, you know, you have it and you the way it comes folded and the and it's just it's it's a miracle. I didn't know. It's a miracle that can be that can happen. So I feel like alone, it's awesome to have that help. And then to know that you're then helping, you know, moms at home and and the whole model of that, all of that, I think, is fantastic. Um going back a little bit to the strengths you bring. So I ha, you know, you both you're friends, and you're balancing friendship, you're balancing your business. Um, feels to me like you, the one who kind of maybe I think is even the one who has the special folding thing that you're teaching everyone, and you're bringing sort of the energy and maybe the behind the scenes. Tal talk a little bit about your roles and how, you know, what pieces you're doing and and now and how that has evolved. Well, I would say initially it started out, like we said, you know, Allie was gonna be in the background through the scheduling. Very like, you know, customer client focused. My background is actually um, I I used to be an executive assistant, that is my entire career. Um so very um customer service based. Well versed in customer client interaction, right? Providing a stellar experience, making sure everything kind of runs the way it should is was really my my thing. So, but since then it's definitely, you know, shifted, but uh but also I would say it's still has remained true. It has. Um you know uh bigger picture type deals. I I'm still very much focused on how are we providing a great experience, though I'm not the one directly responding to clients now at this time, but um still very much kind of in charge of all of that and then supporting it. Yeah. And um and then I was kind of uh, you know, feet on the ground um out there doing, like I said, doing the laundry initially. Um we, you know, we started an organization kind of sector of of the business as well because we realized it naturally goes hand in hand. So I was a lot of, you know, on those jobs early on, um, kind of help help leading those jobs and now, you know, haven't had to be on those jobs as much anymore. I mean, we both now have little ones at home, so our you know, roles have definitely shifted a bit. Um, but now we have an amazing team who, you know, we have a lead organizer, she's fantastic. She she just runs those jobs so seamlessly and provides, you know, a stellar as as you know, right, Karen? Because you just recently re recently had an organization. Um so yeah, so they're out there now kind of doing the do and and you know, we're we're behind the scenes supporting in ways that that we can and and also just trying to, you know, get doing things like this, get our name out there a little bit more and and really just you know grow the business. Yeah. Well you've as an entrepr entrepreneurs, you've figured out how to delegate, how to, you know, give opportunities to others, and and when you do that, you really can help supercharge and grow. Um right. It's a it even goes back to your idea of helping other people, right? It's the same sort of model, right? Yeah, yeah, it definitely is. So fun. Um you also, you know, if if we if we talk a little bit about the the mental load of motherhood, and you talked a lot about wanting to give breathing rooms to families. And as you know, I actually don't have children, I have a husband and a dog. Um, but I do, I am a business owner and my life is busy. So your business has evolved too, right? So now you're helping not only um moms but but others. You want to talk a little bit about some of that work that's shown up? Definitely, I know, you know, and we've talked about this. Like I started getting my laundry done before I had a little one, and it was so life-changing just because we were running a business. My husband also owns a business. So, you know, having both people be business owners in the household, you don't have time to the laundry takes a long time. So even just, you know, for for folks that have busy lives, like we talked about. Um, but no, I think, you know, right now, obviously we started as helping busy families, right? That was the main goal. But now we've been able to venture into different businesses. Um, we're helping a lot of the elderly, which is fantastic because, you know, maybe they can't go down the stairs where their, you know, washer and dryer is, or they can't carry the baskets as as far. And um, you know, different rehab places, I mean, beauty salons, um passage parlor. Yeah, whatever you want to call them. It's like what is it? I think it you're good. Yeah, schools. Right, like we're gonna do uh a big sleepaway camp. So nice. Yeah, we just um and then some other, you know. Exciting things. Yeah. Yeah. So we're we're definitely venturing into other areas, which is which is wild because that it like I said, when we sat, you know, at the table and talked about we just want to help some busy families, you know, it's it's really evolved into way more than that. And you realize everybody has laundry, everybody needs help with laundry. Well and you told me before, I think it's like 40,000 pounds of laundry that gets done in a week, which I always translate in my world of metal and crayons, I translate that to tons. That's 20 tons of laundry. Um and over, is it 300 families that you're you're touching? Over 300 families a week. Growing, I'm sure. And yes, and growing. Yeah. What are some of the challenges that you had to kind of overcome early on? Anything that sticks out in your mind as you were kind of going to the phase where you're at now. You know, we it's interesting because we we jumped into something that we had no experience zero. And like we were, it's not even like we came from like running another type of business. We still both had full-time jobs and we were learning on the fly. Yeah, we didn't like quit our jobs and was like we're like all in on this. This was we still both had full-time jobs. I had three kids at home and we're trying to figure out now how to run a laundry business that quickly took off. Yeah. That was not like you know, we would thought we were gonna have a little bit of time there to like figure the things out, and it didn't really work out that way, which is such a blessing. Um, I think there was a lot of initial just like nitty-gritty logistics and things that you don't think about when you're doing other people's laundry. I mean, our entire business was then or has since been built on a lot of trial and error, right? A lot of things that we didn't even think about that happened that we, you know, have then implemented a process, so something, right, to change it or to figure it out. Um it it honestly, there was a lot of we always uh you know, I always go back to this mantra that we have, but it's it's it's so true. We say yes and we figure it out later. We always say yes. We always say yes. Someone asks us to do so. Yes. Well, we got you. We'll figure it out. We might be always like, uh We might be freaking out behind the scenes. We got it. Yeah, sure is always working. And honestly, I would we have. It's crazy because I would say we are successful now because of that. We are two people who are willing to do whatever it takes. And we were willing, and you know what? I think we were both not that we were unhappy in corporate America. Right, no. I didn't think I was going to do very well-paying jobs. We left great. People thought we were crazy. They delusion. Literally thought my parents were like, What are you doing? My parents said the same. Like, you're we're gonna check me into an institution. What are you doing? Like literally. No, they they thought something was wrong with us. Yeah. And we said, we promised there's something here. My dad's like, you're gonna leave all these benefits, and like, yes, you know, but then when we tell people now, we have 70 people, we have 70 women working for us. Fantastic. You know, like it just My dad is the most shocked person in the entire earth about this whole situation. Well, it's awesome. I hear you were brave enough to go for it. Yes, right? Leap of faith. You are obviously passionate about what you're doing and aligning up your passion, aligning that up, you know, with the what I like to think of like the integrity of what you want. You, this service meant something to you. So it's truly you found an opportunity for improvement and translated it in. And then on top of it, you have one of my favorite things, which is grit. If there's an obstacle in your way, you figure out how to go around it, move it, do whatever, and you just keep going despite obstacles. And I, you know, it's just awesome uh to see all of that. Yeah, I would say it's definitely, you know, it sounds like it was all fun and games. But there, you know, you talk about grit. I mean, I do think there is a lot of that that we that we do have that we probably don't even realize that we have, but there were days where, you know, There's a lot of days where we were like, what are we doing? Yeah, but but you you power through. You power through and you realize how good it can be on the other side, you know? It's great. And you're taking that those the the those pain points, those moments of frustration, and it it what I hear is you just you just keep finding a way to improve upon what you're doing and you're learning. And learning, right? And that's the mindset I think that's and that's what we always said, you know. Yeah, we oh that's another mantra I think that we have is just we're always like we're learning a lesson, this was a lesson, right? Like it happened because it we needed to know about it. Yeah, exactly. I think that is such good advice for anybody, you know, starting a business or just in life in general, right? Like all of the the pain moments, the struggles, like that's what makes us awesome and able to do the things that we do, right? That's where growth arrives, is in those spaces. Yeah. Yeah. And I was gonna say, like, there would there would be so many times, especially early on. I mean, even now, that we could be defeated and be like, this is, you know, if this is too much. I mean, and it is a lot, like even now, today, now it's a lot. Um, but you know, we we always, always are are rising above that and looking at like long-term picture, like, you know, and I always say, we'll never quit on a bad day. Right. Never quit on a bad day. And and the fact that we get to do it together. Uh I mean, if I didn't have her, I I would have quit. I I think I think that's also another, you know, have somebody in your corner, basically, that that is there and that understands what you're going through. Um, I think that completely, you know, you have your sister. Like it there's something about having a partner that just completely understand and gets it, and you don't even need to necessarily talk sometimes. It's just and like on my bad days, she's good, right? Invite she has bad days. Right. It has worked seamlessly. Yeah. And a lot of people were like, you know, you're going into business with your friend, you know, that that could pose a lot of problems. Uh right. We had we haven't had one problem. None. Yeah. That's great. Well, and you have that trust between each other, it seems you know you can really talk about anything. It's not like a friend we met, like, you know, at the bar when we were 28. Right, right. You know what I mean? Yeah. She helped me pass chemistry. I mean a lot of trust there. Chemistry from chemistry. I like it. What's been one of the most unexpected or fun parts about building this business? Oh, that's a good question. You know, I I the I would say the most fun and the most rewarding thing has been getting to know all of the women that we would have not otherwise connected with in this lifetime. Yeah. You know, we have learned so much about, you know, not only other people and their their situations, but I think it I think it also has really grounded us um too. Yeah. And it it it's been fun. You know, it's been fun getting to go and meet them. And, you know, because sometimes we, you know, bring somebody on and We d don't immediately meet them for ever. Right. Um, but it has been really fun, you know, getting to be on some jobs with them and, you know, just it's been extremely rewarding. Yeah. Yeah, I would agree with you. You know, we kind of have our own little girl gang here and it's just once again, it's, you know, it's people that understand your situation, right? So every single person that we've hired, most most of them have have kids at home, right? They're going through it just as much as anybody else. So, you know, just being able to to connect with them and and also have an outlet as well, right? Because now, you know, like we joke, but we also have a couple other friends that we've been long-term friends with that work with us and for us now. Um, and and we joke, you know, we get to go to work and we get to hang out with our friends. So it's literally how it feels. It's really great. Yeah. It's really great. And and we're we're really intentional too about building a really great culture. You know, even though they are all contractors and, you know, they work solo and and and do their own own thing, we're really intentional about, you know, what does what do our internal systems look like to still create a community for them, you know, to kind of be together if they choose that they want to. How do culture is so important for businesses, you know. I'm a huge believer in as the, you know, for me, I always say the CEO is job, part of that is culture. For you, you both, I think culture as owners, right? Culture is such a big important job. What are some of those intentional things that you're doing to build that culture with them? Because you really have kind of the ultimate remote workforce, right? Like, and I'm sure there's some insights that people would love to hear about. I think one of the main things is really showing appreciation for your team and making sure that they know, you know, that they are appreciated. So we do a lot of things, you know, we just had um we started this kind of trend last year. We do this week of thanks, like right around Thanksgiving, and we try and do different things too, you know, it's hard for remote work, right? To figure out something that is gonna work for everybody, or, you know, we can't all get together necessarily and have like a big celebration, right? Um, so we're doing different things, you know, remotely to just show that we care, right? And and we appreciate all the work that that they are doing. And I think they will tell, you know, tell anybody that they do feel appreciated. I, you know, I bet you if you asked anyone, and this is not to toot our own horns. No, but I bet you if you asked anybody that works for less than the loads or has in the past, they would say that they felt appreciated and that we've had a number of people say, even in my old corporate job or you know, other places that I've worked, I've never felt like this, you know, this appreciated. It's awesome. So I think doing things like that and really. I mean, it can just be like little things. It doesn't have to be. We're talking about like little things like we uh like this is something so simple that we often do. We'll often put a couple hundred dollars on a Starbucks or Duncan gift card and post it in, you know, our internal systems, and they can go, you know, get a coffee or or a treat on us a couple times a year, or you know, whatever. That's just something small. Um we we do other things. We we sent um grocery vouchers this Thanksgiving so everybody could get a you know, turkey, ham, or whatever they chose. Um just like things like that. Um, that basically says, like, we see you, we appreciate you. Thanks for being here. Yeah. I mean, even even just, you know, two, we learn a lot about their lives, right? And and obviously we're dealing with with human beings, right? That people, not just a job, right? So I think that's another thing that that you want to keep, you know, in your in the forefront of your mind. And um, you know, we've had folks whose whose parents have passed away or that, you know, they're going through a rough time. We're just sending them flowers, right? Like, you know, they've had a miscarriage. Um, you know, so like we're sending them flowers, right? It's it's little things, but that can really add up and just make them feel so loved. And I think that's really the one thing. Like, I was gonna say, sorry to interrupt you. I was gonna say too, like the the great thing too about this uh job for women is that right, if they had something happen like that, right? Of course we're sending flowers, but we're also saying like take the time. You you you have all the time that you need you take whatever time you you come back to us whenever the the time is good, right? Um and that is the beauty of this this um company too. Yeah, it's awesome. Yeah, I can feel the love you have for your people. I think it's so important, and culture isn't something that just happens overnight and you have to um cultivate it. I always like to say, be a gardener, you have to really keep keep growing and working on it and nurturing it. And it sounds like you guys do a great job of that. Thank you. I have some fun questions for you. Um, you know, I know I have many things that show up in this cute little baggie when I get my my laundry with this beautiful note from Alexandra saying, and it's like, you know, I leave stuff no matter what I do. For me, it's chapstick. There's always like a form of chapstick um in in everything that I didn't realize how much I'm carrying that around. But what is you're finding crazy stuff, I would imagine, in people's laundry. What's some of the what's one of the craziest things that you found um in while doing the laundry service? Oh, very that you're willing to share. There's been a lot. Some are unmentionables. I was gonna say so uh everything under the sun, you you can't even imagine. Like there's a lot. There's a lot. Um but the other crazy one was one of our other laundry specialists actually found a wallet full of credit cards with all different names on them. Was it the credit cards or no, and licenses. Yes. So it was like a it was some sort of big alias situation going on there. Yeah. Yeah. And then they like abruptly stopped service too shortly after. Well, maybe that's good. Yeah, we don't want to. For sure. Maybe that's good. Yeah, I was like, please return it and let's get it. Well, and you guys seem to have a discretion where you're just sort of you send it back and you move on and and uh We try. Yeah. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Well, we also don't want to embarrass people. Yeah. Well, maybe not in the the the criminal situation. But like, you know, like I'm sure that person didn't mean to send yes. Right. That so interesting. Insight into us as humans and and what we do is so so interesting. Um you know, if we talk a little bit about the fact that you guys are living and breathing laundry, you know, is there some tip or trick or or like a myth you want to bust for people about like, you know, I don't I don't know, anything that that you want to share um about just people doing their laundry and what they should be thinking about? I was gonna say I have one that I found out a couple I think we talked about this. Okay. But most of the time when you see a tag that says dry clean only, it's BS. Really? Yes. Because they put that tag on there uh before even I think they're like determining what the material is or something I it was ridiculous, like but I read it and I was like, oh my gosh. So you could put everything in the wash, basically. That's crazy. Put it on delicate, wash it on cold, hang on, hang it dry. Hang it dry. You'll be fine. Anymore now when when I see like not that you know we do send dry clean only back. Like we won't, you know, we won't, or we'll ask you. Um, but with my clothes, you know, my laundry specialist will ask me, like, do you want me to hand wash this? Do you want me to dry clean? And I'm like, nah, throw it in. Throw it in. If you want to hang dry, that's great. Yeah, yeah. Oh, that's great. Yeah. Dry clean only is BS. Good to know. The more you know. The more you know, the more I mean I'm sure like remote. Don't send us a wedding gown. Right, right. Right. One would think. Or like a thousand dollar suit. Yeah. But there is a lot of stuff that has dry clean only on it, though. They're kind of like a lot of the stuff from like Sheen. Yes. Yes. Which is like $2. Right. Says dry clean only, but probably because it's, you know, disintegrating. Yeah, literally. It's for the stitching, maybe. Yeah. Something. Is there, you know, something that in your story, maybe either you each of you could speak to this if you would like, is that you think you're giving people permission to do. And I'll lead you on a little bit with this. I feel like this has to do around that whole idea that you had back in the day of feeling that incredible guilt. You know? Um, what do you feel that you guys are are giving others the permission to do with that in mind? I was gonna say, like, you know, outsource and get the help that you need. There's no, there should be no shame, and I know there is like a huge, you know, shame cloud and over hiring help, but really we're in a day and age where that is so necessary, right? Like the reality is is most families need both partners to work now, right? Like that is just kind of how it's rolling. Um, you know, things continue to get more expensive, but time is the most valuable asset we all have, right? Still, that'll never change because you only get a certain amount of it. Um hire the help you need to be able to spend the time and focus on the areas of life that are more important to you, whether that's your family, your business, your dog, it you know, it's it's different for for everyone, but um, that's what you know we're really passionate about. And then also I would say too, like this is something that has changed for us since starting this business, too. And it kind of goes a little bit more into the organization piece, but service over stuff. We are, I mean, we live and breathe this now. You know, when we gift people things, we're thinking about what kind of service is really gonna give the gift of help, right? Like what is going to help take something off of somebody's plate? Is it a cleaning service? Is it meal? Is it prepared meals? Which there's a great place, you know, in Payoli that we go. And we've gifted friends like prepared meals because they're going through a hard time or they don't have right, they're busy professionals. What can you gift somebody that's not another mug, candle? We all got that crap, right? Right. That's because that's gonna cause more anxiety at the end of the day. People don't want the stuff. We're moving also towards more of a minimalist society, despite all of the stuff and crap you can buy. We're big service over stuff people here. Um it's great advice, great gift advice, too. I I think that's awesome. Oh, yeah, definitely, definitely services over stuff for sure, or experiences even. So you guys are high energy. Well, I just to comment on that, just another moment before I get to to the the energy level, which I love. You know, you're really I have a mantra that I always talk about. And I actually I have it in my business. It's called hashtag make it easy. It's one of the our strategic directives. And it's around, you know, making it easy inside the business in our processes and making it easy, you know, um, working together so that the the real problem isn't working together, it's working on the hard, difficult things that we do. And then I also apply it to my personal life where, you know, what can I do to make my life easier? What has uh the biggest impact that can feel luxurious, but not necessarily have to break the bank. And I feel like the service that you're doing, um the way you're giving people that time back and refining what that support looks like is such a beautiful gift of make it easy. Awesome. Awesome. Thank you. All right. Now back to you guys. You're your like moms, your business owners, um, I'm missing something there. You're like so you're busy, okay? And you're and you've got this business, super passionate about it. How do you guys keep yourself, you know, energized? What do you do to recharge? Um, or as I like to say, is there something that you do that lifts you so that you can kind of continue on this journey in a place of joy? What lifts you, man? I'd love to know. Oh, God, you yeah. You're just trying to think of an answer right now. Um, well, I do once again, I'm gonna, you know, bring us back to the both of us. You know, I think we feed off of each other. Um, and we are truly passionate about what we're doing. I mean, this is, you know, some people say, like, you know, oh, I just work all the time. Yeah, we do work all the time, but we also have a lot of fun as well. And I think that is really, you know, that's what sparks me, at least, is that, you know, yesterday we got off a phone call. Um Oh my gosh, we were so excited. We were so excited. She tells me she's like, Don't get off the call with me. We need to figure this out. It was like, I'm so excited, let's keep it. But I and it was about business, you know. But I don't know. There's just something about, you know, doing this with, you know, one of your best friends, doing it for other people to make their lives easier, helping a million women, you know, be able to provide for their family. Not a million. Maybe one day it'll be a million. Maybe I was gonna say that's a good one. I think we've made a lot of that. Um you know, it it is. I mean, it I think we've really kind of just found our niche in laundry, ironically, but you know, we're able to do so much with this that it it is, it's it it's what lights me up. It really is. That's so nice. I love that. It's true. I don't think you think I'm I think I don't think you think I'm serious. No, I love that. What's yours? Come on, answer. I gave you two minutes. Yep. Um, I gotta agree. Like, you know, what's that saying? It's like if you figure out what you like to do, you never work a day in your life. Yep. And honestly, that's it's true. That's truly how it feels. It's just a blessing that obviously we're best friends, and and doing it together that has just made it all the more fun. That I I feel like, you know, a lot of people talk about like burnout and stuff like that, and I just feel like we are s nowhere near that, that this just feels so natural. Natural, and we're just still so excited about it that I don't, yeah. Yeah. You've got great alignment, and I feel like if if one of you were to approach burnout, um, you're gonna the other one's gonna tell you. Yeah. I feel like you're you're, you know what I mean? And um perhaps that's how you're managing it. You know what? It's interesting you say that because like she is very much someone who will do anything for anyone over herself times a hundred. To the point it's almost a fault to some degree. Yes. Like, and it's funny, I was like, oh, I've gotta figure out like what I'm doing my hair how I'm doing my hair for the podcast, like, right? And she this is the type of person she is, right? Doing all these other things that she's doing, about a trillion a day. She's like, I'll blow out your hair for you. I'm like, man, you're we're doing hair now? Like, no, you're not gonna blow my hair out for me. But you can help myself. Like, I'm just like, what is wrong with you? Um so it's just a blessing to thanks. It's we she makes it fun. It's great. Um, so yeah, you're lifting families. You guys are doing all of this amazing stuff. Um, I just want to really thank you for sharing your story with us, for bringing, for giving me my Saturdays back. Um, I can actually spend them with my husband. Love it. And you know, it's really a beautiful example how real life friendship and courage, right? The courage to go out and believe in yourselves that you could turn this into something really creates something that lifts. And your your partnership, your mission, and your joy are such a gift to everyone around you. So kudos on your ripple effect. That's sweet. So thank you for lifting so many and for being here today. This was fantastic. We loved it. Thank you. The enormous help that Ali and MC offer their customers is proof that lifting others is not only fulfilling, but it's good for business when you show that you care. For more on Less in the Loads and their growing operation, see the show notes below. If you haven't already, give us a subscribe and don't forget to always lift!