WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:11.850 Ricky: This is Ricky Rigolotto, CEO and founder rolls out with surfaces. 00:00:12.090 --> 00:00:14.700 Welcome to cleaning and cocktails. 00:00:20.490 --> 00:00:25.830 Got one and only here with me, Aja Simmons at saved from Cleveland's network. 00:00:26.229 --> 00:00:29.020 Well, he's also got a couple of other businesses and jobs 00:00:29.529 --> 00:00:30.459 that he's involved with. 00:00:30.790 --> 00:00:31.900 We'll get into that further. 00:00:32.110 --> 00:00:33.879 But AIJ thank you for joining me, 00:00:33.879 --> 00:00:34.030 AJ: man. 00:00:35.640 --> 00:00:37.839 You already know it was a pleasure and I appreciate you even 00:00:37.849 --> 00:00:39.430 inviting me and having me all. 00:00:39.519 --> 00:00:40.120 Ricky: Alright man. 00:00:40.150 --> 00:00:40.540 All right. 00:00:40.550 --> 00:00:44.590 Well it's funny cause last time it was you on the other, me on the other 00:00:44.590 --> 00:00:45.910 side of receiving the questions. 00:00:46.360 --> 00:00:47.650 I wanted to pay it back cause I. 00:00:48.300 --> 00:00:51.720 I think this is a great episode for not only, you know the audience 00:00:51.720 --> 00:00:54.419 that you already have, but this audience in general, right? 00:00:54.419 --> 00:00:57.059 There's so many small business owners. 00:00:57.059 --> 00:01:01.080 Cause again, this is geared towards the small business community where, where 00:01:01.500 --> 00:01:05.129 we're trying to empower our cleaning industry with all the knowledge that 00:01:05.129 --> 00:01:09.690 we can give them all the tips, all the advice, the pitfalls, the successes. 00:01:10.289 --> 00:01:11.520 There's a lot to talk about, right? 00:01:12.479 --> 00:01:15.840 So to kick things off, for those who don't know, you. 00:01:16.274 --> 00:01:20.264 What's a good two, three minute intro to Aja civics. 00:01:20.654 --> 00:01:21.255 AJ: All right. 00:01:21.255 --> 00:01:24.074 So I'll try to be as brief as possible cause it goes back. 00:01:24.255 --> 00:01:24.554 Right. 00:01:25.755 --> 00:01:31.184 But similar to you, I started off as a franchise, um, for half one 00:01:31.244 --> 00:01:35.565 early when I was 19, when then I was the whole franchise owner. 00:01:35.565 --> 00:01:39.255 So, uh, I basically lost most of my accounts. 00:01:39.264 --> 00:01:41.085 I sold the restaurants, got out of the business. 00:01:41.520 --> 00:01:42.450 Try some other things. 00:01:42.450 --> 00:01:45.360 Got back into the business when I was around about 23, I think it 00:01:45.360 --> 00:01:47.520 was, and that's when I bought it. 00:01:47.520 --> 00:01:51.539 And I, one franchise owner, the honorable mention award, uh, did pretty well. 00:01:51.750 --> 00:01:52.830 Um, and then. 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:56.850 Got out of the franchise and decided to start clean this network to 00:01:56.850 --> 00:01:59.820 start helping other cleaning co, other clean professionals who want 00:01:59.820 --> 00:02:02.520 to be entrepreneurs, you know, and give them an option outside 00:02:02.520 --> 00:02:03.740 of cleaning, franchise and school. 00:02:03.750 --> 00:02:06.750 And then also for those who did back when we franchise, still give them some 00:02:06.990 --> 00:02:10.590 support because even with the cleaner franchise, as you may know, there's 00:02:10.590 --> 00:02:11.880 still some things that you missed. 00:02:11.940 --> 00:02:12.480 You know what I mean? 00:02:12.480 --> 00:02:15.390 So I just figured out kind of be a one off solution to help. 00:02:15.820 --> 00:02:16.930 Other people, you know, other points. 00:02:18.100 --> 00:02:19.690 For the most part, that's pretty much me. 00:02:19.810 --> 00:02:23.920 Um, on my YouTube for you, I think I'm on my sixth year now on YouTube, 00:02:23.920 --> 00:02:27.310 so I kind of build a little file one for myself and I'm just trying 00:02:27.310 --> 00:02:28.450 to help as many people as possible. 00:02:29.290 --> 00:02:29.760 Ricky: Awesome. 00:02:30.070 --> 00:02:30.430 Awesome. 00:02:30.460 --> 00:02:32.110 Don't be, don't be so modest, man. 00:02:32.110 --> 00:02:35.740 You definitely have a good community, but you actually just reminded me right there. 00:02:36.370 --> 00:02:36.970 Everybody. 00:02:37.030 --> 00:02:38.380 This is cleaning the cocktails. 00:02:38.440 --> 00:02:40.340 So here's our drinks that we got going on. 00:02:40.600 --> 00:02:41.590 What is this Wednesday though? 00:02:42.030 --> 00:02:44.339 At four o'clock, I tap you out or somewhere. 00:02:44.820 --> 00:02:45.450 AJ: Absolutely. 00:02:47.160 --> 00:02:47.640 Ricky: Awesome. 00:02:47.820 --> 00:02:51.690 Well, Hey, Jay, let's, let's get into the industry itself, right? 00:02:51.750 --> 00:02:57.030 Um, there's so much to talk about, but I like to keep it to where we ask some 00:02:57.030 --> 00:03:00.149 questions and then, you know, just give me your personal thoughts on them. 00:03:00.149 --> 00:03:00.390 Right. 00:03:00.690 --> 00:03:05.100 So first off, you got into it a little bit on how you got into the cleaning industry. 00:03:05.940 --> 00:03:09.810 But would you, would you change anything about how you got into this space? 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:12.750 You know, like, did you anticipate getting into this space the way you 00:03:12.750 --> 00:03:18.210 did, or was it by accident or just give us the outlook on how you got 00:03:18.210 --> 00:03:19.470 into it and would you have changed 00:03:19.470 --> 00:03:19.740 AJ: anything. 00:03:20.535 --> 00:03:20.865 Yeah. 00:03:20.865 --> 00:03:24.285 So obviously, you know, looking at half site, if I had the information 00:03:24.285 --> 00:03:27.015 that I have now, obviously I could say I would have went independent from 00:03:27.015 --> 00:03:29.895 the beginning, but the truth of the matter is I want to change anything 00:03:29.895 --> 00:03:34.215 because you know, coming straight off the street the way that I was, and I 00:03:34.215 --> 00:03:36.165 had no, I had nobody to look up to. 00:03:36.165 --> 00:03:37.575 You know, Instagram today. 00:03:38.070 --> 00:03:40.920 You got all these different entrepreneurs you could reach out to ask for advice. 00:03:40.920 --> 00:03:43.440 There's YouTube videos everywhere, but back then I 00:03:43.440 --> 00:03:44.820 didn't even know what YouTube was. 00:03:45.210 --> 00:03:49.080 So, uh, I definitely want to change it and how I got into the business. 00:03:49.080 --> 00:03:51.720 I think all of those experiences helped me to become, you 00:03:51.720 --> 00:03:53.370 know, the HSMs you see today. 00:03:53.370 --> 00:03:55.170 So I want to change anything now. 00:03:55.750 --> 00:03:56.140 Ricky: Alright. 00:03:56.650 --> 00:03:58.990 I I, I agree with that. 00:03:59.050 --> 00:04:03.190 I got to say a hundred percent because the way you start is, I mean, we 00:04:03.190 --> 00:04:04.450 got the same type of story, right? 00:04:04.450 --> 00:04:06.190 Is I started with a franchise too. 00:04:06.765 --> 00:04:08.595 And it's like we learned a lot from there. 00:04:08.595 --> 00:04:08.835 Right? 00:04:08.835 --> 00:04:10.755 Is, is the franchise the best route? 00:04:10.785 --> 00:04:15.345 Maybe, you know, for some, yes, but for many who are, I believe, true 00:04:15.345 --> 00:04:20.305 entrepreneurs that want to build, build, and scan, um, you might want 00:04:20.355 --> 00:04:23.025 to, to, to do it yourself, right? 00:04:23.055 --> 00:04:26.205 Go independent because it, it just gives you a little bit more flexibility. 00:04:26.445 --> 00:04:28.395 But that's, that's a whole other conversation. 00:04:28.395 --> 00:04:28.605 Right? 00:04:28.635 --> 00:04:28.905 But 00:04:29.534 --> 00:04:30.465 AJ: what was that 00:04:30.735 --> 00:04:32.355 Ricky: aha moment when you said. 00:04:33.255 --> 00:04:36.075 Damn, I'm happy that I got into this space. 00:04:36.075 --> 00:04:39.825 You know, cause a lot of people come into the cleaning space and then they leave it. 00:04:40.034 --> 00:04:40.335 Right? 00:04:40.365 --> 00:04:43.094 Like what was your moment to say the I'm sticking through 00:04:43.094 --> 00:04:43.185 AJ: it. 00:04:44.804 --> 00:04:45.284 Okay. 00:04:45.284 --> 00:04:48.914 So if I think of, I didn't think I had an aha moment, but now that 00:04:48.914 --> 00:04:50.594 you fed it just popped in my head. 00:04:50.594 --> 00:04:52.575 So it was the money, obviously. 00:04:52.604 --> 00:04:56.775 So, but I'll tell you a story about my friend, my best friend, we were, 00:04:57.284 --> 00:05:00.794 you asked me to borrow like $20 and so I said, all right, well, I'll 00:05:00.794 --> 00:05:03.825 let you borrow it if you can find me somewhere to cash check on a Sunday. 00:05:04.275 --> 00:05:06.525 And he was like, Oh, he would just go to the corner store, they cash a check. 00:05:07.065 --> 00:05:08.565 And so then I'm like, Mmm. 00:05:09.015 --> 00:05:10.184 I don't think they don't catch it. 00:05:10.184 --> 00:05:10.515 Check that. 00:05:13.455 --> 00:05:16.994 And I try to be modest, so I didn't know how to say it, but I was on my way. 00:05:16.994 --> 00:05:17.505 I could see it. 00:05:17.505 --> 00:05:19.155 And so then he'd be like, well, how much are you talking? 00:05:19.635 --> 00:05:23.015 600 700 and I'm like, uh. 00:05:25.980 --> 00:05:27.480 Like 7,000 you know? 00:05:27.480 --> 00:05:30.930 So it was like, Oh man, like his eyes got so big, and he was like, 00:05:31.290 --> 00:05:32.490 you doing something different. 00:05:36.120 --> 00:05:42.390 Apparently really the real big change moment, but obviously, you know, being 00:05:42.390 --> 00:05:44.760 able to hire people, hire family members. 00:05:45.555 --> 00:05:49.575 I feel like every family member, like as far as like cousin, mom, 00:05:49.605 --> 00:05:52.815 dad, brother, any relation to me, family wise has worked for me. 00:05:52.815 --> 00:05:56.685 Not every single family member, but every single one of them had a job for 00:05:56.685 --> 00:05:57.885 me working with my cleaning company. 00:05:57.885 --> 00:06:01.335 So things like that that let me know that I must, I must be doing right now. 00:06:02.085 --> 00:06:02.445 Ricky: Nice. 00:06:02.475 --> 00:06:05.475 Well that's, that's a good moment to, to know when you're doing something right. 00:06:05.475 --> 00:06:05.805 Right. 00:06:05.805 --> 00:06:07.455 Like it's confirmation. 00:06:07.605 --> 00:06:08.895 I think I made the right decision. 00:06:09.075 --> 00:06:09.405 Right. 00:06:09.855 --> 00:06:13.575 So let's talk, let's talk about, because you're, you know, we'll get 00:06:13.575 --> 00:06:16.185 into you being a mentor and a coach as well too, cause I think that's 00:06:16.185 --> 00:06:17.805 great that you pay it back like that. 00:06:18.285 --> 00:06:18.585 AJ: What, 00:06:19.585 --> 00:06:21.045 Ricky: what would you say to people? 00:06:21.075 --> 00:06:24.645 Because like we just said, right, they come into this space and then they 00:06:24.645 --> 00:06:27.705 leave or they come in and they don't realize that it's, it's difficult. 00:06:28.605 --> 00:06:28.875 What. 00:06:30.645 --> 00:06:33.315 No, it's, it's known as an industry that's a low cost to 00:06:33.315 --> 00:06:35.625 get into easy entry, no barrier. 00:06:35.625 --> 00:06:35.875 Right. 00:06:35.895 --> 00:06:38.955 Easy to hear all those definitions or descriptions. 00:06:40.035 --> 00:06:44.025 What do you say to those and getting into the space that, you know, we know it could 00:06:44.025 --> 00:06:46.755 be difficult, but how difficult is it? 00:06:46.755 --> 00:06:52.155 Like what should a person, that's a month in six months in know what's the 00:06:52.155 --> 00:06:54.015 must haves as you enter this space? 00:06:54.915 --> 00:06:57.165 AJ: Yeah, I mean, the first off topic. 00:06:57.555 --> 00:07:01.725 The work ethic, like you have to have a no lose mentality. 00:07:01.725 --> 00:07:05.295 Like, man, when I tell you we used to work, and I say we, I'm 00:07:05.295 --> 00:07:06.225 always talking about my wife. 00:07:06.315 --> 00:07:11.205 When we used to work, I mean seven days a week, 10 hours a day, you know, 00:07:11.205 --> 00:07:13.275 all times of the night going out to. 00:07:13.770 --> 00:07:16.200 In the middle of the dark, you know, nobody else out on the street. 00:07:16.200 --> 00:07:19.650 So it was like working and, and you know, my back will be so school from 00:07:19.650 --> 00:07:23.880 bending over the dump, so many different trash cans or we're in a heavy backpack. 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:27.030 The backpack get heavy at the where so long, you know, and especially if 00:07:27.030 --> 00:07:31.440 you don't dump it and learned that that backpack, it'll get even heavier. 00:07:31.440 --> 00:07:33.540 So be ready to work, man. 00:07:33.540 --> 00:07:36.630 Like a lot of people think you're just going to jump in this and make easy money. 00:07:37.140 --> 00:07:38.010 And it's going to be quick. 00:07:38.100 --> 00:07:39.900 And it's like, yes, you can make some money. 00:07:39.900 --> 00:07:42.690 And yes, you can build this business that you can begin to build it as 00:07:42.690 --> 00:07:45.450 big as you want to build it, but you're going to have to work and 00:07:45.450 --> 00:07:46.830 there's no getting around at work. 00:07:46.980 --> 00:07:50.160 So, and it really, that to me, that that's any industry what I know, because 00:07:50.430 --> 00:07:53.910 I started dabbling in switching and trying to find the next shiny thing 00:07:53.910 --> 00:07:55.920 because I was thinking, you know what? 00:07:55.920 --> 00:07:59.610 Maybe it's just this industry, but everything I went into, it required work. 00:07:59.610 --> 00:08:04.800 So to anybody think about honing in or jumping in and start a cleaning company, I 00:08:04.800 --> 00:08:06.360 want you to understand a hundred percent. 00:08:06.855 --> 00:08:07.785 You got to work. 00:08:07.785 --> 00:08:07.965 Okay. 00:08:07.965 --> 00:08:10.755 There's no getting around to work and that's why too, like on my channel, 00:08:12.585 --> 00:08:18.195 I'll always try to make sure I give some personal development type videos to not 00:08:18.195 --> 00:08:20.415 just clean him specific video because. 00:08:21.060 --> 00:08:24.680 Without that personal development, without the motivation stuff. 00:08:24.750 --> 00:08:28.410 I'm telling you that it's going to be very hard if possible, to make it, 00:08:30.090 --> 00:08:30.480 Ricky: cause yeah. 00:08:30.750 --> 00:08:34.770 I mean, I don't know if we ever talked about this before, but it's, there's a lot 00:08:34.770 --> 00:08:39.450 of statistics out there that show, I mean, 90% of the industry, right, or even more, 00:08:40.050 --> 00:08:42.990 they kept surpass a million in revenue. 00:08:43.050 --> 00:08:46.320 Not to say that, you know, 500,000 revenue is not good enough. 00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:46.620 Right. 00:08:47.325 --> 00:08:47.655 AJ: But 00:08:48.135 --> 00:08:52.995 Ricky: I got to believe that a lot of that has to do with a grit and determination 00:08:53.005 --> 00:08:54.615 to see past a certain level, right? 00:08:54.705 --> 00:08:55.755 And opportunity, right? 00:08:55.785 --> 00:08:56.385 Getting lucky. 00:08:56.475 --> 00:08:57.705 Opportunity knocking at the door. 00:08:58.275 --> 00:09:02.055 But I think we, uh, we can do right, right now to, is build some 00:09:02.055 --> 00:09:03.975 relevance, relevancy with people. 00:09:03.975 --> 00:09:04.125 Right? 00:09:04.125 --> 00:09:05.925 Like you just said it, backpack, it's heavy. 00:09:06.225 --> 00:09:09.405 You should be dumping it of the way you fill the mop bucket, 00:09:09.675 --> 00:09:10.875 the way you enter the account. 00:09:11.445 --> 00:09:13.245 I feel like wearing hats right. 00:09:14.310 --> 00:09:18.750 I always tell everybody is own your business, but on every aspect of it, 00:09:18.750 --> 00:09:23.550 cause I mean you got to say is if you were in accounts payables and receivables, 00:09:23.790 --> 00:09:26.730 you learn how to pay bills and you learn how to receive money, right? 00:09:27.330 --> 00:09:30.600 If you didn't know how to do that, then how would you know how to hire 00:09:30.600 --> 00:09:31.800 the right person for that, right? 00:09:31.830 --> 00:09:33.180 Like what do you think about? 00:09:33.180 --> 00:09:37.260 What are the elements of, so we know work ethic, you got to do the work. 00:09:37.770 --> 00:09:37.890 AJ: Yeah. 00:09:38.530 --> 00:09:43.500 Ricky: What other aspects of business itself do you think are crucial for a 00:09:43.500 --> 00:09:47.410 cleaning business to go from, you know, them, you know, clean their own or do it 00:09:47.410 --> 00:09:52.710 all the work itself to that first office, hire the second office, hire a director. 00:09:52.740 --> 00:09:53.130 Like what? 00:09:54.040 --> 00:09:56.160 What aspects of business now do we have to get 00:09:56.160 --> 00:09:56.460 AJ: into? 00:09:57.300 --> 00:09:58.800 I mean, it's pretty much everything. 00:10:00.330 --> 00:10:04.110 Anything you can think of, you need to have some knowledge of it. 00:10:04.469 --> 00:10:08.819 Because, I mean, tax is, first of all, understand that just the basis 00:10:08.819 --> 00:10:12.329 of the, obviously you don't have to be a CPA, but know the basis of it. 00:10:12.329 --> 00:10:12.660 Okay. 00:10:12.660 --> 00:10:14.010 Understand laws. 00:10:14.040 --> 00:10:16.229 You know, why are you choosing to be an LLC? 00:10:16.229 --> 00:10:20.040 You don't just pick to be an LLC just because somebody told you to get an LLC. 00:10:20.069 --> 00:10:21.660 Actually know why, what comes with it. 00:10:22.140 --> 00:10:22.680 Um. 00:10:23.295 --> 00:10:25.545 You know, organizing your book site for them. 00:10:25.574 --> 00:10:29.055 I did my books with so many years ahead of time and for hire and a people book. 00:10:29.505 --> 00:10:33.675 So now that I have a book, when I look at my books, it's just, you 00:10:33.675 --> 00:10:35.954 know, I can look through that and I can spot a mistake instantly 00:10:35.954 --> 00:10:37.545 because I already done it, you know? 00:10:37.545 --> 00:10:39.165 So those types of things. 00:10:39.165 --> 00:10:42.765 Also, um, management, being a good leader, I lead alley. 00:10:42.855 --> 00:10:47.535 I always listened to a leadership goal by John Maxwell because I had to 00:10:47.535 --> 00:10:51.015 figure out how to lead these people, you know, and be a good boss because. 00:10:51.900 --> 00:10:55.830 Obviously I couldn't pay, you know, I can pay a lot of companies out there. 00:10:55.830 --> 00:10:58.440 So I had to be able to send about, people want to stay with 00:10:58.440 --> 00:11:00.870 my company longterm in other ways. 00:11:00.870 --> 00:11:04.080 So by being a good leader and knowing how to treat people and you know, 00:11:04.230 --> 00:11:07.290 creating other centers for people wanting to stay, that would help me 00:11:07.290 --> 00:11:08.850 keep people along in the collegiate. 00:11:08.850 --> 00:11:09.300 Definitely. 00:11:11.310 --> 00:11:13.290 Um, what else, man? 00:11:13.290 --> 00:11:14.220 I mean, so many things. 00:11:14.220 --> 00:11:15.960 You got to steam the new technology. 00:11:16.425 --> 00:11:19.095 No, you got to know at least have a general knowledge of the equipment. 00:11:19.395 --> 00:11:20.145 At least the chemicals. 00:11:20.145 --> 00:11:23.985 Like I always tell me, I don't know what the chemical that we use. 00:11:23.985 --> 00:11:24.795 I know about that. 00:11:24.855 --> 00:11:26.565 So he's like, no, you'll stop man. 00:11:26.595 --> 00:11:28.845 Cause if you don't know it, how, how can you sell it off? 00:11:29.385 --> 00:11:30.795 You know what I mean? 00:11:30.795 --> 00:11:33.345 Anything you could think of about your company websites. 00:11:33.345 --> 00:11:36.975 I didn't have the money to pay my bills myself, you know, so was just, 00:11:37.395 --> 00:11:39.915 especially when you're on a shoestring budget, you got to know as much as 00:11:39.915 --> 00:11:43.035 you possibly can and be prepared to wear every single hat as possible. 00:11:43.635 --> 00:11:44.175 Yeah, 00:11:44.205 --> 00:11:47.235 Ricky: I mean, you gotta think of it like, you know, owning it. 00:11:47.265 --> 00:11:52.185 So it's not a glamorous business cleaning, but it allows you to learn somebody 00:11:52.185 --> 00:11:53.355 things you would never have learned. 00:11:53.355 --> 00:11:53.535 Right? 00:11:53.535 --> 00:11:58.665 Like I went to school for marketing, that's marketing five you know, 00:11:58.995 --> 00:12:01.605 what, 10 years ago, that's not the same marketing as it is now. 00:12:01.935 --> 00:12:06.705 But you know, I learned, like I said, accounts, receivables, payables, taxes. 00:12:06.705 --> 00:12:09.795 Like you said, I had to learn how to market the business, but 00:12:09.795 --> 00:12:11.715 you nailed it on a part where. 00:12:12.150 --> 00:12:16.680 I want to emphasize on we, you know, the industry we're in, we're 00:12:16.680 --> 00:12:19.620 not in an industry that you could pay a manager six figures, you 00:12:19.620 --> 00:12:20.910 know, in the beginning, right? 00:12:21.719 --> 00:12:24.000 You're growing and you're hiring an office manager. 00:12:24.270 --> 00:12:27.150 They're probably not going to get what they're supposed to get in the market. 00:12:27.689 --> 00:12:32.010 You hire an operations manager, a training manager, like these are 00:12:32.010 --> 00:12:35.189 people that aren't, you're not going to be able to pay top dollar. 00:12:35.819 --> 00:12:40.310 So what else is there is environment, culture, workplace, right? 00:12:40.319 --> 00:12:40.589 Like. 00:12:41.100 --> 00:12:43.800 Empower them to own the company with you. 00:12:44.280 --> 00:12:47.939 I feel like that's one of the things that people got to do because we 00:12:47.939 --> 00:12:51.810 are just not in the position to be able to afford top dollar talent. 00:12:52.110 --> 00:12:54.810 We can afford top dollar, you know, people, 00:12:55.110 --> 00:12:55.410 AJ: right? 00:12:55.410 --> 00:12:57.510 Ricky: Like finding, like you said, your wife. 00:12:57.600 --> 00:12:59.250 I think family is huge. 00:12:59.280 --> 00:13:02.340 You know, people, what's your take on family? 00:13:02.340 --> 00:13:05.819 You know, working with family, having family involved with business because 00:13:06.270 --> 00:13:07.620 you have a lot of family involved right. 00:13:08.025 --> 00:13:08.295 AJ: Yep. 00:13:08.355 --> 00:13:08.895 Absolutely. 00:13:08.945 --> 00:13:09.495 I love it. 00:13:09.495 --> 00:13:12.945 Personally, I know when you made it work too, but I love it is, and 00:13:13.005 --> 00:13:17.265 obviously it can, but it can backfire at some time and we think might not 00:13:17.265 --> 00:13:19.065 go the way that you want it to go. 00:13:19.065 --> 00:13:20.805 For the most part, I love it. 00:13:20.835 --> 00:13:23.765 My number one rule when it comes to home and family, I always tell people is. 00:13:24.300 --> 00:13:26.520 Don't hire anybody that you're going to be afraid to fight, 00:13:26.730 --> 00:13:27.270 Ricky: so 00:13:28.650 --> 00:13:30.060 AJ: by anybody, you know what I mean? 00:13:30.060 --> 00:13:32.340 Is I do I want to know I'm outside about it. 00:13:32.340 --> 00:13:32.610 No. 00:13:32.910 --> 00:13:34.500 Do I steal a good butterfly some time? 00:13:34.500 --> 00:13:34.800 Depending 00:13:34.800 --> 00:13:35.340 Ricky: on who it is. 00:13:35.790 --> 00:13:37.890 AJ: You know what I'm going to do? 00:13:37.890 --> 00:13:39.090 What's the best for the business? 00:13:39.570 --> 00:13:41.100 I, I'll tell you this story. 00:13:41.100 --> 00:13:43.680 I haven't told it in years, and I hate to tell it because it sounds so 00:13:43.680 --> 00:13:45.960 horrible and if the right person here, 00:13:49.080 --> 00:13:53.070 but, so I had a, my mom in law worked for me one time and I had to let her go. 00:13:53.430 --> 00:13:53.790 You know? 00:13:53.790 --> 00:13:56.280 And so, and that's just, that's my, I like her. 00:13:56.280 --> 00:13:59.280 And then my childhood best friend had fight them off because I, between 00:13:59.280 --> 00:14:03.219 those two, the whole, my artist's bias, just like I use them as an example, 00:14:03.250 --> 00:14:06.240 let people know, listen, I got the heart to fight him on mama's fault. 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:07.709 Trust me, you can get fired. 00:14:09.240 --> 00:14:10.230 I want to hear it. 00:14:10.230 --> 00:14:10.439 You know? 00:14:10.439 --> 00:14:14.640 I always offer the opportunity to my, to my family and my whole friends. 00:14:15.090 --> 00:14:19.950 First all the time, and sometimes they may not be necessarily qualify, but 00:14:20.040 --> 00:14:23.370 as long as we have the same mutual interest, you know what I mean? 00:14:23.370 --> 00:14:24.480 We want the same goal. 00:14:24.885 --> 00:14:25.845 That's really all that matters. 00:14:25.845 --> 00:14:27.495 As long as you want the best for the company, like I want 00:14:27.495 --> 00:14:28.215 the best for the company. 00:14:28.605 --> 00:14:29.385 That's all that matters. 00:14:29.385 --> 00:14:30.295 We can make this thing work. 00:14:30.365 --> 00:14:31.575 I love hiring family. 00:14:31.575 --> 00:14:33.555 I love having that family environment. 00:14:34.665 --> 00:14:36.045 It just makes it that much easier. 00:14:36.045 --> 00:14:36.615 If it works. 00:14:37.635 --> 00:14:39.855 Ricky: I mean it's cause you, you know that they, they'll 00:14:39.855 --> 00:14:41.235 go the extra mile, right? 00:14:41.265 --> 00:14:43.995 Like they'll, they'll, they'll take ownership of things. 00:14:44.205 --> 00:14:48.405 Not that the normal everyday employee that you hire volts, but it's hard. 00:14:48.885 --> 00:14:51.225 It's hard to find that person who's going to work past nine to 00:14:51.225 --> 00:14:51.465 AJ: five. 00:14:52.185 --> 00:14:55.935 It's funny you say that too because like, um, nimble wife, we kind of 00:14:55.995 --> 00:15:00.455 didn't see eye to eye when I moved to Florida and I left my, my business 00:15:00.515 --> 00:15:02.475 in Virginia to, uh, you know, run. 00:15:02.895 --> 00:15:07.755 And so I have put my brother in charge left and I had another employee who was 00:15:07.755 --> 00:15:10.725 there from the beginning, you know, he was a great worker, showed up every day. 00:15:11.055 --> 00:15:14.295 And I did initially, I did actually tell them, look, when I leave, 00:15:14.295 --> 00:15:15.885 you're going to be the one in charge. 00:15:16.575 --> 00:15:19.365 After thinking about it and thinking about our relation to what my brother is going 00:15:19.365 --> 00:15:22.245 to have to do with something because I knew that there was going to be some pain. 00:15:23.025 --> 00:15:25.455 That the money was not going to keep the other guy there. 00:15:25.695 --> 00:15:26.745 And I know he liked him. 00:15:26.865 --> 00:15:29.925 He was loyal, but it was just certain things like my brother, he didn't make 00:15:29.925 --> 00:15:31.365 a ton of money, you know, managing it. 00:15:31.365 --> 00:15:34.585 He, but he worked his way up and as we cool, he made, you know, 00:15:34.675 --> 00:15:36.975 there was certain things that he would have had to deal with. 00:15:37.115 --> 00:15:40.695 I just know that only only a family member probably would've put up with that. 00:15:40.695 --> 00:15:45.045 So that family would definitely go above and beyond. 00:15:45.045 --> 00:15:45.705 Typically too. 00:15:48.449 --> 00:15:50.939 Ricky: I think I, you know, I was going to talk about this later, but I think 00:15:50.969 --> 00:15:52.439 it's a good time to talk about it. 00:15:52.560 --> 00:15:58.589 Um, the PPP part of what's going on right now with the loans and everything, 00:15:58.650 --> 00:15:59.969 you know, a pair of protection plan. 00:16:00.780 --> 00:16:03.839 I don't know, you know, I, I dunno how you got, are you're 00:16:03.839 --> 00:16:07.739 dealing with it with, within your business, but are you seeing that? 00:16:07.739 --> 00:16:10.199 That's a question that you're being asked to because this is going to lead 00:16:10.199 --> 00:16:12.689 it to you as a coach and you as a mentor. 00:16:12.689 --> 00:16:16.859 But I think that's a, you know, other than Caldwell 19, which we'll touch on. 00:16:17.490 --> 00:16:17.700 Right. 00:16:18.150 --> 00:16:21.930 What's your insight, or what have you heard, or what's your recommendation 00:16:21.940 --> 00:16:24.120 for the BPP loan situation? 00:16:24.780 --> 00:16:26.760 AJ: Okay, so I'll say this for her always. 00:16:26.760 --> 00:16:29.940 I told everybody to apply for the a, I think it's called the EIDM. 00:16:32.070 --> 00:16:32.310 Ricky: Right? 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:39.360 AJ: So because the IDL is a grant for and the PPP, as long 00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:40.440 as you follow the guidelines. 00:16:41.520 --> 00:16:42.689 A forgivable loan too. 00:16:42.689 --> 00:16:45.900 So, uh, but I did do the EIDM and they did give me my 10 grand 00:16:45.900 --> 00:16:46.740 before they ran out of money. 00:16:46.740 --> 00:16:47.670 So I'm thankful for the head. 00:16:48.870 --> 00:16:49.890 And then the PPP. 00:16:49.950 --> 00:16:50.730 Absolutely man. 00:16:50.730 --> 00:16:52.680 Like you said, like you just hit apply for everything. 00:16:53.130 --> 00:16:57.810 You know, even, I've heard a CPA said a guy named Mark on YouTube. 00:16:58.050 --> 00:17:00.510 I heard him say, even filed for unemployment. 00:17:00.510 --> 00:17:04.680 If you ask and you have to fight yourself, or even a lot of 00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:06.060 these guys are full up for news. 00:17:06.450 --> 00:17:08.760 Well, if you took over, if you cleaned three builders 00:17:08.760 --> 00:17:09.839 and one of them closed down. 00:17:10.290 --> 00:17:13.950 You can still apply for unemployment is what I'm hearing. 00:17:13.980 --> 00:17:14.310 Okay. 00:17:15.120 --> 00:17:15.780 Try everything. 00:17:15.780 --> 00:17:18.480 Cause the worst thing that can happen to you, do you say, you know, it's 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:22.040 not like you try everything man. 00:17:22.050 --> 00:17:23.340 Try to do the best you can. 00:17:23.350 --> 00:17:26.580 And if you do apply for the CPP, cause I gotta be responsible. 00:17:27.330 --> 00:17:28.770 If you do apply for the PPP. 00:17:29.115 --> 00:17:29.985 Make sure you do. 00:17:29.985 --> 00:17:31.185 You're not doing it by me. 00:17:31.185 --> 00:17:34.425 So you follow the guidelines so that you can that alone, because 00:17:34.425 --> 00:17:38.595 to my understanding, uh, you will have to pay that ER thing if they 00:17:38.595 --> 00:17:39.825 find out you have to pay back. 00:17:39.825 --> 00:17:43.185 And these are with the banks and other lenders. 00:17:43.185 --> 00:17:45.675 Isn't that directly through the SPO to government? 00:17:45.675 --> 00:17:50.325 So I think that the implications, it'll be more organized. 00:17:50.325 --> 00:17:52.965 I think typically, in my opinion, when they look at the government. 00:17:53.430 --> 00:17:54.659 Some things can fall through the cracks. 00:17:57.330 --> 00:17:58.530 You might want to be on top of that. 00:17:58.530 --> 00:17:58.649 So, 00:17:59.940 --> 00:18:00.389 Ricky: yeah. 00:18:00.420 --> 00:18:00.930 Okay. 00:18:01.050 --> 00:18:01.500 All right. 00:18:01.530 --> 00:18:04.170 Well that leads to advice, right? 00:18:04.230 --> 00:18:08.129 I mean, what, so it's first of all, it's hard to just start a business itself 00:18:08.879 --> 00:18:12.060 and it's, you know, I personally don't do, it's hard to run two businesses. 00:18:12.060 --> 00:18:14.520 It's hard to run three for you. 00:18:14.550 --> 00:18:18.000 You know, I respect and admire the fact that you give back a lot to the 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:19.409 community cause you learn so much. 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:19.620 Right. 00:18:19.620 --> 00:18:20.310 A lot of people. 00:18:20.925 --> 00:18:23.715 Tend to just, you know, put the blinders on and focus on their 00:18:23.715 --> 00:18:27.795 business, focus on them, and not really care too much for the community. 00:18:27.795 --> 00:18:32.055 Where in your situation here you have clean business network, like 00:18:32.055 --> 00:18:36.045 do you have, on your shirt you have YouTube, you have a great following. 00:18:36.735 --> 00:18:41.955 What motivated you to take that step where you could have just continued with 00:18:41.985 --> 00:18:44.445 just the janitorial covenant, right. 00:18:44.774 --> 00:18:45.375 AJ: Honestly. 00:18:47.100 --> 00:18:47.400 Okay. 00:18:47.400 --> 00:18:49.470 So it's two motivating factors as far as YouTube. 00:18:49.590 --> 00:18:52.500 Number one, I want us to do the obvious one first cause I don't want to, I 00:18:52.500 --> 00:18:53.490 got to keep it a hundred correct. 00:18:53.490 --> 00:18:55.200 So obviously I wanted some money from YouTube. 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:58.850 I saw that people were, it looked like an easy thing to do. 00:18:58.860 --> 00:19:00.420 So I want to make money and it wasn't even a thing. 00:19:00.570 --> 00:19:04.770 It'll take forever to finally be able to have a lot of work and a lot 00:19:04.770 --> 00:19:10.710 of upload took me a year to finally get a hundred dollars a month money. 00:19:11.300 --> 00:19:13.520 But most importantly, I always wanted to teach. 00:19:13.845 --> 00:19:15.345 And I always like to talk business. 00:19:15.365 --> 00:19:16.515 Always wanted to teach business. 00:19:16.555 --> 00:19:19.665 I just wanted to help, you know, like where I'm from. 00:19:19.665 --> 00:19:20.145 You know what I mean? 00:19:20.355 --> 00:19:24.345 We don't really know anything as far as this is as far as how to 00:19:24.345 --> 00:19:25.665 make money, how to keep money. 00:19:25.965 --> 00:19:28.275 A lot of people don't even still to this day, I'm in my thirties and a half. 00:19:28.305 --> 00:19:30.285 People don't even have a bank account, you know? 00:19:30.285 --> 00:19:33.555 So it's always like adopted. 00:19:33.555 --> 00:19:37.455 Even though I don't believe in Bravo now, but I always looked at myself back then as 00:19:37.455 --> 00:19:38.985 the rock into the theory, like I'm a goal. 00:19:39.540 --> 00:19:42.060 Steal, but I wanted to steal the information, not the money. 00:19:42.060 --> 00:19:44.939 I wanted to steal the information from the rich and they bring it back to the point. 00:19:44.939 --> 00:19:49.240 That was kind of my philosophy coming into it, and Robert Kiyosaki told me that. 00:19:49.240 --> 00:19:54.750 Now that's probably not a good thought process, but coming up with 00:19:55.050 --> 00:19:56.040 the thing to know with more of it. 00:19:56.040 --> 00:19:56.250 Right. 00:19:56.250 --> 00:19:57.550 So that was always my mind. 00:19:57.649 --> 00:20:00.389 I just wanted to get to the information and bring it back to the people. 00:20:00.389 --> 00:20:02.490 So those are my two weeks they want to go into that. 00:20:03.570 --> 00:20:04.020 Ricky: Okay. 00:20:04.290 --> 00:20:04.740 Awesome. 00:20:05.070 --> 00:20:08.580 Well, that, and it's, there's so much to teach people, right? 00:20:08.580 --> 00:20:10.440 And, and again, it's, it's an industry. 00:20:10.440 --> 00:20:13.860 So it's not, it's not that it's a difficult industry, right? 00:20:13.860 --> 00:20:18.600 And you don't have to be a cleaning professional to make it in this space. 00:20:19.230 --> 00:20:20.370 You said it, right. 00:20:20.370 --> 00:20:23.070 Work ethic, but you got a couple of that with business. 00:20:23.550 --> 00:20:26.879 You got a couple of that with, you know, you, if you don't learn 00:20:26.879 --> 00:20:28.080 your craft, this is the crap. 00:20:28.200 --> 00:20:30.120 Be owning a business is a craft. 00:20:30.645 --> 00:20:32.745 So you've got to take the extra steps. 00:20:32.775 --> 00:20:36.165 You know, you've named a couple of books here, you've named a couple of YouTube 00:20:37.485 --> 00:20:38.985 videos that you're following people. 00:20:40.395 --> 00:20:43.695 It sounds stupid, but you've got to take the time to go out there 00:20:43.695 --> 00:20:44.775 and do that research, right? 00:20:45.045 --> 00:20:48.435 Like, do you have, what are some other recommendations for you 00:20:48.435 --> 00:20:50.385 as us in the cleaning space? 00:20:51.045 --> 00:20:54.255 Other books, other people to follow up, you know, obviously 00:20:54.255 --> 00:20:55.875 yourself as well, but like other. 00:20:57.179 --> 00:21:01.169 What are some other tips of advice for people to go to, to find good resources? 00:21:01.590 --> 00:21:02.310 AJ: Absolutely. 00:21:02.310 --> 00:21:03.110 That's an excellent question. 00:21:03.220 --> 00:21:06.659 First, I want to point out one of the biggest difference makers for me. 00:21:07.080 --> 00:21:12.810 Was, I always, I'm talking about almost 90%, maybe not nice, but at 00:21:12.810 --> 00:21:17.100 least 85, 80% of the day I'm playing some type of motivational thing 00:21:17.130 --> 00:21:18.420 in the background while I work. 00:21:18.660 --> 00:21:20.820 And that was whether I was in the field cleaning or whether 00:21:20.820 --> 00:21:22.190 I'm in an office today work. 00:21:22.290 --> 00:21:24.960 I still do it to this day, whether, and it could be anybody, it could be 00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:27.300 grant Cardone, it could be Tai Lopez. 00:21:27.300 --> 00:21:30.840 Even back in the day, it could have been, um, Eric Thomas, uh. 00:21:31.185 --> 00:21:33.945 I didn't, most importantly, what I'd like to do now, and I got to see every 00:21:33.945 --> 00:21:35.715 call, was to get to see every car. 00:21:35.715 --> 00:21:40.485 My point, he makes like smash videos of all types of entrepreneurs and put 00:21:40.485 --> 00:21:44.685 them together so that people should check out what I listen to, audio books. 00:21:44.774 --> 00:21:47.835 Um, and then, uh, what was the point I was about to say? 00:21:48.014 --> 00:21:48.615 Um. 00:21:50.440 --> 00:21:50.800 Hang on. 00:21:50.800 --> 00:21:51.420 I forgot my point. 00:21:51.420 --> 00:21:51.600 It was 00:21:51.600 --> 00:21:52.140 Ricky: a good point too. 00:21:55.590 --> 00:21:56.400 AJ: But yeah, man. 00:21:56.430 --> 00:22:00.270 Um, I just, I would try to listen to this stuff nonstop to feed my brain. 00:22:00.360 --> 00:22:01.380 Oh, that's what I was going to say. 00:22:01.740 --> 00:22:05.370 CEOs of bigger companies, so a lot of times we get so caught up 00:22:05.370 --> 00:22:08.310 into these people who are popular on social media, but then we 00:22:08.310 --> 00:22:10.650 overlook the guys that run Shopify. 00:22:11.115 --> 00:22:16.455 Or Ryan, um, you know, Coke or the CEO of Nike or, you know, pull up those 00:22:16.455 --> 00:22:18.825 type of guys too, because they're the ones that's really doing it. 00:22:18.825 --> 00:22:22.365 You know, most of us on the internet and internet, you know, take this 00:22:22.365 --> 00:22:24.585 high, meaning you, for example, like I got way more followers. 00:22:25.365 --> 00:22:28.425 Your business is way bigger than mine, you know, so like sometimes 00:22:28.425 --> 00:22:31.065 you need, you have to go seek these people out because they may not 00:22:31.065 --> 00:22:32.655 have them follow them, follow them. 00:22:34.305 --> 00:22:34.755 Ricky: I just try to 00:22:35.295 --> 00:22:37.485 AJ: people who've done it. 00:22:37.935 --> 00:22:41.175 Well walking the walk and just try to listen to and feed my brain all 00:22:41.175 --> 00:22:43.995 the time and typically out, listen, I don't think it make a difference 00:22:43.995 --> 00:22:48.315 whether you read a book or listen to the now, but I try to listen to every 00:22:48.315 --> 00:22:49.545 single thing as much as possible. 00:22:49.545 --> 00:22:50.205 Educate myself. 00:22:52.315 --> 00:22:57.075 Ricky: Another topic that I myself am guilty of, not, I don't know. 00:22:57.705 --> 00:23:01.005 I have answers to it, but I was curious to hear what other people is. 00:23:01.635 --> 00:23:03.465 Time management as an entrepreneur. 00:23:04.005 --> 00:23:04.245 Like. 00:23:04.830 --> 00:23:05.310 AJ: How 00:23:05.340 --> 00:23:07.680 Ricky: you know, it's easy to say, Oh, you know, you've got to have 00:23:07.680 --> 00:23:10.440 work life balance all you, you know, you've got to turn it off. 00:23:11.430 --> 00:23:15.420 But I feel like the ones who, who make it or on their way to make 00:23:15.420 --> 00:23:17.820 it, don't turn it off all the time. 00:23:18.150 --> 00:23:22.020 But I mean, what, what is, what is a day to day AIJ Simmons do? 00:23:22.290 --> 00:23:25.380 Because he's got the cleaning business, he's got the clean business 00:23:25.380 --> 00:23:27.840 network, he's working on technology. 00:23:28.140 --> 00:23:30.870 You know, we're always helping the Facebook audience. 00:23:30.870 --> 00:23:33.240 Like, what is your time management look like? 00:23:34.034 --> 00:23:36.095 AJ: Yeah, so I did that. 00:23:36.095 --> 00:23:38.235 The key thing, I just scheduled everything, you 00:23:38.235 --> 00:23:39.405 know, I schedule everything. 00:23:39.435 --> 00:23:41.024 Even like family time. 00:23:41.054 --> 00:23:45.645 I put that in there for typically around about, I guess about seven. 00:23:45.645 --> 00:23:48.315 If I wake up by myself, sometimes I set an alarm and get up at six. 00:23:49.545 --> 00:23:53.565 And then I try to, it takes me about two whole hours to get 00:23:53.565 --> 00:23:55.155 ready and get to the office. 00:23:55.155 --> 00:23:56.655 So that's why I try to do it early anyway. 00:23:56.655 --> 00:23:59.655 But that whole, during that two hours, I'm listening to some 00:23:59.655 --> 00:24:01.215 type of motivation to get gone. 00:24:01.485 --> 00:24:03.315 You know, I might put a little quick workout in. 00:24:03.615 --> 00:24:06.615 I'll actually sit in the bath, you know, so I can have the 00:24:06.615 --> 00:24:07.605 time to listen to this stuff. 00:24:07.995 --> 00:24:10.125 Um, and then like, that's me. 00:24:10.155 --> 00:24:11.265 So then I get to the office. 00:24:11.265 --> 00:24:14.385 I have my to do list that from the day before, every single day on my little. 00:24:14.910 --> 00:24:17.940 Uh, no bad here for me every day. 00:24:18.180 --> 00:24:20.370 And this is what, even before I moved here, cause I only been in 00:24:20.370 --> 00:24:23.670 this for two or three months, so. 00:24:24.300 --> 00:24:26.520 Um, but even before that, it was a vaccine thing. 00:24:26.550 --> 00:24:29.820 I already had my to do list ready from the day before, and then if I have any 00:24:29.820 --> 00:24:33.540 appointments scheduled out, it already be saved to my phone because I let 00:24:33.540 --> 00:24:36.600 people schedule their Calendly, Calendly. 00:24:36.600 --> 00:24:39.900 I can't fit.com and they can schedule one with me. 00:24:39.900 --> 00:24:42.210 So if I got any walkthroughs, it's already scheduled. 00:24:42.210 --> 00:24:43.920 My offensive assistant handles it. 00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:48.920 So for the most part, I try to schedule the out for the following date that day. 00:24:51.045 --> 00:24:55.485 I scheduled family time, like I think it's usually between five to seven or 00:24:55.485 --> 00:24:57.135 seven to nine somewhere around in there. 00:24:57.135 --> 00:25:00.345 Maybe we might watch a family movie just chill. 00:25:00.375 --> 00:25:03.105 You know, I might play the game on my son, so, but for the most part, 00:25:03.105 --> 00:25:04.425 I just schedule every single thing. 00:25:04.425 --> 00:25:06.645 And it might not be the same as that schedule every single 00:25:06.645 --> 00:25:09.195 day, but it's definitely going to be planned at least a day. 00:25:12.615 --> 00:25:16.065 Ricky: For a while there, I wasn't making fun of people with calendars, 00:25:16.065 --> 00:25:17.775 but also I was always the person who. 00:25:18.660 --> 00:25:19.590 No, I, it's up here. 00:25:19.590 --> 00:25:20.639 I know what I got to do tomorrow. 00:25:21.330 --> 00:25:22.350 Why do I gotta use the calendar? 00:25:23.129 --> 00:25:27.180 Literally live by the calendar now and now I get yelled at by my wife because 00:25:27.240 --> 00:25:28.889 she'll start posting some stuff in there. 00:25:28.889 --> 00:25:30.120 Like Rick was in there. 00:25:30.120 --> 00:25:33.430 I posted it, you know it, but my 00:25:33.690 --> 00:25:35.879 AJ: team like eight different calendars 00:25:35.879 --> 00:25:37.680 Ricky: for all the different things that I got going on. 00:25:38.220 --> 00:25:41.040 But it's, it is important if you put it down somewhere. 00:25:41.610 --> 00:25:45.450 It'll, and you get reminded, and you can't play it because it's something 00:25:45.450 --> 00:25:49.230 that I'm learning too, is it's not that you insult people if you're late or you 00:25:49.230 --> 00:25:54.630 disrespect you don't mean it sometimes, but it's just a sense of, of respect 00:25:54.690 --> 00:25:58.560 to, to know, you know, you're at other people's time too, not just yours. 00:25:58.950 --> 00:26:02.670 Um, and I think that's just a good, a good business skill. 00:26:02.850 --> 00:26:04.470 You know, that I'm always working on, I'm not. 00:26:05.505 --> 00:26:06.135 You know what I may have? 00:26:06.435 --> 00:26:08.285 I think I actually jumped on early here for our meetings. 00:26:08.285 --> 00:26:12.105 So did you, but it's, you know, it's, it's, it's the little things to that cop. 00:26:12.105 --> 00:26:12.405 Right? 00:26:13.545 --> 00:26:20.625 So, uh, so, you know, another topic that's happening all day, every day, 00:26:20.805 --> 00:26:24.645 every minute of this day right now is, is this black Swan event that 00:26:24.645 --> 00:26:26.145 we call Kobe 19, though, right? 00:26:26.685 --> 00:26:28.794 Um, can predicted it. 00:26:29.175 --> 00:26:31.754 Uh, it's, it's still surreal right now. 00:26:31.754 --> 00:26:32.715 It's pretty unprecedented. 00:26:32.715 --> 00:26:36.764 I mean, when I go into the, to the stores or I'm out at the gas station, 00:26:36.945 --> 00:26:41.324 it feels weary, you know, like not being close to people and people 00:26:41.324 --> 00:26:42.794 are just messed up and gloved up. 00:26:43.844 --> 00:26:47.955 I, I know this is very good for the cleaning industry, but at the same 00:26:47.955 --> 00:26:52.754 time, if you don't know how to adapt, you may shut up as a business owner. 00:26:53.205 --> 00:26:54.225 So what are you. 00:26:54.810 --> 00:26:58.409 When you saw this coming as a business owner that has a coach, like what did 00:26:58.409 --> 00:27:02.669 you start to think and prepare for when you, when this started to occur? 00:27:04.800 --> 00:27:06.300 I mean, what did you do to prepare? 00:27:07.320 --> 00:27:09.570 AJ: First of all, what happened to think was. 00:27:10.290 --> 00:27:11.790 Damn, I should have ordered that to him. 00:27:12.360 --> 00:27:16.320 That ULV spray I was looking at months ago cause I've been looking at, I've 00:27:16.320 --> 00:27:20.040 been to about, you know, those, yeah. 00:27:20.940 --> 00:27:23.490 And it's like now you wait till the time was in and out, 00:27:23.490 --> 00:27:24.930 scrambling trying to find PPE. 00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:26.610 So one of the things, um. 00:27:27.020 --> 00:27:30.560 I can tell you what happened to me was like, like, you know, having to start a 00:27:30.560 --> 00:27:33.230 kids and that's one of the things, like we couldn't even get disaffected, so I 00:27:33.230 --> 00:27:34.880 had to keep shopping around shopper mash. 00:27:34.890 --> 00:27:35.960 I, we're trying to find this effect. 00:27:36.770 --> 00:27:41.570 But for the most part, one thing I did do after, cause that'd be kind 00:27:41.570 --> 00:27:44.750 of shut down to a little bit invite I had set back and say, wait a 00:27:44.750 --> 00:27:46.280 minute, let me get myself together. 00:27:46.875 --> 00:27:48.855 And one thing I made sure you turned, I turned the news off. 00:27:49.035 --> 00:27:49.365 Okay. 00:27:49.365 --> 00:27:53.355 So if it didn't save virginia.gov cause that's where I'm located and I 00:27:53.355 --> 00:27:55.275 don't want to hear any other extra news 00:27:58.285 --> 00:28:00.945 or extra things that are completely throwing you off your focus. 00:28:00.945 --> 00:28:01.665 So that was number one. 00:28:01.665 --> 00:28:05.745 Number two, I just decided, okay, now, now that I'm focused, let me go 00:28:06.285 --> 00:28:10.754 hop on YouTube and send my message to people who follow my channel. 00:28:10.785 --> 00:28:13.725 Because you know, I obviously know that I could have an effect in the same way that 00:28:13.725 --> 00:28:15.375 I fell off track when the thing for is it. 00:28:15.764 --> 00:28:17.955 I'm sure there's a lot of other people out there that fall off track. 00:28:17.955 --> 00:28:20.745 So let me talk to my people and try to help out there. 00:28:21.225 --> 00:28:25.304 Uh, then I think too, because a guy that I'm following that everybody 00:28:25.304 --> 00:28:29.855 knows, cause I mentioned so much arguments and once the grant Cardone, 00:28:29.865 --> 00:28:33.524 I follow him a lot and I saw that he kinda made a knee jerk reaction. 00:28:33.524 --> 00:28:35.084 He laid off like 42 people. 00:28:35.564 --> 00:28:38.955 Uh, his content or the channel change immediately. 00:28:39.330 --> 00:28:42.300 And so it was like with me looking up to this guy, it definitely affected 00:28:42.300 --> 00:28:43.530 me and made me kind of pivot. 00:28:43.830 --> 00:28:47.370 And so I made a wrong decision, which was, I stopped my lead generation 00:28:47.370 --> 00:28:51.510 service because I said, well, this is a close anyway, no need for us to call. 00:28:52.080 --> 00:28:55.230 And the truth of the matter was a lot of this is still open. 00:28:55.230 --> 00:28:58.530 And when I looked at my numbers, because we track how many appointments would get. 00:28:59.205 --> 00:29:01.784 And the numbers really didn't take off too bad. 00:29:01.784 --> 00:29:04.665 Like we, you know, maybe like down five or 10 appointments per week. 00:29:04.665 --> 00:29:06.455 For the most part though, we will still get appointments. 00:29:06.455 --> 00:29:08.625 So what I should have did was kept going. 00:29:08.625 --> 00:29:09.705 And once I realized that. 00:29:10.200 --> 00:29:10.980 Open it back up. 00:29:10.980 --> 00:29:13.440 I made from a test that I did take this time to make the adjustments. 00:29:13.440 --> 00:29:16.680 I'm looking at my numbers more thoroughly, so now I'm profiting with 00:29:16.680 --> 00:29:18.990 the generator, which I wasn't before. 00:29:18.990 --> 00:29:23.190 Honestly, my other services to keep that service going just because it 00:29:23.190 --> 00:29:27.690 helps so many people and the human fit out a lot because it's just the truth. 00:29:27.720 --> 00:29:28.920 But I fixed it. 00:29:28.920 --> 00:29:32.040 So now it can be a profitable service and I actually took advantage of 00:29:32.040 --> 00:29:34.770 the situation to really kind of what they say, corn tea, you know? 00:29:34.770 --> 00:29:35.010 And then. 00:29:36.030 --> 00:29:38.250 Get myself back on track, get myself focused. 00:29:39.000 --> 00:29:42.570 So I think I'm gonna come out out of this thing stronger than I was before. 00:29:45.060 --> 00:29:49.620 Ricky: And that's, that's the type of feedback I want to hear, right? 00:29:49.620 --> 00:29:51.389 Is we are going to come out of this. 00:29:51.659 --> 00:29:53.219 There is certain ways to adapt. 00:29:53.310 --> 00:29:56.340 You know you're going to lose business because those people are losing business. 00:29:56.370 --> 00:29:57.209 People are shutting down. 00:29:57.659 --> 00:30:02.580 So I think what this does though, it shows people don't have 00:30:02.580 --> 00:30:03.659 all your eggs in one basket. 00:30:04.080 --> 00:30:07.710 Have Mo have diversification not only with services that 00:30:07.710 --> 00:30:09.120 you offer, but your clientele. 00:30:09.540 --> 00:30:12.060 You know, this is a good time that we've been spending time on, 00:30:13.020 --> 00:30:16.020 you know, talking shop on what clients do we have in this bucket? 00:30:16.080 --> 00:30:19.800 What clients do we have in that bucket to have that buckets low? 00:30:20.190 --> 00:30:21.180 Let's fill it back up. 00:30:21.570 --> 00:30:26.130 You don't level the playing field on our accounts because you know, sales is key. 00:30:26.220 --> 00:30:27.570 Sales is everything. 00:30:27.570 --> 00:30:30.990 You know, you've got apps and sales and I'd like to touch on. 00:30:31.725 --> 00:30:35.235 No, you don't have to tell everything about the lead generation, but I 00:30:35.235 --> 00:30:38.025 think that is something that a lot of small business owners in their 00:30:38.025 --> 00:30:40.755 cleaning industry, they lack sales. 00:30:41.205 --> 00:30:44.955 Not that they're not hungry, it's just you don't know how to go about it. 00:30:44.955 --> 00:30:45.165 Right. 00:30:45.165 --> 00:30:48.255 What does everybody always assume is a cold call? 00:30:48.675 --> 00:30:50.865 You know, a walking up to a door and knocking on the door, 00:30:51.405 --> 00:30:53.445 you know, calling somebody who doesn't want to listen to you. 00:30:53.895 --> 00:30:55.395 What's, what's your take on? 00:30:55.875 --> 00:30:57.165 How has that worked for you? 00:30:57.165 --> 00:30:57.915 What have you learned? 00:30:57.945 --> 00:30:59.925 Obviously you knew how to do something that got you 00:30:59.925 --> 00:31:00.345 AJ: into. 00:31:00.780 --> 00:31:04.920 Ricky: Wanting to offer lead gen, or even for yourself and your business, what is 00:31:04.920 --> 00:31:09.030 it about lead generation the way you do it that is helpful for other business 00:31:09.030 --> 00:31:10.290 owners that just can't do it themselves? 00:31:10.950 --> 00:31:11.340 Okay, 00:31:11.370 --> 00:31:16.350 AJ: so the first thing I'll say, this is another Robert Kiyosaki advice, which was 00:31:16.440 --> 00:31:18.060 hire people that were smarter than me. 00:31:18.060 --> 00:31:22.920 She's okay, and they may not be smarter than me in all aspects with them cold 00:31:22.920 --> 00:31:25.290 calling in particular, they're quite okay. 00:31:25.290 --> 00:31:27.750 So these are people who have more experience than I did, 00:31:27.750 --> 00:31:28.920 and they would do better at it. 00:31:28.920 --> 00:31:29.460 That's number one. 00:31:29.460 --> 00:31:29.970 Number two. 00:31:30.510 --> 00:31:34.110 Uh, is a simple advice, which was stop wasting your time talking to 00:31:34.110 --> 00:31:35.370 the person who's not in charge. 00:31:35.370 --> 00:31:35.700 Okay. 00:31:35.700 --> 00:31:39.960 So when I used to go door to door, I'm going to the lady at the front desk and, 00:31:40.080 --> 00:31:41.669 Hey, would you guys like cleaning service? 00:31:42.060 --> 00:31:43.800 Oh no, we have somebody who'd been in one 20. 00:31:43.919 --> 00:31:44.530 Okay, thank you. 00:31:44.530 --> 00:31:44.970 And I'll walk up. 00:31:45.525 --> 00:31:46.785 That's not the right thing. 00:31:47.805 --> 00:31:49.005 This lady, excuse me. 00:31:49.005 --> 00:31:51.855 Do you know who's in charge of how the cleaning company, you know, and 00:31:51.855 --> 00:31:53.495 then you start to talk any of them. 00:31:53.505 --> 00:31:55.215 Nine times out of 10 you won't get the person, right. 00:31:55.485 --> 00:31:57.855 At least you've got their business card, they'll hang that person's 00:31:57.855 --> 00:32:01.065 business card, an equal follow with some female Mark, then another call. 00:32:01.785 --> 00:32:03.165 Any other other ways. 00:32:03.165 --> 00:32:03.405 Okay. 00:32:03.405 --> 00:32:04.575 And then the same thing with cold call. 00:32:04.895 --> 00:32:06.455 After three to the person in charge. 00:32:06.455 --> 00:32:09.155 So really that's just a small tip, but that's one that was 00:32:09.155 --> 00:32:10.085 a difference maker for me. 00:32:10.085 --> 00:32:12.754 I was simply wasting time talking to the wrong person. 00:32:12.754 --> 00:32:15.274 So I would just say that, make sure you're talking to the right person. 00:32:17.165 --> 00:32:18.665 Ricky: Cause I mean it's, it's good. 00:32:18.665 --> 00:32:19.655 It's scary, right? 00:32:19.655 --> 00:32:23.315 It's scary to go because you're going to get a lot of notes. 00:32:23.375 --> 00:32:23.615 Right. 00:32:23.615 --> 00:32:27.514 And I think that's what makes people resilient though, is, is you've got 00:32:27.514 --> 00:32:30.095 to hear, to know first to figure out, well why did they say that? 00:32:30.215 --> 00:32:31.475 Oh, got it. 00:32:31.655 --> 00:32:32.975 You know, I was talking to the wrong person. 00:32:33.450 --> 00:32:33.840 Okay. 00:32:34.050 --> 00:32:37.740 Why did that, the decision maker say, Oh, budget, okay, I gotta 00:32:37.740 --> 00:32:38.970 fix my tweak in my pricing. 00:32:39.629 --> 00:32:41.040 Well, why did that person say no? 00:32:41.070 --> 00:32:45.149 Oh, they hired a multi-service provider that could do multiple things. 00:32:45.300 --> 00:32:45.600 Okay. 00:32:45.600 --> 00:32:48.990 I gotta offer more, sort of like, it helps you, like you've 00:32:48.990 --> 00:32:50.220 got to go through the nose. 00:32:52.970 --> 00:32:55.230 AJ: That's probably the coolest point and the most important point. 00:32:55.230 --> 00:32:58.590 I can't believe I left at all, but we probably make about at least 250 00:32:58.590 --> 00:33:00.480 calls just to get one appointment. 00:33:00.870 --> 00:33:01.230 Okay. 00:33:01.260 --> 00:33:04.950 And then even with that one appointment, that might be a bogus one. 00:33:04.960 --> 00:33:07.740 Cause when the first salesperson calls to get the appointment, I have 00:33:07.740 --> 00:33:11.280 another person to confirm and call to make sure was actually not a boast. 00:33:11.820 --> 00:33:13.980 Sometimes, you know that 250. 00:33:14.534 --> 00:33:16.485 That one we get from that might even be good. 00:33:16.485 --> 00:33:17.685 And we got to do some more calls. 00:33:17.685 --> 00:33:20.745 So we don't have, it takes us about 250 calls just to get one appointment. 00:33:20.745 --> 00:33:23.215 So that's the difference too with a lot of people. 00:33:23.215 --> 00:33:24.794 Why you're not getting enough notes. 00:33:25.065 --> 00:33:28.125 You need to get no knock on some more doors asking more people. 00:33:28.125 --> 00:33:28.365 Okay. 00:33:28.365 --> 00:33:29.415 And then also follow up. 00:33:29.985 --> 00:33:33.825 You know, people who is so much power in a follow up, just because they didn't 00:33:33.825 --> 00:33:37.024 tell you no reply rank then does not mean that they're not interactive. 00:33:37.024 --> 00:33:39.284 They're probably your problem and you need to send them over. 00:33:40.665 --> 00:33:40.925 Yeah. 00:33:40.935 --> 00:33:42.015 That's a definitely good point. 00:33:42.765 --> 00:33:46.875 Ricky: So some more stuff to talk about to AIG on the sales side, 00:33:47.085 --> 00:33:48.585 cause I think we're getting good. 00:33:48.585 --> 00:33:49.515 Some good content. 00:33:49.515 --> 00:33:51.285 I'm just business, right? 00:33:51.285 --> 00:33:56.745 Like how to start the business yourself, grow the business, add the sales 00:33:57.015 --> 00:33:59.085 process, have some operations process. 00:33:59.085 --> 00:33:59.355 Right. 00:34:00.105 --> 00:34:06.285 Um, as far as you said, chemicals and equipment, what do you like you said 00:34:06.285 --> 00:34:07.875 you get well-versed to a certain point. 00:34:08.850 --> 00:34:10.560 But it's almost like it's its own department. 00:34:10.590 --> 00:34:10.860 Right? 00:34:11.400 --> 00:34:16.770 So like how do you put together a professional presentation or deck as far 00:34:16.770 --> 00:34:21.480 as, you know, everybody wants to look the part, but I mean, what are your, 00:34:21.770 --> 00:34:25.020 what's some advice for you other than, you know, we know awkward presentations 00:34:25.020 --> 00:34:30.719 and things, but what do you think the element of a solid presentation is for 00:34:30.719 --> 00:34:32.340 you to win business as a professional? 00:34:33.690 --> 00:34:37.530 AJ: Really just first thing is listen to what the customer, a lot of times 00:34:37.530 --> 00:34:40.320 you just listened to what they're saying because nine times out of 10 00:34:40.320 --> 00:34:42.810 they already have a cleaning customer company anyway that they have. 00:34:43.230 --> 00:34:47.700 So if you listen to why you even given us a chance to present to me, you know, 00:34:47.760 --> 00:34:50.220 they can tell you all the answers and they gave you the answer to the test. 00:34:50.430 --> 00:34:51.000 You know what I mean? 00:34:51.780 --> 00:34:55.050 It could be what, they're not hitting the restroom, what we think, or 00:34:55.410 --> 00:34:58.350 we don't think they use a distinct statement or they missing the assault. 00:34:58.380 --> 00:35:00.030 That's the first thing that I would try to. 00:35:00.555 --> 00:35:02.955 Just appeased to whatever their needs already are. 00:35:02.955 --> 00:35:03.615 That's number one. 00:35:04.125 --> 00:35:05.115 Number two, knowing this stuff. 00:35:05.115 --> 00:35:05.565 Okay. 00:35:05.685 --> 00:35:09.915 I'm not a good sales person at all, but what makes me maybe he 00:35:09.915 --> 00:35:12.465 fails is simply, I know my stuff. 00:35:12.495 --> 00:35:15.615 Like I know if I'm going to sell you this disinfectant that I'm going to 00:35:15.615 --> 00:35:16.995 know about it, we'll try my best. 00:35:17.295 --> 00:35:20.365 I'm going to know, um, you know, I'm going to have the SDS sheet. 00:35:20.985 --> 00:35:23.985 I'm gonna sell you why we chose that particular product. 00:35:24.195 --> 00:35:25.365 You know, so know your stuff. 00:35:25.395 --> 00:35:27.435 That's another key thing why you do with that. 00:35:28.095 --> 00:35:28.545 Um. 00:35:29.325 --> 00:35:32.655 Then when you, if you have systems in place, shadow system by, if they're 00:35:32.655 --> 00:35:34.005 different from what the norm is. 00:35:34.005 --> 00:35:38.055 Like for example, say, I'll give you, I'll give you an industry 00:35:38.055 --> 00:35:41.215 tip when actually you brought up. 00:35:41.865 --> 00:35:44.985 So one thing I learned from jam pro, and I used it today with claimed this network, 00:35:46.065 --> 00:35:47.535 uh, when we used to go to walkthrough. 00:35:48.750 --> 00:35:52.589 One of the field guy, cause I want to say operations, but he will let 00:35:52.589 --> 00:35:53.790 me tag along with them to learn. 00:35:54.600 --> 00:35:58.200 And when you can tell them as well, our system is unique because we have 00:35:58.319 --> 00:36:03.359 franchise and we feel that franchise owners are more vested than an employee 00:36:03.359 --> 00:36:05.940 simply because they have ownership. 00:36:06.150 --> 00:36:08.700 So that's why we feel that we can deliver better than any of color. 00:36:08.900 --> 00:36:12.240 But you know, that's an excellent point because to me, I'm thinking that it was a 00:36:12.240 --> 00:36:15.359 disadvantage to have a franchise for some employees because it's like you can even 00:36:15.359 --> 00:36:17.250 tell them what to do and not to employees. 00:36:17.625 --> 00:36:20.504 But when he folded like that, it's like that's an excellent point. 00:36:20.504 --> 00:36:26.504 So figure out what's needed, you know, and how you can fail that or spin that into an 00:36:26.504 --> 00:36:28.814 asset when your company had offered to me. 00:36:29.924 --> 00:36:32.145 Ricky: Man, that's, that's a great point. 00:36:32.174 --> 00:36:32.654 I like that. 00:36:32.654 --> 00:36:34.725 I'm actually, I'm going to break that one down too. 00:36:36.705 --> 00:36:40.725 So, so let's talk about, cause I, you know, you always hear about, you know, 00:36:40.725 --> 00:36:44.595 the, the industries underbids you know, there's always low price, but I think. 00:36:45.165 --> 00:36:49.785 Well, but everybody fails to realize too is not everybody, but there 00:36:49.785 --> 00:36:52.815 are certain, um, what'd he say? 00:36:52.815 --> 00:36:54.855 Like markets within our market, right? 00:36:54.855 --> 00:36:58.305 So you've got the small mom and pop shop, right? 00:36:58.305 --> 00:37:02.025 That is maybe, let's call it four or five employees, family who really 00:37:02.025 --> 00:37:03.285 gets out there and does the work. 00:37:03.585 --> 00:37:07.125 They may be a sole proprietor, they may have an LLC or they may not. 00:37:07.185 --> 00:37:08.205 It may just be 10 99. 00:37:09.645 --> 00:37:14.235 Then you've got a small business, it all, let's call them the 10 to 25 employees. 00:37:14.745 --> 00:37:19.685 You know, and as you grow up and you see the contracts that are one 00:37:19.694 --> 00:37:23.125 in 18 an hour, 15 hour, 20 an hour 00:37:23.145 --> 00:37:23.745 AJ: cash, and 00:37:24.044 --> 00:37:26.835 Ricky: we can dictate what the client is going to pay. 00:37:27.435 --> 00:37:30.765 But I think what we can do is continue to, to empower this 00:37:30.825 --> 00:37:35.355 industry to know your worth, know the value of what we do, right? 00:37:35.355 --> 00:37:40.245 So like, talk about when you, when you are mentoring people or you've answered 00:37:40.245 --> 00:37:43.814 the question of the clean biz network or somebody posts something like. 00:37:44.295 --> 00:37:46.805 I don't like, I don't like to get so deep into it. 00:37:46.815 --> 00:37:49.665 Cause if you do, and you could lose people to like, say, you know, 00:37:49.665 --> 00:37:53.415 workman's out Chad and janitorial, bio insurance, GLL umbrella, 00:37:53.415 --> 00:37:54.915 they're like an umbrella for what? 00:37:54.915 --> 00:37:55.365 What do I need? 00:37:56.025 --> 00:37:59.415 So, but like there's, they've got to know that. 00:37:59.475 --> 00:38:02.384 But what are the things that you relate to the, to your people to know. 00:38:03.120 --> 00:38:04.919 You've got to account for XYZ. 00:38:05.189 --> 00:38:09.479 If you don't, you're going to fail and you're not going to profit and 00:38:09.479 --> 00:38:11.189 you're going to hurt our industry. 00:38:12.600 --> 00:38:16.140 AJ: And really, so luckily that, I guess, I don't know. 00:38:16.200 --> 00:38:18.600 I don't know if I can take the credit or not, but typically the 00:38:18.600 --> 00:38:22.020 people in my, in my group, they don't have a problem with undercharging. 00:38:22.080 --> 00:38:24.390 You know, typically the people in my group, I have a problem with 00:38:24.390 --> 00:38:24.990 Ricky: overcharging, 00:38:26.700 --> 00:38:27.779 AJ: wearing them down, but. 00:38:28.530 --> 00:38:31.860 But, uh, but typically, like I always tell people, like if first 00:38:31.860 --> 00:38:35.280 of all, make sure that you're not charging what you want to meet. 00:38:35.370 --> 00:38:40.500 Like if you go talk to $15 an hour, okay, maybe you, you, you don't have 00:38:40.500 --> 00:38:44.070 a college degree or maybe you don't have some professional background, 00:38:44.220 --> 00:38:46.350 what you will make $15 an hour before. 00:38:46.830 --> 00:38:50.100 So it's like, that's cool for you, but it's like, okay, well what about 00:38:50.100 --> 00:38:51.270 if you want to hire somebody else? 00:38:51.270 --> 00:38:52.380 How are y'all both going to eat up? 00:38:52.590 --> 00:38:54.360 So that's the very first thing I always went out is. 00:38:54.790 --> 00:38:55.120 Okay. 00:38:55.120 --> 00:38:58.060 Make sure you charge enough where you can make some money and you can 00:38:58.069 --> 00:38:59.480 pay somebody else to do with it. 00:38:59.680 --> 00:39:00.250 That's number one. 00:39:00.640 --> 00:39:03.040 And number two, obviously everybody knows you gotta pay tax, right? 00:39:03.220 --> 00:39:04.390 So put some more in there for that. 00:39:05.049 --> 00:39:06.970 Then you got to have your supplies and everything. 00:39:06.970 --> 00:39:10.410 So just put someone in for, that's all we just tell people first of all, before you 00:39:10.410 --> 00:39:14.669 can even consider how much you're going to get home, is it going to cost actually 00:39:16.500 --> 00:39:19.770 the bidding calculator, I have calculated claim before we had calculated cleaned 00:39:19.770 --> 00:39:21.299 the app and website and all of that. 00:39:21.629 --> 00:39:22.680 It would just fail. 00:39:23.610 --> 00:39:27.630 And I had to like, uh, calculus is pretty, um, you know, pretty 00:39:27.630 --> 00:39:28.730 calculated all in a fail. 00:39:28.750 --> 00:39:33.240 You just plug it in and Hey, like tax with all these different things, your 00:39:33.240 --> 00:39:36.150 insurance and all of that, and you just plug it in and it will build up 00:39:36.330 --> 00:39:37.710 how much you should charge per hour. 00:39:37.740 --> 00:39:41.310 So instead of you taking just guessing and what, what is the industry average? 00:39:41.340 --> 00:39:44.940 No, it'll tell you right there with agile calls, you need to charge 00:39:44.940 --> 00:39:48.210 per hour if you want to make this particular, uh, profit margin. 00:39:49.610 --> 00:39:50.390 Ricky: I like how you put it. 00:39:51.510 --> 00:39:54.390 Don't worry about what you want to charge, worry about first, 00:39:54.390 --> 00:39:55.410 what it's going to cost you. 00:39:55.530 --> 00:39:55.770 Right. 00:39:55.770 --> 00:39:57.270 Because then it's easier to go up that way. 00:39:57.270 --> 00:39:57.840 That's a good one. 00:39:57.900 --> 00:39:58.350 I like that. 00:40:00.120 --> 00:40:04.950 Now let's talk about, you know, so like your Facebook group, ADA, right? 00:40:04.950 --> 00:40:08.310 And we, there's so many Facebook groups that are out there, and I, and I, what 00:40:08.310 --> 00:40:14.130 I'm enjoying is I'm enjoying that so many people are sharing tips and successes 00:40:14.130 --> 00:40:16.170 and losses and everything like that. 00:40:17.670 --> 00:40:18.420 Do you see this? 00:40:18.510 --> 00:40:19.710 Like, so I see the future. 00:40:19.710 --> 00:40:23.790 I wanted to see how you see it as, do you see how others will continue 00:40:23.790 --> 00:40:27.960 to work with each other, empower each other to then grow their 00:40:27.960 --> 00:40:29.640 businesses, not with each other. 00:40:29.670 --> 00:40:31.140 It's not that you have to partner with each other. 00:40:31.140 --> 00:40:31.320 Right. 00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:36.090 But you know, I'm being an affiliate partnership where you can lend the hand 00:40:36.090 --> 00:40:38.790 and other people's successes by sharing. 00:40:39.255 --> 00:40:42.525 Opportunities like, do you think, do you like that? 00:40:42.745 --> 00:40:44.685 That, that that's where we're going right now? 00:40:44.715 --> 00:40:49.035 Or that's the possibility because then it brings a lot of the small 00:40:49.095 --> 00:40:52.515 mom and pops to a small business that it brings a small business. 00:40:52.515 --> 00:40:53.265 It grows, right? 00:40:53.295 --> 00:40:54.645 I mean, what do you, what do you think about that too? 00:40:55.440 --> 00:40:55.620 Yeah. 00:40:55.650 --> 00:40:58.470 AJ: Cause I think in the end of the day, you know, the ones that 00:40:58.470 --> 00:41:00.570 don't really want it, they're going to weed itself out anyway. 00:41:00.750 --> 00:41:03.540 So it really doesn't matter what you tell them, how you help them, 00:41:03.810 --> 00:41:07.200 because you know like, Oh, it's always say what's the means to me. 00:41:07.410 --> 00:41:07.770 You know? 00:41:07.770 --> 00:41:11.820 And so what's everybody's, is everybody like, if you really meant for this, 00:41:12.390 --> 00:41:15.030 when I gave you this information, you're going to take any fumble when, 00:41:15.030 --> 00:41:16.290 so it doesn't really cause something. 00:41:16.290 --> 00:41:18.510 And I was willing to admit, sometimes I did and still do. 00:41:18.510 --> 00:41:18.990 Probably. 00:41:19.860 --> 00:41:21.509 Get what I call it, the poverty mindset. 00:41:21.509 --> 00:41:24.870 I can't say what I call like the phrase, I got it from somebody. 00:41:24.870 --> 00:41:25.110 Right. 00:41:26.070 --> 00:41:26.910 Probably mindset. 00:41:26.910 --> 00:41:30.870 Were you afraid to share information because you think it's going to take 00:41:30.870 --> 00:41:34.049 with them what you have, but it's not going to take away from me, so yeah. 00:41:34.060 --> 00:41:34.560 What you want to know? 00:41:34.560 --> 00:41:37.350 I can't wait to do, you know, and like the first one I got to in the beginning. 00:41:37.694 --> 00:41:40.995 I came into business just wanting to share with people anyway, cause 00:41:40.995 --> 00:41:43.515 I wanted to help, but I didn't understand why we started there. 00:41:43.785 --> 00:41:44.625 But you got two. 00:41:47.505 --> 00:41:49.395 But I don't think it's going to hurt the industry at all. 00:41:49.395 --> 00:41:50.174 I think it's going to help. 00:41:50.355 --> 00:41:53.085 And I think for those who want to go bid, they're going to go through the one 00:41:53.085 --> 00:41:55.845 that wants to be small and stay small and it's just going to be what it's going to 00:41:55.845 --> 00:41:58.935 be regardless of, I'm just here to help for anybody that wants to information. 00:41:59.610 --> 00:42:00.060 Ricky: Yeah. 00:42:00.120 --> 00:42:04.140 Yeah, I'm going to, and that's, that's so spot on as far as, yeah, 00:42:04.140 --> 00:42:06.030 it's, it's how much you want from it. 00:42:06.030 --> 00:42:06.240 Right? 00:42:06.240 --> 00:42:07.350 So people will be content. 00:42:07.500 --> 00:42:10.320 It's a little white, a lot more solar, big idea of visionaries 00:42:10.320 --> 00:42:11.490 that want to get so big. 00:42:12.390 --> 00:42:17.520 But there's enough business in this, in this country alone that man. 00:42:18.675 --> 00:42:22.035 I just, as you can see, I'm always excited to talk about this 00:42:22.095 --> 00:42:23.775 unglamorous cleaning industry, right? 00:42:23.805 --> 00:42:27.165 But I consider it a bad ass industry, man. 00:42:27.315 --> 00:42:32.955 I mean, there's just, there's so much upswing that we have going on right now 00:42:33.945 --> 00:42:35.385 and it's just, it's exciting, you know? 00:42:35.385 --> 00:42:38.955 And I, I appreciate you, what you do with the space and the 00:42:38.955 --> 00:42:41.385 people that you influence, right? 00:42:41.385 --> 00:42:42.255 Cause it's all positive. 00:42:42.675 --> 00:42:43.245 Everything. 00:42:43.799 --> 00:42:44.910 Everything is positive. 00:42:45.750 --> 00:42:50.880 I'm big on where, you know, like, you know, just a little tidbit on the roles. 00:42:50.880 --> 00:42:55.890 A lot of sites, we struggled a little bit last year because we grew too fast. 00:42:55.950 --> 00:42:59.720 We grew too much, you know, so, and I'm never afraid to speak on that. 00:42:59.730 --> 00:43:02.220 You know, I'll be the first one to tell you, you know. 00:43:02.895 --> 00:43:08.865 Approach things, very approach things in a mindset of what's the pros and the cons. 00:43:08.984 --> 00:43:10.035 Don't always think pros. 00:43:10.305 --> 00:43:11.145 And I was always bigger. 00:43:11.325 --> 00:43:14.174 I'm all about pros, but you gotta think of that. 00:43:14.174 --> 00:43:16.214 What's going to come at that costs, you know? 00:43:16.904 --> 00:43:19.214 And, and it is what it is. 00:43:19.245 --> 00:43:20.174 This is the space. 00:43:20.685 --> 00:43:21.705 You could lose a contract. 00:43:21.825 --> 00:43:25.365 You know, like people think I got a one year contract, they can cancel in 30 days. 00:43:26.535 --> 00:43:27.615 Tactically they could. 00:43:27.975 --> 00:43:33.555 So you gotta be understanding of that, of the client who wants to deal with a 00:43:33.555 --> 00:43:37.725 client that already is upset with you, doesn't like the business that you're, 00:43:37.995 --> 00:43:39.165 or the service that you're offering. 00:43:39.615 --> 00:43:41.695 You don't want to keep that client anyways, right? 00:43:41.985 --> 00:43:44.165 I mean, it's, it's, it's not up and down. 00:43:47.085 --> 00:43:50.325 I'd say, let's, let's take a step back and say. 00:43:50.915 --> 00:43:53.165 You've been giving a lot of tips, you be given a lot of ice blue. 00:43:53.205 --> 00:43:56.555 I think there's a lot of wealth of knowledge so far that we've talked about. 00:43:57.305 --> 00:44:00.335 What is, what is something that you could say you haven't shared much to 00:44:00.335 --> 00:44:04.595 many people, but you think would help them take their business to the next 00:44:04.595 --> 00:44:09.365 level, whether it's business, whether it's new service offering, whether it's 00:44:10.385 --> 00:44:15.845 technology, anything you think that you are learning about more right now 00:44:15.845 --> 00:44:17.105 that you'd like to share with people. 00:44:17.775 --> 00:44:18.285 Yeah, that's 00:44:18.285 --> 00:44:19.005 AJ: a good question. 00:44:19.005 --> 00:44:23.115 And I've kind of been hammered home like the last two days maybe, and 00:44:23.115 --> 00:44:27.404 I'm going to start speaking on a lot more colorful, which is Cassius team. 00:44:27.585 --> 00:44:30.315 And I think Colvin reminded us of that. 00:44:30.404 --> 00:44:34.995 Um, you know, cause like I had, I had issue a little bit too, uh, you 00:44:34.995 --> 00:44:38.205 know, last year and leading a little bit into 2020 where I grew too fast. 00:44:38.205 --> 00:44:41.745 I went from like six, five or six workers to like 17. 00:44:41.745 --> 00:44:44.865 So, and then I started getting so many sales and it was like. 00:44:45.375 --> 00:44:45.615 All right. 00:44:45.615 --> 00:44:47.505 Wait a minute and I kind of got big headed to what thing? 00:44:47.535 --> 00:44:49.904 Well, I was spending more than I should have been spending, and it was 00:44:49.904 --> 00:44:53.415 like I never saw the amount of money in the bank that I was seeing, so it 00:44:53.415 --> 00:44:54.884 was like I didn't know what to do. 00:44:54.944 --> 00:44:55.185 You know? 00:44:55.185 --> 00:44:57.944 I thought I had it apparently, but it's like I was struggling 00:44:57.944 --> 00:44:59.415 separating the business for me. 00:44:59.415 --> 00:45:01.545 Number one, it wasn't my money because this is money. 00:45:01.545 --> 00:45:06.134 I have to know what I mean, stick to what I actually make from the 00:45:06.134 --> 00:45:08.685 business and don't get big headed with the business, making it, most 00:45:08.685 --> 00:45:10.815 importantly, stack that cash up. 00:45:10.815 --> 00:45:11.055 Okay. 00:45:11.055 --> 00:45:12.975 I think it was two jobs that I heard say. 00:45:13.620 --> 00:45:16.830 Try to keep a year's worth of salary in the bank, and that's a lot of money. 00:45:16.830 --> 00:45:17.220 I know. 00:45:17.220 --> 00:45:21.150 It's like if you got 20 employees, that would be fully, that's a lot of money 00:45:21.150 --> 00:45:24.390 to just have to sit in there with like at least you're more safe than sorry. 00:45:24.420 --> 00:45:28.440 And we look at like a company like Apple, they're one of the, uh, you 00:45:28.440 --> 00:45:31.740 know, one of the companies that's most, I guess looked up to because they 00:45:31.740 --> 00:45:33.540 have so much liquid cash available. 00:45:33.569 --> 00:45:37.620 So don't be afraid to keep some cash stack as much as you can possibly stack. 00:45:37.995 --> 00:45:40.515 For your business and keep it there just in case, because you never know 00:45:40.515 --> 00:45:42.525 what will happen and you want to be able to take care of your employee. 00:45:42.944 --> 00:45:43.515 Yeah, 00:45:44.685 --> 00:45:48.315 Ricky: that's a great way to end the conversation too, because it's, I 00:45:48.315 --> 00:45:49.485 mean, we'll have one more question. 00:45:49.575 --> 00:45:54.345 That's a funny question, but, uh, that, that is so true. 00:45:54.404 --> 00:45:56.595 Like lastly, don't spend money. 00:45:56.595 --> 00:46:00.645 You don't have to spend, uh, don't, it's not your money, right. 00:46:00.795 --> 00:46:05.005 It's, you know, it can be, it will be, you'll get, do, get the return 00:46:05.005 --> 00:46:06.194 or the dividends at some point. 00:46:06.194 --> 00:46:06.464 Right. 00:46:06.464 --> 00:46:06.705 But. 00:46:07.335 --> 00:46:11.085 The more you tap into it, the more you use it when you really need it 00:46:11.174 --> 00:46:12.375 is when you're going to get affected. 00:46:12.375 --> 00:46:16.725 And also that's, I respect that because it's very easy to, when 00:46:16.725 --> 00:46:20.085 three or four accounts that are like 20 30,000 and you're like, 00:46:20.085 --> 00:46:22.995 Holy cow, this is my, this is mine. 00:46:23.294 --> 00:46:27.765 When if your businesses first, it's your business first, you know, 00:46:27.825 --> 00:46:29.444 hire another employee to help him. 00:46:29.625 --> 00:46:30.194 Don't take them. 00:46:31.335 --> 00:46:34.515 I gave myself, I think I've given myself two raises in the last six years. 00:46:35.009 --> 00:46:39.060 Just because I care more about affecting the rest of the team 00:46:39.089 --> 00:46:43.170 versus if you get fat, you know you're going to stay fat in yourself. 00:46:43.259 --> 00:46:47.339 We're going to share that with, you know, all right, man. 00:46:47.609 --> 00:46:49.730 So we could keep going on and on. 00:46:49.740 --> 00:46:52.620 I think we could do like five or six episodes, so many different things. 00:46:53.190 --> 00:46:58.230 I always like to end with, give me a funny story, whether it's last week, whether it 00:46:58.230 --> 00:47:00.060 was the first weekend cleaning business. 00:47:00.555 --> 00:47:03.795 What's, what's something that not too many people know about AGA that you ran 00:47:03.795 --> 00:47:09.675 into, either started a business or as of recently in the cleaning space, right? 00:47:09.675 --> 00:47:09.915 AJ: Yeah. 00:47:09.915 --> 00:47:13.215 So, uh, I always struggled to think of these stories, many of them that 00:47:13.215 --> 00:47:17.235 I have, but one story always pops in my mind was, uh, I told you we were 00:47:17.235 --> 00:47:19.875 always out in the middle of night, all times a night, Clinton building. 00:47:20.445 --> 00:47:25.005 And, uh, one of the bills that I had within this industrial complex, and it 00:47:25.005 --> 00:47:26.745 was like in the woods, and it's like. 00:47:27.150 --> 00:47:28.770 So I'm going in there in the middle night. 00:47:28.770 --> 00:47:29.880 My wife stayed home that night. 00:47:29.880 --> 00:47:33.180 I'm by myself and I'm walking into the building and I hear 00:47:33.180 --> 00:47:33.900 something in the bushes. 00:47:33.960 --> 00:47:36.270 I'm thinking probably some birds I might think about it. 00:47:36.540 --> 00:47:38.520 So I go to open the door and try to unlock it. 00:47:38.520 --> 00:47:42.620 As soon as I put the key towards the door, the deer jumps right 00:47:42.650 --> 00:47:46.670 out, and so I jumped with that. 00:47:46.700 --> 00:47:47.080 Oh 00:47:47.089 --> 00:47:47.390 Ricky: shit. 00:47:51.025 --> 00:47:52.885 AJ: And I'm like, all right, I'll sit in the car. 00:47:52.885 --> 00:47:55.315 Like contemplate most people, dude, just standing at that point. 00:47:55.375 --> 00:47:56.845 So I turned my high beams on. 00:47:56.845 --> 00:47:58.825 Maybe I scared away, but he just gave me the 00:48:02.820 --> 00:48:06.280 So I'm just sitting there debate with myself by HR, we don't miss Kleenex. 00:48:06.280 --> 00:48:08.240 You know, what's your excuse? 00:48:08.240 --> 00:48:09.680 They was a day and I didn't do it, you know? 00:48:09.680 --> 00:48:14.450 So it's just like, I talked that for probably about 15 minutes until 00:48:14.780 --> 00:48:17.420 he finally backed away enough, and I said, all right, get out of here. 00:48:17.420 --> 00:48:18.530 Go be a man and get in there. 00:48:18.530 --> 00:48:20.300 So I went over here not to build them out. 00:48:20.300 --> 00:48:21.590 By the time I came out, I was 00:48:21.950 --> 00:48:22.400 Ricky: itching. 00:48:28.340 --> 00:48:29.600 AJ: It was crazy that I had to call him. 00:48:29.600 --> 00:48:29.660 A 00:48:32.690 --> 00:48:34.340 Ricky: lot of stuff happens in the field, man. 00:48:34.340 --> 00:48:35.090 People don't know. 00:48:35.120 --> 00:48:36.200 People don't know. 00:48:36.410 --> 00:48:41.390 We could do a whole episode just to end the show though. 00:48:41.400 --> 00:48:44.240 Give, give people, you know, how does somebody find you 00:48:44.240 --> 00:48:44.960 if they don't really relate. 00:48:46.154 --> 00:48:46.754 AJ: Absolutely. 00:48:46.754 --> 00:48:50.475 So I say that the best place to look me up is AGA SEM is on YouTube. 00:48:50.504 --> 00:48:51.404 That's like my home. 00:48:51.404 --> 00:48:52.214 That's where I go to. 00:48:52.694 --> 00:48:57.944 Uh, then also at AGA Simmons online or Instagram, if you want to add 00:48:57.944 --> 00:49:00.495 me on Facebook, I really don't pay attention to Facebook that much, but 00:49:00.495 --> 00:49:04.245 if you really want to reach out to me, probably the best way, uh, and then 00:49:04.245 --> 00:49:06.944 www dot dot com and check it out. 00:49:07.004 --> 00:49:08.265 Check out what we got going on with it. 00:49:08.850 --> 00:49:09.450 Ricky: Awesome. 00:49:09.480 --> 00:49:11.700 Well, Aja, I appreciate it, my man. 00:49:11.730 --> 00:49:12.900 Thank you very much. 00:49:13.290 --> 00:49:18.720 I know that we've got a lot more stories to write ourselves together, so thank 00:49:18.720 --> 00:49:21.030 you again and appreciate it, man. 00:49:21.090 --> 00:49:21.720 Be safe out there. 00:49:22.290 --> 00:49:22.740 AJ: Thanks, Rick. 00:49:22.740 --> 00:49:23.340 I appreciate it. 00:49:24.260 --> 00:49:24.940 All right.