Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Lauren Steward of Lakewood

Lauren Steward shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Lauren , it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do you think is misunderstood about your business? 
I believe that others think the cleaning industry is too saturated- which is the furthest from the truth. People think you are competing against other big companies or similar sized companies- I don’t believe that at all, I think there’s room for everyone to be successful in this space, and I don’t focus on what other cleaning companies are doing. I am competing with myself and how I can continually make the service we provide better for every customer we work with. Also, there is a misunderstanding that cleaning is supposed to be “cheap/inexpensive” however there are so many variables that go into consideration when pricing. Every home is different, every ones understanding of cleaning is varied. The type of clean or de-clutter needs to be tailored to each customer. This is not a cookie cutter service. However, something I say all the time which we all know- great work isn’t cheap and cheap work isn’t great. There are a multitude of factors that influence price not just from the consumer side when estimates are sent for their specific need. The other expenses that are not taken into consideration; Insurance (normally several different kinds), customer management software (crm), payroll, taxes, supplies, websites, marketing, products, work space to do off site laundry and store products/supplies, background checks, hiring processes, on-boarding, credit card processing fees, and that’s just to mention some of the things. I explain to folks that we are not just pricing for labor- we also price for skill, years of building systems, overhead, great communication, a tailored approach.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I am Lauren Steward- Owner of Clearview Cleaning and Organizing LLC.

Long of the short I fell into cleaning. I was in sales most of my life and after years in the car business and failed attempts at two other career paths I thought I would be passionate about and was not- I fell into cleaning. I refused to go back to the car business and needed to make ends meet, financially. I started working for a hoarding company as a last resort, and I fell in love with cleaning and helping hoarders.

I subcontracted for several different types of businesses that provided cleaning and gained experience and knowledge not only about cleaning but what they were doing that I could potentially do differently. What would make my experience better as a cleaning contractor and the customer experience better. I then started cleaning independently and grew my own book of business as a solo cleaner and learned so much along the way.

I became so busy the transition to contractors and employees was anything but glamorous- a lot of trial and error and really hard lessons early on. No one teaches you how to build a business no matter how many books you read, mentors you have you just have to do it, especially when you build it 100 percent out of your own pocket- no side money no help, nothing. Basically, I have been building the air plane while we have been in the air for several years. As we continue to grow and scale implementing great processes has made a world of difference, As we are still in our infancy I am continuing to grow, learn, adapt, change, all to provide the highest level of service for customers and provide a great work environment for all of the wonderful people that work with and for me.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
Both of my parents had and still have incredible work ethic. They didn’t teach me about business but seeing how they worked tirelessly their entire lives to provide for my bother and I was something to be admired. My mother had her own hair salon in the basement of our home while growing up, after working years at a salon she went and built her own clientele. She worked 5-6 days a week all while taking care of the home and my brother and I. My father worked his way from the bottom in the car business and over 25 plus years of relentless work 6 days a week and moving up within the dealerships he was at, he became an owner in two car dealerships. My parents thankfully did not provide any handouts however what they did was lead by example- hard work, dedication, commitment, relentless effort, and strategic moves. Without seeing what they accomplished I don’t know if I would have such blind faith in my ability to build something great.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I am human- of course there are times I want to give up- however, I recently came across something that has renewed my faith and I tell it to myself daily. Not to make this about god or anything- however I read- “God wouldn’t call you if you weren’t capable” That is nothing but the truth- I feel like I was called to do this type of service work, providing cleaning for an amazing clientele and providing work for amazing people that work with and for me is what I believe I was called to do.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
The need to heavily rely on AI and Chat GPT- we are focusing so much so ai and chat gpt we are losing focus on that person to person interaction- and that is what keeps relationships strong.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I think I was pushed to do a lot of things that were out of alignment with me- I was heavily into classical piano from a small child into late teens years, was quite accomplished but not passionate, I tried a lot of things I thought aligned with me but there was always a block. When I started listening to myself and the inner knowing or intuition or whatever folks call it these days things started working out. I do feel like I am now on the path of what I was born to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://clearviewcleaningorganizing.com/
• Instagram: clearviewcleaningandorganizing
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/public-profile/settings?trk=d_flagship3_profile_self_view_public_profile
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556821946572&sk=about
• Other: @laurenclearviewcleaning

Image Credits
Clearview Cleaning and Organizing took all photos