Full Transcript for Being Different Beats Being Better: How Lisa Macqueen Built an Eight-Figure Brand

and you're right, I think like a lot of people would assume maybe certain reasons for your growth, but it is something that's really special about what you bring uh specifically to Clean Corp in that sales and marketing background, which brings us to our conversation today. 00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:42.240 So, you know, at some point along the way, as you've mentioned, um you became known as the number one marketing authority in the global cleaning industry. 00:04:42.319 --> 00:04:49.199 You've been interviewed by uh Brian Tracy, you've been dubbed the queen of marketing, you've won awards all over the world. 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:50.399 How did that even happen? 00:04:50.480 --> 00:04:56.720 Because I think for most cleaning business owners, marketing is almost the last thing on their mind when there were so many other things going on. 00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:57.920 Can you talk us through that? 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:08.959 Yeah, I think that was part of what I knew that I needed to do because when I when I did join the business, I didn't know about how to run a cleaning business. 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:20.560 I'd come from an environment where I was selling beautiful hotels and exotic destinations, and all of a sudden I was selling what effectively is a grudge purchase for most people. 00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:30.160 Most people who get out of the out of bed in the morning are not excited about buying a cleaning, a commercial cleaning contract for their business. 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:38.000 So I had to figure out how I was going to reinvent how we were going to present that to the world. 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:40.480 And that's sort of where all of it started. 00:05:40.800 --> 00:06:00.079 I really got very clear on how I wanted to be as a business, and that was as far away from how all the other cleaning businesses are in the world, because I've been, I I went onto so many websites in those early days, just trying to trying to cram in as much information as I could so I could learn fast. 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:08.000 And what I noticed was that so many of those cleaning businesses, their websites were virtually the same. 00:06:08.079 --> 00:06:13.120 They said the same thing, they all had the same photos from iStock or from Getty Images. 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:14.639 To me, they looked bland. 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:24.399 And they they didn't if I I just kept thinking, if I was a buyer of um cleaning services, how would I even tell the difference between this one and that one? 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:26.319 They just that there's nothing different. 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:48.879 And so I just kind of started on this plan of making us as different as possible and and and doing it like being bold about it and being um, I guess happy and willing to make mistakes and happy and willing to find better ways as we as we learned from those mistakes. 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:50.959 And so it worked. 00:06:51.120 --> 00:07:01.040 I mean, that's that's the thing, this crazy idea that I had of throw out every idea that you know about the cleaning industry and start fresh. 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:13.439 That helped me because I didn't know anything about the cleaning industry, it really actually gave me a huge leg up because I didn't know what the you know norms were. 00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:18.000 I just knew what I was prepared to try and the boundaries I was prepared to push. 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:21.199 And so I did that and it worked. 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:46.720 So um, you know, everything kind of once I once I had proof that I could do it, and that was, you know, once we hit that two million mark and we did that really quickly, then it it sort of opened the floodgates because I thought, okay, well, I just all I have to do is be consciously and constantly looking for new ways to be different. 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:51.680 And I will create my own pathway within this industry. 00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:53.839 And that's exactly what we've done. 00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:54.240 Yeah. 00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:56.959 It's an amazing plan and it definitely has worked. 00:07:57.120 --> 00:08:01.600 Um, I guess my my next question for you would be when when did you start to realize that it was working? 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:09.680 Was there a specific um thing that happened where you thought, like, wow, like I'm really um, I'm really seeing the results coming through now because of this change? 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:12.399 Yeah, that that happened really fast actually. 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:20.480 Because when when I came into the business, I implemented some some key marketing strategies. 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:23.920 Number one, of course, was having a decent website. 00:08:24.160 --> 00:08:34.480 And I'm not gonna lie, the very first iteration of the clean court website that I did, for anyone who looks it up online, if you can, if you can still find it, because and I'm hoping that you can't find it. 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:39.759 I'm actually hoping that it's lost because it was so awful. 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:41.440 It was just it was so awful. 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:47.279 It was a miracle that we had anyone responding to that website at all. 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:49.759 But we did, because it was different. 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:55.440 It was rubbish, it was ugly, but still, still people responded to it. 00:08:55.519 --> 00:09:05.679 And so the the the moment that I knew that it was working was when my husband Hamish said to me, God, we're getting a lot of leads lately. 00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:09.200 And I had never heard those words out of his mouth. 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:11.200 I'd never heard him say that. 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:16.080 And I thought, okay, tick, something is working. 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:19.039 So, yeah, so I think that I think that was the first time. 00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:28.240 So before we, before we get into the how, I just want to ask you something that I think a lot of

cleaning business owners are probably thinking right now, if they're listening to this conversation so far. 00:09:28.480 --> 00:09:33.919 They're probably thinking, you know, I'm busy, I'm on the tools, I've got staff to manage, clients to keep happy. 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:36.559 Why should I care about my online presence? 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:38.159 Why should I care about LinkedIn? 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:41.360 What do you say to that person that's having those thoughts right now? 00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:48.480 Yeah, I know that there will be a lot of cleaning business owners out there in exactly that position. 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:57.360 The thing is, if you want to be on the tools forever, then just fast forward on this conversation. 00:09:57.679 --> 00:10:16.879 Because unfortunately, we live in a world where everything is online and your buyers, the people who are buying your cleaning services or they're buying your pressure washing, your carpet cleaning, your glass cleaning, whatever it might be, every single one of those clients is online. 00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:29.200 And now they are also using AI to find you, to find the best person in their area who can handle the problem that they have. 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:34.240 So if you if you don't put yourself out there, they're not going to be able to find you. 00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:36.799 Um, you can't depend on word of mouth. 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:39.200 It's just, it's word of mouth is great. 00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:47.039 I love, I mean, everybody loves word of mouth, but it is not an entire marketing strategy of it of itself. 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:49.279 It it needs to be backed up with other things. 00:10:49.679 --> 00:11:02.720 That's where using social media, using a great website, and building your own personal brand really comes to the forefront because people buy from people. 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:15.039 So if you think about it, your client, your pro your prospect, your prospect is thinking, okay, I I need it, you know, we've had a problem with the cleaners at work. 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:17.120 We need to get a new cleaning team in. 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:18.720 Where are they going first? 00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:24.559 Nine times out of 10, they're going to um, they're going to Google or they're going to AI. 00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:27.279 So if you're not there, they're not going to see you. 00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:28.960 Yeah, definitely, definitely. 00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:31.039 Um, so okay, let's let's get into it. 00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:33.120 Let's get into the specifics now. 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:37.919 Um, because I know you spend a lot of your your time uh and your energy in LinkedIn. 00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:40.879 You have over 12,000 followers at the moment. 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:42.480 You post every day. 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:51.360 Um, for a commercial cleaning business owner who's either not on LinkedIn or you have a profile that you know they haven't touched in the last three years, where should they begin? 00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:51.840 Okay. 00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:57.200 My first advice would be it's okay if you have never posted before. 00:11:57.279 --> 00:12:02.639 It's okay if you um you're starting from scratch. 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:03.360 Like that's fine. 00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:08.399 Or if you haven't posted for ages, what happened yesterday is irrelevant. 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:11.039 Just what's happening today is where you need to start. 00:12:11.279 --> 00:12:13.600 Get that first post happening. 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:27.919 Now, there's some some reason I I I hear from a lot of people who say, Oh, I don't want to do it because I don't want my competitors to see me out there, or I don't want my family to see me out there, or you know, whatever other um objection that they have. 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:34.000 The thing is that this is the vehicle that you can use and it's free. 00:12:34.559 --> 00:12:42.480 You can be advertising, like advertising, but in a different way, um, on LinkedIn so that people see you, they get to know you. 00:12:42.559 --> 00:12:50.559 And like I said before, that whole people buy from people idea is so true, even even more so now. 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:56.240 The more that AI is in our world, the more people want to have that human interaction. 00:12:56.639 --> 00:13:15.600 So if you go on LinkedIn or Instagram or wherever, you know, Facebook, if that's your if that's where you want to be, by posting about things that are of interest to your most ideal customer, then you start to build build an audience, you start to get followers. 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:19.600 People respond to what you're putting out in the world. 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:29.200 Now, in the early days when I first started posting on LinkedIn, I was I was doing, you know, posts that would, they weren't getting much traction. 00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:44.159 But I was very focused on the idea that I wanted, once again, I want it to be different, but I was very focused on the idea that I wanted to make sure everything I posted would be of interest to the to my most ideal client. 00:13:44.399 --> 00:13:53.120 So if I read through it and I thought, if if I was an office manager, if I was a procurement manager, facilities manager, would I read this? 00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:54.799 Would I think this is rubbish? 00:13:54.960 --> 00:14:02.399 Or would I think this, oh gosh, yeah, that's actually that's quite an interesting perspective for my industry or for my my job role. 00:14:02.559 --> 00:14:11.840 And that became the, you know, that became kind of the the main driving force of, okay, if I'm putting something out there, it's got to get some eyeballs on it. 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:12.960 That became the next thing. 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:17.840 So first write for the people who are going to be the best for your business. 00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:19.600 Think about who they are. 00:14:19.919 -->

00:14:27.039 Then write something like what is some crappy thing that might be happening in their life that you can write about that you know about. 00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:38.240 Um, I remember doing a post, and I mean this was years ago, but I did a post because at that time we had a lot of office managers who were customers of Clean Corps. 00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:44.240 And and I thought one of my team in the office had had a really bad headache the day before. 00:14:44.399 --> 00:14:48.159 And I thought, gee, you know, there's there's quite a few different types of headaches. 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:50.799 It happens to a lot of people at work. 00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:53.519 I'm gonna write a post about headaches at work. 00:14:54.399 --> 00:15:00.639 Which, you know, if you're listening, you're probably not gonna pull the car over and say this is groundbreaking, but just hear me out. 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:10.159 The thing is, that post got so much traction because the customers that we serve, the prospects that we're looking to serve, that is something that goes on in their daily life. 00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:14.960 Yes, oh gosh, there's something about headaches in the workplace, I'm going to read that. 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:28.240 And and so it I proved, I I pretty much got proof in that post that that um that angle, that way of approaching how I was writing was what needed to happen. 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:43.039 Because look, let's face it, for anybody out there who is listening and they are in um the, you know, the cleaning space or they're in an industry that people don't find tantalizing, um, you need to find a different edge. 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:52.240 Because if you if you're posting photos of something that's dirty and then something that's clean after you've cleaned it, that is not a scroll stopper. 00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:59.039 And the LinkedIn algorithm um will not, it won't reward you with virality. 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:05.759 It will not reward you with a lot of people um being interested in it because it's not interesting. 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:10.720 I know we we all think, oh gosh, this is the great, you know, the greatest thing since sliced bread. 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:18.000 But you you just have to keep taking it back to what would the person that I really want to read this, what would they think of this post? 00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:24.799 And um, yeah, so that's that's kind of where I would recommend people just start with one, start with one thing. 00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:25.279 Yeah. 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:29.279 It really is kind of bringing it back to the the marketing basics, isn't it? 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:31.600 Like who is your ideal client persona? 00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:32.879 Like who, what do they want? 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:33.840 What are you looking at? 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:41.279 And also I like that point that you make about just because you're in the cleaning industry doesn't mean you have to, you know, exclusively post about cleaning. 00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:53.039 You know, there's lots of other things um happening in the world around us that you can draw on that other people are going to relate to, and then just building that trust and um, you know, it it doesn't have to be about cleaning. 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:56.000 I I think a lot of people will probably uh resonate with that. 00:16:56.159 --> 00:17:08.880 Um, I know you've spoken before about, you know, your LinkedIn profile kind of being like your first impression, maybe someone who hasn't seen you before and they click on your profile before they even, you know, reach out to you, before they even speak to you. 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:14.480 What does a bad LinkedIn profile actually cost a cleaning business in real terms? 00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:20.799 Well, I think I think what it costs a cleaning, I mean, there's two there's two different, two different types of LinkedIn profile. 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:26.079 There's there's your personal profile, and then there's also that profile that you have for your business. 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:34.559 Now, the profile that you have for your business, honestly, um, don't expect too much because again, it's it's a business page. 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:36.240 People know that it's a business page. 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:42.880 It's the the one that you really should put the time and effort into is to is your own personal page. 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:45.279 So your own personal brand. 00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:50.640 Um, what you should be paying attention to there is like have a great photo. 00:17:50.880 --> 00:18:02.000 I see so many cleaning business um LinkedIn profiles that don't, that have no photo at all, um, which is yeah, it it's not good, guys. 00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:03.119 It really is not good. 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:07.119 So definitely have a photo, have a have a really good photo of you. 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:10.400 Um it doesn't even have to be a professional headshot. 00:18:10.559 --> 00:18:17.200 In fact, I would say um there's a real movement away from professional headshots at the moment. 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:24.480 Uh people are are really just using shots, you know, they're holding their mobile phones and and taking a nice shot of them in some good light. 00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:25.359 That's fine. 00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:29.119 So you don't even have to spend money on getting a great photo. 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:41.839 Um and then in your banner, um, because absolutely you want to have a paid version, by the way, of LinkedIn, um, you want in your banner, you want to have like who you are, what you're about. 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:54.559 Make it like not too many words, just make it so that in in milliseconds, if someone lands on your profile, they know within seconds what it is that you do, what it is that you're good at. 00:18:54.799 --> 00:18:56.640 So those two things are really important. 00:18:56.799 -->

00:18:59.680 And then if you come down the page, look at your about. 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:10.880 There's an about section there, and spend some time there because people really do go there, especially if they're interested in your business or your service, what you have to offer. 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:14.000 Um, they want to know a little bit more about you and they go there. 00:19:14.160 --> 00:19:16.480 So make sure it's not full of typos. 00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:19.839 Make sure it's authentic and it's real. 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:29.440 And by that, I mean don't just, don't just ask Chat GPT to give you, um, you know, tell me what, put write me something great for LinkedIn for my about page. 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:38.079 Make it about, make it feel real, because in in in so many cases, people that's what people are looking for, and that's that's where the connection point is. 00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:40.240 So they would they would be my top three. 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:41.200 That would be my top three. 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:42.799 Really good advice, really good advice. 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:52.960 There might also be um a point there about like if you're location based for the, I guess, the search engine optimization in your LinkedIn, like is that an important thing to kind of have in your LinkedIn profile? 00:19:53.279 --> 00:19:54.000 Definitely, definitely. 00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:59.920 So straight under where your name is, um, that's where you know you're putting your location there. 00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:07.680 You're also putting what it is that you do in a really short, um, you know, one or maximum two sentences. 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:09.680 So you want to make it really punchy. 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:15.200 Um, so again, people can just see it and understand in seconds what it is that you do and who you serve. 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:20.480 Let's talk content because I think that's where a lot of people kind of freeze and they get a bit scared. 00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:28.480 Um, I think a lot of people know that they should be posting, but then they they go to they log on to LinkedIn, they stare at a blank screen, nothing comes out. 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:33.440 Um what do you actually post about when you're running a cleaning business? 00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:38.319 Well, anyone who follows me, and if you don't follow me, please do. 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:46.079 Um, anyone who follows me will see that I I pretty much have some pillars of um content that I stick to. 00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:50.960 I stick to things that really resonate with my ideal clients. 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:55.519 So that would be what's going on in a b inside of a business. 00:20:55.680 --> 00:21:05.759 I s I stick to entrepreneurship because I'm an entrepreneur and uh, you know, I have a I have my own perspective on how how my life is as an entrepreneur. 00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:07.839 So I you I I use that. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:09.680 I talk about clean call, obviously. 00:21:09.759 --> 00:21:16.400 I talk about my business sometimes, and you know, funny things that go on, everyday things that go on, mundane things that go on. 00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:18.799 Even like some personal things you share sometimes. 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:24.480 I definitely yeah, I definitely share things that are going on that are that are more personal. 00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:33.119 Um and then I I I tend to rotate through those core pillar um um topics. 00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:37.519 I don't really have one that's way more important to me than another. 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:41.039 These are just the things that really resonate with me, and that's why I share them. 00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:42.880 Yeah, I think that's really valuable advice. 00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:46.960 And um, you know, as I've said before, you you do have over 12,000 followers on LinkedIn. 00:21:47.119 --> 00:21:59.599 And I I guess I did want to talk about maybe some of the content that you've posted in the past and um just kind of like can we have a little chat about, you know, was there any one particular post that really moved the needle for you? 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:07.440 Or something that really surprised you with how well it did perform and, you know, um you got a bunch of followers or something that really resonated with your audience. 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:10.160 Is there anything that um kind of jumps to mind? 00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:13.839 Yeah, there there was a post recently that went viral. 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:22.720 And um the interesting thing with that post was that I wrote it at five o'clock in the morning because I couldn't I couldn't sleep. 00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:28.480 And um and normally what I do is I schedule my posts. 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:32.000 So they're they're they're pre-written, they're ready to roll, and I scheduled them. 00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:38.559 And this particular morning when I couldn't sleep, I just went in to have a look at what was scheduled, and I thought, I I I don't know why. 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:41.039 I just had a different, I had a different vibe that day. 00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:44.319 I just felt like I wanted to write something different, which I did. 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:50.000 And so I put it up, and within minutes of putting it up, I could see that this one was gonna go viral. 00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:51.440 Um, and it did. 00:22:51.680 --> 00:23:02.559 And interestingly, uh, yes, I did attract a lot of new followers, which was great, but I also attracted a lot of new trolls, um, which really surprised. 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:08.559 I mean, you know, especially on LinkedIn, it it's a, you know, it's it's a platform, it's a business platform. 00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:12.960 Um, but yeah, I definitely had um uh quite a few new trolls. 00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:15.039 And that's you know, that's the thing. 00:23:15.119 --> 00:23:28.079 When you're when you're out there in the world and you're

putting, you're putting your yourself out there um by posting each day and and sharing things that are like personal or that that are business related, you have to be prepared for that. 00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:29.279 That that will happen. 00:23:29.359 --> 00:23:31.680 But honestly, I could care less. 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:37.839 I seriously, I I could not care less because what other people think of me is none of my business. 00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:44.559 The great thing is that by putting that post out, there was so many positives that came from it as well. 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:47.119 And and you know, that's what it's all about. 00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:51.839 It's about attracting people into your world. 00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:59.039 So for us, the attracting people into our world is okay, uh are we looking good for a prospect? 00:23:59.279 --> 00:24:05.920 If if we're in a tender situation and someone goes and looks me up, and um they do that all the time, by the way. 00:24:06.160 --> 00:24:18.160 Um, I want them to see that Clean Corp is run by real people, people who have ups and downs and everything in between, because there are there is no such thing as perfect perfection anywhere. 00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:25.200 So I think it's really important to be authentic to that and to to be okay with showing that. 00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:30.480 There's a school of thought that cleaning is a boring industry, that nobody wants to read about it. 00:24:30.559 --> 00:24:33.839 I know you've called it an unsexy industry before. 00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:38.240 Um I guess like what what do you say, what do you say to that? 00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:44.319 What do you say to those cleaning business owners who think no one wants to read about my business? 00:24:44.799 --> 00:24:46.160 What do you have to say to that? 00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:58.799 Okay, I'm going to readjust that thinking because the reality is, on a worldwide basis, the cleaning industry is a$424 billion a year industry. 00:24:59.119 --> 00:25:13.519 We are huge and the industry is huge, but for some reason we've always, as an industry, played small and thought of ourselves as lesser than other industries. 00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:23.440 And and for that reason, we've never really, in my opinion, taken the industry and and really showcased it for what it is. 00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:33.680 If you are running a successful uh cleaning business, a successful service business, you are running a logistics business. 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:37.200 That's how I feel about um about my business. 00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:38.880 It's definitely logistics. 00:25:39.039 --> 00:25:48.160 There are so many moving parts that all have to work in harmony for things to work and for a service to be delivered at a really high level. 00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:55.359 So it's not just about people turning up um with a you know a vacuum on their back and a mop in a bucket. 00:25:55.519 --> 00:25:56.960 It's so not that. 00:25:57.440

--> 00:26:05.440 And I think that's what's given the industry this like kind of boring connotation that people think, oh, that's all it is. 00:26:05.519 --> 00:26:09.519 You know, you turn up with a mop and a bucket and and um that's your industry. 00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:20.319 And I would also shout this out to our industry associations to get this message out that there's nothing small about being a cleaning business owner. 00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:25.440 There is nothing less about you um being a cleaning business owner. 00:26:25.759 --> 00:26:28.480 We are not a boring industry. 00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:37.920 We are a fantastic industry with so many, so many opportunities for people, like jobs-wise, career, career-wise. 00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:41.119 Um, it's it really is, it's just uh it's a great industry. 00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:42.400 That's a really great message. 00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:45.200 I think it's one that um a lot of people probably need to hear. 00:26:45.279 --> 00:26:46.480 So yeah, thank you for that. 00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:55.519 In terms of logistics, posting on LinkedIn, how often should a cleaning business owner be posting and how can they stay consistent with that schedule? 00:26:55.759 --> 00:27:01.599 Um look, my my posting schedule and your posting schedule can be completely different. 00:27:01.839 --> 00:27:03.440 I would just say start. 00:27:03.599 --> 00:27:07.680 And if that means that your posting schedule is one post per week, great. 00:27:07.839 --> 00:27:10.480 Just start there and be consistent with it. 00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:24.079 Um and then once you see things starting to happen, and by that I mean getting engagement, getting comments, getting leads, once you see that starting to happen, then you make that decision. 00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:26.160 I'm I'm gonna go all in on that, on this. 00:27:26.319 --> 00:27:29.200 I'm going to, you know, I'm really gonna push into it. 00:27:29.599 --> 00:27:34.880 Um you have you you you really just have to go with what feels like it it's right for you. 00:27:35.119 --> 00:27:54.799 But one thing that is kind of addictive, which I will share with you, is that when your team come back into the office and they tell you that, oh, I went out to this, you know, this sales call with this particular client, and all they talked about was, um, oh, they quoted this post that you wrote, or that post, or that video, whatever. 00:27:55.039 --> 00:28:09.039 When you know that your um personal brand is starting to break through in the way that you want it to, which is getting your most ideal clients paying attention to you, it's very addictive. 00:28:09.359 --> 00:28:12.640 You've mentioned AI a few times in the conversation so far. 00:28:12.960 --> 00:28:16.079 Can you talk us through a little bit about how that works in practice? 00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:27.839 Because I think there is still a bit of mystery around AI and people uh, you know, not wanting to sound too robotic because I don't want to not wanting to copy and paste, you know, a LinkedIn post straight from Chat GPT. 00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:32.000 I guess what are your thoughts on it and how do you use it with your personal brand? 00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:36.960 Okay, for my personal brand, I I'm look, I use AI all the time. 00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:41.599 And anyone who doesn't use AI all the time, you need to start. 00:28:41.759 --> 00:28:43.119 You need to start. 00:28:43.359 --> 00:28:49.440 Um it is, it's revolutionized so much of what I do on a day-to-day basis. 00:28:49.519 --> 00:29:06.319 But what I use it for specifically when we're talking about posting is I use it to, I use it to develop ideas, like to really ideate, because I I'm constantly up on the lookout for what's tomorrow's post gonna be, what's next week's post gonna be. 00:29:06.799 --> 00:29:25.680 And so I I'll come up with the bare bones of an idea, and then from there I'll put it into um into Claude, and I'll start to build out what it's gonna sound like, what's gonna happen, how you know, what the story's gonna be, how it's going to appear. 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:31.359 And once I've got that, then I take that and I tweak it, I make it my own. 00:29:31.599 --> 00:29:41.599 Um, I really don't believe in just just taking whatever you get and throwing it straight into um straight into any social media platform. 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:45.039 Spoiler alert, we can tell. 00:29:45.519 --> 00:29:48.160 Everyone can tell when you've done that. 00:29:48.480 --> 00:29:52.079 So the the most important thing is to just be you. 00:29:52.240 --> 00:30:04.079 I I was giving this advice to um to someone yesterday and saying, when I first started building my personal brand, I challenged myself to write some posts that were only nine lines long. 00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:18.240 And for anyone who knows me, that's really hard because I'm I, you know, it's I find it really hard to um be that succinct and that precise when I'm doing a post. 00:30:18.559 --> 00:30:24.880 But it it made me it made me focus in on it, made me um be a lot more precise. 00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:27.279 And I think that's you know, it's it's something that you can do. 00:30:27.440 --> 00:30:29.519 You can write nine lines. 00:30:29.759 --> 00:30:32.400 You've got a beginning, a middle, and an end. 00:30:32.799 --> 00:30:35.039 Within nine lines, you can do it. 00:30:35.200 --> 00:30:38.960 And um, and it's it it's a nice, easy way to get started. 00:30:39.440 --> 00:30:39.920 Good advice. 00:30:40.240 --> 00:30:50.480 Could you maybe talk a little bit about like the way that you do structure your posts and um I guess the importance of having like a hook or a subhook or a CTA and that storytelling, beginning, middle, end. 00:30:50.559 --> 00:30:52.079 Like can you speak a little bit to that? 00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:53.039 For sure. 00:30:53.279 --> 00:31:05.599 So um for anyone who is not sure what we mean by a hook, the the hook is the very first

sentence of the post, and then the sub hook is the second sentence. 00:31:05.680 --> 00:31:12.480 And the the job of the hook is kind of to hook your attention as people are scrolling. 00:31:12.880 --> 00:31:15.519 You can imagine they're seeing loads and loads of posts. 00:31:15.680 --> 00:31:17.359 You want your post to stand out. 00:31:17.519 --> 00:31:22.079 So you need um you need a strong sentence to do that. 00:31:22.240 --> 00:31:29.519 Now, I typically will will write a hook that is no more than seven, ten words maximum. 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:41.839 And it really has to be something that creates in the mind of the um, you know, the the person scrolling, the reader, it's got to create tension and it's got to create curiosity. 00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:51.599 So we use the hook to get the attention, and then we use the sub hook to do that curiosity and tension piece. 00:31:51.839 --> 00:31:58.240 And then the objective is to get them to click on the read more and so that they read the rest of the post. 00:31:58.400 --> 00:32:00.480 That's that's what we're going for. 00:32:01.119 --> 00:32:07.599 The call to action or the CTA is what I will typically put at the end of my post. 00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:13.920 And that is me trying to invite you and encourage you to like hop in on the conversation. 00:32:14.160 --> 00:32:18.720 It might be um getting, you know, getting different opinions. 00:32:18.960 --> 00:32:20.559 What what do you think of this? 00:32:20.640 --> 00:32:22.720 You know, what what's your take on this? 00:32:22.960 --> 00:32:23.839 That sort of thing. 00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:28.400 And because people they like to be invited into the conversation. 00:32:28.559 --> 00:32:33.039 And if you make it easy for them, they often will do that and engage with the post. 00:32:33.359 --> 00:32:37.839 What about um videos, images, graphics, that sort of thing? 00:32:37.920 --> 00:32:44.160 How do you use that to um I guess uh build curiosity or to to engage someone's interest? 00:32:44.480 --> 00:32:52.000 Yeah, so that all of those things are they all work together with your post. 00:32:52.160 --> 00:33:10.319 So depending on what the post is, um if you if you're if you're posting a video, video on LinkedIn, I'm seeing a lot more of it, but the impressions, it doesn't get as much, it doesn't get as much attention as as just a static post, like with a static photograph. 00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:12.880 That's what I'm finding myself at the moment. 00:33:13.039 --> 00:33:16.319 So I don't do a lot of video on LinkedIn for that reason. 00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:21.599 I I I do my video on YouTube or I do my video on Instagram. 00:33:21.759 --> 00:33:23.279 That's where I prefer to be. 00:33:23.519 --> 00:33:26.640 But for LinkedIn, I really like a great image. 00:33:26.799 --> 00:33:32.240 And a great image is it's something that you could easily link to the story. 00:33:32.480 --> 00:33:34.240 So let me give you an example. 00:33:34.400 --> 00:33:52.160 I I just wrote a post earlier this week, and that post was about um some of the challenges that that you know that women have in in um in in business and the fact that there's a lot of mansplaining going on at the moment. 00:33:52.960 --> 00:34:00.559 Um now I have three daughters, and all of those uh my three daughters, they all have successful careers in their own right. 00:34:00.720 --> 00:34:05.680 But they're also kind of feeling the mansplaining going on. 00:34:05.759 --> 00:34:10.480 So the image that I put in there was of an image of me and my daughters. 00:34:10.719 --> 00:34:12.960 It worked because that post did very well. 00:34:13.119 --> 00:34:16.320 So you it the the idea is just get the post right. 00:34:16.480 --> 00:34:24.639 Now, if you use a carousel, you'll notice that I don't really use carousels much, but I do plan to um to use more of them. 00:34:24.880 --> 00:34:33.599 Carousels, people really love information, and carousels mean that they can essentially consume your post without actually reading it. 00:34:33.679 --> 00:34:39.679 They can just click, click, click through through the carousel of images, and that will more or less tell them what the post is about. 00:34:39.920 --> 00:34:45.360 They do they do pretty well, um, and it's something that I do, I I do think I'll be testing more of. 00:34:45.679 --> 00:35:02.079 And you do kind of mention um a little bit just then about I guess the difference between between Instagram and you know, LinkedIn, the different channels, pivoting a little bit to Instagram, I guess, what kind of uh content performs better on Instagram versus LinkedIn? 00:35:02.400 --> 00:35:07.519 I think the content on Instagram, obviously it has to be visual. 00:35:07.760 --> 00:35:15.760 It has to, it, it has to attract attention in milliseconds because there's so much great content on Instagram. 00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:21.519 So you've really got to think about okay, what is the hook going to be for this? 00:35:21.920 --> 00:35:29.039 What is going to stop someone and make them want to watch your video or read your post on Instagram? 00:35:29.360 --> 00:35:35.519 Um I think making sure that it is visually appealing is number one. 00:35:35.920 --> 00:35:36.960 Absolutely number one. 00:35:37.119 --> 00:35:50.400 And look, there are some cleaning business owners out there right now who are doing some good stuff in that space, um, that are going a little bit out of the box and doing, you know, they are being different, which is so awesome to see. 00:35:50.639 --> 00:35:55.840 It's the ones that are doing the before and afters of the dirty things that aren't doing very well. 00:35:56.079 --> 00:36:00.159 So, um, or making their Instagram posts look like an advertisement. 00:36:00.400 --> 00:36:02.960 This is something I'm also seeing on LinkedIn as well. 00:36:03.119 --> 00:36:24.800 Um, if you're posting on either of those platforms and your your image looks like an ad, pretty much

guaranteed that those posts will not see the light of day because the algorithm will bury them because they don't want you advertising on their um platforms for free. 00:36:25.039 --> 00:36:31.039 So it then becomes your responsibility to find a different way to tell the story. 00:36:31.280 --> 00:36:52.320 And and I think that the more that you do that, um, and I've seen so much great stuff in all different industries of um user-generated content by employees and um you know and business owners, where they just they just they do something fun and they film it and they put it up and it it it goes off, it goes viral. 00:36:52.639 --> 00:37:08.559 So looking looking at doing things like that, as you get more and more confident with posting and with social media for your own business, it becomes that point of differentiation that is so awesome once you once you meant you you know you capture it. 00:37:08.719 --> 00:37:17.119 And there's plenty of organizations on Instagram that you can model um, you know, the ideas that they that they've got and that they use. 00:37:17.519 --> 00:37:19.360 You mentioned the before and after content. 00:37:19.599 --> 00:37:21.199 I know you have strong opinions on this. 00:37:21.360 --> 00:37:25.679 Can you can you tell um us a little bit about what you think about that? 00:37:25.840 --> 00:37:26.239 Does it work? 00:37:26.400 --> 00:37:26.960 Does it not work? 00:37:27.039 --> 00:37:27.280 Why? 00:37:27.920 --> 00:37:29.039 Before and after content. 00:37:29.119 --> 00:37:30.719 No, no, no, no, no, no, no. 00:37:30.880 --> 00:37:31.519 Doesn't work. 00:37:31.679 --> 00:37:32.480 It does not work. 00:37:32.639 --> 00:37:39.039 People are not interested, especially if you are talking about um cleaning. 00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:43.840 A dirty floor in a gym and a clean floor in a gym. 00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:49.760 They just don't care because your ideal client takes that as a given. 00:37:49.920 --> 00:37:52.719 It's not some mystery that you're unveiling for them. 00:37:52.880 --> 00:37:57.599 They're expecting that if you're a commercial cleaning company, you can get a floor from this to that. 00:37:57.760 --> 00:37:59.920 They don't need you to actually show it. 00:38:00.239 --> 00:38:17.679 Um, also, I mean, again, you have to think that the algorithms with whichever um platform you're talking about, the algorithms want to serve up great posts to their users so they can keep them on their platform. 00:38:17.920 --> 00:38:25.199 So if you have got a before dirty toilet and an after clean toilet, I'm sorry, but the algorithm does not care. 00:38:25.360 --> 00:38:26.400 It really doesn't. 00:38:26.639 --> 00:38:32.400 The only time I've seen this work, um pressure washing is one of those. 00:38:32.559 --> 00:38:42.800 I would say pressure washing, because it's almost hypnotic watching pressure washers, like with the dirty pavement and then the clean pavement. 00:38:42.880 --> 00:38:44.400 I don't know what it is about that. 00:38:44.639 --> 00:38:46.239 That I've seen work. 00:38:46.639 --> 00:38:53.840 Um, but I yeah, pretty much that's that's the only time that I would say that would be a go. 00:38:54.239 --> 00:38:59.119 I guess if it's like a video that takes you on a journey or that tickles some part of your brain. 00:38:59.280 --> 00:38:59.519 Yeah. 00:38:59.920 --> 00:39:02.639 But not just a stagnant image of a dirty toilet and a clean toilet. 00:39:02.880 --> 00:39:03.360 No, no, no. 00:39:03.440 --> 00:39:05.199 I mean, if you like, think about it yourself. 00:39:05.360 --> 00:39:09.039 If you were scrolling, it is is that something that you'd be interested in? 00:39:09.280 --> 00:39:09.599 No. 00:39:09.920 --> 00:39:11.519 Why wouldn't you be interested in it? 00:39:11.840 --> 00:39:14.239 Oh, it it doesn't really tell a story, does it? 00:39:14.320 --> 00:39:15.760 It's it's a bit gross to look at. 00:39:15.840 --> 00:39:18.159 I don't think it's No, it's just the thought of it. 00:39:18.960 --> 00:39:22.320 And by the way, I have done this myself. 00:39:22.400 --> 00:39:25.199 I'm I'm not standing here in judgment of anyone. 00:39:25.440 --> 00:39:31.519 I certainly in those early days, I mean, you know, again, I'm hoping that these are all hidden forever. 00:39:31.760 --> 00:39:35.440 Um, but you know, you you live and learn. 00:39:35.599 --> 00:39:36.400 You live and learn. 00:39:36.480 --> 00:39:42.880 And now the, you know, we know that there is an algorithm out there that really wants to serve up great content. 00:39:43.039 --> 00:39:48.079 So if you give it great content, you'll you will get interaction. 00:39:48.239 --> 00:39:49.119 You'll get seen. 00:39:49.360 --> 00:39:50.800 Yeah, definitely. 00:39:51.199 --> 00:39:56.559 Um, let's zoom out for a second and just talk about personal brand more broadly. 00:39:56.719 --> 00:40:00.480 Um, because there is, I think, still some stigma about it. 00:40:00.639 --> 00:40:07.360 Um, you know, this idea that I'm not an influencer, that's not for me, I'm a bit like nervous or embarrassed. 00:40:07.679 --> 00:40:11.039 How do you define personal brand for someone in the cleaning industry? 00:40:11.119 --> 00:40:15.119 And how do you, I guess, um, what's your advice to those people who maybe have that train of thought? 00:40:15.360 --> 00:40:15.920 Yeah, yeah. 00:40:16.079 --> 00:40:23.360 And look, it it's very understandable to feel that way because all of a sudden you're you're exposed, right? 00:40:23.679 --> 00:40:26.480 You are you're there, you're at the front of the company. 00:40:26.559 --> 00:40:29.840 If anything goes wrong, everybody knows it's you, right? 00:40:30.239 --> 00:40:32.880 Um, and that that can be confronting. 00:40:33.039 --> 00:40:39.920 And I I know that there are a lot of business owners out there who don't even put themselves on their website for that reason. 00:40:40.079 --> 00:40:42.320 They don't want to be seen. 00:40:42.719 --> 00:40:53.840 But from, you know, we're

we're in 2026, the the world has changed to the point where people want to know who they're doing business with. 00:40:53.920 --> 00:40:57.679 They they want to have a a feeling, they want to get get a feeling. 00:40:57.760 --> 00:41:07.920 They don't want to just do business with faceless um organizations, certainly from a small business perspective, anyway. 00:41:08.320 --> 00:41:25.519 So that's why personal branding becomes so much more important because you can you really can get a great sense of what a business stands for, what their culture is like, what they're what it's like to work for them, what it's like to work with them. 00:41:25.679 --> 00:41:44.159 But the only way you can get that, other than going onto a company page, which is essentially just advertising, the only way you can get it authentically is when you when you experience it authentically from someone who's sharing that user-generated content. 00:41:44.320 --> 00:41:53.920 There's, you know, you might have someone in your organization who's talking about a great win that the team had, or a great, you know, something great that happened, or something hard that happened. 00:41:54.079 --> 00:42:12.000 But there's an authenticity there that personal brand really it really brings to the table for a prospect or for existing clients, and also by the way, for attracting great staff into your own organization. 00:42:12.320 --> 00:42:25.360 Because all of the marketing that you do outwardly, it you should always look at it as I'm I'm marketing not just for new clients, but I'm also marketing for new staff in the future. 00:42:25.519 --> 00:42:33.039 I want people to look at us, and I've certainly I do this very much, but I want people to look at us as this is a place I really want to work. 00:42:33.199 --> 00:42:35.679 You know, I like I really want to work there. 00:42:35.840 --> 00:42:40.559 Um, so when you have a personal brand, actually, interesting story. 00:42:40.800 --> 00:42:46.639 We have just done our ISO recertification, uh, year 13, I think. 00:42:46.960 --> 00:42:56.480 And um the auditor comes in and shakes my hand and he goes, I hope you don't think it's strange, but I follow you on all of your social media platforms and I love what you do. 00:42:56.719 --> 00:42:58.239 Now, is that strange? 00:42:58.400 --> 00:42:59.039 I don't know. 00:42:59.199 --> 00:43:01.360 I I don't know. 00:43:01.440 --> 00:43:04.719 Uh that the auditor, is he is he auditing my social media? 00:43:04.880 --> 00:43:06.079 I'm not sure. 00:43:06.400 --> 00:43:21.280 But how what a big turn of events that someone who comes into the organized, like comes in as as an auditor coming into my business, and the almost the very first thing he says is that. 00:43:21.599 --> 00:43:23.360 That is personal brand. 00:43:23.599 --> 00:43:30.559 He was he was friendly and engaging with me right from the get-go because he already felt like he knew me. 00:43:31.119 --> 00:43:34.239 And that's what personal brand does for you. 00:43:34.400 --> 00:43:44.159 If, you know, all of these little synapses that are going on in our heads, you think about the effect that it has on a prospect. 00:43:44.480 --> 00:43:59.760 If you walk through the door to do a sales, you know, a sales uh presentation or a walkthrough, you walk through the door, but your prospect has already interacted or experienced you on Instagram or on LinkedIn or on Facebook or you. 00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:03.360 YouTube or wherever, it gives you an advantage. 00:44:03.599 --> 00:44:04.880 It really does. 00:44:05.199 --> 00:44:11.280 And I I don't think we as an industry, we lean into that enough. 00:44:11.599 --> 00:44:18.960 But every little, every little advantage, even if it's a micro advantage, is huge in the overall scheme of things. 00:44:19.119 --> 00:44:26.320 And um, yeah, so that's why I'm personal brand, put aside feeling embarrassed about it. 00:44:27.199 --> 00:44:31.840 And by the way, the first couple that you do are gonna be awful. 00:44:32.400 --> 00:44:32.880 Awful. 00:44:33.039 --> 00:44:37.440 Maybe the first dozen, I don't know, maybe the first year, maybe. 00:44:37.760 --> 00:44:47.920 Um, but eventually you will pick up different ideas, different styles, different um, you know, different ways of delivering messages. 00:44:48.159 --> 00:45:01.039 And each time you do something to elevate your own personal brand on social media, wherever it might be, every time you do that, you just each time you get a little bit better at it. 00:45:01.199 --> 00:45:06.800 And you get a little bit better at telling your story, and you get a little bit better at um like getting attention. 00:45:07.039 --> 00:45:09.360 And it's yeah, anyone can do this. 00:45:09.440 --> 00:45:13.760 This is not, this is not exclusively for someone who knows how to market. 00:45:14.239 --> 00:45:15.360 Anyone can do this. 00:45:15.679 --> 00:45:17.199 Oh, amazing advice. 00:45:17.519 --> 00:45:18.960 Um, okay. 00:45:19.519 --> 00:45:22.320 You're obviously still actively running Clean Corp. 00:45:22.639 --> 00:45:26.480 You're also building a coaching business, you're also showing up online. 00:45:26.639 --> 00:45:28.320 This is a lot for any person. 00:45:29.199 --> 00:45:35.519 Um I guess my question is, you know, commercial cleaning business owners are very busy people, like you are yourself. 00:45:35.840 --> 00:45:37.840 How do you protect your time? 00:45:38.480 --> 00:45:41.039 Um, because obviously it's not just the posting, is it? 00:45:41.199 --> 00:45:45.920 Then there's the replying to messages, there's, you know, commenting on other people's posts. 00:45:46.079 --> 00:45:49.360 How do you manage all of this and still protect your own time? 00:45:49.679 --> 00:46:01.519 Well, I think right now um I'm building AI to help me manage a lot of the things that don't really need my, they don't need my hands on them. 00:46:01.679 --> 00:46:03.360 So that there's that. 00:46:03.519 --> 00:46:04.880 Um,

it's being disciplined. 00:46:04.960 --> 00:46:11.039 I think just going, okay, well, I I've got all of these people who've gone to the trouble to write a comment. 00:46:11.199 --> 00:46:14.960 There is no way I'm gonna leave a comment out in the wild. 00:46:15.119 --> 00:46:15.599 No way. 00:46:15.760 --> 00:46:19.840 I'm not, you are never gonna leave me a comment and I won't respond to you. 00:46:20.000 --> 00:46:27.199 Um, I think that's really important at part of I don't know, just the fabric of being on social media. 00:46:27.280 --> 00:46:28.320 It's a give and take. 00:46:28.400 --> 00:46:31.760 It's not me giving everything and you taking, or vice versa. 00:46:32.000 --> 00:46:33.360 There's that give and take. 00:46:33.519 --> 00:46:35.280 Um, I'm very fortunate. 00:46:35.440 --> 00:46:37.280 I have an incredible team. 00:46:37.440 --> 00:46:41.280 I'm like the best, the best team. 00:46:41.519 --> 00:46:48.159 Um and so the team help me in so many ways to get all of that done. 00:46:48.400 --> 00:46:50.239 Um, yeah, it's a I don't know. 00:46:50.400 --> 00:46:50.800 I don't know. 00:46:50.960 --> 00:46:53.119 I I don't know how to do it, but I Wonder Woman. 00:46:53.840 --> 00:46:54.880 You're super you're superwomanly. 00:46:55.840 --> 00:46:57.199 I'm definitely not Wonder Woman. 00:46:57.360 --> 00:46:59.679 I I think I it takes a village. 00:46:59.920 --> 00:47:07.440 I have a village, and um, and I'm I'm just very lucky that I I have you know so many great people around me who help me. 00:47:07.760 --> 00:47:08.880 Very cool, very cool. 00:47:09.119 --> 00:47:17.440 Um I guess what is the biggest mistake that you would see cleaning business owners make when they uh just starting this personal brand journey? 00:47:17.599 --> 00:47:23.679 Um maybe something that holds them back or maybe a mistake that people make early on that gets them started on the wrong foot? 00:47:23.920 --> 00:47:35.440 Yeah, I think the the big one is they they go to LinkedIn, for example, and they put up their um they put up their posts, they they put you know, they put the post up. 00:47:35.599 --> 00:47:37.920 It's purely out of AI. 00:47:38.400 --> 00:47:47.840 It's full of emojis and probably full of hashtags as well, which by the way, guys, no emojis and no hashtags in a LinkedIn post, please. 00:47:48.159 --> 00:47:54.320 Um then there's links to their website in the post. 00:47:54.559 --> 00:47:56.400 All of those things kill their post. 00:47:56.480 --> 00:48:00.880 And oh, and and then the the image is like an advertisement for their company. 00:48:01.199 --> 00:48:02.880 Put all of that together. 00:48:03.199 --> 00:48:07.599 That will get your posts killed by LinkedIn a hundred percent. 00:48:07.840 --> 00:48:25.519 Um any any post that you put a link in, and certainly on LinkedIn, if you put your, you know, a a website, um, a link to a website inside of your post, then they're not gonna they don't want they don't want people c going off their platform. 00:48:25.679 --> 00:48:31.280 So they're not going to um they're not gonna reward you with a a viral post if you do that. 00:48:31.519 --> 00:48:36.960 If you want to put a link in, you put it in the comments and um and that's fine. 00:48:37.039 --> 00:48:40.960 There's no problem with doing it that way, but you don't put it in the post. 00:48:41.280 --> 00:48:43.519 Um and I've forgotten the rest of the question again. 00:48:43.760 --> 00:48:46.079 Um any other like mistakes people make. 00:48:46.320 --> 00:48:47.360 Oh, they're the big ones. 00:48:47.519 --> 00:48:48.559 They are the big ones. 00:48:49.039 --> 00:49:01.840 Um I have I I I think I think for the most part the the biggest mistake is just not getting started or or starting and then not being consistent. 00:49:02.320 --> 00:49:11.199 Because you you if you think about it, if you only show up, let's say you only post once a month, that means you're only posting 12 times a year. 00:49:12.000 --> 00:49:16.079 You can't possibly expect anyone to remember who you are. 00:49:16.239 --> 00:49:18.639 There's thousands of posts going through, right? 00:49:19.199 --> 00:49:26.800 So the consistency really starts to play in that um, you know, that recency factor in our in our brains. 00:49:26.960 --> 00:49:30.480 People go, oh yeah, I've seen that that woman from that cleaning company. 00:49:30.559 --> 00:49:31.519 Let's call her. 00:49:31.760 --> 00:49:34.559 That's where my um consistency comes in. 00:49:34.800 --> 00:49:36.239 That that's how it works. 00:49:36.480 --> 00:49:42.239 So really just starting and stopping, starting and stopping, make it a priority. 00:49:42.320 --> 00:49:44.880 It's just it if even if you just do it once a week. 00:49:45.199 --> 00:49:53.920 Is there um any cleaning business owners that you've noticed um online, maybe a client or someone else in the industry who's doing really well in this space? 00:49:54.159 --> 00:49:57.519 And um, if so, what are they doing that maybe other people aren't doing? 00:49:57.920 --> 00:50:04.880 Yeah, there there's one that I noticed recently, and she it was just it was the positioning. 00:50:05.039 --> 00:50:22.960 She's she's using video, by the way, and she's using it um in a way that I haven't seen any other cleaning business do it, where she's making it fun and she's kind of Netflixing it in a way, creating I don't know, making just making it more interesting. 00:50:23.199 --> 00:50:24.960 And she is getting traction. 00:50:25.199 --> 00:50:34.239 So I think making, you know, making it fun and not being too serious about it definitely has something to do with that. 00:50:34.559 --> 00:50:50.880 If we were to take a step back now and look at the cleaning industry over the next five years, how important would you say it is um for online visibility for commercial cleaning companies who want to really not just survive, I guess, this whole AI takeover, but really thrive and grow? 00:50:51.119 --> 00:50:53.360 What's the

online visibility piece there? 00:50:53.679 --> 00:51:10.960 Look, the big piece is obviously having a website that is not only SEO um optimized, but also AI optimized because people are people are going to be moving more and more to having AI do the search. 00:51:11.039 --> 00:51:23.679 And we we're not very far away from AI doing um, you know, the complete procurement process, start to finish for a new cleaning contract. 00:51:23.840 --> 00:51:29.280 You if you think about it, it's it's so it will become so easy for people to do that. 00:51:29.519 --> 00:51:33.280 Things like pricing calculators on your website, you should all have them. 00:51:33.519 --> 00:51:41.199 There should be a way for your prospect to have an idea of what it is that you're gonna you're gonna charge. 00:51:41.519 --> 00:51:49.519 AI is going to um is gonna look very kindly on the businesses that make that distinction on their websites. 00:51:49.599 --> 00:51:56.639 And I know there's gonna be a lot of people listening to this podcast saying, oh my god, don't, you know, like what is she talking about? 00:51:56.800 --> 00:52:04.880 Um I've put a pricing calculator on our website and um and I know that this is this is the way of the future. 00:52:05.119 --> 00:52:21.119 Um when people are uh when people are researching services and and things that they want to buy online, they're doing all they're doing about 70% of the research before they even let you know they're interested in what it is you have to offer. 00:52:21.440 --> 00:52:28.960 So 70% of all of the research is based around, can you do it? 00:52:29.119 --> 00:52:30.880 What do other people think of you? 00:52:31.119 --> 00:52:33.440 What roughly is it going to cost me? 00:52:33.679 --> 00:52:36.480 Um what are your what are your reviews like? 00:52:36.639 --> 00:52:37.360 Things like that. 00:52:37.519 --> 00:52:48.880 If you answer all of those questions, and um for anyone out there who hasn't read the Marcus Sheridan book, um it used to be called They Ask You Answer, it's now called Endless Customers. 00:52:49.119 --> 00:52:52.000 He he is such a huge advocate of doing this. 00:52:52.079 --> 00:52:56.079 And I, you know, I've really followed this very closely with him. 00:52:56.639 --> 00:53:09.760 By put by answering the questions that your prospects have and making it easy to find the answers on your website, within your, you know, within your materials, on social media, it gives you it such a natural advantage. 00:53:09.920 --> 00:53:16.960 That advantage is gonna play out more and more and more because that 70% number that I just mentioned is not going down. 00:53:17.199 --> 00:53:19.119 It's never gonna be less than 70%. 00:53:19.760 --> 00:53:23.760 Maybe next year it'll be 80, 80%, maybe the year after it'll be 90%. 00:53:24.400 --> 00:53:30.480 People are going to go more and more in the way of having AI handle stuff like this for them. 00:53:30.639 --> 00:53:46.400 And you either get on the train and and start doing these things and building out those um um resources on your own website, or your competitors will do it and you'll be wondering, what happened? 00:53:46.559 --> 00:53:56.159 I'm not getting, I'm not getting uh reviewed by AI, I'm not getting promoted by AI, and um, and you'll find that your leads and your deal flow will drop because of it. 00:53:56.480 --> 00:53:58.880 I think that 70% number is just crazy. 00:53:58.960 --> 00:54:01.599 And you're right, I think it is definitely not going to be going down. 00:54:01.679 --> 00:54:10.559 And uh, you know, prospects today, clients today are so much more educated and they are so much more complex than they ever have been. 00:54:10.719 --> 00:54:16.079 And so yeah, it's it's becoming more and more important every year, every day. 00:54:16.320 --> 00:54:19.360 Um, okay, last question before we get to a few fun ones. 00:54:19.599 --> 00:54:26.159 What do you want a cleaning business owner to walk away from this conversation believing that they didn't believe before they started listening? 00:54:26.559 --> 00:54:35.599 That having a personal brand is like right up there in terms of um things that they need to do now. 00:54:35.840 --> 00:54:37.679 Things that they need to start now. 00:54:38.000 --> 00:54:38.960 Can I have two? 00:54:39.280 --> 00:54:39.840 Go for it. 00:54:40.000 --> 00:54:40.239 Okay. 00:54:40.559 --> 00:54:41.280 The second one. 00:54:41.519 --> 00:55:00.320 The second one is really what what I was just talking about is making sure that you are you are positioning your business and all of the resources of your business on um an on an AI capability in every way, in every shape, and in every form for the business. 00:55:00.639 --> 00:55:08.000 Online, um, internally, externally, every way, because that is what's going to be driving it forward in the future. 00:55:08.960 --> 00:55:09.599 Great answer. 00:55:09.760 --> 00:55:10.320 Great answer. 00:55:10.559 --> 00:55:13.519 Okay, a few really quick uh rapid fire questions. 00:55:13.760 --> 00:55:15.039 Answer in 10 seconds or less. 00:55:15.280 --> 00:55:15.440 Okay. 00:55:15.679 --> 00:55:16.239 If we can. 00:55:16.400 --> 00:55:16.719 Okay. 00:55:16.960 --> 00:55:19.280 Okay, one LinkedIn or Instagram? 00:55:19.519 --> 00:55:20.079 LinkedIn. 00:55:20.400 --> 00:55:21.679 Personal brand or business brand? 00:55:22.000 --> 00:55:22.480 Personal brand. 00:55:22.800 --> 00:55:25.599 What's one LinkedIn cliche that needs to die immediately? 00:55:26.000 --> 00:55:29.360 Posts that start with, honestly, question mark. 00:55:30.559 --> 00:55:34.800 Um Best piece of content advice you have ever received. 00:55:35.119 --> 00:55:38.079 Being different is better than being better. 00:55:38.400 --> 00:55:39.760 Ooh, that's really good. 00:55:39.920 --> 00:55:40.800 I like that. 00:55:41.039 --> 00:55:42.400 Um, last quick question. 00:55:42.719 --> 00:55:45.760 Biggest thing stopping most cleaning owners from showing up online. 00:55:45.840 --> 00:55:48.480 Is it fear, time, not knowing what to say, something else? 00:55:48.880 --> 00:55:53.519 I think it's a combination of not knowing what to say and maybe a little bit of fear. 00:55:54.880 --> 00:55:56.800 Lisa, this has been so good. 00:55:56.960 --> 00:56:01.679 I feel like we've just scratched the surface and we could probably keep talking for another hour. 00:56:01.920 --> 00:56:04.239 Um for anyone, we really could. 00:56:04.639 --> 00:56:07.440 Um we actually could, and that wouldn't that would not be a stretch. 00:56:07.840 --> 00:56:08.639 Not be a stretch. 00:56:08.800 --> 00:56:14.960 Um for anyone listening who wants to go deeper on this or who's looking to work one-on-one with you. 00:56:15.039 --> 00:56:17.519 Um, we've got the 90 day sprint running at the moment. 00:56:17.679 --> 00:56:20.480 I'll make sure that all of the links are in the description of the video. 00:56:20.719 --> 00:56:22.880 Make sure if you're listening, you go and give Lisa a follow. 00:56:22.960 --> 00:56:26.639 She's on all of the platforms LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook. 00:56:26.880 --> 00:56:29.599 Lisa, thank you again for such an incredible conversation. 00:56:29.920 --> 00:56:30.480 Thanks, Lani. 00:56:30.719 --> 00:56:31.440 It was so great. 00:56:31.599 --> 00:56:32.400 Thank you.