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5 Versions of Entrepreneurship

Episode 2: Red Flags, Green Flags & Why Cleaners Need Teeth — Not Hope

If you’ve ever left a cleaning job feeling frustrated, resentful, or underpaid, this episode is for you.

In Episode 2 of Cleaning Business Life, we’re talking about the difference between clients who grow your business and clients who quietly drain it — and why most burnout in the cleaning industry has nothing to do with cleaning at all.

This is a real conversation about boundaries, behaviors, and leadership — not blame, guilt, or hustle culture.

In this episode, we cover:

• What client red flags actually look like in real life
• Why “since you’re already here…” is never just a small ask
• The behaviors that signal a green flag client
• How ignoring early warning signs leads to burnout
• Why policies without enforcement don’t work
• The role language and scripts play in protecting your time and profit
• How to stop over-explaining and start leading with confidence

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fuchsia Huck Cloths

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Erica Paynter is the brains behind My Virtual Bookkeeper, a bookkeeping firm for cleaning companies, and the creator of Clean Co. Cash Flow Academy and the Clean Co. Collective. She’s on a mission to help cleaning business owners make sense of their numbers without boring them to tears! Erica’s all about turning messy books into profit-packed powerhouses.

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Thanks for tuning in to Cleaning Business Life — the podcast for cleaning business owners who want to build a profitable, sustainable company without burning out.

Hosted by Shannon Miller and Jamie Runco, each episode pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to start, grow, and scale a cleaning business — covering pricing, systems, leadership, boundaries, and the real conversations most people avoid.

🎧 New episodes 2x weekly
📚 Resources, show notes, and programs: https://kleanfreaksuniversity.com

Because in life — and in business — clean is just the beginning.

— Shannon & Jamie