At 25 years old, I’ve built a multi 7-figure residential and commercial cleaning company with 2 locations and over 50 employees. Join me as I share thoughts, experiences, tips, and strategies from the depths of my head. This is THE podcast you need to listen to if you own a cleaning business or if you’re looking to start one.
How Ryan Went From Working 4 Jobs to Building a Successful Cleaning Business in 20 Months | The Booked Out Cleaners Series (#126)
This week on Self Maid, I'm chatting with Ryan from Castle Cleans in Sydney. Ryan was working four jobs when he came across the Self Maid Podcast, and started his cleaning business off the back of it. Under two years later he's got a team of six, a diverse client base, and he's doing it while training ten times a week as a state champion kickboxer. In this episode, we get into the real story. The cold calling experiment that cost him a one-star review before it made him a dollar, the clients he was sure were making him money, but were quietly losing it, and the employee who made him angry enough to write the message he's glad he never sent. Whether you're chasing your first commercial contract or trying to work out why the revenue's growing but the profit isn't, Ryan is refreshingly open about what's worked and what hasn't. Have a listen, and if it lands, share it with someone who needs to hear it. You can follow Ryan on Instagram @k1rook Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
She 4X'd Her Cleaning Business in a Single Year | The Booked Out Cleaners Series (#125)
In the second instalment of The Booked Out Cleaners Series, I'm chatting with Jenna from Cardamom Cleaning here in Perth. Jenna started Cardamom out of necessity, looking for a way out of the burnout cycle she kept hitting in hospitality, and last financial year, her business grew by 400% compared to the year before. She's now got a team of 13, a management layer under her, and for the first time ever, a waiting list. In this episode, we get into the real story. Growing faster than her service could handle, the hires she got wrong before she got them right, and how a cleaner she took on five months ago ended up running her operations. Whether you're still doing every clean yourself or trying to build a team that doesn't need you in the middle of it, Jenna's story is proof of what happens when you stop being the bottleneck. Have a listen, and if it lands, share it with someone who needs to hear it. You can follow Jenna on Instagram @cardamomcleaning Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
How Steph Went From $0 to $250K in 2.5 Years Without Spending a Cent on Ads | The Booked Out Cleaners Series (#124)
This week on Self Maid, I'm chatting with Steph from Kav Cleans in Sydney. Steph has been in my coaching program for 2 years now, and what she's built in that time is nothing short of extraordinary. She's gone from being a solo operator to now having a team with a manager, that allowed her to recently step back from the business and go on her first holiday while the business ran without her. In this episode, we get into the real story. The wins, the setbacks, and the specific shifts that changed everything. Whether you're just getting started or grinding to break through your next ceiling, Steph's story is proof of what's possible when you back yourself and do the work. Have a listen, and if it lands, share it with someone who needs to hear it. You can follow Steph on Instagram @kavcleans . Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
Welcome to The Booked Out Cleaners Series! (#123)
The Booked Out Cleaners interviews are on the way. 🎙️ I've been lining up conversations with some of the amazing business owners I've helped coach who've built successful cleaning businesses — and they're sharing their stories. These are real people telling you what actually worked for them, not just ideas that sound good on paper. The first episode (coming up next) is my chat with Steph from Kav Cleans. Enjoy! Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
Something BIG is Coming... (#122)
In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on something I've kept deliberately quiet for a long time... and why now is finally the right moment to open it up. With my second cleaning business location under management, I'm finally ready to open the floodgates on my coaching program. I'll be re-launching under a new name, new structure, and a completely different level of ambition. Two separate communities, two very different journeys: one built to get your cleaning business to 10K a month, and a higher-level mastermind for those chasing a million a year and beyond. This is your early heads-up. I'm not opening the doors today, but the people paying attention now are the ones who'll move first when I do. Get in before the room fills up. Watch this space. It's going to be epic. Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
The 5 Metrics Every Cleaning Business Owner Must Know to Succeed (#121)
Most business owners are flying blind. They see big revenue and assume they're winning. But revenue alone is misleading. You can be turning over a fortune and quietly going broke. In this episode I break down the five numbers that tell you whether your business is healthy or bleeding out: customer lifetime value, churn rate, cost to acquire a customer, labour as a percentage of revenue, and cash conversion. I explain what each one means, how to work it out, and why getting them right is what lets you finally step back from the day-to-day. Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
The Customer Isn't Always Right, But They're Never Wrong (#120)
In this episode, I discuss one of the biggest mindset shifts I've made as a business owner: understanding that the customer isn't always right, but they're never wrong from their perspective. I share why reacting emotionally to complaints, criticism, and conflict can damage relationships, cloud judgment, and lead to poor decisions. Instead, I explain how taking the time to listen, gather facts, and understand both sides of a situation has helped me become a better leader and build a stronger business. We dive into the importance of responding instead of reacting, why empathy doesn't mean agreement, and how systems and processes can help remove emotion from difficult conversations. I also share my approach to handling customer complaints, staff issues, and conflict in a way that protects the customer, the team, and the business. If you've ever felt defensive when receiving criticism, frustrated by complaints, or struggled to separate your emotions from your business decisions, this episode is for you. Because sometimes the difference between a good leader and a great leader is simply taking the time to understand before being understood. Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
How to Finally Let Go and Delegate Like a Pro | Frameworks Over SOPs (#119)
For years I thought delegating meant handing someone my step-by-step process and making sure they followed it to the letter. Turns out that's not delegating at all. It's just remote-controlling people, and it kept me stuck as the bottleneck in my own business. In this episode I break down the shift that changed everything for me: managing outcomes instead of inputs. I stopped obsessing over how the work gets done and started caring about whether it got done, to the standard, every time. That's when I could actually let go. I get into frameworks versus SOPs and why a framework someone owns will always beat a perfect process they resent. I use a simple example to make it land. Losing weight comes down to calories in versus calories out. That's the framework. Give someone that principle and a few boundaries, then let them run it their own way, and you get a far better result than forcing them into a rigid plan that fights their strengths. Then I bring it home to the cleaning business. I talk through how I give my cleaners, supervisors, schedulers and managers the outcome and the standard, set the edges of the sandbox, and let them figure out the rest. It's the only way I've found to build a business that runs without me, where my people get real autonomy and I get real freedom. If you're still lost in the weeds perfecting every process, this one's for you. Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
My Business Would Not Exist Without This | The Litmus Test (#118)
Back in 2020, when I couldn't get a job, I knew I wanted to start a business. I didn't know what business to start. It was around that time when I learned about the concept of a litmus test from my OG mentor, Mal Emery. The litmus test is the cornerstone for how I ideated and launched my business back then, and it's how I make a lot of important decisions today. If you haven't adopted a framework like this into your life or your business, definitely check this one out; it's super valuable. Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
A Chat With Hunter Collingwood (Sunny Coast Windows) | Sydney, May 2026 (#117)
Hey folks! I'm in Sydney for some TV filming, and my good friend Hunter Collingwood (owner of a window cleaning business in Sunshine Coast) has joined me for a brief chat. Tune in! Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
I Was on the Morning Show Again (#116)
I was on The Morning Show on Channel 7 again last week! Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
The Gap Between Starting and Winning (#115)
Business is tough. All the years where you’re working harder than ever, sacrificing constantly, doubting yourself, and wondering if any of it is actually paying off yet... while everyone around you seems to be progressing faster in “normal” life. In this episode, I break down why entrepreneurship operates on delayed gratification, why comparison destroys so many business owners, and how learning to survive the uncomfortable middle is often what separates the people who eventually win from the people who quit too early. Because most people don’t fail from lack of potential. They fail because they couldn’t tolerate the gap between starting and winning long enough. Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
The #1 Mindset Shift That Changed How I Run My Business (#114)
Most business owners overcomplicate growth, but the biggest shift I’ve had is simple: stop judging individual outcomes and start understanding the math behind them. In this episode, I break down how I went from getting frustrated over bad hires, no-show leads, and “wasted” time… to seeing all of it as part of a predictable system. Once you understand your conversion rates and cost per outcome, everything changes. You stop reacting emotionally and start making decisions like an operator. I walk through real examples from hiring and lead generation, showing how what looks like failure in the moment is often just the price you pay to land the right employee or the right client. When you zoom out, the numbers tell a completely different story. If you’ve ever felt like you’re wasting money, time, or effort in your business, this episode will recalibrate how you think about it, and help you execute with a lot more confidence. You’re not wasting time or money... you’re buying results. Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
The “DILO” Audit Every Business Owner Needs | How to Grow a Management Team (#113)
If your business still relies on you to function, this is the framework that helps you change that. In this episode, I break down the DILO (Day in the Life Of) Audit — and how to use it to systematically build a management team that can run your business without you. We go into how to: Break down your role into transferable tasks Identify what should be delegated, automated, or removed Turn real work into SOPs and structured responsibilities Create clear pathways for team members to step into leadership roles Build a management layer that takes ownership of operations If you want to step back, scale up, and create a team that runs the day-to-day without you, this is where it starts. Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
Why We Fired Clients and Increased Prices in a Cost of Living Crisis (#112)
In this episode, I break down a decision that most business owners avoid... raising prices and letting clients go, right in the middle of a cost of living crisis. With more clients cancelling, pushing back on quotes, and being more price-sensitive than ever, it would seem like the worst possible time to increase prices. But we did it anyway. I talk through why being in demand is actually a signal that you’re underpriced, how we identified and culled our bottom 10% of clients, and the real impact that had on profitability, operations, and team morale. I also go into the numbers behind how small price increases can dramatically shift your margins, and why not all revenue is worth keeping. Plus a few life and business updates along the way. If you’ve been feeling the pressure of the current market and wondering whether to hold, discount, or push forward, this episode will give you a different perspective. Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
Stop Building Systems Too Early - Use Frameworks Instead (#111)
In this episode, I break down a mistake I see a lot of business owners make... Trying to build perfect systems way too early! When you’re growing, everything is changing. Your team is evolving, your service is improving, and your operations are constantly shifting. So when you invest hours building detailed SOPs and rigid processes, you’re often just setting yourself up to rebuild them again and again. Instead, I talk about the power of frameworks. Frameworks give your team direction without boxing them in. They create standards, not scripts. And most importantly, they allow people to think, adapt, and grow into their roles, which is exactly what you need if you want to scale. I also walk through practical examples from my own business, showing the difference between a framework and a step-by-step process, and when each approach actually makes sense. If you feel like you’re constantly rewriting systems or your team relies too heavily on being told what to do, this episode will shift how you think about building your business. Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
Will AI Replace Us? The Real Answer (#110)
AI is everywhere right now. Every industry is being told it’s about to be disrupted — and the cleaning industry is no exception. But will AI actually replace cleaners? In this episode, I break down the reality behind the hype. We’ll look at why robots and automation are unlikely to replace human cleaners anytime soon, the economic and practical limitations of cleaning robots, and why the physical nature of cleaning makes it one of the hardest jobs to automate. I also discuss the real role AI will play in service businesses. Large language models are powerful tools, but they mostly aggregate existing information and give you the average answer. If you rely on AI for thinking, you risk becoming average. The real advantage comes from human creativity, ideas, and strategic thinking — using AI to accelerate execution, not replace it. If you run a cleaning business (or any service business), this episode will help you understand where AI will actually matter... and where it won’t. Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
Stop Assuming Your Clients Are Happy | How to Build an Easy Client Satisfaction System (#109)
Most cleaning business owners assume their clients are happy. Until they cancel. In this episode, I break down why assuming your clients are "happy" is one of the biggest operational mistakes you can make, and how to install a simple, low-friction client satisfaction system using a 1–10 scoring model (Net Promoter style). You’ll learn: What Net Promoter Score actually is (and how to use it properly) The exact 1–10 questions you should be sending to clients How to catch problems before they turn into cancellations How to turn high scores into Google reviews automatically How to use satisfaction data to improve team performance The goal isn’t to collect compliments. It’s to reduce churn, protect your reputation, and build a cleaning business that scales on systems — not assumptions. If you’re not measuring client happiness, you’re guessing. And guessing doesn’t scale. Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
The Simple Way Successful Cleaning Companies Actually Secure Commercial Contracts (#108)
Everyone talks about Google Ads, SEO, and automation when it comes to winning commercial cleaning contracts. But the most successful cleaning companies aren’t relying on just digital leads. In this episode, I break down the two underrated strategies that consistently win commercial work — and they’re not what most people expect. We’re talking about: Physically walking into businesses and creating opportunities instead of waiting for them Leveraging referrals, networks, and proximity to decision-makers Why commercial contracts are often won offline, not online How to approach businesses without sounding desperate or salesy The simple scripts and mindset shifts that make this work If you want larger, more stable commercial contracts instead of constantly chasing residential leads, this episode will show you where the real opportunities are hiding. Stop waiting for leads. Start creating them. Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
The Boring System Behind Consistent, Scalable Cleaning Businesses (#107)
Most cleaning business owners don’t fail because they lack effort, skill, or motivation. They fail because they rely on memory, good intentions, and “common sense” in a business that’s already too complex for that. In this episode, I break down the key ideas from The Checklist Manifesto and explain why simple, boring systems are often the difference between chaos and consistency. From pilots flying complex aircraft to surgeons reducing complications and deaths, checklists have quietly become one of the most powerful tools in high-stakes industries. I’ll show you how the same principles apply directly to cleaning businesses—why task checklists, pre-start checks, and job completion systems eliminate mistakes, reduce complaints, and make your business easier to scale. If you want fewer fires to put out, less reliance on trust, and more predictable results from your team, this episode will change how you think about systems forever. Follow Jason Shipway on social media to stay up to date. Instagram link @jasoncleans (click me) TikTok link @jason.cleans (click me)
