Artwork for podcast Fascinating Entrepreneurs
How Gerren Sprauve went from the Insurance Industry to Helping People Fuel Their Drive With Every Assignment Ep. 119
Episode 11916th May 2023 • Fascinating Entrepreneurs • Natasha Miller
00:00:00 00:27:48

Share Episode

Shownotes

Gerren Sprauve is originally from the United States Virgin Islands. 

For much of his life Gerren has been an ambassador for others, always looking out for those in need, less fortunate, etc.  Gerren has always simply wanted to do good.  Due to choices made, experiences had and the ultimate labels he placed on them in his mind, he struggled to value himself.  And like many of us out there, Gerren decided to build a business to mask much of what was going on on the inside.   The industry he chose.  The name of his business.  They all pointed to something he was experiencing and after, but he ran, hoping to do good vs find the good within. 

Life has changed for Gerren, now that he's surrendered to doing the personal work necessary to help him experience the good that was always there.

Where to find Gerren Sprauve

Website: https://www.cleanslatejan.com/

SPONSOR

This episode is sponsored by Entire Productions- Creating events (both in-person and virtual) that don't suck! and Entire Productions Marketing- carefully curated premium gifting and branded promo items. 

PLEASE RATE, REVIEW, & SUBSCRIBE on APPLE PODCASTS

“I love Natasha and the Fascinating Entrepreneurs Podcast!” <– If that sounds like you, please leave a rating and review of the show! This helps me support more people — just like you — to learn more about what makes the greatest entrepreneurs "tick" and become and stay successful.

Click here, open up the podcast in Apple Podcasts and click on "Ratings and Reviews". Tap to rate with five stars (thank you), and select “Write a Review.” Here is the link if you don't see the hyperlink: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fascinating-entrepreneurs/id1548836057

Transcripts

Gerren Sprauve:

I think business gives us the opportunity for human connection,

Gerren Sprauve:

and I think that's more important than just the transaction of making money.

Natasha Miller:

Welcome to FASCINATING ENTREPRENEURS.

Natasha Miller:

How do people end up becoming an entrepreneur?

Natasha Miller:

How do they scale and grow their businesses?

Natasha Miller:

How do they plan for profit?

Natasha Miller:

Are they in it for life?

Natasha Miller:

Are they building to exit these in a myriad of other topics?

Natasha Miller:

Will be discussed to pull back the veil on the wizardry of successful

Natasha Miller:

and FASCINATING ENTREPRENEURS.

Natasha Miller:

My book, RELENTLESS is now available everywhere books can be bought online,

Natasha Miller:

including Amazon and BarnesAndNoble.com, try your local indie bookstore too.

Natasha Miller:

And if they don't have it, they can order it.

Natasha Miller:

Just ask them.

Natasha Miller:

The reviews are streaming in and I'm so thankful for the positive feedback

Natasha Miller:

as well as hearing from people that my memoir has impacted them positively.

Natasha Miller:

It is not enough to be resilient.

Natasha Miller:

You have to be relentless.

Natasha Miller:

You can go to TheRelentlessBook.com for more information.

Natasha Miller:

Thank you so much.

Natasha Miller:

Today we talked to Gerren Sprauve, who went from a corporate job in

Natasha Miller:

the insurance industry to working as a janitor and loving it.

Natasha Miller:

He tells us about his journey to opening Clean Slate Janitorial,

Natasha Miller:

what really drives him, and how he's planning on expanding the business.

Natasha Miller:

Now let's get right into it.

Gerren Sprauve:

Back in 2006, my wife and I, we were like many other people

Gerren Sprauve:

miserable in our jobs and just frustrated and waking up in tears, coming outta our

Gerren Sprauve:

eyes, like, I gotta go in here again.

Gerren Sprauve:

And my wife asked me, she said, "Is this what adulting is like?"

Gerren Sprauve:

I was like, I don't know.

Gerren Sprauve:

Like I couldn't answer her question, right?

Gerren Sprauve:

Because we were on this journey together.

Gerren Sprauve:

So we were trying to figure out like, what are we gonna do next?

Gerren Sprauve:

Like, what can we do?

Gerren Sprauve:

And.

Gerren Sprauve:

One time we were out to dinner and she was on my arm.

Gerren Sprauve:

And as we pulled up to the table, we saw a gentleman who was there and he

Gerren Sprauve:

was moving things on the table and setting it up and, but he wouldn't

Gerren Sprauve:

look up at us, so he's always just looking down and doing his thing.

Gerren Sprauve:

And then he begins to walk away.

Gerren Sprauve:

And I looked at him and I said, excuse me sir, thank you.

Gerren Sprauve:

And he turned and he looks at me and he was like, why would you say thank you?

Gerren Sprauve:

And I was like, "Because you prepared a place for my wife and I to have dinner.

Gerren Sprauve:

You didn't just clean a table."

Gerren Sprauve:

He's like, "I did all of that for you."

Gerren Sprauve:

And I was like, "Yeah."

Gerren Sprauve:

So he takes off to another table and he's like setting it up and he's

Gerren Sprauve:

looking at people in their faces and he's smiling and I just started to

Gerren Sprauve:

get chills and I turned to my wife and I said, I wanna do that again.

Gerren Sprauve:

Now, I didn't know what I wanted to do that again was right, but I knew that

Gerren Sprauve:

I had a really cool feeling in just interacting with that guy and helping

Gerren Sprauve:

him to look at his job differently.

Gerren Sprauve:

And from there, a few months later, I decided to quit my

Gerren Sprauve:

job and become a janitor.

Gerren Sprauve:

Now, I had the opportunity to purchase into a franchise and things of that

Gerren Sprauve:

nature, but being an experiential learner, I wanted to understand exactly

Gerren Sprauve:

what that guy was going through.

Gerren Sprauve:

And I thought, what better way then to.

Gerren Sprauve:

Your janitor.

Gerren Sprauve:

Now, granted speaking to my wife about that or talking to my friends

Gerren Sprauve:

about that wasn't really the easiest of conversations, but once

Gerren Sprauve:

they understood what journey I was on, I just got their support.

Gerren Sprauve:

My wife said, I trust you.

Gerren Sprauve:

Go for it.

Gerren Sprauve:

I told her, if it didn't work out, I'll get a job somewhere else or what have you.

Gerren Sprauve:

Just support me on this, and she did.

Gerren Sprauve:

And from there I've just been creating these opportunities where I get to

Gerren Sprauve:

interact with people and help 'em to see and look at their work differently

Gerren Sprauve:

and it continues to feed me and to just give me the joy that I've been having

Gerren Sprauve:

for the past, coming up two decades now.

Natasha Miller:

And so Clean Slate Janitorial.

Natasha Miller:

What is the array of services and the array of people that work with you?

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah, so we provide commercial cleaning services.

Gerren Sprauve:

We specialize in janitorial solutions.

Gerren Sprauve:

And over the years, when I first began, I was taking on anything,

Gerren Sprauve:

right, because we had a house to pay for and things of that nature.

Gerren Sprauve:

But we provide commercial cleaning services, floor care, window cleaning

Gerren Sprauve:

services, all of the basics that you would expect in a commercial cleaning company.

Gerren Sprauve:

The types of people that.

Gerren Sprauve:

Have worked with us over the years, have been from individuals who

Gerren Sprauve:

are in high school, people who are going through college, people

Gerren Sprauve:

who just wanna purchase a home.

Gerren Sprauve:

We've hired some individuals who are older and they said, we just want exercise.

Gerren Sprauve:

And they've come on board and we've worked with them and people who

Gerren Sprauve:

have come out of jail and they're looking for a second chance.

Gerren Sprauve:

I mean, strangely enough, the company's called Cleat Slate, right?

Gerren Sprauve:

So it gives people a fresh start, and we've done that over the years.

Gerren Sprauve:

We've met so many people and had so many cool stories.

Gerren Sprauve:

People who have gotten married as a result of working there with us and

Gerren Sprauve:

people who've gone back to school.

Gerren Sprauve:

It's just been awesome.

Gerren Sprauve:

Wait a minute.

Gerren Sprauve:

People getting married to people that they work with, that they've met on the job?

Gerren Sprauve:

Yes.

Gerren Sprauve:

Yes.

Gerren Sprauve:

You have a dating service.

Gerren Sprauve:

I mean, it could be a spinoff, right?

Natasha Miller:

That's amazing.

Natasha Miller:

Was the company called Clean Slate when you started it?

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah, from the very beginning, and I cannot remember

Gerren Sprauve:

how I came up with that name.

Gerren Sprauve:

Can't remember the story behind that, but it's so fitting and it wasn't just

Gerren Sprauve:

fitting for all of the people who have worked there, but it's been fitting

Gerren Sprauve:

for me because later on in life, a couple years ago, I started going to

Gerren Sprauve:

therapy and so forth, and I started realizing a lot of things that I had

Gerren Sprauve:

kinda like packed down and I realized like I also needed a clean slate.

Gerren Sprauve:

And it's just been a pretty cool story.

Natasha Miller:

What was your job before you scrapped it all and became a janitor?

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah.

Gerren Sprauve:

I was working for Hartford Insurance Company, so I was into insurance

Gerren Sprauve:

doing worker's comp, comp claims, getting on calls, getting people back

Gerren Sprauve:

to work and things of that major.

Gerren Sprauve:

I had just moved down here from Maryland, went to school up there

Gerren Sprauve:

and I was, I mean, it was the first job that I got outta college.

Gerren Sprauve:

Granted, I didn't think I would be in that because I got my

Gerren Sprauve:

degree in computer sciences networking, but it was what it was.

Gerren Sprauve:

Granted, I guess I wasn't supposed to be working for someone long term.

Gerren Sprauve:

So shortly after college, I started my business.

Natasha Miller:

Yeah, you were in like button up corporate culture.

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah.

Natasha Miller:

Right.

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah.

Natasha Miller:

And then you went to janitorial services and that's

Natasha Miller:

where you were basically freed from.

Natasha Miller:

Yeah.

Natasha Miller:

It seems like.

Natasha Miller:

So right now, today, what is your team like for your business?

Natasha Miller:

What is it comprised of?

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah, so we have grown and we've contracted expanded.

Gerren Sprauve:

I mean, it's been up and down over the years now.

Gerren Sprauve:

We've worked with going from just a me alone to a full-fledged

Gerren Sprauve:

team of 40, 50 people.

Gerren Sprauve:

We've gone to a contractor based system and so forth, and most

Gerren Sprauve:

recently we've kind of reduced our size to a really specialized team,

Gerren Sprauve:

and then we have begun working with.

Gerren Sprauve:

Contractors we're finding other, so let me say this, we've, over the

Gerren Sprauve:

years, one of the goals that I've had is in showing people like, you

Gerren Sprauve:

are more than what you do, right?

Gerren Sprauve:

So everyone who's come into our system, we've spoken to them

Gerren Sprauve:

about, "Hey, what are your goals?

Gerren Sprauve:

Like, what do you really want do in life?"

Gerren Sprauve:

They've shared.

Gerren Sprauve:

We've shared some of the tools that we've used over the years.

Gerren Sprauve:

We've found that people have gone up and started their own business,

Gerren Sprauve:

or they've said, "Hey, haven't we continue to work for you guys."

Gerren Sprauve:

But from our own business as opposed to as an employee?

Gerren Sprauve:

And we saw that that was something that was happening, and I'm excited for that.

Gerren Sprauve:

Granted, of course, it cuts it into profit margins, right?

Gerren Sprauve:

But again, it's about that journey that gives me the excitement and the chills

Gerren Sprauve:

that I experienced and just being able to.

Gerren Sprauve:

Create that opportunity for people.

Gerren Sprauve:

We've allowed some of our team members to build their own businesses

Gerren Sprauve:

and we hire them to go out and service some of our clients also.

Gerren Sprauve:

So it's been, it's been good.

Natasha Miller:

It could cut into profits, but it also could expand your reach.

Gerren Sprauve:

Yes.

Gerren Sprauve:

For some places that we couldn't reach or we felt it would've been a burden

Gerren Sprauve:

of sorts, we've been able to really partner with some of our team members to

Gerren Sprauve:

go out and do some pretty cool things.

Natasha Miller:

And have any of them wanted to branch out and do like

Natasha Miller:

individual residential home and such?

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah.

Gerren Sprauve:

I remember one team who wanted to dabble in that.

Gerren Sprauve:

They wanted to try it out, and as people would call us, we

Gerren Sprauve:

would refer them to business.

Gerren Sprauve:

They didn't last, and I'm not quite sure if that was more of they

Gerren Sprauve:

weren't prepared for that or they didn't have the tools or it wasn't

Gerren Sprauve:

what they thought it would've been.

Gerren Sprauve:

But we're all about giving people the opportunity to prove to themselves.

Natasha Miller:

Right.

Natasha Miller:

I introduced you to Stephanie Camarillo months and months and months ago who

Natasha Miller:

also owns a cleaning business in Idaho.

Natasha Miller:

And since meeting her and since meeting you, I have been really interested in

Natasha Miller:

the mentality of people like you guys, the mentality and the reasons why you

Natasha Miller:

start and you run and own these services.

Natasha Miller:

And it always points right back to the people.

Natasha Miller:

Yeah.

Natasha Miller:

And that has to be incredibly fulfilling.

Natasha Miller:

I know it's for her and I'm gonna assume it is for you.

Gerren Sprauve:

I mean, the look that you see on my face, like that's the

Gerren Sprauve:

look that I get when I see people.

Gerren Sprauve:

I grew up in a household of entrepreneurs as well as educators.

Gerren Sprauve:

So the desire to teach and to learn and to share, that's intrinsic to me.

Gerren Sprauve:

And then of course, to create things, that's another thing.

Gerren Sprauve:

My grandfather was a dentist.

Gerren Sprauve:

My uncle was, he had a garbage business, like where he

Gerren Sprauve:

picked up trash and dumped it.

Gerren Sprauve:

My father, he was a marine mechanic.

Gerren Sprauve:

And he also sold parts for boats in the marine world.

Gerren Sprauve:

So just growing up in that.

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah.

Natasha Miller:

You were never gonna make it in insurance for very long.

Natasha Miller:

Yeah.

Natasha Miller:

Not with that lineage.

Gerren Sprauve:

No.

Gerren Sprauve:

No, no.

Natasha Miller:

Does your wife work with you in the business?

Gerren Sprauve:

She does not.

Natasha Miller:

Church and State, huh?

Gerren Sprauve:

She is into like finance and then contracts and stuff like that.

Gerren Sprauve:

She works for a local healthcare provider here in Florida.

Gerren Sprauve:

She's been doing that for 22 years or so.

Natasha Miller:

But I bet she is a intangible unpaid

Natasha Miller:

employee giving you a lot of.

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah, she is.

Gerren Sprauve:

She does.

Gerren Sprauve:

I'll be very transparent with you on this one.

Gerren Sprauve:

Early on in the game, I mean, I was so getting into that hustle mentality where

Gerren Sprauve:

you just work, work, work, work, work, her being stable, it really helped.

Gerren Sprauve:

That's one thing.

Gerren Sprauve:

And I remember one time when I asked my wife's opinion on something that

Gerren Sprauve:

I was dealing with, and she was so quick with a response and I was

Gerren Sprauve:

surprised that I was surprised.

Gerren Sprauve:

Of her response, and that's to show that I was so focused on just doing

Gerren Sprauve:

me, doing me, and she was supporting that, but I wasn't leaning into the

Gerren Sprauve:

resource that was right there ever since that moment, and I've had the

Gerren Sprauve:

audacity to tell her that I was surprised that she had such a great response.

Gerren Sprauve:

So, you know, that didn't go too well.

Natasha Miller:

Oh, no, no, no, no, no.

Natasha Miller:

Sorry.

Natasha Miller:

That somebody didn't catch you before that.

Gerren Sprauve:

No.

Gerren Sprauve:

But ever since then, I have not talked twice about turning to her

Gerren Sprauve:

and asking her like, "Hey, what are your thoughts on this one?

Gerren Sprauve:

Help me out."

Gerren Sprauve:

So it's been a really cool partnership.

Natasha Miller:

When you started this business, I'm going to assume,

Natasha Miller:

but correct me if I'm wrong, that you didn't anticipate starting and

Natasha Miller:

building this company to sell, did you?

Gerren Sprauve:

I did not.

Natasha Miller:

Okay.

Gerren Sprauve:

I did not.

Natasha Miller:

So you weren't an exit strategy entrepreneur

Natasha Miller:

at the time, are you now?

Gerren Sprauve:

Yes-ish.

Gerren Sprauve:

So literally about 10 minutes ago, I just got another email, came in from

Gerren Sprauve:

LinkedIn with someone talking about, "Hey, have you considered your business?"

Gerren Sprauve:

And so forth.

Gerren Sprauve:

So it's been on my mind most recently.

Gerren Sprauve:

I speak to my daughters, they're 10 and 9, and they also have an

Gerren Sprauve:

entrepreneurial spirit, right?

Gerren Sprauve:

We don't force anything on them.

Gerren Sprauve:

They're just in the room.

Gerren Sprauve:

So they ask a lot of questions.

Gerren Sprauve:

And my oldest, who's 10, she was asking, she's like, "Daddy, can I run the

Gerren Sprauve:

business later on, like when I get older?"

Gerren Sprauve:

And I'm like, "If you want to, I mean, it's up to you.

Gerren Sprauve:

I mean, I'll share with you all that.

Gerren Sprauve:

I know if it's something that you're interested in."

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah, like let's do it.

Gerren Sprauve:

And then there are all these emails that I get about selling and it's

Gerren Sprauve:

like, what would I do if I did?

Natasha Miller:

What would you do?

Gerren Sprauve:

Right?

Gerren Sprauve:

So there's so many things.

Gerren Sprauve:

Oh, that's a such a great question.

Gerren Sprauve:

So I've been doing some consulting work, I've been doing some coaching

Gerren Sprauve:

and speaking, and I'm an author also.

Gerren Sprauve:

So there are all these different things that I can get into.

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah, I think what I'll be looking for again, is something

Gerren Sprauve:

that gives me the excitement.

Gerren Sprauve:

That this journey has, it's been difficult, right?

Gerren Sprauve:

As in all businesses, it's been difficult at times, but even when I have been

Gerren Sprauve:

disrespected or cheated on within the business and so forth from different

Gerren Sprauve:

people, I always still get the same thrill of talking to somebody in the

Gerren Sprauve:

service industry and like helping them to look at work differently.

Gerren Sprauve:

So I know that that's something that's core to me and I'm, for whatever

Gerren Sprauve:

it's I can do later on that will continue to gimme that kinda energy.

Natasha Miller:

Are you a published author?

Natasha Miller:

Have you always thought you had a book inside of you?

Natasha Miller:

Have other people told you you've got to write a book?

Natasha Miller:

If so, I highly suggest you work with us at Poignant Press.

Natasha Miller:

We can help you write, figure out the best publishing path, and market

Natasha Miller:

your book to a bestseller status.

Natasha Miller:

Go to PoignantPress.com.

Natasha Miller:

That's P-O-I-G-N-A-N-T press.com.

Natasha Miller:

Let's talk about your book.

Natasha Miller:

What is it called and what brought you to even thinking about writing it?

Gerren Sprauve:

Right, so it's called Fast Track Your Calling How To Fuel

Gerren Sprauve:

Your Drive With Every Assignment.

Gerren Sprauve:

Back in 2012, I got a coach.

Gerren Sprauve:

I went through one of Dan Kennedy's programs and they had a coaching program.

Gerren Sprauve:

So I said Sign up for, signed up for it.

Gerren Sprauve:

And I met this gentleman by the name of Eric Harmon.

Gerren Sprauve:

He was a older gentleman out Salt Lake City, Utah.

Gerren Sprauve:

His first question to me was, how much money do you wanna make, Aaron?

Gerren Sprauve:

I looked at him, I'm human, and he says, well, you've won the lottery.

Gerren Sprauve:

Why would you won the lottery?

Gerren Sprauve:

And he says, you'll see.

Gerren Sprauve:

All I found out was this gentleman, he was an amazing guy.

Gerren Sprauve:

He didn't know this, but he only had four more years to live.

Gerren Sprauve:

I didn't know this, but he was tired of coaching people

Gerren Sprauve:

who just wanted to make money.

Gerren Sprauve:

He was at that point in his life where he wanted to share a different

Gerren Sprauve:

side of him, the struggle, the experiences that he's had, the bad

Gerren Sprauve:

decision that he's made, and how he's turned it around, all those things.

Gerren Sprauve:

And when I said I just wanted to be a better man, he was so

Gerren Sprauve:

excited and he wouldn't let me know because he's a very stern.

Gerren Sprauve:

Sterile kind of guy, but we got to working.

Gerren Sprauve:

And when he saw that I was committed to doing what I needed to do, he

Gerren Sprauve:

started to pour into me more and more.

Gerren Sprauve:

And he said to me, he says, Gerren, I want you to record everything that we're doing.

Gerren Sprauve:

One day you'll write a book.

Gerren Sprauve:

I said, I'm not thinking about writing a book.

Gerren Sprauve:

He's like, trust me, Ger.

Gerren Sprauve:

One day you'll write a book.

Gerren Sprauve:

So I started documenting them and recording our Zoom

Gerren Sprauve:

conversations and so forth.

Gerren Sprauve:

And then in 2016 when he found out, He had cancer.

Gerren Sprauve:

He let me know in August of 2016 and it, oh, August of 2016, and I

Gerren Sprauve:

think he died probably in October.

Gerren Sprauve:

So it was a short period of time.

Gerren Sprauve:

But when he shared it with me and he passed away like several years

Gerren Sprauve:

later, I was like, I was flying, coming from Atlanta, I believe it was.

Gerren Sprauve:

And I was reading a magazine and I saw a gentleman who had written

Gerren Sprauve:

a really cool article and at the bottom I saw his name and something

Gerren Sprauve:

told me, reach out to the guy.

Gerren Sprauve:

Okay.

Gerren Sprauve:

Reached out to him by email.

Gerren Sprauve:

He responded.

Gerren Sprauve:

I just wanted to let him know like, you really did a really

Gerren Sprauve:

cool article, like this was great.

Gerren Sprauve:

Da, da, da.

Gerren Sprauve:

And then he tells me, well, you know, Ger, I help authors write books.

Gerren Sprauve:

And was like, okay.

Gerren Sprauve:

Finally I just gave into it and I decided to put pen to pad.

Natasha Miller:

That's great.

Natasha Miller:

So did he become your co-writer or editor?

Gerren Sprauve:

Ghost writer, actually.

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah.

Gerren Sprauve:

What was the article about that he wrote?

Gerren Sprauve:

It was, do you remember that?

Gerren Sprauve:

It was in Delta Magazine.

Natasha Miller:

I remember when, wait, does Delta still

Natasha Miller:

have magazines, even an air?

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah, they're still there.

Natasha Miller:

They're all, they're all molding together, right?

Natasha Miller:

So, yeah.

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah.

Gerren Sprauve:

I can't fully remember the article, man, but it was, it was juicy, man.

Gerren Sprauve:

It was a really cool article on someone and probably be able to

Gerren Sprauve:

pull it up in my email, right.

Gerren Sprauve:

One of these times.

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah.

Gerren Sprauve:

But it was just so well written and I thought that he was thoughtful

Gerren Sprauve:

and I just wanted to connect to that person and let them know.

Gerren Sprauve:

Like, thank, I'm big on Thank you, Natasha.

Gerren Sprauve:

If you don't know this, like I love saying the word.

Gerren Sprauve:

Thank you.

Gerren Sprauve:

I think it really is powerful to people.

Gerren Sprauve:

You just dunno what people are going through and just to show

Gerren Sprauve:

that level of appreciation.

Natasha Miller:

Yeah.

Gerren Sprauve:

Goes on play.

Natasha Miller:

So you're speaker as well?

Natasha Miller:

And are you speaking about the topic of the book, about your business?

Natasha Miller:

I'm assuming you're a keynote speaker or you're available for hire.

Gerren Sprauve:

I am.

Gerren Sprauve:

I am.

Gerren Sprauve:

So, most recently because of this journey of going to therapy and peeling

Gerren Sprauve:

back the layers, I have been called to speak on the level of transparency and

Gerren Sprauve:

vulnerability in the entrepreneurial world, because I have been courageous

Gerren Sprauve:

and I have to say that about myself cause it was difficult for many years.

Gerren Sprauve:

I've been courageous to finally start sharing like my truth, right?

Gerren Sprauve:

Like just being honest and open with people when they ask the question.

Gerren Sprauve:

Like, how are you doing?

Gerren Sprauve:

I qualified in my brain quickly and then I really share and what I've

Gerren Sprauve:

realized is by me sharing that, it's been unlocking other people.

Gerren Sprauve:

They've been opening up and sharing much about what's going on.

Gerren Sprauve:

I've been in rooms with people who are highly successful and when

Gerren Sprauve:

I would ask them, how you doing?

Gerren Sprauve:

Oh, things are great.

Gerren Sprauve:

The business is going well, da, da, da.

Gerren Sprauve:

They're talking all this good stuff, smiling, and then when I

Gerren Sprauve:

pause and I say, how are you doing?

Gerren Sprauve:

Then they start sharing the truth and it's like that's where I think

Gerren Sprauve:

as human beings, we ought to connect.

Gerren Sprauve:

And sometimes I know there's business owners and people who

Gerren Sprauve:

are CEOs, they don't want to show a sign of weakness to their team.

Gerren Sprauve:

But I've realized over the years, like it has opened up so much for my

Gerren Sprauve:

team to be so cohesive and they're to support me where I wobble.

Gerren Sprauve:

And my blind sides, they've stepped up because they're

Gerren Sprauve:

like, Gar, like we see you.

Gerren Sprauve:

We know that you're doing your best.

Gerren Sprauve:

We know that you're stand trying to stand strong, but we see you.

Gerren Sprauve:

And I think business gives us the opportunity for human connection.

Gerren Sprauve:

And I think that's more important than just the transaction of making money.

Natasha Miller:

I'm gonna say this.

Natasha Miller:

I met you on Zoom, but I didn't know exactly what you looked like because then

Natasha Miller:

I saw you in person at the Genius Network.

Natasha Miller:

Yeah.

Natasha Miller:

You are a very handsome, large built and muscular black dude.

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah.

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah.

Natasha Miller:

And for all of that, So to be vulnerable and to talk about

Natasha Miller:

mental health and to say out loud, you've said it a couple of times

Natasha Miller:

now that you've gone to therapy.

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah.

Natasha Miller:

You probably know this, but this visual,

Natasha Miller:

we've got an image of you.

Natasha Miller:

This isn't the image of somebody that talks about vulnerability mental

Natasha Miller:

health or says I go to a therapist.

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah.

Natasha Miller:

I mean, you look like you could be, I don't know, a super athlete.

Gerren Sprauve:

Right.

Natasha Miller:

And you have a somewhat serious and stoic look about you.

Natasha Miller:

And then of course you open up and you're warm when you're talking.

Natasha Miller:

But I'm sure that's a little off putting in a little jarring to some people.

Natasha Miller:

Yeah.

Natasha Miller:

And I can really imagine that they're like, man, if he's saying that out loud.

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah.

Natasha Miller:

Then I can afford to admit some vulnerabilities.

Natasha Miller:

And even if they don't tell you, I bet if they were always thinking, there's

Natasha Miller:

no way I'm going to therapy, right?

Natasha Miller:

That's not cool.

Natasha Miller:

Men don't cry.

Natasha Miller:

Men don't have feelings, right?

Natasha Miller:

You may not even hear from these people, that you've encouraged them

Natasha Miller:

by your actions to open up and get help and think deeper and maybe behave

Natasha Miller:

in a way that is not cocktail talk.

Natasha Miller:

All the time.

Natasha Miller:

Yeah.

Natasha Miller:

And when you stood up at the Genius Network and said what you said and

Natasha Miller:

shared, I saw the whole room, and most of those people know who you are,

Natasha Miller:

but I saw that whole room, I think take what you were saying in awe, and

Natasha Miller:

everyone saw this beautiful gift that you were giving to everyone because not

Natasha Miller:

everyone in that room is ready to be as open as you are or someone like me.

Natasha Miller:

So I think it's amazing, and I hope that anyone listening to this or

Natasha Miller:

watching it will take heed and think about how they show up in the world.

Natasha Miller:

Because it can only help.

Natasha Miller:

Nothing about what we just talked about is gonna hurt anyone.

Gerren Sprauve:

No, you're right.

Natasha Miller:

It feels a little weird at first, right?

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah.

Gerren Sprauve:

Even as you're speaking, it's giving me chills all over again because yeah,

Gerren Sprauve:

I mean, there's power in that, right?

Gerren Sprauve:

And we can use, like you mentioned, okay, all these adjectives that

Gerren Sprauve:

a big guy, attractive guy, we can use that for decisions or we can

Gerren Sprauve:

use that to help somebody else.

Gerren Sprauve:

And when we take that ownership and say, I am here for the world.

Gerren Sprauve:

I'm a vessel for the.

Gerren Sprauve:

All of a sudden your words, they're meaningful, but I find use in them.

Gerren Sprauve:

I remember the times when I'm six four, right?

Gerren Sprauve:

So I'm a big guy.

Gerren Sprauve:

I'm coming to someone's home and I'm saying, I'll clean your home.

Gerren Sprauve:

And they're looking up at me like, you don't look like a, I'm like, well,

Gerren Sprauve:

what does a supposed to look like?

Gerren Sprauve:

And if I could just help them tilt their heads and look at me differently, look

Gerren Sprauve:

at a cleaner differently, maybe we can take that and lay it over someone else.

Gerren Sprauve:

And all of a sudden they start respecting people differently.

Gerren Sprauve:

Right.

Gerren Sprauve:

And that was my goal.

Gerren Sprauve:

And again, that's why I say I'm glad that I've finally gotten to the point

Gerren Sprauve:

where I'm courageous enough to go out there and just speak honestly.

Gerren Sprauve:

Because I know that there's so many guys out there, so many people out

Gerren Sprauve:

there who could be awesome for their homes, for their families, for their

Gerren Sprauve:

children, and if they are able to just pivot just a degree or two, As a result

Gerren Sprauve:

of coming in contact with me, I won.

Gerren Sprauve:

Right?

Gerren Sprauve:

Like we won.

Gerren Sprauve:

And that's why the book where it says Fast Track You're Calling How To Fuel

Gerren Sprauve:

Your Drive With Every Assignment.

Gerren Sprauve:

I look at every interaction as a moment where like, how should I show up?

Gerren Sprauve:

Like how am I supposed to be used in this one?

Gerren Sprauve:

So I keep myself open.

Gerren Sprauve:

Wow.

Natasha Miller:

Good.

Natasha Miller:

I mean, I just hope that everyone, everyone in the world listens to

Natasha Miller:

this specific podcast episode.

Natasha Miller:

So back to your business.

Natasha Miller:

We talked about the ups and downs, and we talked about the potential for an exit.

Natasha Miller:

Yeah.

Natasha Miller:

And that exit may be having your kids acquire the business, it could be selling.

Natasha Miller:

There's so many different things.

Natasha Miller:

But for right now, you're growing still.

Natasha Miller:

You wouldn't be in Genius Network.

Natasha Miller:

You wouldn't be talking to me on the podcast if you weren't.

Natasha Miller:

What is your strategy for growth and what is the growth that you want to have?

Natasha Miller:

So two things.

Natasha Miller:

What's the growth plan?

Natasha Miller:

Yeah.

Natasha Miller:

And what are you gonna do to make that happen?

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah.

Gerren Sprauve:

So most recently, because I've connected and partnered with a group of friends

Gerren Sprauve:

out of Chicago, Roseto Cleaning Services, Ricky Diardo, and some of those other

Gerren Sprauve:

guys up there, those guys have helped me to look at my business differently.

Gerren Sprauve:

So I've always wanted to the queen industry sexy, right?

Gerren Sprauve:

A little bit more attractive.

Natasha Miller:

If anyone can do it, you can.

Gerren Sprauve:

I'm working on it.

Gerren Sprauve:

But I remember doing something that Cameron Harold talked

Gerren Sprauve:

about in Vivid Vision.

Gerren Sprauve:

So back in 2018, I wrote up my Vivid Vision three years, and I said, I

Gerren Sprauve:

want to have this kind of a space and this type of look and all these really

Gerren Sprauve:

cool things, but I didn't achieve it.

Gerren Sprauve:

And then I'm invited to Chicago to meet some guys out there

Gerren Sprauve:

who found me on LinkedIn.

Gerren Sprauve:

And as I walked into their space, I was blown away.

Gerren Sprauve:

I'm like, this is my dream.

Gerren Sprauve:

And it was in 2021, so it was three years later.

Gerren Sprauve:

I'm like, yo, this is awesome.

Gerren Sprauve:

And I'm teasing walking around, I'm like, jumped into my Evernote and I

Gerren Sprauve:

pulled it up and I said, read this.

Gerren Sprauve:

Like this is what I said I wanted and it's here.

Gerren Sprauve:

So it told me like the vision may not have been my mind, but I was

Gerren Sprauve:

going to experience it somehow.

Gerren Sprauve:

And I did.

Gerren Sprauve:

And I have.

Gerren Sprauve:

But connecting with those guys, they.

Gerren Sprauve:

Have grown their business really, really well, working

Gerren Sprauve:

with the healthcare facility.

Gerren Sprauve:

Well, the healthcare industry, it's one where they appreciate cleaning, right?

Gerren Sprauve:

They say thank you, they're growing, and there's a system that you can put

Gerren Sprauve:

in place for those types of buildings.

Gerren Sprauve:

And when I think of Michael Gerber's book, the EMyth and talks about

Gerren Sprauve:

systems and things of that nature, it's like, Maybe we can do this.

Gerren Sprauve:

And we've had a longstanding, relationship with, one of those healthcare facil

Gerren Sprauve:

companies here locally, and it's like, maybe we should focus in this arena.

Gerren Sprauve:

So we've been focusing more in the healthcare arena, looking at the urgent

Gerren Sprauve:

cares and doctor's offices and so forth in building a system to support that.

Gerren Sprauve:

I figured if I can do that and remove myself from it, then it, it'll be

Gerren Sprauve:

positioned either to sell or to, yeah.

Gerren Sprauve:

I'll even sell it to my daughter.

Gerren Sprauve:

She'll pay for it one way or the other.

Natasha Miller:

She'll be supporting you for the rest of

Natasha Miller:

your life with the, you know.

Natasha Miller:

Yeah.

Natasha Miller:

That's great.

Natasha Miller:

So it sounds like the strategy for growth.

Natasha Miller:

Is you found this new vertical healthcare systems and is it networking?

Natasha Miller:

How are you getting there?

Natasha Miller:

Are you just knocking on doors and making calls?

Gerren Sprauve:

Great question again.

Gerren Sprauve:

So it's networking.

Gerren Sprauve:

So what I've done over the years, a lot of my friends, they work in the

Gerren Sprauve:

healthcare world, and whether it's going to those golfing events or galas

Gerren Sprauve:

and things of that nature, I would show up and I would show up with my wife.

Gerren Sprauve:

And while they're perusing and they're talking and having all their

Gerren Sprauve:

conversation, I am looking for someone.

Gerren Sprauve:

Who either seems nervous or someone who I'm looking for that

Gerren Sprauve:

person to help, like that's me.

Gerren Sprauve:

By me going around and talking to those people and building connection and

Gerren Sprauve:

building partnerships with them just by helping them to feel comfortable in

Gerren Sprauve:

their space, not even about business.

Gerren Sprauve:

They remember that.

Gerren Sprauve:

And over the years, people have called upon me and people that

Gerren Sprauve:

I've spoken to years ago that.

Gerren Sprauve:

I don't wanna say that I've forgotten them, but like I just didn't remember

Gerren Sprauve:

the interaction they've remembered and they've called and they've called,

Gerren Sprauve:

and I think my strategy has been just being kind to people just in general,

Gerren Sprauve:

being kind because you just never know.

Gerren Sprauve:

Right?

Gerren Sprauve:

And we've seen people who have come into the healthcare field in the basement

Gerren Sprauve:

and they've worked their way up.

Gerren Sprauve:

They're now in the leadership role and they've called and it's like,

Gerren Sprauve:

okay, so it's a longer sales cycle, but it's one that's genuine and pure.

Gerren Sprauve:

And through those types of relationships and partnerships, we

Gerren Sprauve:

don't have transactional clients.

Gerren Sprauve:

We have clients who, they're like, they're clients.

Gerren Sprauve:

Sounds like they're more like your partners.

Natasha Miller:

Yes.

Gerren Sprauve:

Partners in an endeavor, and I love that.

Gerren Sprauve:

I love that much more than just a transactional client.

Gerren Sprauve:

I wanna speak to you again.

Gerren Sprauve:

I wanna say thank you and I wanna hear the words.

Gerren Sprauve:

Thank you.

Gerren Sprauve:

So it's however we can build that, that's kind the core of our business.

Natasha Miller:

Okay, we're gonna get a little bit away from the fluffy

Natasha Miller:

and the feeling and the good stuff.

Natasha Miller:

And what is the biggest challenge that you have in your business today?

Natasha Miller:

Is it funding?

Natasha Miller:

Is it human resources?

Natasha Miller:

Is it just dealing with the human beings that are, humans are?

Natasha Miller:

What is it for you?

Gerren Sprauve:

So it's two things.

Gerren Sprauve:

So one, it's the human beings, and I've spoken a little bit on them already.

Gerren Sprauve:

It's human beings.

Gerren Sprauve:

Finding the right people with the right mindset.

Gerren Sprauve:

I think in the world that we're dealing with right now, so many people feel.

Gerren Sprauve:

Well, I can make money this way.

Gerren Sprauve:

I can make money that, or I can just Uber and all these

Gerren Sprauve:

short term ways to make money.

Gerren Sprauve:

And again, for them it's really transactional.

Gerren Sprauve:

They just try to make a buck.

Gerren Sprauve:

But then when life really hits, they realize that they need

Gerren Sprauve:

a little bit more stability.

Gerren Sprauve:

I believe there's a lot of fluff online where people talk about you can make

Gerren Sprauve:

this amount of money in this amount of time, and people believe the hype.

Gerren Sprauve:

But don't recognize that there's, there's some serious work attached to that, right.

Gerren Sprauve:

In order for you to do that.

Gerren Sprauve:

So I think when they run up against the wall of work, like I really

Gerren Sprauve:

have to work like, yeah, right.

Gerren Sprauve:

You got work.

Gerren Sprauve:

So I think that's something that, that jars us, because people sometimes

Gerren Sprauve:

would leave us to do that gig.

Gerren Sprauve:

And then they'll find themselves coming back and then they're

Gerren Sprauve:

jaded and they have all these, so focus becomes a problem, right?

Gerren Sprauve:

That's one thing for us.

Gerren Sprauve:

Again, another thing has been cash flow and just being very transparent

Gerren Sprauve:

on that one, being in Florida is a lot of competition, right?

Gerren Sprauve:

And anyone can kinda like pick up and just say, I'm gonna start a cleaning company.

Gerren Sprauve:

And with customers seeing that and saying like, "Hey, I want the cheapest price."

Gerren Sprauve:

Because prices are raising all over, we now find ourselves competing with them.

Gerren Sprauve:

So we have to adjust the way that we do things and we do different

Gerren Sprauve:

things to show value, right?

Gerren Sprauve:

Within that, but people are still, they're still like, but

Gerren Sprauve:

there's someone that's cheaper.

Gerren Sprauve:

We lost a long-term client just last year, just before it

Gerren Sprauve:

went out to annual ingenious.

Gerren Sprauve:

And they wanted to cut costs, right?

Gerren Sprauve:

And they asked us to cut costs but still get the same level of service.

Gerren Sprauve:

And we told 'em like something has to give.

Gerren Sprauve:

They were like, no, Garron.

Gerren Sprauve:

I think you can do that.

Gerren Sprauve:

We've put the bids out and people have said like they could give us

Gerren Sprauve:

the exact same service that you've been giving us for the same price.

Gerren Sprauve:

We finally had to walk away because we were trying to

Gerren Sprauve:

give our team members raises.

Gerren Sprauve:

We wanted to make sure that they were comfortable and they were

Gerren Sprauve:

trying to cut significantly.

Gerren Sprauve:

Now they have the new company and the company has caused them

Gerren Sprauve:

to look at things differently.

Gerren Sprauve:

They're getting a different level of service.

Natasha Miller:

Have they been calling you back and asking you back?

Gerren Sprauve:

So you know that there's gonna be some ego

Gerren Sprauve:

involved in all of that, right?

Natasha Miller:

Sure.

Gerren Sprauve:

So we to, we reached out to them and we told 'em, "Hey,

Gerren Sprauve:

if you ever need us, we're here."

Gerren Sprauve:

We'll sweep other stuff under the rug.

Gerren Sprauve:

We're here.

Gerren Sprauve:

We know that you have to, that's your fiduciary responsibility to try.

Gerren Sprauve:

But if you want the love of service that we have before we're here.

Gerren Sprauve:

Right.

Gerren Sprauve:

Whenever that time comes.

Natasha Miller:

So you're here and you're 10% more.

Gerren Sprauve:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Gerren Sprauve:

Hopefully they don't see this interview, but yes.

Gerren Sprauve:

You're absolutely correct.

Gerren Sprauve:

Okay.

Gerren Sprauve:

But yeah, so sometimes competing and being able to stay up on

Gerren Sprauve:

the price increases half some of that costs along to our clients.

Gerren Sprauve:

That has been an interesting challenge, but we learn going

Gerren Sprauve:

through that process also.

Gerren Sprauve:

So I'm really excited about the things that we're learning about

Gerren Sprauve:

people and how they make decisions and how they, they spend money or not.

Gerren Sprauve:

It's all the journey.

Natasha Miller:

For more information, go to the show notes where

Natasha Miller:

you're listening to this podcast.

Natasha Miller:

Want to know more about me, go to my website, NatashaMiller.com.

Natasha Miller:

Thank you so much for listening.

Natasha Miller:

I hope you loved the show.

Natasha Miller:

If you did, please subscribe.

Natasha Miller:

Also, if you haven't done so yet, please leave a review where you're

Natasha Miller:

listening to this podcast now.

Natasha Miller:

I'm Natasha Miller, and you've been listening to FASCINATING ENTREPRENEURS

Links