 Hey YouTube, welcome to another episode of Making a Giant. Today's interview, our guest is Stephanie Adieu from ACJ Luxury Maintenance Services. If you missed the episode with Stephanie, we interviewed her earlier this month, actually last month now that I look at that, we interviewed her and where she was on a panelist with Sheena Parker, also fellow janitorial company and military veteran. Take a listen to our episode with Stephanie as she discusses her amazing feat from going from daycare center owner to janitorial contractor doing work now at different hospitals and other facilities around the country. Enjoy this episode, make sure to reach out to Stephanie, tell her how much you enjoyed it. She is smart, she's bright, she's been an entrepreneur, she's a mom, she's a wife, she's all that plus more. Stay tuned, enjoy the episode, leave in the comments what you learned from this episode, tag a particular section so that we can share the greatness with other people. Thanks for watching, enjoy Stephanie and Maria today. Today on our show, we have Stephanie, Stephanie Addo out of New Jersey and she's actually the owner of ACJ Luxury Maintenance. For those in our community are very aware of who she is and everything she has accomplished because like she said, she's a newbie but I was just telling her, how can she be a newbie with everything she has done? So she took this game and used it all up because she's done great, great things. So Stephanie, I just wanted to say thank you and welcome. Thank you guys so much for having me on the podcast. This is so full circle for me, so I'm so excited. That's good and that's why now it's even better because the people that are coming on are people that phone calls I took initially are people that I like the first virtual meet and greet and things like that. So it's very exciting to see that you guys have surpassed a lot of your own goals, my goals especially because you guys are doing great. So Stephanie, just tell us a little bit about who you are, your company and what you do. Sure, so my name is Stephanie, owner of ACJ Luxury Maintenance. We are a janitorial facility maintenance company that service the government sector and also the commercial sector. And I'm a mom, I'm a three and a wife. So that's me in a nutshell. Oh wow, so you stay busy? Yes, I do. Yes, and you're up in the Jersey area, so. I am a company services New Jersey and also New York area. Oh wow, so it's big city stuff over there and especially with everything that happened with COVID I can't imagine how much busier everything's gotten. Absolutely, absolutely, definitely dead. So Stephanie, just take us back. I know you're in Jersey right now. Did you grow up in Jersey? I hold up. So I wanna say yes and no, right? So my life kinda started in Jersey. I was born in New York but my parents lived in Jersey. When they split up, when I was four and I was in Irvington, New Jersey, moving my grandparents back and forth. So I was there until three years ago, three, four years ago. And then I came back to Jersey. So I think of myself more as a New Yorker just because that, you know, that's what raised me. Yes. Yeah, I'm more like a New Yorker. Yeah, especially the Bronx. It's not like you were in the suburbs of New York. You were in the Bronx. Yeah, now I was in the Bronx. When people hear the Bronx or people say New York, they automatically think of the big burrs, like Bronx. Yeah, yeah, they do. The fire burrows, that's me. Awesome. Okay, so growing up in New York, the teacher in me always likes to ask because I ask them when they're five and what did you wanna be when you get there? Which was so funny when you told me you were gonna ask. I was like, I actually, I was supposed to be a teacher. Did you know what kind of teacher? In the beginning, I did, well, all right. So a little background, background is that I did wanna work with little children. So like through high school, I volunteered. I volunteer at daycares, XYZ. And that helped me realize that I did not wanna work with. And so I ended up going towards being a math teacher and that's what I wanted to be a high school math teacher. That was supposed to be my goal. So you're good with numbers? Yes, I'm pretty good with numbers. Okay, I'm bad with numbers. Yeah, that's my thing. I can't with my fingers. And I say, I teach kindergarten. We only go up to 20s. So anything beyond my fingers and my toes, I am not doing it. No, I love percentages. I love figuring things out. I just like all of that stuff. Like, okay. You're that critical thinker, like how am I gonna figure out? How does this make sense? Right, right. Which works for me and then it doesn't because then it's some stuff I make so much harder than it needs to be. Yes. Okay, so you went all through high school thinking you were gonna be a teacher. Did you go to college or university right after? I did. I kinda did both. I joined the military. I was in the army reserve. So I joined the army at 17. I was in like the delayed entry program. Why the army? Why the military in general? At that young age wanting to just be in the military. It's weird. Like it's just one of those things that kinda always drew me to it. Like I was like, I wonder if I could do basic training. You know, just young and dumb. But it was one of the best decisions I ever made off the whim. But you know, I just wanted my grandfather was in the army. I had a cousin that was in the Marine. So it just seemed like, you know, they were fine. Let me check it out and see how it worked for me. And I ended up joining the army when I first started college. But I was going to college for teaching. So it's one of those things I did simultaneously. What was your MOS in the army? 92 alpha. It was logistics. So warehouse logistics. Kind of what I'm doing now, but a little different. Ironically, my husband is in logistics. Like, and he's never been in the military. He is in logistics. That's his full-time job. You might understand his mindset and why he has good days and why he has bad days. Absolutely. Absolutely. It works out. When did you make the switch from education? I know when I did it. I went in as an education major and I made that switch just like you. I went into a classroom and I was like, Oh, no. Yeah, why not? No, that's saying it. So I made this switch. It's so hard to explain it. After I had my son, I opened. You were in college? No, I wasn't. I had my son. I dropped out of college. Okay. I dropped out for many, many years. Like I just graduated this year. Oh, congrats. So many, many years, but after I had my son, I, you know, because I wanted to get into teaching, I was trying to work out of daycare. I was trying to work on my own. I was trying to work out of daycare. I was trying to work out of daycare. I was always looking at my son and I was always watching. And then be with him at the same time. I'm one of those overprotective parents. And it's the first time kids, so you're like, Ah, so once I realized they weren't going to pay me enough, my experience, because I had a lot of experience by that time. I looked online and I saw that I didn't need a degree to open a home daycare. Okay. I ended up opening a home daycare. I wanted to do the daycare, but I didn't want to be the teacher. I like the administration side. That's what kind of put me into business. Like, I love, that's what triggered my love for business. And I said, okay, I want to learn more about that. So that's how I switched from education more to business. So you enjoyed running the daycare, the fact that you have something and anything at all. Yeah, all of that stuff. But as far as sitting down saying, hey, this is the color red and this is the color blue. Like, no, that wasn't me at all. It's still not me being a mom. My husband does the same. Oh, look at him. He's terrible. That's awesome to hear, though, just as the teacher part of me. It's like the fact that if you don't do it, somebody else does. Yeah, yeah. It's basic skills. That's what I was telling everyone. The kids are lacking basic skills these days. Very much so. Very much so. And Eric and I were talking and he said, like, OK, being that you have a different view of life, because when I told him I was doing YouTube, they were so excited. I want to show them things that they don't see. Absolutely. The entrepreneur, the people that look like us, that are on YouTube, are making and have businesses. So they have that idea in their head at five years old that they don't have to have that cookie cutter life or that cookie job of you go to school, you become a teacher, you become this and that. And that's all there is. Yeah, yeah. And it's it's funny you say that because like my kids, since they've been born, I've only owned a business. So they've never seen me work or whatever. So in their mind, they're going to own a business. Yeah, they don't talk about work, right? That's all I know. And in turn, my niece and my nephew, like my niece, like I want to go to work at McDonald's. I'm like, what? I'm like, no, absolutely not. Because we grew up seeing mom go to work. Dad, right? 95 or three, whatever schedule. So that's really good that you are showing them. There's other ways. And that's their normal. That's their normal. It's their normal. So how long did you have to daycare for? Approximately eight years. And it was it was just time to move on. You know, it's just one of those things where I am. And if you look at my length, then it says I'm a serial entrepreneur. It was really one of those things to look to move on. And even with wanting with having the daycare, I always wanted to do government contract and I just didn't know how to get in. I didn't know anything about it. How did you know it existed? Well, everybody would say you have to get this certification and you have to get that certification, then you have to sign up with Dunn's. And you have to, you know, you have to do all of that. But where did you know? Like, I had no idea this existed. I didn't know. So how did you know about it? Networking. When I would meet other entrepreneurs and they'd say, I have a contract with the state or I have a contract with Department of Education. I have a contract, you know, one lady I met with, like I sat down and met with her. She was teaching toilet training to children on the spectrum. She was teaching her parents how to potty train their child on the spectrum because my oldest son is on the spectrum. And I sat down and I wanted to know, how did you get that contract? Like, what was that about? Who did you speak to? And then she's the one that told me a lot about having a contract and this is how you get in. This is, you know, what you do. But it sort of seemed like, how do I put it? It kind of went in one ear and out the other because I just thought I wasn't qualified. I thought that I, you know, just one of those things where I felt like it wasn't attainable in the area that I was in, you know, but having daycare and all that stuff. I felt like it wasn't attainable. When you were gonna, we're about to make that switch from the daycare to knowing that you wanted a new business and you wanted to go into government contracting. Did you know, you said you knew there was an attainable in your space. Did you have an idea of what other space you would go into? I didn't until I started going to these IVMF meetings and that's the Institute of Veteran Military Families. They help different veterans with their businesses, entrepreneurship, all of that stuff. So they had conferences and I started meeting a lot of women, a lot of black women that were in construction. And I was just like, blown away. Like, how do I get in construction? You know, what is this? And one of my friends who I've connected with, she was the one that really helped me. Namashino, she's the one that helped me really understand that this was very attainable to be able to get into the construction facility maintenance space. You may not know how to break down a building, but you do know how to clean a building. You know how to obtain, you know, you know how to probably clean, you know how to do fun. So like little things like that, the one that showed me that it is kind of attainable. Especially after she got her first contract, I was like, oh, is she got a corn? So I was like, oh my goodness, I could do this. You know, and that's what kind of drew me into it. Okay, because you saw so many people in construction so you got geared towards that way. But then she showed you that construction is not building a building, is not breaking down, is not things that we do, like I've done before. Like there's other aspects of it. Other aspects and I didn't know that because a lot of the times we're really one track minded, like we're on that, you know, if you say construction, you think one thing and she's the one that really helped me to understand. And when she got her contract, I asked her, let's just like I sat down with the lady and she was like, you need to watch Eric. So I, I started binging on Eric and this is why it's so full circle. Like I literally watched Eric for like two years before I made the jump, you know. What year was this now? So we're in 2021, about 2018 I started watching Eric. Okay. Yeah, off and on, off and on just binging and going through this stuff. In 2019, I took it serious. Okay, in 2019 when you decided to take it serious, what was the first thing you did? The same thing I was doing today, which is funny, you'll laugh, but since September is coming around, well it is here today. It's one of those times where the government agencies need to get rid of contracts, right? So I was looking up, I was redoing my target market list. I was going over how to do the forecast list again. So you had already, you had already taken steps. So it's not like you took it seriously because apparently while you're binging that first year, you're still doing little tasks. I was doing those little tasks that he put together. My kids, this is how much I watch Eric's. My kids know he has had a wake up and put it on my YouTube, on my smart TV and sit down, eat my breakfast, watch it and take my notes and then implement it. That's what I was doing. Okay. Yeah. So you already had your all registrations. You had already taken your business name. You knew you were gonna go this direction and this is what I'm going to do next. Absolutely. So in 2019 came and... 2019 came by September. I started my cleaning company. That's what it was supposed to be. Started in the cleaning industry. It was not ACJ luxury maintenance at the time. It was Short Hills luxury cleaning. And I started out with that because that's where I was living at. I was living in that area. So I said, okay, let me start out with that. And I wanted to build up my finances. So we were doing residential. We were also doing rental terms and rental terms. You took on a team. You said, I'm gonna have a cleaning company and you brought in people right away and just started working. I did. I sure did. And I was cleaning too. It was all as a team of four of us. You're like, I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do it right. There is no hesitation. There is like, okay, maybe I'll start looking and if I get something then I'll, like you, this was it, you're gonna get it done and it was going to work. Yeah, because I had already studied everything. I sat down all summer and I was studying, studying, studying and it was time for me to start implementing. So that September I started with the cleaning by October, we started doing rental terms that I drafted my husband and we were like painting, getting these properties ready for their new renters. And I want to say by January, honestly it died down a little bit. Just because I don't know what was going on. Maybe the holidays and stuff like that, but it died down. And I started doing conferences February and March. That's like my conference time. And at that time in March, I went to the IBMF conference again and I connected with the teachers there. Because again, like I said, I've been going to those conferences for years. So I understood what was going on in the conference. I understood that if I wanted a government contract, I need to connect with those teachers because those teachers are the ones that always have the contracts. So this year, 2020 in particular, I went there with a mission. I know that they're gonna have teachers there. So I'm already prepared based off of the stuff that I got from watching you guys, like I'm already set right now, like this is the time. And so March of 2020, I went there and was in March. Yeah, it was the beginning, the end of February and the beginning of March, like the very last week of February, beginning of March, I went. Yeah, because we were still semi-normal. We had talk to the government because I was up in DC at the Women's Chamber of Commerce conference at that same week. Yeah, so and everything was fine. They talked about COVID and stuff, but it wasn't like everything was at the whole world. Right, it wasn't like the whole world was about to shut down. I would have never guessed, because people talked to it. I'm like, what are they talking about? Like the mom's wiping down the seats of the airplane. I'm like, these people are crazy. They're dramatic. I was like... Yeah, I thought so too. I was like, they're just being so extra. Let's just get on this plane and go for it. I really did. So when I got back, I would eat all of the connections. You met with the teachers and spoke to them. I met with the teachers, absolutely. E-mailed them all, thanked them for teaching the class and, hey, by the way, this is what I do. You know, this is what I do. Keep me in mind for other contracts. And, yeah, that's it, you know. And what happened after? Then you came back and continued your business. Absolutely. So by March, when I went to the conference and I came back, by March 13th, I decided to change my name to ACJ Luxu Maintenance, right? And this is all the magic happens so crazy. Why? Because I wanted something that incorporated my kids. I wanted something that started with the A, because in marketing purposes, A is always at the top, you know? So ACJ made sense to me. You won't have to look at me. It's like, I'm going to be right there. You're going to be first on the list because everything happens alphabetical order. Yeah, and I don't have to pay to be seen, you know? I learned that from the daycare, like when you put your name on these listings, a lot of the times if your name starts that like a D or E or whatever, you're going to have to pay to be with the A. I'm already going to be on the first page. So that was very strategic for me, very strategic. And so I was like, OK, ACJ and I want to keep luxury because I know the type of people I want to work with. Are ACJ your kids' initials? Alyssa, Chloe, and Jacob. When I saw it today, I was like, it has to mean something. Yeah, I never thought it was three kids, but it has to mean something. OK, so they should be loving this business. They're like, oh, mom. Absolutely, absolutely. They think it's fair. But yeah, by March 13th, I changed the name and I want to know. March 13th, everything shut down. March 17th, right? It's when I changed the name and started ACJ. And I remember talking to my friend, I'm like, everything is shutting down. How am I going to do this business? Nobody don't want me to clean. It feels crazy. But by the end of March, I got the call from my first contract that was for cleaning the VA hospitals across New York City. You're talking about Manhattan, Brooklyn, and St. Albans, Queens. And I got the call. The prime contractor, which was one of the teachers there at the conference, reached out to me and, you know, remembered my business and asked me if I would be interested in doing it. And me, I'm like, oh, yeah, like, yes. This is what I've been waiting for. And so I wasn't expecting it to be as big as it was. That's one thing. I was not expecting it to be as big as it was, but it just blew up. So we're in the end of March, right? By April 7th was when we start the contract, OK? But we didn't get the call that we got the contract until April 5th. They were like, OK, we want you guys to start, but we want everybody to start by April 7th. And we need 40 people by April 7th. Two days. Yes. 48 hours. Yes. And luckily, I was able to, I had other people that I knew with cleaning companies that were interested. And I reached out to them. I told them, listen, I have this contract. But you like to jump on board. And you as the owner would be my supervisor for this site. And these would be, you know, you have your workers work at this. That's how many people around your team. At the time, it was just me and three other people. So you're a little bit short. Yes. Very something short. Yeah, very, very short. And, you know, when I reached out to them, they didn't have as many people either. So, you know, between the other two companies, we were at like 10, to be honest with you. So I put out on Indeed. And I'm calling people all types of nights. Like, you know, typically you're calling people up into a five. Yes. I was calling people at nine o'clock. Like, hey, we have a job coming. And this is what it entails. And, you know, some people turned me down because they were scared to work in the hospital, you know, with it being COVID. But many people were like, OK, because it was paying so much. They were like, yeah, I'll just, you know, I'm going to put on my mask. It's not your typical janitorial housekeeping. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. They were going to pay a good amount to mom in cleaning these hospitals. It was great. So I was able to pull together the 40 people by April 7th in three different locations, three different locations. And how far are the locations? How do I explain from, all right. So if you look on the map, you would think from Brooklyn to Manhattan is not too far. But New York City traffic, that's far. OK. The good thing is, is that, I mean, the good and bad thing is it was COVID. So, you know, there was no traffic on the streets. Yeah, it was no traffic. Then the trains were running well so the people were able to see it. And how long was the contract for? Did you guys know about how long it's going to be? At first, it was only supposed to be up until August, August 8th or August 7th. So it was only about four months. OK. But then they extended it. They extended it. So we stopped in on August 7th. They called us back in September to start again in October. And that was supposed to be only up until December. But then they extended it again. So we got two extensions on that contract, two extensions. We didn't stop working until March 24th of 2021. How did you feel when you were, because I can't imagine, 40 people, OK, we're 10 altogether. I call the people I knew. I only have 10. I'm like, OK, I need about 30 more. And that's including me. So 30 more. How did you feel when you finally had your list of 40 people? Honestly, I don't remember the feeling because I was so focused on getting this contract going. It was like, OK, we got it. Now what's next? Let me get the memorable. Everything was like, now what's next? Now what's next? Oh, OK. I didn't sit back and think about everything until that September. Like, wow, this really happened. This really happened. But it was really tough getting the contract going. So I was like, there were many days that I didn't get home until sometimes 3, 4 in the morning. Yeah, and I would be gone from 7 in the morning. So you went out to the sites. I did. I did because it's my first contract. So I wanted to make sure the prime looked good because I'm going to see him again. And we all have this connection to the same company that we're under because he's a service disabled veteran as well. But he's also a teacher, one of the teachers. So I wanted to make sure that this contract goes well. So he looks good. And then he refers me out to other people. So my main thing was that. And the next is making sure that the workers understand what they're supposed to do. They understand the contract and that they are set with their tax. So that was in. And I had to learn human resources. Like, I'd learn all of this stuff through all along the way. Payroll, which almost gave me a heart attack. Because you ran a business. You ran the daycare for eight years. And then you had already started running a cleaning business. Yeah. And I guess because big business. This wasn't I've never had 40 workers. OK, I'm like, what was the biggest difference between running a business and running this contract? It was having so many workers. So many different personalities to deal with. And when you go over a certain amount in human resources, you have to add in additional training as well. So it's like when you hit that 40 mark, I think, no, it was the 30 mark. You have to start adding an additional training. I didn't know about training. See, it's not like you're just telling these people, go mop. These are the two rooms you have to mop tonight and this and that. No, no. Oh, yeah, because what I left out is they all had to do training as well within those two days. And these people because I had to find an online training, janitorial training for them. And they actually did it. They actually did it. Oh, you said they were getting paid well. That's why they wanted to get it done and get paid and get on the job. That's so they had to do additional training once they got there. It was a lot. It's just a lot of moving parts. That's that's insane. Like and you're going to all three locations, making sure everyone's doing it and then having this payroll because it's not just regular payroll because you then have to do certified payroll, which I found out during my at the end of my first contract when the lady goes, just send us your certified payroll so we could start and your invoice. And I'm like, what certified payroll? What is that? Right? I'm like, huh? So that's what I had to be like, Eric, what certified payroll? She says I need certified payroll and that one's even tough because when you do your regular payroll for my payroll, it was biweekly, right? Certified payroll, they want to know week by week, like every week, how many hours, you know, breaking down broken down into the amount of taxes that you paid that employee for that week. And I'm like, but I did this biweekly. Can I just give you a biweekly amount? Yeah, it is a lot, it's a certified payroll. Yeah, and even just having payroll alone is a lot, I can't. I do construction, so I do subs. So they perform a task, they get a check and that's all I give them. Like I've never had that payroll company that it's different people and it's biweekly and it's by hour. And the first payroll was absolute hell. Like I was getting calls left and right, like, oh, this, you know, people have problems with the, a lot of them are going to check cash in places. And it was just like, you don't have a bank account, you put the money, it was just like really insane. It was just really insane first, but after that it was everything. Okay, and then you understood how it flows. Yes, yes, yes, it was different. In September, when you finally sat back and realized it's actually happening, do you remember like a feel, you've had businesses, so it's a little different, did you have that feeling of, wow, it actually is happening? Yeah, I did. I was really, I was extremely grateful for the opportunity and just to be able to put goals out there and it really happens, you know? One of the things that I did when I was on a plane, when I came home from that conference that I told you about was write down 50 goals, you know? And I was on a plane, I wrote that down and one of the goals were to get three contracts. Another goal was to hit, I think 250K because I wanted to become another, I wanted to be a part of this other program. And it was to have, I think, 20 employees. That was some of the goals there. And when I sat down and thought about it in September, I'm like, wow, one, we surpassed 250K like water. And, you know, I had way more than 20 employees, you know? So it was good and I already, and that was just my first contract, you know? So I felt really good to be able to hit those goals. But I knew that it was from, you know, relationship and networking, right? It was really good to be able to hit those goals. Yeah, because yours came from, it was a teacher you reached out to because you went to a conference and you didn't just go to the conference and sit back either. You actually knew you had the people that you were gonna target are the instructors because they're teaching a class that means they should know how to do this because they are doing it. It's not like I'm gonna go sit next to a person and they're lost, I'm lost. So at the end of the day, it's like, what did we really accomplish? Other amazing things. Exactly. And then when you needed the amount of people, you already had contact with other companies that could help out. Yes, yeah. So, you know, it was just one of those things that was everything was already set and ready to go, you know? I know you've spoken about this in our GovCon Tuesdays call, Peril. Were you financially able to have 40 people? You went from three to 40 now. Yes. Was I financially able to do it? Absolutely not. Ironically with this teacher that I had, I sat in this class and he, one of the things that he said was, you know, don't be afraid to tell your prime that you don't have any money. That's what he said. He said that and I went up to him after class and I'm like, okay, you say that, but is there a proper way to say, I don't have any money? And he's like, no, you have to be transparent and just let them know you don't have the money. So when he came to me, I said, hey, I don't have any money. Just like you told me to, and I'm sure that he remembered you because of that question. Because he told everybody this, but nobody really asked anything about it. They just, okay. Yeah, yeah. Cause I mean, I'm with you and you have to go to someone and say, hey, I don't have any money. I want to do a million dollar contract, but I don't have a million dollars to fund it. So when I told him that I don't have any money to fund it, the only thing that I needed to come up with was the money to be able to pay for the insurances. You got to pay for your workers comp. You have to, you know, the money to put everything in place, right? And then for payroll, he covered the payroll. So what he did was he would pay me every two weeks to make sure that I'm able to cover the payroll. And then I can pay the payroll and then I took my cut out of it as well. So I didn't have to worry about anything with that when it came to it financially. Oh, wow. So it's about telling them if you don't have the money, you don't have the money. There are some funds out there willing to fund you because they want the contract too, you know? And one thing I learned is, you know, when you open your mouth, you get results. You get results. Don't sit quiet. Yeah, because easily you could have been like, oh, I just can't. And all that I just can is what three words then. And it was just like, they're just, they're not gonna ask you why. Exactly, exactly. They really are not going to ask you why. You have to let them know exactly why you can and be very upfront about it. Yeah, be transparent, like you said, because if you're not transparent, then at the other turn when it comes down to it and there's an issue, then they're gonna be like, but you didn't tell me this. Absolutely, absolutely. And, you know, my prime was the key component when it came to the finances for all of this. He was the key component in making sure that this deal happened. And, you know, I'm very grateful that he, you know, put his trust in my company, especially if being new, you know, to take a chance like that was really good. Yeah, the initial call was great, but I guess when he saw that this lady pulled up 40 people into it. Exactly, like she's serious. If she could do that, then imagine what she can do. Yeah, and it's funny you say that because, you know, his superintendent that I worked closely with was in shock that he didn't think I could do it. He had like labor-ready people just in case I don't have like, he was in shock that I was able to pull it off. He's like, I can't believe you did this. I'm like, yeah. And in my head, I'm like, yeah, I did it, but I'm like, yeah, I can't believe you. Like, I can't believe it. What about your husband? How did he react to all this? So he was so helpful throughout everything, you know, helping me navigate these different personalities. Because remember, I've been an entrepreneur forever, but he actually worked. So he understands the employee mindset where I'm like, this is just ridiculous. You know, so he helped me navigate it. He was very excited for the contract and it worked out good for us because in his job, he was off two weeks and on two, you know, on one week. So he was able, we were able to juggle the kids that way. Because remember they were being homeschooled and all of this stuff. That's true because you said they shut down the 13th and you started all this at 17. So as soon as it started, he was actually off of work for two weeks. Okay. Yeah. And the weeks that I had to, that he did have to go into work and I still had to come in and we'd have like a babysitter or something. My neighbor will watch them down, had a neighbor downstairs and she would help out. Again, asking people like, please help me. Yeah, it's true. Asking people and we take that for granted at times. Like people say, just ask that something in us, they are like, I don't want it sound dumb. I don't want to say I'm just less by just asking something so easy. Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, the worst they could say is no. That's what I always tell myself all the time. The worst a person can say is no, but that gives you the opportunity to just move on to the next, you know. Yeah. So when this contract was coming towards this end and then it got extended, for me, it would feel like I just want another contract. Yes. How did you feel? I was excited. My guys were super excited, you know. And it was just like, let's keep making them happy. You know, I stress that to my employees all the time, that we are all a team. So it's not just me winning, you know. It's you being able to work during a pandemic and being able to make such good money during a pandemic, that it's amazing, you know. You have a blessing here and let's make sure that we take full advantage of it, you know. And my employees understood it. They were really like, I would get emails about how grateful they are to have a job, how, you know, and it's been years since they've been able to be this ahead in your bills and stuff. So it was like really a blessing, you know. Oh, truly is. Yeah, it was really a blessing. So I was excited. That's awesome. That's so nice. It must be a very nice feeling that you're able to give to a community of people that otherwise they would be barely making it because those types of jobs, cleaning jobs, we all think of who does the cleaning jobs, the immigrants that come over, people that don't have. And so you never think you'll be able to make anything decent. And for you to come in and give them, here's an opportunity. And this is how much you're going to make. And for them to say, I've never been ahead on my bills. Right, right. Remember, we're in New York City. So, you know, it's hard. That one is hard, but I understood them, you know. And it was amazing for them. And I was very honored to be able to have the opportunity to be able to serve them in that capacity. And then it got extended again. Yes, that was just icing on the cake. What were you doing during all this? Because knowing that it might, thinking that it was going to come to an end, what was, what were you strategizing for the next move? So, during all of this, I was just really trying to work towards obtaining another contract and seeing how, you know, I'm going to leverage this big first opportunity to be able to pitch myself to other people and get more contracts. And I was updating my SPS, the dynamic, I can never pronounce it, but... The dynamic small business profile. So, I was updating that as well. And I added that on, I made sure to get my business bonding. That's something that we didn't have. So, I was working towards the things that I didn't really have before, you know. Now it's just getting everything together. It's important that you are just like, oh, I got a contract, that's it. Yeah, no. I made it, I did it. It's like, you're getting yourself ready to keep those wheels going, to keep things coming along. Absolutely. How much was this contract for? Originally, when you first got it. So, when I first got it, this was funny too. He was like, you know, you could go home with a, like in your pocket, you're gonna make $150,000 off of this contract. In four months. He's like, you're gonna make that. I said, yeah, yeah, okay. That's what you say. But I didn't believe him. I didn't believe him at all. And so the first check, you know what I said? Oh. Oh. Even my husband was like, because he didn't believe it either. The first check came in, especially with payroll and stuff like that. So the first check that did come in, it was for 119 grand. The majority of it, of course, was going to payroll. But it was the fact that I seen 119 grand in a bank account. And I'm like, what? Yeah. So it was just one of those things. It was like, wow. But originally, the first four months, I believe it was supposed to be for, yeah, 400,000 for the first, you know, four months. That's a very nice first contract. Tell me about it. But all you did was ask a question to an instructor and send a simple thank you email that a lot of people don't even think about doing. Yeah. A lot of many people do not think about doing it. I don't even think of doing it. I do. You know who I do it for? My podcast guest. Oh wow. And that's how I remember them because I do that process. And hearing you say it's like, maybe I should do it for so many more people. Yeah, yeah. Every time I go to a conference and I meet instructors and just the people that I meet with, I always say thank you. I always try to remember something that we talked about. So that way they can understand like, this is personal, and it's not something where it's generic, you know, and that's it. And I always get a response. I'll be like, okay. You know, if it's somebody in passing that I met and I sparked a conversation with, I'll say something we talked about and then I'll ask them, hey, what did you think about the conference? What was your favorite part? You know, so that I can build up that relationship with them. And when it's the instructors, I'll pick out something really good they talked about and say thank you so much because without this, I would not have been able to, you know, start this part of my business. So, you know, stuff like that. That's really good advice. A lot of people go to conferences and just attend. Yeah, no, no, you have to. And I used to be one of those people, like, you know, I'm just attending, I'm collecting information, but I really got into the idea of networking because relationship building is the name of the building. Once I started seeing the doors that opened from relationship building, like this contract here, you know, but even before this contract, it was other things that let me know that it's not, it's more about your network, your network. Who do you have in your network? That could help you get to that next level. And, you know, my focus was making sure I met those people and connected with them to get where I wanted to go. When you were getting the extension to the extension and you saw it coming to its end, what was that feeling? That someone was like, my money train is stopping. It was about the sense of closure of, like, you completed it. But yeah, I would think that money too. That was my initial feeling, I'm not a lie. But, you know, it did feel great that, again, that I had the opportunity. I send out a good thank you email to all of my employees, especially the ones that were there from the beginning to let them know they were so well appreciated. And then it was time to move on to the next contract to see what can I get and, again, how can I leverage it. And within a month, I got another contract. Not for as big, but, and this was, this literally just fell in my lap, right? So... How did it just literally fall in your lap? Because that's what we hear government contracts are supposed to be. You register and it just comes and falls in your lap. I'm sure it didn't just fall in your lap. It had to be a networking or something. This one wasn't. They emailed me out the blue. I believe I had just updated my dynamic service profile. Your DSVS. See, you had to do something in order for it to... Right. Okay. There it is. So I just updated that. And so the contract ended in March, April. They reached out to me, the Department of Veterans Affairs in Kentucky. And I'm in New Jersey. So this is from Kentucky. And they asked me to quote on how to strip and wax the floor. They wanted a quote on stripping and waxing the floor. The V... The location is Kentucky though. The location. It's not like just the contracting officers... Yeah. The location was in Kentucky. And in my head, I'm like, wow. But I like to say yes to everything. So I said, yeah, I'll give a quote. I mean, nothing hurts from giving a quote, right? So I gave the quote and then I followed back up with them because I didn't hear anything. I said, hey, you know, I submitted the quote. I just wanted to follow up and see, you know, what did you think? Did you... What's the status? So he called me and he's like, well, you know, do you guys do... They were looking for a specific type. They wanted to change the color of their floors. And it wasn't something that I did. And it was only... There's only a certain amount of companies licensed to do it. That was something that I learned. It's something called Enduro Glaze, Chrome Glaze. And they asked specifically for it. So I told the contractor, I said, hey, I don't do that, but I can find, I can get partners that's going to be able to do it. And that's where I looked up their terminology and I found out who did it. Mind you, it's weird at the time I was doing it where most people won't be doing it, but my daughter was about to get surgery. And she... Cause she had to get... It was the minor surgery. She had to get surgery on her knee. So it was one of those things where I'm at the hospital, she went into surgery and I'm calling people to take my mind off of her freaking out. This is still your child going under. Yeah. I'm trying not to freak out. So I'm calling the contracting people there to find out if they can do it. And I found someone at Zinc and Tucky that was able to do it. But I missed a partner story where I did reach out to Eric. Okay. He did send out an email. Which point did you reach out to him after you knew what they needed? Yes, after I knew what they needed. Okay. But the people that got back to me, they weren't able to do it. So I was like, hey, let me just find someone in Tucky. And at that time, I didn't know... At that time, when I reached out to Eric, it was only supposed to be stripping and waxing. I didn't know they wanted to change the color. Okay. So once I learned that, I had to find the company that could do it. And I found them actually on the GSA schedule. And I called them. And they helped me locate the company in Kentucky. And that company in Kentucky, they were amazing and they were absolutely more than willing to do it. So I put together the call, I sent it back to the VA contracting officer. He accepted it. And boom, that was like a sole source right there, straight to me. And by May, I was in Kentucky. Oh, you did go to Kentucky. Have you ever been to Kentucky before then? Not at all. My whole family was like, what are you doing in Kentucky? I was like, yeah, how are you? Gotta make sure it's done. I had to make sure it was done. And I did. And it was good. I didn't really have to go to be honest. They did an amazing job, but I wanted to shake the point of contact, you know, hand so that he sees that I'm there making sure everything is okay. And just build up that relationship with the Kentucky point of contact. And after they were done working, I sent the follow up email to them saying, hey, we're done. These are the pictures. I hope you like it. If you need anything, if you want us to go back and check over anything, we'll do that, you know, so, but they were, they love the job. How long did it take? That one was just two weekends, two weeks. The first weekend I went out there, but the second we got in, it was a two weekend job. How much? 25 grand. Yeah. So you go from 1.2 mil 25. It's not bad. The first one ended up in 1.2. So you're 400 turn to 1.2. Yeah. $1.2 million. I know. I know. Yeah. This one has to mean a lot because it's your first prime. It's my first prime. So this one meant the most. It's mine. Right. So, you know, now I finally can say like, I directly work with the department. That, that is because my foot is in the door now. That's all I needed. So how do you now leverage this one? I'm going to be while I'm still working towards it, but I'm going to be definitely submitting more bids. Building more relays. You know, I don't have any contracts right now in the work, but I'm working towards it. And leveraging it with these two first big contracts. It really helps me to look very credible. Helps me to look financially stable. And that's one of the things that I worried about when I first started contracting, not looking financially stable. One thing I learned to be in the group. Is, you know, you don't have to be financially stable, but you have to partner with someone that is right. So, you know, it's just, someone has to pay for it. Somebody has to pay for it. So just making sure that I'm partnered with the right people into the group. I was able to partner with great people. So, you know, it's just one of those things that I'm going to keep fitting and make sure I. Keep myself out there. So right now you don't have any contracts going on, but it doesn't mean that you're not. Taking the steps to find the next one either. Oh, absolutely. Okay, you're submitting. Cause the first time in between, you made sure you update or your DSBS, you updated your abilities, you updated everything. So you're not just letting those things lag. No, no. It's just one of those things I'm going to keep fitting and make sure I keep myself out there. So right now you don't have any contracts going on, but it's just one of those things that I'm going to keep fitting. And you're also just not waiting for the next phone call. The first one, somebody was able to help you. They reached out to you. The second one. You said it fell in your lab, but you actually did some work. You did a lot of work. And so it's like, I tell people it's hard for me just because. I come from, I won my first two bids. Three minutes when I, when I decided to do this. I was like, okay, I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this. Okay. Now I have to work for them. So the, like I got it too easy at the beginning. Yeah. And I've been submitting bids. I had, I did have another bid that. That did come through, but it didn't work out just because it was a little hard to find workers in that location. So I had to let that, that big girl. And I submitted some other bids, you know, that I didn't win. And I was like, okay, I'm going to do this. I'm going to keep going. I was going to ask you what, after getting those nose, like what makes you keep going to the next one? It's a little addicting for me. Again, like I said, I'm serious for newer stuff. For me, this is like the nose kind of fuel me. And again, I'm a mom. So, and I just bought a house. You know, so I'm a homeowner now. So I have to keep going. This is not like a game. So I literally have to keep going so that we can afford to do what we need to do and afford the type of lifestyle that I want to have. So how has government contracting changed your life? Seeing that you just bought a home and. I mean, it changed it tremendously, you know, the first business, like I said, it was time to move on, but it was hard times after the first business, you know, we kind of went bankrupt and it was a lot. So in this year, the past year from 2020 to 2021, when I decided to, you know, move forward on it, it was like a 360, you know, everything that I lost, I got back. And then some to be able to be a homeowner, to be able to travel again the way I want to put my kids in the stuff that I want them to be a part of it feels great, you know, and to add on that savings. My oldest child does have autism. And I want to make sure that he's able to be taken care of for the rest of his life as well. So it's just a lot of things in a pot that keeps me motivated to keep going and government contracting. I feel like not just for myself, like I told this other, what was it? I was applying for another company, like another cohort to be a part of, but like I told them for government contracting for me, it's not just about me, but I find it to be a path to give other like my employees a good job, a sustainable job that can help them move forward, you know, and that means a lot because I used to be on the community board in the Bronx. And he's always say, oh, we're bringing in jobs. And I would be the main one raising my hand. Like, are these jobs that people could live off of? You know, cause you're saying you're bringing in jobs, but people can't live off of that. And I feel government contracting really gives people the opportunity, not just the person on top, but even the employees the opportunity to get ahead. It's meaningful life. Yeah. It's very true. Cause I look at some projects and the first thing it's like, I want my people to be doing that. Right. I want people to look like me, like you to be the ones doing those jobs. Because it's hard out here. It's very hard. You're from New York. I'm from South Florida. So we see the people that look like, like there are in our communities that we grew up around. Like my mom's in the same job for 30, 33 years. She wakes up. She wakes up at three in the morning. And now with COVID that there's nobody to work. It's hard to find people to work. And it's like, it's, I see how much she's given. And it's like, I want to be able, cause everyone has, you always have to stick to your why. Like my, my wife has always been, I want my mom not to have to wait to retire. I want her to enjoy herself. Absolutely. I want to, I want to give those people and also the kids are growing up that mindset. It's like, look, she, she made them. I'm going to tell my kids tomorrow. I was on a phone call last night doing. Cause they love that we're on YouTube. Like she made over a million dollars. They're going to be like, I'm going to film it just for you. I'm going to film it for you. I'm going to film it for you. I'm going to film it for you. I'm going to film it for you. Oh gosh. But, but you given these people that opportunity. I can't imagine how their lives change as well. Absolutely. Yeah. And that means the most to me as well. You know, it's not just about me, but it's really about giving that meaningful opportunity. Like that's important. Everybody has to be able to live. Yeah. And you took that chance when you made that switch. And you were like, I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this. And it's like, everything's shutting down around you. And you're like, I'm going to do this. I'm going to start this. And you. Rob said everything, like in the middle of everybody's craziness. And I'm single and I have the kids and I still have to think and overthink about it. And you just like, I'm going to do this. And you just did it. Terri, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my own family. It's like, we're really lucky to still be married because we're so crazy with entrepreneurship. Oh, she's one too. Yeah. She's just. Yeah. He's just as in. Takes the leap. He holds your hand through them. your hand through them. So he has that little bit of that rush that you get. You need to get the 40 people when you need to go out in the middle of a pandemic and things like that. He's a part of it. It's true, it's true. And it was scary. It wasn't like a very, it was scary to like go into the hospitals, because we had to like clean the COVID rooms, like we had to go in there and do the terminal cleanings when a patient would be discharged. That was our job. We had to clean out the rooms to get it ready for the next room. And in between that, stripping and waxing the hospital floors. Like that's what we have to do and get different wings prepared and opened up for other COVID patients. So, you know, and one thing that was a blessing is not one person caught COVID that worked in those areas. They, my guys took really good precaution, really good care of themselves. It was just one, you know. Because you guys were in the middle of it all. Like you were the talk before Florida became the talk. Right, right. Yup, yup. We sure were. We were the epicenter, as they say. Yes. Everything. And for New York to shut down New York City? Yeah, that's a big deal. It felt weird. I was like, man, Disney and church just shut down. It was the bad. Oh, and church shut down, man. I was like really sad. Like, oh, I can't go to church. That was, I did not like. One of them, there's a church that I go to in Times Square called Times Square Church. That's the church I used to go to in New York. Now I go to the church called Liquid. But I've been dying for, I've still been dying for Times Square Church to open. And they're just now opening next week. The 12th, I don't ever know what days, but they've been shut down the whole entire time. Since that March 13th of 2020. They're just now. Oh, wow. Yeah, I thought you guys were all back to normal. In Jersey, we are in New York, not so much. Jersey, I feel like we are. But I'm a little rebel, so. You're ready. You'll be the first one in line. Yeah, I am. So government in the past, what it's been about a year and a half since, not even since you started, right? Yeah, we're in the middle of 2020. We're towards the end, really. It's crazy how time flies. I know. And you just going, going, going. You had this idea in your head and you went and set out for it. How do you feel about yourself? Like you said, you blessed everybody else and everything around you. But what about you? It's always a weird question. People ask about me. I don't think about me too much and I should more. But I'm like a natural giver. Like that's one thing that makes me happy. So, you know, when I see other people happy, I'm happy. Yeah, I haven't really like being on this podcast, like I said, is full circle. You know, it's just to be able to tell my story, to be able to be a part of subcon giants, because that was another thing. Every time I watch the podcast or all of the shows, I'm like, as soon as I get the money, I'm going to join as soon as I, and that's what I did. That's like, as soon as I get the money, I'm going to join. I'm going to drop the money and that's it. I'm going to join. I'm going to invest in myself. So, you know, to be. How is the learning process? The learning process, it's good, but then it's still a lot to learn, you know, I would say if you are on your first contract, no matter how much, you know, it's you still have to go through these experiences that are going to make you feel like, I don't know crap. Everything I thought I knew, I don't know. It's a chess game. You know, it's not only about the knowledge of the government contracting and the terminologies. It's also really knowing how to negotiate. You know, it's a chess game. How much should you give in and how much should you take? You know, it's just one of those things of playing the line. And that's one thing I had to run on the first contract. Because it wasn't about me anymore. So anytime, you know, I disagreed with the chief that I might have been working with and they all were horrible. I had to realize that is it worth me telling this guy off and all of us getting fired off of this contract? You know, or should I just smile and let it be? And the good thing is we were in COVID. So, you know, my face, they give me away all the time. So I had on my mask so they can never see my face. It's great. I'd be crying and let it be, you know, still learning curve. Yeah, still learning curve. So you learned a lot this first contract. I did. From running the HR part to payroll and workers come to just how I call it, the Colgate smile. Like, yeah, yeah, and you got it down. Oh, yeah. That's one thing people said, your facial expressions give you away. I'm like, yeah, but there's days that you have to act the part. And if my part is OK. Exactly, right. Exactly, that's all you have to do. Like, I've learned, especially in the last few years of construction and things like that, because I cried. I was telling someone today, it's like, my first year contracts, like, yeah, I was out there, but people don't see what you go through during those contracts. People didn't see when you had to bite your tongue. When you had to go in, how scary you must have been, like, you're going into these rooms and you have a family back home. How payroll came and you're like, wait, I have to do what? Like, I don't get this. I cried over. I told Eric, remember when I used to cry and I cried over blue screws? No, we needed these blue screws, the top screws. And I remember the person installing it called me and I broke down. Like, I don't know why. And it's like, because we were like, how. You were overwhelmed. Yeah, how far have you come? Like, I know I cried over blue screws. I'm like, when there's a solution to things. I don't have to physically be there to fix it. Like, but there is a solution. Yeah, you learn through these experiences. Like you said, it's not just sitting back and taking in the knowledge and no, you think you're ready. You might not think you're ready, but getting that first go, it's yeah, yeah. And it's not easy. Like, I'm sure for you as female and construction, it's not easy, you know, and it's not easy being a female and facility maintenance, like you come in there and many times you're hated off the back just for being the female. So, you know, again, it's a chess game. Especially you in the VA. Like, I can't imagine what these sheaves looked like. Same thing, constructions, female GC. It's like, they look down and they just think you're just secretary or just runner or something. I have one chief that refused. Like he refused to believe I owned the business. He just would not acknowledge it. He just, he didn't, I don't know. He would tell the prime, oh, I'm here with your employee. And like, he just does this stuff all the time. And it's just like, okay, whatever. You know, after a while it's like, I mean, I've had my days where I did tell, you know, my employees like, listen guys, I tried. So if I walk in this office and we all have to leave, I tried my best. And just, you know, I promise you I tried. But those days didn't come, thank God, you know, because, you know, at the end of the day, your work speaks for itself. So whether a person likes you or not, if you are a great company and if your employees are doing what they have to do, they're not gonna take that chance and fire you and try to get someone else because good, especially good work and government contracting is very hard to find. So they'll try to keep you as long as possible. Now get on your nerves, but they're not gonna let you go because you're good, you know, and you have to let your work speak first off. And that's very true because one thing Eric said, it's like the thing about government contracting is like once you submit a bid, there is no I'm a woman, I'm black, I'm Hispanic. It's just a company submitting it. They're looking in death or looking at you, seeing who it is. And that's a good thing about it because then you go in, you do the work, they like you and you get the next one and the next one, you keep it going that way. And we have to remember also that people are people and they play other days too and you don't know what's going on. So just. Okay. Absolutely. I'm gonna get that co-gates from now on, don't act. And that's why with the math, sometimes I'm like, I'm glad because these kids sometimes are people, like construction, like you said, if there's days, I'm just like, okay, I'll get done. And sure. Well, I can imagine with little kids, you know, dealing. I don't know which one's the little kids or the men in construction. I would say the men in construction. Because I feel like the kids have an excuse. Yeah, they're naive, they're fine. These are grown men. Yeah. But I'm citing your paycheck. You don't know how many times I had to explain that to my employees. Like, do you see the name that's on the bottom? You don't see that. We think like, that's a, oh wow. Well, it is great speaking to you. Any final advice for people that were, are in your similar circumstance a year and a half ago where they're ready to make that switch and have this government contracting idea tinker in their head. And they're a little bit like, undecisive or unsure of the unknown. I guess the first advice I have is to take it out your head. You know, start writing down your goals. You know, we have to write the vision, make it plain. So start writing down your goals, make it known. You know, then start building out those relationships. Pick up the phone, call, email, follow up and be ready when they call you. Don't be afraid to say you don't have the money to your prime and negotiate. Make sure that you get everything that you deserve as a company. Don't feel undervalued because you're, you know, you come with knowledge or you wouldn't be in the field. So just make sure that you have those things together and you should be fine. Well, I think you are just fine. And we're excited to hear about the next win that you're going to have. Because under the fiscal years here, so. Yeah. That's what I'm getting ready. E-mails ready to go. I heard that in our call last night. I'm like, you know what, I should do that. I'm like, in between my like, like 20 minutes that I get to eat or breathe, like just send out a few and see what comes up. Yeah, listen, quick 10, 20,000. Hey. Anything, I'll make it. A 10 grand email. Look at that. We're going to coin that. It's a 10 grand email, guys. Yeah, 10 grand email. You never know. Thank you so much. Enjoy the house. Enjoy the family. Happy early birthday. And keep in contact. Thank you. Absolutely. Thank you guys. I appreciate it. Have a good night. Bye. Bye.