In this deeply honest episode, James sits down with commercial and fashion photographer John S. Miller, whose work has appeared in publications like 303 Magazine and Mile High Sports. From leading worship for nearly two decades to launching his own creative business, John opens up about his transition, his faith, and how being a father to a daughter with special needs transformed his entire outlook on work and life.

A creative entrepreneur, and former worship pastor who’s built a career and life around service, humility, and family. More than tactics or tools, this episode is about the deeper things we rarely talk about in business — identity, ego, burnout, faith, and showing up fully for the people who matter most.

Whether you're running a $500K cleaning company or managing a team of 200, this is your reminder to build something that works for your life, not the other way around.

🔥 What You’ll Learn:

• ✅ How to balance your business without sacrificing family
• ✅ Why ego is the silent killer of leadership
• ✅ How to transition careers without losing your identity
• ✅ What business owners can learn from faith and humility
• ✅ Why burnout is a signal, not a badge of honor
• ✅ The power of creative presence in a high-stress world

📚 Episode Breakdown:

(00:00) – The Cold Water Moment: Ego & Vulnerability
(05:30) – Life Before Photography: Ministry, Music & Leadership
(11:00) – Raising a Child with Special Needs While Growing a Business
(17:00) – Why Grounded Entrepreneurs Lead Better Teams
(22:00) – Transitioning Careers Without Burning Out
(29:00) – The Role of Faith in Business & Balance
(36:00) – Personal Growth, Partnerships, and the Power of Saying No
(42:00) – Reflections on Legacy, Parenting, and Purpose

👤 Guest: John S. Miller

• 📸 Commercial, Fashion & Portrait Photographer
• 🗺️ Based in Denver, CO
• 🌐 https://www.johnsmiller.com/
• Follow his work on Instagram

Clients include Wrangler, ARTA Tequila, Mile High Sports Magazine, and dozens more.

🙌🏼 Join Our Community:

• 🚀 Private Facebook Group: The Profitable Cleaner Community
• 📈 Profit Advisory Board: Business Growth Community

💼 Our Trusted Partners:

• ✅ uSource: All-in-one hub for the facility maintenance industry – Start Free Trial
• ✅ Campos Law: Legal partner for cleaning companies – Book a Call
• ✅ Team Engine: Hire, communicate, and manage your workforce – Learn More
• ✅ Swept: Janitorial software that scales with you – Check it Out

📢 Follow Us for More Insights:

• 📸 Instagram: @profitablecleaner
• 💼 LinkedIn: The Profitable Cleaner
• 📘 Facebook: The Profitable Cleaner

Text Our Community JOIN today

Support the show

In this first episode of our 3-part series “Simplify Planning & Boost Results,” hosts Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, CBSE, and Ed Selkow break down how to create a realistic business plan that helps janitorial companies grow with clarity.

No 50-page plans. No MBA jargon. Just a practical planning framework anyone can use — whether you’re running a $500K or $10M operation.

From goal-setting to budgeting, team capacity to execution, this episode walks you through a simple yet powerful wheel you can use to plan each quarter (and actually stick to it).

💥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• ✅ The 4 essential questions every owner should ask before planning
• ✅ Why most service companies avoid planning — and how to overcome it
• ✅ A visual framework (The Planning Wheel) you can apply to sales, marketing, ops & more
• ✅ What to track monthly, quarterly, and annually to stay on course
• ✅ Real stories of 7-figure companies winging it (and paying the price)
• ✅ How to apply the K.I.S.S. method (Keep, Improve, Stop, Start) to every area of your business
• ✅ The difference between activity and clarity — and how to bridge the gap

📌 This Episode Is For:

• Janitorial business owners who feel stuck or overwhelmed by planning
• Operators looking for a consistent growth framework
• Leaders preparing for their next quarter or annual reset
• Anyone who wants to grow with less guesswork and more structure

🧭 Episode Breakdown:

(01:00) – Why most owners avoid planning (and what to do instead)
(03:00) – Real stories of large companies with zero strategic direction
(05:30) – How to use simple software or frameworks to plan effectively
(07:00) – The only 4 questions you need for effective planning
(09:00) – Intro to the Planning Wheel: sales, marketing, ops, finance
(11:30) – Why people and money are your two most important resources
(13:30) – How long it takes to build a plan (it’s not as bad as you think)
(16:00) – Why your marketing and sales planning MUST come first
(18:00) – When a walkaround with business cards is actually a plan

🔗 Where to Find Your Hosts

• Sharon Cowan, CBSE – LinkedIn
  • Sharon's Facebook
  • Sharon's Instagram
• Mark Anderson – LinkedIn
• Ed Selkow – Janitorial consultant & industry veteran
• CleaningProphets.com – Where this collaboration began
  
  
  

🎙️ About Polishing Profits

Polishing Profits is hosted by three of the most respected and experienced leaders in the janitorial industry: Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, and Ed Selkow.

With over 140 years of combined experience, they’ve built and scaled commercial cleaning companies, coached hundreds of owners, and helped countless teams go from stuck to thriving.

Each episode brings you real stories, real strategies, and practical tools to build a cleaning business that actually works.

Produced by The Profitable Cleaner Network

Text Our Community JOIN today

Support the show

🧭 What do Faith, Ego & Leadership have to do with running a successful company?

As it turns out — everything.

Welcome to our first professionally recorded episode inside the new studio — and we couldn’t have asked for a better guest to kick it off.

In this raw and real episode, James sits down with Ken Wilkinson, the Founder & CEO of Layer 10, to explore the deeper truths behind leadership and growth. More than a tech expert, Ken is a man of faith, a father, a husband, and someone who has faced his own ego to become the leader he is today.

From being humbled on the jiu-jitsu mat to diffusing tension at Costco — Ken reveals the moments that shaped him and the leadership philosophies he lives by.
This isn’t a tech episode. It’s about becoming someone your business can grow with.

🎧 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• ✅ Why your business will never outgrow your personal development
• ✅ How ego and pride sabotage growth (and how to overcome them)
• ✅ The connection between jiu-jitsu, discipline, and self-awareness
• ✅ How to lead your company without losing your soul
• ✅ Why integrating faith, values, and leadership builds legacy
• ✅ What “put in the work” really means in business and life

📚 Episode Breakdown:

• (00:00) – Intro: Who is Ken Wilkinson?
• (02:10) – Ken’s Connection to Trailhead Community
• (06:30) – Faith, Family & the Foundation of Leadership
• (10:45) – Why Ego Is a Business Killer
• (14:20) – Jiu-Jitsu: The Art of Discipline, Humility & Focus
• (19:35) – From IT Consultant to Technology Architect
• (24:00) – Layer 10’s Purpose: People Before Products
• (28:00) – Serving Buildings & the People Inside Them
• (33:15) – The Power of Vulnerability & Taking Ownership
• (40:00) – Commercial Real Estate Challenges & The Future

🔥 Whether you’re running a 10-person team or a multi-million dollar company, this episode will challenge you to reflect on who you're becoming — not just what you’re building.

🔗 Resources & Links:

• ✅ Learn more about Layer 10
• ✅ Connect with Ken Wilkinson on LinkedIn

🙌🏼 Join Our Community:

• 🚀 Private Facebook Group: The Profitable Cleaner Community
• 📈 Profit Advisory Board: Business Growth Community

💼 Our Trusted Partners:

• ✅ uSource: All-in-one hub for the facility maintenance industry – Start Free Trial
• ✅ Campos Law: Legal partner for cleaning companies – Book a Call
• ✅ Team Engine: Hire, communicate, and manage your workforce – Learn More
• ✅ Swept: Janitorial software that scales with you – Check it Out

📢 Follow Us for More Insights:

• 📸 Instagram: @profitablecleaner
• 💼 LinkedIn: The Profitable Cleaner
• 📘 Facebook: The Profitable Cleaner

Text Our Community JOIN today

Support the show

In this episode of Polishing Profits, hosts Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, CBSE, and Ed Selkow dig into one of the most critical — and underused — tools in the janitorial world: structured customer feedback.

If your only customer communication happens when something goes wrong… you’re playing defense.
This episode will show you how to switch to offense — by creating a feedback system that actually improves service, builds trust, and sets you apart from competitors.

From simple walk-throughs and inspection logs to Net Promoter Scores and CRM tools — this is your guide to collecting, responding to, and acting on what your customers are telling you.

💥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ Why most customer feedback is too little, too late — and how to fix that
✅ The difference between reactive and proactive client communication
✅ How to tailor your communication style to different types of clients
✅ Tools you can use (free and paid) to collect actionable feedback
✅ How to close the loop with your clients and turn complaints into loyalty
✅ How to use feedback as a training tool for your team
✅ Why follow-up matters more than you think — and how it can save your account

📌 This Episode Is For:

• Janitorial and commercial cleaning business owners
• Operators and account managers looking to boost retention
• Teams that want to improve service and stand out from the competition
• Anyone tired of hearing complaints and ready to fix the root issues
  
  
  

🧭 Episode Breakdown:

• (02:26) – Why feedback systems matter more than ever
• (04:00) – Funny stories + real feedback horror stories
• (06:00) – Walkthroughs, inspections, and when to show your face
• (08:00) – Why “no news” isn’t always good news
• (10:00) – Tools: NPS, CSAT, customer effort scores, and free templates
• (12:00) – Offense vs. defense: are you always catching up?
• (16:30) – How to use the data: tracking issues by supervisor/team
• (18:30) – Sharing positive feedback with your team (and why it matters)
• (21:00) – Real story: pest control company dropped the ball
• (23:00) – How to close the loop with customers and build long-term trust

🔗 Where to Find Your Hosts

• Sharon Cowan, CBSE – LinkedIn
• Mark Anderson – LinkedIn
• Ed Selkow – Janitorial consultant & industry veteran
• CleaningProphets.com – Where this collaboration began
  
  
  

🎙️ About Polishing Profits

Polishing Profits is hosted by three of the most respected and experienced leaders in the janitorial industry: Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, and Ed Selkow.

With over 140 years of combined experience, they’ve built and scaled commercial cleaning companies, coached hundreds of owners, and helped countless teams go from stuck to thriving.

Each episode brings you real stories, real strategies, and practical tools to build a cleaning business that actually works.

Produced by The Profitable Cleaner Network.

Text Our Community JOIN today

Support the show

🧠 What do energy, health, and mindset have to do with scaling a business?

Turns out — everything.

In this powerful episode, James sits down with Coach Nate Engels, founder of Wellness League, marketing strategist, speaker, and certified health coach, to unpack why the most successful entrepreneurs don’t just grind — they invest in their health, mindset, and alignment first.

Nate shares real, raw stories about:

• Building his business from scratch
• Learning to pivot from burnout to purpose
• How stress is literally killing performance (and what to do about it)
• Why creative business owners need to reclaim their identity
• And how walking, grounding, and intention can transform your leadership

Whether you're a $500K company or managing a team of 200, this episode is your reminder that your business will never outgrow your personal health and discipline.

🎧 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• ✅ Why the most successful people outsource their fitness
• ✅ How business stress is affecting your sleep, weight & focus
• ✅ How to reconnect with purpose when burnout hits
• ✅ The truth about managing stress during business setbacks
• ✅ Why movement and recovery are non-negotiables for leaders
• ✅ Coach Nate’s journey from rock band → baseball → health → marketing

📚 Episode Breakdown:

• (00:00) – Meet Coach Nate
• (01:25) – From Health Coach to Creative Marketer
• (03:40) – Building a Vision-Driven Life
• (07:00) – Childhood Programming & the Drive to Excel
• (10:30) – Why High Achievers Prioritize Health
• (14:00) – Hot Seats, Vulnerability & the Health Wake-Up Call
• (16:20) – The Real Killer: Stress & How to Combat It
• (21:00) – Grounding, Walking, & Reconnecting with Your Body
• (22:30) – Nate’s Wild Journey: Musician → Coach → Business Owner
• (26:45) – Staying Independent, Strong & Mobile as You Age
• (30:00) – Managing Payroll Pressure, Burnout & Business Stress
• (34:00) – From Cleaning Toilets to Cold Calls: Staying Humble
• (36:48) – How to Work With Nate for Marketing or Wellness Support

🔥 Want to Work with Coach Nate?

• 🔗 Contact Nate Engles – Marketing + Wellness Support - LinkedIn Profile
• 📍Based in Wichita, KS? Book a private session at Wellness League.
  https://www.wellnessleagueict.com/

💼 Our Trusted Partners:

• ✅ uSource: All-in-one hub for the facility maintenance industry – Start Free Trial
• ✅ Campos Law: Legal partner for cleaning companies – Book a Call
• ✅ Team Engine: Hire, communicate, and manage your workforce – Learn More
• ✅ Swept: Janitorial software that scales with you – Check it Out

🙌🏼 Join Our Community:

• 🚀 Private Facebook Group: The Profitable Cleaner Community
• 📈 Profit Advisory Board: Business Growth Community

Text Our Community JOIN today

Support the show

In Episode 2 of Polishing Profits, hosts Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, CBSE, and Ed Selkow tackle one of the most common problems in the cleaning industry: growing without a plan.

Most business owners start by reacting — putting out fires, chasing every opportunity, and hoping to “figure it out” along the way. But growth without strategy is rarely sustainable.

This episode shows you how to stop winging it and start building with intention — even if you’re running lean.

Whether you're a solo operator or a multi-million-dollar company, strategic planning is your competitive edge.

💥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• ✅ The top 3 pitfalls of reactive growth (and how to avoid them)
• ✅ Why your first plan doesn’t need to be perfect — just written
• ✅ The SMART goal framework and how to apply it in your cleaning business
• ✅ How Sharon saved her operations by creating a backup staffing plan
• ✅ The questions every janitorial owner should ask: Where am I? How did I get here?
• ✅ What it means to build a sales roadmap, not just chase accounts
• ✅ Ed’s brutally honest story of running his first company without a plan

📌 This Episode Is For:

• Janitorial business owners who feel like they’re “winging it” every week
• Operators who want to scale sustainably and avoid burnout
• Owners ready to lead like professionals — not just doers

🧭 Episode Breakdown

• (00:00) – Why most business owners grow reactively
• (01:30) – The million-dollar myth: scaling without structure
• (03:00) – Sharon’s early chaos without a staffing plan
• (04:30) – What SMART goals actually look like in a cleaning business
• (06:00) – Weekly strategy check-ins: how real companies adjust
• (08:00) – Ed’s story: building a business with no roadmap (and paying the price)
• (11:00) – The questions that reveal where your business really stands
• (12:50) – Final challenge: pick a problem and build a SMART goal around it

🔗 Where to Find Your Hosts

• Sharon Cowan, CBSE – LinkedIn
• Mark Anderson – LinkedIn
• Ed Selkow – Janitorial consultant & industry veteran
• Cleaningprophets.com – Where this collaboration began
  
  

🎙️ About Polishing Profits

Polishing Profits is hosted by three of the most experienced and respected leaders in the janitorial industry: Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, and Ed Selkow.

With over 160 years of combined experience, they’ve built, scaled, and advised some of the most successful cleaning companies in the country. This podcast gives you direct access to the systems, strategies, and stories that create lasting growth.

Produced by The Profitable Cleaner Network.

Text Our Community JOIN today

Support the show

🎧 This is the first official episode of Polishing Profits under The Profitable Cleaner Network — hosted by Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan - CBSE, and Ed Selkow.

With over 140+ years of combined success running, scaling, and advising janitorial companies, these three industry veterans share real stories, strategies, and lessons that are tested, proven, and highly profitable.

In this episode, they explore one of the most overlooked ways to scale your janitorial company: client experience.

Learn how create value beyond the scope of work, implement upsell systems that actually help clients, and turn account managers into strategic relationship builders.

💥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• ✅ How to personalize client interactions using CRMs & inspections
• ✅ How to upsell without being salesy & the #1 mistake contractors make with upsells
• ✅ Why your customers should never have to ask for service & how data (and listening) create loyalty
• ✅ Retention techniques that boost profits long-term

📌 This Episode Is For:

Cleaning business owners who want to:

• Retain high-value clients
• Build systems that deliver more than just scope of work
• Separate themselves from low-bid competitors

🧭 Episode Breakdown

• (00:35) – Why client experience drives retention & referrals
• (02:45) – What Sharon says most contractors forget to do
• (06:00) – How a million-sq-ft account used QC for upsells
• (10:15) – How to use CRM feedback to increase value
• (17:00) – Value-add stories from 8-figure companies
• (21:45) – How emotional “bank accounts” win loyalty
• (23:29) – Final thoughts & where to find the show

🔗 Where to Find Your Hosts

• Sharon Cowan, CBSE – LinkedIn
• Mark Anderson – LinkedIn
• Ed Selkow – Janitorial consultant & industry veteran

cleaningprophets.com – Where this collaboration began

🎙️ About Polishing Profits

Polishing Profits is hosted by three of the most experienced and respected leaders in the janitorial industry: Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan - CBSE, and Ed Selkow.

With over 140 years of combined experience, they’ve built multi-million dollar cleaning companies, advised national brands, and coached hundreds of owners across the country.

Now, they’re sharing their playbooks — so you can grow smarter, lead better, and build a cleaning business that truly lasts.

Produced by The Profitable Cleaner Network.

Text Our Community JOIN today

Support the show

🚨 Polishing Profits Is Now Produced by The Profitable Cleaner

This episode marks a major milestone in the Profitable Cleaner journey. Your host James Harper announces that Polishing Profits — the podcast hosted by janitorial OGs Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan - CBSE, and Ed Selkow — is officially joining our network.

With over 140+ years of combined experience in growing, scaling, and selling cleaning companies, this new collaboration brings unmatched insight, strategy, and leadership to our community.

💥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• ✅ Why we’re partnering with Polishing Profits and what it means for you
• ✅ The value of surrounding yourself with proven leaders (not just influencers)
• ✅ What makes Ed, Sharon & Mark’s advice so powerful and rare
• ✅ Why we’re doubling down on community and collaboration
• ✅ How this move gives you weekly access to expertise people normally pay thousands for
• ✅ The mindset behind evolving, not competing, in the cleaning industry

📚 Episode Breakdown:

• (00:00) – Welcome + Huge Network News
• (01:30) – Reflecting on 200 Episodes & Building Real Community
• (02:45) – How We Met the Hosts of Polishing Profits
• (04:00) – What Makes Ed, Mark, and Sharon So Valuable to Our Industry
• (05:30) – What Changes (and What Doesn’t) for Profitable Cleaner
• (06:45) – Why Collaboration Beats Competition in the Cleaning World
• (08:15) – What You’ll Get From This New Weekly Show
• (09:40) – Final Thoughts & Call to Action for the Community

🔥 People & Resources Mentioned:

→ Polishing Profits Podcast: Now hosted weekly by The Profitable Cleaner

→ Sharon Cowan - CBSE, Mark Anderson, Ed Selkow – Industry experts & operators

• Mark Linkedin here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandersonwa/
• Sharon Cowan, CBSE Linkedin here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharoncowan/

→ Past Cleaning Prophets events – Where this all began - www.cleaningprophets.com

🙌🏼 Join Our Community:

• 🚀 Private Facebook Group: The Profitable Cleaner Community
• 📈 Profit Advisory Board: Business Growth Community

💼 Our Trusted Partners:

• ✅ uSource: All-in-one hub for the facility maintenance industry – Start Free Trial
• ✅ Campos Law: Legal partner for cleaning companies – Book a Call
• ✅ Team Engine: Hire, communicate, and manage your workforce – Learn More
• ✅ Swept: Janitorial software that scales with you – Check it Out -

📢 Follow Us for More Insights:

• 📸 Instagram: @profitablecleaner
• 💼 LinkedIn: The Profitable Cleaner
• 📘 Facebook: The Profitable Cleaner

Text Our Community JOIN today

Support the show