It Was Never About the Mop

I built a commercial cleaning company from the ground up—not just to make money, but to deeply understand how small businesses work from the inside out. Instead of going to college, I chose entrepreneurship and spent the next decade learning through action—launching, scaling, and refining every part of the business myself.

Over the past 12 years, I’ve:

Grown a thriving service-based business

Trained and led a team of over 30 people

Developed scalable systems and documented processes

Navigated the kind of leadership and operational challenges most people only learn the hard way

This site is where I share that journey—through white papers, blog posts, and practical insights on systems thinking, team leadership, branding, and service business strategy. If you’re building something real, this space is for you.

Whether you're growing a field service company, leading a crew, or scaling operations, you'll find lessons here that are honest, tested, and built on real-world experience.

Stay in the Loop

No schedule. No spam. Just real stuff I’m working on.

This isn’t some overproduced newsletter with fake urgency or growth hacks. It’s a way to stay connected with what I’m doing—personally and professionally.

I send updates when I have something worth sharing:

  • Ideas I’m working through

  • Books and tools I’ve found useful

  • Problems I’ve solved in my businesses

  • Insights into building and running a real company from the ground up

If you’re into small business, systems, leadership, or just trying to build something that works—this is for you.

Joseph Gary black-and-white headshot on black background
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Small business as a path to personal growth.

What I Do

I help service-based businesses scale, streamline operations, and build systems that drive long-term growth. With over 12 years of hands-on experience as the founder of a successful commercial cleaning company, I understand the real-world challenges of leadership, labor, profitability, and branding.

My work focuses on:

  • Structuring and scaling service-based businesses

  • Building documented systems that grow with less chaos

  • Training teams to show up, follow process, and take pride in their work

  • Turning field service operations into reliable, trust-based brands

  • Fixing breakdowns in accountability, leadership, or culture

Whether you're running a field service company, growing a blue-collar team, or looking to bring more structure to your business, I offer practical, experience-backed guidance to help you reach the next level.

Turning Field Service Operations into Reliable, Trust-Based Brands

  • Visual consistency in crews, vehicles, tools

  • Branded client-facing documents and forms

  • Polished customer onboarding experiences

  • Social proof through testimonials and photos

  • Values-based messaging that reflects your culture

  • Operational visibility for clients (updates, status, etc.)

Building documented systems that grow with less chaos

  • SOPs for every service line

  • Job checklists and completion verification

  • Systematized quoting and invoicing

  • Repeatable onboarding and training flows

  • Cloud-based document storage and access

  • Scalable admin and back-office processes

Structuring and scaling service-based businesses

  • Specialized crews with defined service roles

  • Layered management and shift leads

  • Service-specific workflows and timelines

  • Territory and scheduling systems

  • Cross-utilization of assets between businesses

  • Brand expansion through licensing

Training Teams to Show Up, Follow Process, and Take Pride in Their Work

  • Uniform policies that reinforce identity

  • Toolkits and physical standards

  • Video training content by job type

  • Daily check-ins and end-of-shift reports

  • Peer accountability and leadership growth

  • Technician performance scorecards