[00:00:00] Shari: The moment that I realized that I could be creative in business and I could grow as a person, it was like, oh yeah, and it doesn't matter what you do, but if it's yours, you own it. It's a really incredible feeling. And then you have to sit with that and you have to own it. And you have to let that grow.
[00:00:17] Nola: Leaving behind a successful career to work for yourself is more than the beginning of a new chapter in your life. It's a transformative leap that holds the potential for extraordinary growth and fulfillment. And unlike when you were just starting out in your career, this phase of life brings with it a wealth of experience and knowledge, as well as a few unexpected twists, turns, and lessons learned. Stay tuned, friend, because we're welcoming back entrepreneur, Shari Cedar for part two of this captivating topic. In this episode, she'll share her hard-earned wisdom and valuable lessons she's learned throughout her journey. And that's only the tip of the iceberg. Listen as she reveals the essential tips, tools, and invaluable resources that she wishes she'd been privy to right from the start, so you can avoid those pitfalls and confidently navigate your own entrepreneurial path.
[00:01:02] Lori: Welcome to Sticky Brand Lab, where we bridge the gap between knowledge and action by providing you with helpful information, tips, and tools from entrepreneurs and other experts. So you can quickly and easily jumpstart your side business. We're your hosts. I'm Lori Vajda, and this is my co-host, Nola Boea.
[00:01:19] Shari: Hi Nola. Hey Lori.
[00:01:21] Nola: Before we bring our guest on, what is one golden nugget, epiphany or insight you gained in part one of our interview with today's guest?
[00:01:29] Lori: The one that actually stuck with me and that I keep talking about is when Shari talked about setting up her friend board, meaning that her board acted as a support system for her, different than her friends who wanted to be encouraging and supportive of what she was doing. These people were going to hold her accountable. Let's say that it was in a loving friend kind of way, at least that's how I took it to mean, and I thought it was a brilliant idea. So I'm going to ask you the same question.
[00:02:01] Nola: Well, yeah, I remember that part. And I was starting to go through my mental Rolodex, if those still exist, to figure out, okay, who can I put on my board? I love that. I was just impressed with how she so transparently said this was not just a quick jump. I mean, certainly there was a full time cutover. But this was a transition. It was a gradual thing and just the whole thought process behind maybe becoming an idea on the top of a ski slope to the gradual way it came to be a full-time focus. So yeah, a lot of people think they have to make the decision, plunge in and sink or swim. And it's not the case.
[00:02:38] Lori: Yeah. Hearing her say that, and you know, we've interviewed a lot of guests and I don't think we've had any one guest that said it. So, that is a really important golden nugget. In the previous episode, we touched on the fact that more women were leaving their current work environments in what's being called the Great Breakup, which I feel might kind of sit on that border of not being so perfectly right to say because it lends itself to be more gender specific, but that's just my side note. So considering taking that off the table, one powerful revelation I read in the actual report, Women in the Workplace, what they said is women were equally as ambitious as their male counterparts. The difference was that women refused to passively wait for change to happen in corporate America and around the world. Instead, they were taking action and spearheading change, either via a career transition or an entrepreneurial pursuit.
[00:03:40] Nola: Oh, yeah. Go women. Yep. Speaking of stepping away from corporate work for an entrepreneurial pursuit, our returning guest, she's a forerunner of this trend. And she shared so many wonderful stories and insights with us in part one. And I don't know about you, but I'm sure we're both looking forward to her sharing more wisdom with us today. Shari Cedar is the Vice President and co-owner of AK Building Services, one of the largest privately owned and family operated commercial cleaning companies in Florida. Having a distinguished background in television production, communications and broadcast journalism, she was the senior executive and executive producer for award winning hits aired on notable networks, like HGTV, TLC, Bravo, NBC, and the Discovery Channel, among many others. And with the transferable skills and strategic mindset from her prior career, as well as the expertise acquired throughout her entrepreneurial journey, Shari ensures excellence in sales, marketing, strategy, and customer service. But it's not all about work. To make a positive impact in her community, Shari dedicates time in various ways, including serving as a board member for the PACE Center for Girls, supporting Women United and being an active member of the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce. In addition to her volunteer work and professional commitments, Shari understands the importance of self-care and strives to prioritize it in her life. Equally important are the moments spent with family, whether it's hitting the slopes or delighting in shared adventures. Welcome back, Shari!
[00:05:15] Shari: Hello, ladies. Great to be back.
[00:05:17] Lori: Before we get into the details of your entrepreneurial experience, would you briefly tell us about the work you did in your prior profession? For example, I don't know what the difference is between being a producer and being an executive producer.
[00:05:32] Shari: Absolutely. So, prior to owning and operating AK Building Services, I had a previous life in television production, where I did everything from documentary, news, and reality TV, and I guess docudrama, all of the variations I participated in. Producer is a generic term. A producer puts together the show. They could put together a scene, they could work with talent, you could have a talent producer. So, a producer produces a segment or puts something together. There's many producers on a TV show.
An executive producer, which there are many of as well, as you see in the credits all the time, the executive producer is a higher level who oversees the entire production. And that ranges everything from to making sure you're on budget, on schedule, the story and content you're creating is compelling, the talent is happy. You're building the narrative. So it's really all facets built into one. So you're like the CEO of your production.
[00:06:37] Nola: Very cool.
[00:06:38] Lori: I was going to say, it sounds a lot like being an entrepreneur and starting a company or being in that role as the founder CEO.
[00:06:45] Shari: Yes, and we need to clarify because there's multiple executive producers often with different roles. So there's more active executive producer where you're more hands on in the field. There's an executive producer who maybe owns the production company and then there's an executive producer for the network.
[00:07:04] Lori: Oh. Okay. That helps. You had mentioned in episode one, working in television or broadcast news, you had crazy, crazy hours. Becoming an entrepreneur, has that changed?
[00:07:18] Shari: No.
[00:07:21] Nola: I love it.
[00:07:24] Shari: No. No, no, I think the difference is, when it's yours and it's your baby, it just feels differently. But really the truth of the matter is, no, it doesn't really change. Although you're not on this diehard deadline where you're literally up against the clock for something to air, I mean, that deadline is in no other industry.
[00:07:48] Nola: Yeah. Super pressure.
[00:07:49] Shari: And we're responsible for a lot of people's lives. There is a different kind of pressure now, having employees and their families who depend on you to earn a living. And that's an enormous responsibility and we don't take it lightly. Of course, when people first start out, you don't have that many employees and you're sort of bootstrapping it. So it's a different kind of work in the beginning. You're slugging along, you're wearing 20 million hats. But as your business matures, you can't just completely check out because a lot of people are depending on you, and your customers are depending on you for excellent service. And I'm in a service industry.
[00:08:28] Nola: That makes sense.
[00:08:28] Lori: Thank you for sharing that.
[00:08:30] Nola: What specific skills come to mind from your prior career in the entertainment business that helped you transition into your current role?
[00:08:38] Shari: Every business is a people business. I don't care what business you're in, right? You're in the people business. You either are selling to people, you work for people, you work with people, you communicate with people. And I think that is the most transferable skill that comes from TV production into running a business. Whether you're dealing with talent or you're dealing with the network or your boss in the TV production company, and all of these can be really scary, the same thing happens when you're running a business and you have a customer or you're trying to sell something. So, I'd say that's number one.
[00:09:15] Lori: You had a lot of different personalities in your previous work because you had the talent. You had the people behind that made them shine, and then you had the executives that ran the networks or ran the show. So each has their own agenda, and you have to navigate all of those different entities.
[00:09:35] Shari: Yes, yes. Oh, I've been yelled at. I've been screamed at. I have been belittled. I have been, but also praised and complimented and had lovely conversations. It runs the gamut. And you just need to know like that conversation's happening right now. Then you finish that conversation. You then recalibrate and you move on to the next one. You can't carry it all with you. You can't let those things bleed. And I think that helps me be a good entrepreneur and leader and able to compartmentalize and keep my day flowing. I can't get stuck on one thing.
[00:10:11] Nola: Not a lot of people can do that.
[00:10:12] Lori: Yeah. Is there any other transferable skill that stands out for you?
[00:10:16] Shari: Yeah, I think time management and project management is really key. Everyone in life, we have these to-do lists, right? You come into work in the morning and, I've got my pad here, your list, and you're crossing it off and you're feeling great, but at the end of the day, did you conquer like the big elephant on your back of the project, of, how are you going to tackle a shift in your sales strategy, or how are you going to implement a new technical conversion for people? How are you going to do these things? So time management is so important to regulate yourself to know so you're chipping away at the big picture things, but you're also dealing with the small ones.
[00:10:59] Lori: Both industries, or at least in my perception, the entertainment industry and as well as the cleaning industry, seem to be more male dominated. You see far more men, especially in higher up roles. Are there any abilities that stand out in how you yourself navigate that kind of terrain where you're not necessarily seeing a lot of sisters sitting with you?
[00:11:27] Shari: That's a great question. I have never been intimidated by being in a room of males or dealing in a male-dominated industry. I think you do have to have some stronger armor, though, and have different communication skills. At AK Building Services, most of our area managers are women. My CFO is female. Our controller is female. A lot of our area managers are female. Quality assurance, female, we're a really unique organization. And Mark, he says, well, women are smarter. And I'm like, damn straight. He's a smart man who surrounds himself by women. But I think we're good communicators and good managers and we're very detail oriented.
[00:12:16] Lori: Perfect.
[00:12:17] Nola: Now, your husband, he grew up in the family business, right? Tell us about that.
[00:12:21] Shari: Mark grew up, his father owned Action Clean in Miami, started in 1973. So while kids were at the beach, Mark would be like at the hospital sweeping floors. he initially thought he would go into the business, but then he had a moment where it was just clear, like, Nope, I'm doing my own thing. I want nothing to do with this. And he got a Master's in Taxation. How boring is that? Sorry, but
[00:12:45] Lori: We're sorry, Mark.
[00:12:46] Shari: But then he went on to work for like PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte & Touche. He was a CPA by trade. And he actually had the opportunity to work with his father, but it did not work. And he went and started his own company.
[00:13:01] Nola: Okay.
[00:13:02] Shari: He started, bootstrapped it from the ground up, but he had the fundamental experience of growing in and there's like an institutional knowledge, right? so He knows sort of the fundamentals of the industry really, really well.
[00:13:16] Nola: That's cool. What about your background? Did you grow up in an entrepreneurial household as well?
[00:13:21] Shari: I think so.
[00:13:22] Lori: Were you there?
[00:13:24] Shari: A little bit different though. Hey listen, I'm. a kid of the 1970s, which means I was raising myself. it was different in the 1970s though. My father was a successful periodontist, probably one of the first dentists to ever do implants, and had his own practice. My mother, an amazing woman, was a teacher. Then she was a decorator. And then when we were in elementary school, she went and became a lawyer. And in the late seventies, early eighties, women were not attorneys. Like she paved a path, right? I think she did some of the first gay adoption in the state of New Jersey. My mom was a trailblazer for sure. So I grew up seeing that. And then I want to add, I was always a little entrepreneur when I was in like sixth grade, there was no internet and things to keep us busy. We were like, let's have a carnival in the house. So we went and we sold tickets. We went down the staircase with a mattress. We sold tickets. We had games. I've always had that entrepreneurial spirit and it probably comes from my parents.
[00:14:32] Lori: Yeah. You and your husband could have had two separate businesses. You could have worked in an industry that was familiar or at least something that you had experience in, but instead you pursued an entirely different marketplace. Not only that, you chose to do it with your husband. What led you to make that decision? And I ask because most people are told, don't work with a friend, don't work with your spouse. And you did.
[00:15:02] Shari: I broke every rule, seeing how family businesses have destroyed families, so I did not take this lightly in entering into the decision to do that. And I think that was part of why I treaded lightly before I fully committed. I didn't do that consciously, but perhaps that was unconscious. I did not want to be divorced. I did not want to hate my husband. So I think we're just really lucky and we work at it and I stay in my lane and he stays in his lane and that's how we do it.
[00:15:34] Lori: Can you tell us about a challenge that the two of you have had together and how you guys work through those things? I mean, do you have anything that you follow that really helps to show that example?
[00:15:48] Shari: Well, probably, but I'm going to tell you what my biggest pet peeve is working with my husband, and this is going to sound ridiculous. So in TV, when you update a script, you do "as of," right? You put the date, the time and the version. That way there's no confusion. Just what you do. But when he sends me a spreadsheet for pricing to put into a proposal, he doesn't change the as of, and it's so bizarre, but like, we'll have a knockdown drag out over the stupid spreadsheet. I'm like, just do it as of, he's like, well, you know it, so you do it. I'm like, but that's an extra step for me. Why would I take an extra step when you can originally do it? And now, guess what? He's updating his spreadsheet. I was like, is this worth? And then we will both start laughing like, oh my God, that has been like the weirdest argument we have.
Um, So I think we're really supportive together. As far as like a failure, a failure is good. I know most entrepreneurs don't want to admit that, but I consider a failure is good. I'll tell a story. We had a very big customer, it was a new customer and it was a very hard account because it was seven days a week, like three shifts, weekends. There was a miscommunication, in terms of when we could get in or out during late hours on a Saturday, whatever. We come in on a Monday morning and it was like the worst email we'd ever gotten from a new customer. And it was like, Ooh, right. That was like, ouch. And I said to the team in a meeting that day, I was like, no, this is great because everybody has failures, but it's how you react to them. Let's separate the average from the amazing. So turn this around, show them what they got, what we have. And we turned it around in like a day. We went in, we said, here's what happened. Here's our plan of action. Here's how we're going to rectify the situation. We nailed it. The next weekend we got an A plus.
[00:17:53] Nola: Yay.
[00:17:54] Shari: I truly believe you have to face everything and you have to be honest. People just want honesty, they want integrity, and they want to know how you're going to handle it. Because anybody who offers perfection is just lying. They're full of it. Everyone's human. Things happen. It's how you deal with adversity. I think that is a skill that I learned in television. If you had something that was going to shit, you just got to fix it. You can't worry about the feelings. Fix it and make it right.
[00:18:23] Nola: That's great. So from the time you started working with your husband on AK Building Services until now, how much has your company grown in size and scope?
[00:18:35] Shari: I think we've doubled.
[00:18:36] Nola: See?
[00:18:36] Lori: Wow. Yeah.
[00:18:39] Nola: That's awesome.
[00:18:40] Shari: We doubled. Our CFO came on board and we were much smaller at the time, and we talked about what our revenue was and I said, oh, we're going to double that in just a few years. And she looked at me and she was like, okay. She came over to me and said, you know, remember that conversation we had? You and Mark have amazed me. You did it. I never would have thought it possible. You did it.
[00:19:07] Nola: Yay.
[00:19:08] Shari: Now, I can't take full credit for that. That's a team effort, but we work so well together, Mark and I, we really do.
[00:19:16] Lori: I think Nola and I can relate to that. It's the same thing. You know, you don't know until you really start working with somebody how it's going to work out. I think part of that gift is one, believing in the other person, but I think the other is, shit happens and you either roll with it or you roll in it. I don't know.
[00:19:35] Nola: I like that.
[00:19:38] Shari: I'm taking that quote. That is really good. And I think when you work with your spouse or your best friend or a business partner, you just have to learn boundaries as well, right? You have to know when to have a conversation. You need to know how to present something. You need to know the right words. You can't just be impulsive because that could be a time bomb. It can just be a grenade you walk into or throw in.
[00:20:05] Lori: Is there anything that stands out that you really wish you knew that may be helpful to somebody who's listening, just getting started themselves?
[00:20:14] Shari: I think really take the time to map out your plan. My sense of timing has changed a lot. Coming from the television world, time is very short. And it was a sprint. And you just, boom, boom, boom, you went. But when you're growing a business, it's a marathon. You have to pace yourself and you have to really be well-thought-out at every turn, because time and money are so valuable. So I think I would just say, walk deliberately. One foot in front of the other.
[00:20:46] Nola: I love that.
[00:20:47] Lori: Yeah. That's great.
[00:20:48] Shari: I think I have learned now how to very clearly set expectations with people, whether it's a customer or an employee, up front, almost like a verbal contract. Okay. Let's say someone wants to sell me their service to do Google Ads and they give me a beautiful presentation. I say to them up front, I move very slowly. And that's not because it's not important to me or not worthwhile, but it takes a long time because we are running a company and this isn't necessarily my top priority item right now. My lack of response does not mean I don't care and I'm ignoring you. It just means I haven't been able to get to it right now, but I promise I will. And it's okay to follow up with me.
[00:21:31] Nola: Nice. Very good.
[00:21:33] Lori: I like that.
[00:21:34] Shari: I just try to set the expectation with a customer. If they say, this pricing is too much, I'm not going to. You could say, okay, that's fine, but I want you to understand if we cut back in this way, you will not be able to have carpets cleaned every night. You have to be comfortable with a spot clean. And that will happen once a week, which is fine, but you just need to be aware of what the change in the budget, what that's going to look like for you and your customers and your business.
[00:22:05] Nola: Are there any tools, apps, or resources that you've used that you would recommend to new entrepreneurs? Like, this could be like time management, could be organizational apps or tools, any kind of mindset tools. Whatever you found useful, what could you recommend?
[00:22:21] Shari: There is an app that we've started using. It's called Notion, and it sort of aggregates all these tasks that I need to do, and it prioritizes them. So, I have one site that brings me to all of my different places and assets.
[00:22:37] Nola: Nice.
[00:22:38] Shari: If you're an entrepreneur and starting, you're probably not going to invest in Salesforce, but find yourself a really good CRM that you can collect information because most people are, you're writing it on this, or you're putting it in a contact, and then you're like, oh, where did I meet that person? Because every person you meet should be a connection to other people. Every person you meet's got value somewhere. You just have to know how to see it. So, by collecting and staying in contact with people, a good CRM, or good contact management system, is really valuable.
[00:23:14] Lori: Do you map that out for yourself?
[00:23:16] Shari: Oh yeah. I've gotten a little geeky. Like I've become the chief technology officer, which is just laughable. But once you start to learn it and you see how you could use technology to be more efficient, it's a great thing. And at AK Building Services, you know, we put technology in so many facets of our company.
Like, for example, Panda Doc is this great software that another friend who's an entrepreneur turned me on to. I make these great proposals and documents. We have a timekeeping system, e hub. So people clock in and out on their phones. I use e hub for our customers. We have Lighthouse, where you could scan a QR code so you know if your bathroom's been cleaned.
[00:24:01] Lori: That's great!
[00:24:02] Shari: So anyway, I look at myself as the Guinea pig for the company. And if I can't learn it, I can't expect others to learn it. So I have to fully understand it so I can then help everyone else with it and teach them and show them, you could be my age and use tech.
[00:24:20] Lori: Love that. But I love, the most important part for me that you said, which is, I put myself in the role of the guinea pig because if I can learn it, I know that everybody else can learn it.
[00:24:31] Shari: Well, as a business owner, a leader, an entrepreneur, you can't ask people to do things if you yourself are not willing to do them.
[00:24:39] Nola: This is true.
[00:24:39] Shari: I've cleaned toilets before. My husband's cleaned toilets before. If we can't do it, I can't ask somebody else to do it.
[00:24:47] Nola: Exactly. Do you have any rules or systems around protecting your family life?
[00:24:53] Shari: Yes. It's not like an official rule, but I think we both know in certain environments, like, no business talk. No talk about kids. That's just how it is. And if one of us breaks that rule or dives into it, well, if it's really exciting and we're both jazzed about it, we'll both like, we'll run with it because sometimes the best creativity for the business comes when you're not at work.
[00:25:15] Lori: For me, it's in the shower.
[00:25:16] Shari: Yeah. Yeah. Without being too personal, like, Mark will be in the shower and I'm getting ready. He's like, what do you think about...? And I'll be like, Oh my God. Like, we once restructured the company like in five minutes that way. But it's also really important that if one of us needs zone-out time, we just say, not tonight. It's just understood. Or it'll be if I'm trying to get the kids out the door for school and Mark comes and he's like, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, you know, we've got this proposal due. And what do you think about this? And we need to do that. And I just look at him. I go. Really? Not now. I said, give me 15 minutes, 15 minutes, please. He's like, okay, fine. But you have to have boundaries in anything you do. And even if you're an entrepreneur, not working with your husband, you must take time away from it because as, what did they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder. And that applies for business. You need a brain break. So, you can refresh and recharge your battery so you're full and come in ready to go.
[00:26:25] Nola: That makes sense.
[00:26:25] Lori: Great advice.
[00:26:27] Shari: Thanks.
[00:26:28] Lori: We have one final question for you. Tell us, what does living a vibrant life mean to you?
[00:26:34] Shari: Making the most of every minute. Life is a precious gift. You don't know when your number's going to be called. And you don't want any regrets. So, you really have to embrace it. And for me, that means learning as much as I can, traveling, having meaningful relationships. I don't go through the motions of anything. I try not to.
[00:26:56] Nola: That is really wise advice.
[00:26:57] Lori: Very wise.
[00:26:58] Nola: Thank you, Shari, for being our guest again. We're sure your personal experience along with your real-world tips and suggestions will inspire and motivate ambitious women to shake things up in their second chapter of life, whether it's their careers, their leadership roles, entrepreneurship, or family. And before you go, how can listeners get in touch with you? Where should they go if they want to learn more about you, your business and the work you do in the community?
[00:27:24] Shari: Thank you. It's been a pleasure and you can find information about me, Shari Cedar, at my LinkedIn, which is Shari Cedar on LinkedIn, and you can learn more about our company, AK Building Services, at akbuildingservices.com. And if you want to know more, I'd love to have a conversation, please feel free to reach out.
[00:27:46] Nola: Thank you so much. Listener, will be sure to put links to all these websites in our show notes as well. And we hope the ideas and thoughts shared here today have sparked your interest and curiosity to make a mid-career change or to become a first-time entrepreneur in the second half of your vibrant life. Be sure to stick around to the very end of the podcast for a fun chuckle.
[00:28:07] Lori: If you found the information we've shared helpful and want more tips, tools, and inspiration delivered to your inbox, sign up for News You Can Use over at our website, stickybrandlab.com or click the link in our show notes. And remember, small steps, big effects!
[OUT-TAKE]
[00:28:26] Shari: A producer theoretically. Let me rephrase that, stop, pause, take two.
[00:28:30] Lori: Yay, she finally joined our party!
[00:28:35] Nola: Very cool.
