Buy Time
Resilience: The Journey of Two Mothers Starting a Laundry Business Amid a Pandemic
What happens when you combine two ambitious mamas, a laundry business, and the onset of a global pandemic? You get a story of pure resilience, innovation, and a business that continues to thrive despite all odds. That's what Claudia and Stephanie, co-founders of WeWash Laundry Co., bring to the table in this episode of the Buy Time podcast. Against all odds, they managed to launch their laundry business just six weeks before the world went into lockdown, and they're here to share their inspiring journey.
Struggling to balance work and family life, especially during a pandemic, is no easy task. Claudia and Stephanie candidly share how they manage to juggle it all. From relying on the support of their partners to keeping exercise a priority, these mamas give us a masterclass in time management. They show us that it's not just about keeping the business running, but also ensuring there's enough time for family, a lesson many of us could learn from.
This episode is not just an exploration of their past but also a look into the future. Claudia and Stephanie discuss their plans for expanding WeWashed Laundry Co., whether that involves franchising or opening a second location. But amidst all these plans, these two mamas remind us of the importance of taking time out to generate fresh ideas. With a firm belief that a balanced approach is key to business growth and success, Claudia and Stephanie are a testament to the power of combining passion, determination, and a dash of creativity. Tune in to hear their story, learn from their experiences, and be inspired by their unwavering resolve.
Visit Wewash Laundry Co. Website
Follow Wewash @wewashlaundryco
Follow Claudia & Stephanie
Until next time... Follow on Instagram @buytimepodcast
Follow Jacob K. Mead on all the socials @jacobkmead
What happens when you combine two ambitious mamas, a laundry business, and the onset of a global pandemic? You get a story of pure resilience, innovation, and a business that continues to thrive despite all odds. That's what Claudia and Stephanie, co-founders of WeWash Laundry Co., bring to the table in this episode of the Buy Time podcast. Against all odds, they managed to launch their laundry business just six weeks before the world went into lockdown, and they're here to share their inspiring journey.
Struggling to balance work and family life, especially during a pandemic, is no easy task. Claudia and Stephanie candidly share how they manage to juggle it all. From relying on the support of their partners to keeping exercise a priority, these mamas give us a masterclass in time management. They show us that it's not just about keeping the business running, but also ensuring there's enough time for family, a lesson many of us could learn from.
This episode is not just an exploration of their past but also a look into the future. Claudia and Stephanie discuss their plans for expanding WeWashed Laundry Co., whether that involves franchising or opening a second location. But amidst all these plans, these two mamas remind us of the importance of taking time out to generate fresh ideas. With a firm belief that a balanced approach is key to business growth and success, Claudia and Stephanie are a testament to the power of combining passion, determination, and a dash of creativity. Tune in to hear their story, learn from their experiences, and be inspired by their unwavering resolve.
Visit Wewash Laundry Co. Website
Follow Wewash @wewashlaundryco
Follow Claudia & Stephanie
Until next time... Follow on Instagram @buytimepodcast
Follow Jacob K. Mead on all the socials @jacobkmead
Hey everybody, this is Jacob K Mead and this is the Buy Time podcast, where we discuss everything there is to know about buying back your time. Be sure to like and follow and share with somebody who needs to buy back their time. Enjoy today's episode.
Speaker 2:Welcome to another episode of the Buy Time podcast. My name is Jacob K Mead and today I'm super excited because we have two guests and they are owners of WeWashed Laundry Co. And go ahead and tell us a little bit about yourself. This is Claudia, and then we also have Stephanie here. Claudia, tell me a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 3:So I am not originally from here, I'm from San Antonio, texas. I don't really have the accent anymore until I say y'all, and then people say wait a minute, you're from the south. I'm a mama to three Age range. We have one that just graduated, all the way down to one who's about to start preschool.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow.
Speaker 3:So we've got the big gap, yeah. And then, as far as Stephanie and I and the whole WeWashed thing, we just we're two mamas who despise doing laundry. So we figured we are the OG, the original laundry haters. Why not find those magic fairies to come in and do laundry for us? And that's kind of where WeWashed Laundry Co got started.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. I hate doing laundry myself. My wife tries to get me doing it. I'm like I don't want to do this and she's like has piles of laundry, so that's awesome.
Speaker 3:I feel like with children, it's just never ending.
Speaker 2:It's never ending, it's always going.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Stephanie, what's a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 4:So I also have three kids. I have three girls, so for us there's multiple outfit changes, which is a lot of laundry, and Claudia and I were actually in my living room and we were complaining about laundry and all the chores and all the things and we were like you know what the Des Moines area needs? Something like this, let's do it.
Speaker 3:We're going to hear about it in New York, california. It's something that's very well known there. Why not here in the Midwest, where families are running back and forth to sporting events, mom and dad are both working, or I mean even mom being at home full time with babies, so a little time in the day.
Speaker 2:They need someone to be able to support them.
Speaker 3:Absolutely.
Speaker 4:Yeah and so yeah, that's right. That's how we ended up where we are today. So who?
Speaker 2:knew who knew. So what were you guys doing prior to this Sure? What were you guys doing, what was your guys' adventure before starting this company?
Speaker 4:So I graduated from St Ambrose University and that's in Davenport, Iowa with public relations and marketing and so I've always kind of been in event management and traveled a lot before I had kids and then I decided we were ready to start a family so I needed to kind of get out of the event management, because you're gone all the time and then just do marketing strictly. So that's what I was doing and I was ready to kind of work for myself and have a purpose and show my daughters that women we can do it.
Speaker 2:We can do it, so be a big boss. Yes, so be a big boss, and you're a woman, you're a leader, and to show your kids that that's super empowering. Claudia, what about you?
Speaker 3:So I have somewhat of a marketing background as well as a recruiting background. Compared to this, I was actually at home with my little ones, but back in the day I hired medical personnel to work on military air force bases around the US, and that's how I got my middle class teacher to deal with the filter, AKA fail cage usually Exciting stuff, so and her human resources background.
Speaker 4:Anything that's a problem. Claudia gets Claudia go to Claudia, that's right.
Speaker 2:It makes it a little bit easier having someone that's an expert in that field.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I don't know about an expert, but well, we have, I'm just three employees, yeah, and so with employees comes problems right and I like her to handle.
Speaker 3:With that, I don't mind.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's important have someone that's good at being able to handle.
Speaker 3:Yeah, she's good with email and I'm good with phone calls and in person. Yeah, we kind of just balance each other.
Speaker 2:So 23 employees, so you guys are very familiar with staffing. Talk to me a little bit about some staffing struggles I might have gone through, or or what is your staffing struggles like?
Speaker 3:You know, it's just forever changing. I feel like there are times where we are staffed To the max and it's a well-oiled machine and everything's going great, and then one goes and it could be due to you know they specifically wanted to come and work evenings with us to Supplement their income. Maybe they had a family medical problem they're trying to pay off. Or it's mom, who's at home all day, who, when dad gets home, they can kind of exchange children. Mom's able to get in a couple of hours in the evening to supplement their income.
Speaker 4:So it just, but from the beginning. So we opened six weeks before the pandemic.
Speaker 2:Oh.
Speaker 4:Really, our struggle has been completely up and down and not really normal.
Speaker 3:We can't really say what.
Speaker 4:We've had a normal year because when COVID Originally happened, you remember that we shut down for everything. Shut down, completely shut every no idea what this virus was. People didn't want to work, so we had to keep doing our business, and we were the ones that had to do everything, from the driving to you did, because you're the heart of the business, yeah, so we just hired on two employees.
Speaker 3:It was so extremely slow that we had to get really, really creative on how we were going to continue to Pump the business up and grow the business while it only being the two of us. So, like Steph mentioned, we were the driver, we were the launderer, we were the folders, we were the laundry deliver. We've done it all. So we say it all the time there's nothing we would ever, ever expect our employees to do that we've never done yeah.
Speaker 2:And finding the time to be moms on top of all of this.
Speaker 4:I'm not sure how we like did it.
Speaker 3:It's like I always say it's like having another baby.
Speaker 4:We really.
Speaker 3:Here's the crazy part is we both had little ones at home under a year old, so we really had two babies.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we did, and I think I've blocked it out.
Speaker 2:You know how you kind of block things out you do, you get to a certain point and you start to almost forget.
Speaker 4:I mean it's like when you have a baby.
Speaker 2:That's why you have more because you forget how you know truth, the parenthood right there, why you guys have another cuz we forget we forgot.
Speaker 3:That's too funny. That's why it took me seven kids between.
Speaker 4:I mean seven in between each kid oh that's great.
Speaker 2:So you guys, obviously right during COVID, having that savage struggle, having to actually work in the heart of the company, that you think that made you stronger leaders now because you can tell your employees that, hey, we've done this. Yeah, we know what you're going through, we understand the struggles and we can kind of help you and we did everything we possibly could wrong to learn from it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and every mistake and yeah, now it's, like I said, a well oiled machine and that's and that's awesome.
Speaker 2:So you, you can take some time and step outside of your business now and focus more working on your business versus working in it, and that's something I teach in my workshops, and I teach how to kind of work on your business versus working in it. Yes, but talk to me a little bit about the the struggle that was to get to that point. Was it something that came easy or was it something that actually took time? And then how did you feel when you got to that point?
Speaker 4:Well, I think again it goes back to that time period where we were so in it, because we didn't have employees and because we were going through this Pandemic, that it was hard for us to change our mindset when the time came right, so when we were able to finally hire staff, and good staff, and we had them trained very well, neither one of us really were able to step away, even the way we should have.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I'd say that was probably one of our biggest hurdles hurdles Overcoming was no one's gonna do it like we are. It's our business and no one's gonna do it better relinquishing control.
Speaker 2:Processes. We're relinquishing your control.
Speaker 3:It's hard to do Because you want things to be perfect and you got a relinquish and that was by far our biggest struggle, and I think we were in the business too long, way longer than we should have been in the day-to-day Operating right in the business. But once we found those people that could come in and pick up where we left off, who were trainable, who were great at doing their job, it was kind of like, oh, this is a breath of fresh air.
Speaker 4:Who else can we hire, and what can we hire, mm-hmm, you know to do so, yeah, and at this point now it's like we're going back to the basics with our grassroots marketing, we're trying to remember to stay focused, because I think we were spread so thin as an entrepreneur.
Speaker 3:You're just trying to figure out what works. Hundred percent, you're doing everything calling you left and right.
Speaker 2:Everyone wants a piece of what you're doing and it's so hard to stay focused on what your actual mission is and your goals yeah because you have people every, every corner of your life.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I can guide you in the right, and I think when you're being pulled in ten different directions, it's extremely difficult to give any single thing. You're all so, yeah, and that's another thing that your personal life. Yeah.
Speaker 4:I mean that's really been a balance because as a woman and as a mother, we have these really high expectations that we're running the household and our can do it all. Yeah, and that we can run this business and thankfully we have a partnership, because I'm not sure how anyone can do it.
Speaker 2:Align kudos to people that can just take it all on like that, no it's very difficult and you know, having that partner, having someone to rely on, you know that's important, and you talk a little bit about mindset, stephanie, and that's so important too because I feel like when you have a business, it's like roller coaster of emotions. You know, one day you feel like we're killing it. We're doing a great job. Man, our sales are down, are we going to survive?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I feel that in my personal business and it's a struggle I've told everyone that we talked to, though, this entrepreneurship is not for the week and it's like you're on a roller coaster ride the entire time. When you are high, you are high.
Speaker 2:There's no getting off from it. No, when you're low.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, yeah. So, like she mentioned, just extremely thankful and grateful to have that person, and typically we kind of laugh about it, but when she's on a high, I'm there to support, or when she's on a low, I'm there to support, and it's kind of been vice versa. It's never we're both really in the low at the same time. So thank you.
Speaker 2:Tony, that's so important. See, that's something my wife does for me is, when I'm feeling low, she's there to be like, hey, listen, we'll get through it. Sales are slow right now, but we know they're gonna pick up, cause it's tough. It is Well. No, it's tough, and you mentioned how important it was, stephanie, to have time to be able to spend with your family. And how do you manage that? How do you manage the work-life balance? Obviously, you're running this successful business 23 employees is it?
Speaker 2:And how do you do that? How do you go about that?
Speaker 4:Well for me. I know that I would never be the best mother that being home all the time, so for me, working is important. That helps my mental health and during the pandemic, when we were really in the business constantly and working all the time, I almost became. I was unhappy a little bit and I'm like gosh, why are we doing this? This is a grind. What's the point of this? I'm trying to build something for our kids and for the community and for myself.
Speaker 3:You're reminding me we hate doing laundry. Yeah, so we are doing the laundry. That's exactly right. That's what it was, and it brings you down.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, so what I found for me personally is I started exercising and I know it sounds so dumb.
Speaker 2:No, it doesn't. It makes a big difference.
Speaker 4:I have really felt just so much better, like I can handle my parenting better, I'm more patient, I'm kinder, I'm nicer to the employees, even when they drive me crazy.
Speaker 3:You have to have an out.
Speaker 4:Yes, I have to have that release, and so that is mine, and also I'm a big podcast listener.
Speaker 2:You know, hey, that's good. I feel like I get a lot of that. The audience still love that. That's awesome.
Speaker 4:I get these little nuggets that I need to hear. It's like I think things are where they need to be when you need it in life. Yeah, and sometimes you know.
Speaker 2:That's 100% true. My wife always says I've told you this a million times. Why do you get it when someone else tells you it? Because I just hear your voice all the time, so sometimes you hear it from someone else. You know to understand it. But it's so true. I listen to podcasts myself, and sometimes the inspiration that comes from that it's amazing. So, claudia, what about you? How do you go about buying time?
Speaker 3:Buying time. Oh goodness.
Speaker 2:So you have the staff and so staff's in place Obviously have your time there. So how do you go about utilizing that time? What do you do in that? So?
Speaker 3:we have a supervisor who basically is able to run the show. Rowan is fantastic from taking phone calls to responding to emails, to dealing with our employees, and so that enables me to be at home more with my children. I am very much so that hands on mom. I love attending every single sports game I can. All three of my children are all very active. I love being able to participate and being in it for school and volunteering and things like that. So I feel like this has really really worked out for us, because I am now. We are now at a point to where we can step away and know that it's going to be taken care of.
Speaker 2:So it's an important place to be. I did a video a while back that said do you want to be that parent that says I will try to make it? Or do you want to be that parent that says I will make it? And that's important, I will make it. Your kids hear that, they see you and they're the next generation.
Speaker 2:And so it's so important to see that, and it's awesome that you've learned that especially so early on in your guys' business, of how to be able to step outside and work on your business versus working in it, and so you have all this extra time to be able to focus on the family.
Speaker 3:What matters most. What matters most.
Speaker 1:And not doing laundry.
Speaker 4:Yes exactly, yeah, yes, Well, and for us for the first two years we did it together like everything, and so that was again draining. So about a year and a half ago I said to her hey, why don't we do a week on week off, on call? So now she has a week where she is totally on and I'm off, so I can do my thing with my family. I don't have to have my phone by me all the time, which is nice.
Speaker 3:Yes, guys, and here's the thing Instead of both of us being in the grind all the time, it's really really nice Because we have busy weeks, but I'm able to do it all. As far as the emails, of phone calls what not? With our supervisor and our employees, of course, but I'm able to do it all. And then come Friday I'm like, oh, there's light at the end of the tunnel, because I know I'm going to have the entire next week off to where I'm not having to respond to emails, take phone calls, what not?
Speaker 4:I mean, we're still there, for sure, 100%. You know you need that, but it does.
Speaker 3:It refreshes us for the next week, for when we're, you know, I think, just mindset is like, yeah, we're ready to take on this week. It's my week but.
Speaker 4:And this is a service, so we're service oriented and we are like we're the ones answering the phones and we want to be giving the best quality service to our customers.
Speaker 3:So we're able to get that and that's one of the things that I don't really feel we are wanting to pass to anyone else right now.
Speaker 2:We still want to be that voice on the other end of the line yes Voice that they hear when they call in. And so let's say do you guys have business contracts and things like that with area businesses, or do you just work with homes?
Speaker 3:Oh, no, so we do residential and commercial, and that ranges anywhere from like beauty salons to physical therapy, to massage places. To Did you say dental? No dental. We do a ton of like golf clubs doing their table linens party rental supplies.
Speaker 2:So you're giving them the opportunity to have more time to focus on their business. Absolutely and not just doing laundry all the time. Who wants to do laundry?
Speaker 3:Or even I mean there are other companies who are also in the same boat that most of us are in, as far as it's really difficult to find employees. So when they have that employee who's supposed to come in and do the laundry who doesn't show up, I mean you can't just serve your next lunch on dirty tables. So we are their backup plan for them being short staffed themselves.
Speaker 4:And think about it. How long does it take you to do a load of laundry? Wash it dry, it Does it get put away. Do you put it away? Does?
Speaker 2:it sit there for three days on the chair with the wife saying it's going to get put away Right, which I try and help with the best I can. But with kids it gets.
Speaker 4:time just gets by us, but I mean, it takes like two and a half hours from beginning to end. And what could you do with that? Two and a half hours instead of laundry.
Speaker 2:So awesome. You give people the opportunity to buy their time back and they can spend it with their friends. They can spend it with their family, their loved ones, or even taking some me time. It's so important. Nowadays, I think we all forget to just take a breather and focus on ourselves.
Speaker 2:And it's awesome that you guys give them that opportunity. Now you have had this business. What are some struggles? And we'll start with you, claudia. What are some struggles that you might have had in the business currently? What are some struggles that you've had that overcome?
Speaker 3:I would say staffing is constantly a struggle.
Speaker 2:Seems to be a struggle for a lot now.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but that's everyone and I know we're not in it alone. I mean, you see now hiring signs everywhere you go. That's probably the biggest struggle. I think another big struggle that we've overcome is, like you said, just letting go of being in control.
Speaker 2:Relinguishing control is hard it makes you almost feel guilty at point two because you feel like you should be working in your business versus working on it.
Speaker 2:And that's something that's really hard to overcome as well, and I try and talk a little bit on that in my workshops and show business owners that you can do it, but you need some of their support you because it's tough and you guys have each other to support each other. To that and say, listen, we're doing the right thing, we're taking the right step and we're stepping away from our company to work on it and it's awesome.
Speaker 4:Yeah Well, and I do think employees they expect to see us up there a lot and that's hard because they don't understand all the things that we're doing behind the scenes.
Speaker 2:Oh, 100%, and I get that in my business and that's where that guilt almost comes in, because you feel like you're not there and then they're not seeing you and they're like, well, what are they doing?
Speaker 3:I don't see them physically something, exactly.
Speaker 2:It's like I'm not on a beach somewhere kicking up my feet. It's sipping on a margarita. I'm actually working, although I'd like to be there, oh, wouldn't we all, especially as business owners. But I agree with that, stephanie. I 100% agree that and employees sometimes don't see what goes behind the scenes and get some of that paycheck at the end of the pay period and it's tough and avoiding that guilt is so hard to do but it's so great. You guys. You have each other to support each other.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we always say ying and yang.
Speaker 2:It's a lady power team right there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2:Double fuel. So what are some accomplishments, what are some really big accomplishments that you've had in your business? We'll start with you there. View.
Speaker 3:I would say I mean being able to be here today and say we've been open for three years, as of February. Yes, I would say that's a huge accomplishment, right there and being able to have a staff of 23 employees. You know, it was definitely not easy getting there, but we're there.
Speaker 4:So, being able to be here today to share our story, I feel is, and I mean, I think another accomplishment that we haven't really shared with you yet is that we do a lot of consulting For this industry. So all these people that want to own these wash and fold laundry companies because that's a new up and coming that guess who they're calling.
Speaker 3:Of all places well in that, and I mean just growing the company yeah, as much as we, as much as we've had, you know, from year one, yeah has been a huge accomplishment as well.
Speaker 4:But I mean the two people that really like we really hate laundry and you're calling us To help you, but it's more about launching this business and how to make it work and how you know who would have ever, ever thought we'd be the laundry like experts.
Speaker 4:Yeah, getting the business up and running in all the processes and procedures and yeah yeah, yeah, I mean we laugh because when we very first started, we both backed in with this van that we had just bought and the laundry was to the ceiling and we started crying we did because we had to do it.
Speaker 2:I can only imagine the laundry anxiety coming over you.
Speaker 3:Oh, we didn't do a laundry at home for our own families, it's like, and now we're doing strangers laundry and it never ends. Hundreds of pounds of it.
Speaker 4:Yeah it was thankfully. We really don't do that anymore. No, where's? The what by?
Speaker 2:your time back there. Yeah yeah, you put people in place. So we talked about your staffing and I Like always say, having that dream team in place. That's so important. Before you start building out your services, before you start building out your products. It's so important to have that team, because without that team you're going to be stuck working 60, 70 hours in your business. How important is it to you guys to keep that dream team?
Speaker 4:Our dream team changes, though, because we have more like entry-level Positions. It's a service level, and most of them are part-time Positions, so they work four hours a night and this.
Speaker 2:You're always looking for that.
Speaker 4:We're always looking and we just but we do have our main.
Speaker 3:Yes, like our laundry sorter, our launderers, our drivers, yeah, they're mean, they are our main consistency.
Speaker 4:Yeah, for sure, but I feel like we're always hiring and we just have to have a mindset that that's it's not a problem, it's just an opportunity and we just need to want. It's not such a good up.
Speaker 2:It's just a good mindset. You know, look at every problem as an opportunity to be able to overcome it. Because we get so many of those in business it's you know, just when you think you're going down the road into straight narrow path, you start to see the curves and it's sometimes hard to overcome it and you can get really low.
Speaker 4:You know, during that time and that's hard and you do feel alone. I mean I don't have any other friends that are really business owners, so I can't really. They don't really really tough and that.
Speaker 2:I was in that predicament for such a long time and I didn't know very many business owners and I started connecting, building a group and really talking with everyone. I realized it's nice I have some that can relate, you know, because when I was first started my business no one knows that y'all I had to sell stuff to make payroll. I had to not give myself a paycheck for a month straight to pay my employees, yeah, but they didn't see that. My employees never seen any of that and then they don't, because I don't want them to, because I Want to make sure that they know that they have a strong leader in price. But it you know. But besides that it's hard.
Speaker 3:It's tough knowing that this is what you have to do and I think you have to go through those struggles to have the growth that we do.
Speaker 2:You know, hundred percent without those struggles, you want to have success right, yeah and that's so important.
Speaker 2:And so you do that. You do laundry in in your free time. You're both moms. It's amazing how you manage all that time you have available. That's. It's just great that you're bringing that and you're helping other people be able to get their time back and Giving them the opportunity to do the same spend with their families, spend with their loved ones. And so we talked about a little bit about struggles, we talked about some of our accomplishments, we, and we talked a little bit about staffing. What are some other areas in your business that you, that you want our audience to know? I know running business is hard and it is challenging. So what's what's something you can give our audience to kind of inspire them?
Speaker 3:Oh, oh goodness.
Speaker 4:Well, for me I think we talked a little bit about it about going back to the basics and staying organized and focused in on your goal For me I'm old school, I love a to-do list, you know, because you're gonna get a million things thrown at you and you just to stay focused on that one goal, which for us right now is building the business. It's yeah, there's not just writing.
Speaker 4:Awareness yes of an educating and that's a really hard goal when you have a new business to educate people on what the product or service and then to get them to try to use the service, you know, because it's not a really well-known service here, in the Midwest.
Speaker 3:But here's the thing once they typically try, once they once they try us by the second time. For a majority of the time they're hooked.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they got their time and they don't have to touch the laundry. They're like oh man, this is not.
Speaker 3:I mean, it's just like doing your grocery delivery to your front door or having someone Bring dinner to your front door. It's one less thing For you to do. It's something to get off your plate, right? And?
Speaker 4:then you can use that time too, if you're a business owner, work on their business. Yes, that's what you should be doing working on your business versus working in it.
Speaker 2:Yes and that's so important. I do a lot of coaching and one of the things when I do it in my coaching is I always try and coach how to make your business a time asset versus a time liability, because I see so many business owners who maybe have had businesses for 40, 50 years. Then they're retiring and they would work 40 hours a week, every single day of the Businesses open, and I'm like you don't want your business to be a time liability, you want it to be a time asset and so important that you're understanding that at such an early stage. You know, three years into your business and starting when COVID was around, that's amazing that you're able to get to that point where you're able to step out and actually have your business run Without you guys always having to be there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's that's. That's awesome to hear, and Especially of teaching about time and time management so great, they got easy to do that. So, yeah, we talked struggles and we talked a little bit about staffing and so your business, where do you want to take it? Where do you see the future and go? We'll start Stephanie and then we'll kind of talk with Claudia and see what she thinks too.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I don't know. We go back and forth on this. To be honest with you. We've thought, you know, do we open a second location out in West Des Moines, just so that our drivers aren't commuting cover?
Speaker 2:a bigger area.
Speaker 3:We've talked about. Do we open another? We wash in another town or city nearby? We just don't know what the future we've talked about franchising.
Speaker 4:We talked about taking our consultation service out and kind of branching to a whole nother business. That's another business model that we could explore and, you know, help other laundry owners.
Speaker 3:Yep, I just feel right now We've got a really good thing going as far as, like I said, a well-oiled machine and the balance, the life.
Speaker 4:Yeah, my balance is so important.
Speaker 2:That's the most important thing in a business.
Speaker 3:So we're kind of just tossing up new ideas of where we think we're gonna go next and you can get that inspiration Because you can need to take a week off.
Speaker 2:So that's my.
Speaker 4:My best ideas seem to come in the shower.
Speaker 2:I don't know.
Speaker 1:You got a shower, but when?
Speaker 4:I take a nice hot shower. I'm like oh, I guess.
Speaker 3:She'll even call me. I'm like are you in the shower?
Speaker 2:I am I gotta get this idea out before I forget. That's why I was like a notepad in the shower, just to kind of write down, she has her, she has her phone.
Speaker 3:So now we've got like the shared.
Speaker 2:There you go. I have this idea. I don't know what it is.
Speaker 3:It's like that shower, shot it down before I forget about it. Am I alone in that? No, you're not. I have the same thing.
Speaker 2:It's like this best idea comes from normal. I forget it when I step out. I'm like, wait, what was I even thinking about? So I love that you're just like, hey, let's call her and get this on the books. Sometimes it's the best ideas you've had, helps you grow your business, grow your company, but it's. I tell you, it has been awesome having you guys on the show and be able to talk with you, claudia and Stephanie, about how you've been able to buy your time back and then the struggles you've gone through and how you've been able To overcome all of those to get to where you are now, and I love that. You said you know at the start that you were, we're doing everything, you were running everything, and I think that's how you start with a business is. Sometimes you are doing it all and then there has to be something that clicks. Whether that's it, you're missing out on your kids events.
Speaker 3:I think it was our mental health, mental health.
Speaker 2:You're like I'm sick of this laundry throw it away. Something clicks and you go. I need to focus on getting more time and getting that staff and getting that team in place that actually can manage your business. And so great to hear it three, three years in that you're already at that point. I think you're going to continue to see success. Is there anything our audience should know? How can they get a hold of you, claudia, if they wanted to know more information about?
Speaker 3:so you can go online wwwwewashlaundrycodecom. Super simple, up in the right hand corner. Schedule a pickup. Oh, make it cuz everything is done online and it's a very customized service, so you're able to not only Well, here's, let me back up a little bit. You don't have to do any of the sorting of your laundry, literally just pile it all in bags.
Speaker 2:I know I get in trouble if I throw the whites with the reds. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3:So you won't have to do that anymore. So you literally just throw all your laundry and do any kind of sensible bag. We tell people who don't have our we Wash Laundry Bag, trash bags work best. Our driver will then tag every single bag, take it back to our warehouse, to where our laundry sorter will check pockets. They will separate by color, launder to your preferences.
Speaker 3:So you're even able to choose. Do you want fresh scent? Do you want free and clear? Do you want a luxury detergent? Do you want wool balls used? Do you want dryer sheets used? Do you want something air dried versus put in the dryer? So what do you want hung? What do you want folded? So very customized service. But here's the thing. You fill that out one time. It's saved in your profile and then after that you can click a button to sign up for weekly pickups. We have bi-weekly pickups or as needed. So there's no sort of contract ever. You can call the night before you can actually. Now we have a text reminder. Because everyone's so busy we forget what we just ate for lunch. A text reminder goes out roughly 6 to 7 PM the night prior saying hey, don't forget. You have we Wash Laundry Order. That's going to be picked up tomorrow morning between blah, blah, blah, typically 7 and 2. And so, yeah, I mean it's just easy.
Speaker 2:One last thing.
Speaker 3:It's picked up right from your front door and you don't have to be home.
Speaker 2:That is amazing. I just I love here. And then, stephanie, I know you said you do some consulting, so how can they find out more about that?
Speaker 4:They can email us. Hello at wewashlaundrycocom, and we'd love to help a new business. I know you're doing the same thing here.
Speaker 2:I'm all about helping businesses and helping them grow. We do love it.
Speaker 4:It's fun to kind of meet people from all over and it's just.
Speaker 3:It's refreshing, it's to be able to hear these people come to us with their troubles we were once there and to help them grow from that and give them tips and pointers and advice.
Speaker 4:So rewarding, it's so rewarding, we're having fun. And let's not forget, we need to have fun in our life, not just work, work work 100%, take time, relax, have fun.
Speaker 2:That's sometimes when the best ideas come up to you anyways.
Speaker 4:I have to tell myself that, though, because I'm very serious and I'm like chill out a little bit.
Speaker 2:I'm always being told I'm guilty. My wife's like just relax for a minute. If you can't take a breather, you're always trying to come up with the next idea and I'm like jeez, she's right, I do need to take a breather.
Speaker 4:That's entrepreneur's. That's entrepreneurs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, some people aren't built for it, because you've got to be built for it, because it is tough, you've got to have thick skin.
Speaker 4:And before you've got to be willing to grind yes, 100%, and it's like I said, it's that roller coaster it never ends.
Speaker 2:You think it did?
Speaker 1:You're still on the ride, buckle up.
Speaker 2:Well, it has been my pleasure to have you on the podcast here and I really love what you've done with. We watched Laundry Co. It's been amazing to hear your stories and being able to share a little bit about that Well, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Thank you so much it was fun. Guys, again, thank you so much for listening. This was another great episode of the by Time Podcast. My name is Jacob K Mead, and if you want to see more of the episodes, go to bytimepodcastcom. Or if you want to work directly with me, jacobkmeadcom, click on the link, apply and until next time thanks for listening to today's episode.
Speaker 1:My name is Jacob K Mead, and until next time, thank you.