How Gerren Sprauve went from the Insurance Industry to Helping People Fuel Their Drive With Every Assignment Ep. 119

Gerren Sprauve: 00:00:00

I think business gives us the opportunity for human connection, and I think that's more important than just the transaction of making money.

Natasha Miller: 00:00:08

Welcome to FASCINATING ENTREPRENEURS. How do people end up becoming an entrepreneur? How do they scale and grow their businesses? How do they plan for profit? Are they in it for life? Are they building to exit these in a myriad of other topics? Will be discussed to pull back the veil on the wizardry of successful and FASCINATING ENTREPRENEURS. My book, RELENTLESS is now available everywhere books can be bought online, including Amazon and BarnesAndNoble.com, try your local indie bookstore too. And if they don't have it, they can order it. Just ask them. The reviews are streaming in and I'm so thankful for the positive feedback as well as hearing from people that my memoir has impacted them positively. It is not enough to be resilient. You have to be relentless. You can go to TheRelentlessBook.com for more information. Thank you so much. Today we talked to Gerren Sprauve, who went from a corporate job in the insurance industry to working as a janitor and loving it. He tells us about his journey to opening Clean Slate Janitorial, what really drives him, and how he's planning on expanding the business. Now let's get right into it.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:01:31

Back in 2006, my wife and I, we were like many other people miserable in our jobs and just frustrated and waking up in tears, coming outta our eyes, like, I gotta go in here again. And my wife asked me, she said, "Is this what adulting is like?" I was like, I don't know. Like I couldn't answer her question, right? Because we were on this journey together. So we were trying to figure out like, what are we gonna do next? Like, what can we do? And. One time we were out to dinner and she was on my arm. And as we pulled up to the table, we saw a gentleman who was there and he was moving things on the table and setting it up and, but he wouldn't look up at us, so he's always just looking down and doing his thing. And then he begins to walk away. And I looked at him and I said, excuse me sir, thank you. And he turned and he looks at me and he was like, why would you say thank you? And I was like, "Because you prepared a place for my wife and I to have dinner. You didn't just clean a table." He's like, "I did all of that for you." And I was like, "Yeah." So he takes off to another table and he's like setting it up and he's looking at people in their faces and he's smiling and I just started to get chills and I turned to my wife and I said, I wanna do that again. Now, I didn't know what I wanted to do that again was right, but I knew that I had a really cool feeling in just interacting with that guy and helping him to look at his job differently. And from there, a few months later, I decided to quit my job and become a janitor. Now, I had the opportunity to purchase into a franchise and things of that nature, but being an experiential learner, I wanted to understand exactly what that guy was going through. And I thought, what better way then to. Your janitor. Now, granted speaking to my wife about that or talking to my friends about that wasn't really the easiest of conversations, but once they understood what journey I was on, I just got their support. My wife said, I trust you. Go for it. I told her, if it didn't work out, I'll get a job somewhere else or what have you. Just support me on this, and she did. And from there I've just been creating these opportunities where I get to interact with people and help 'em to see and look at their work differently and it continues to feed me and to just give me the joy that I've been having for the past, coming up two decades now.

Natasha Miller: 00:03:29

And so Clean Slate Janitorial. What is the array of services and the array of people that work with you?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:03:36

Yeah, so we provide commercial cleaning services. We specialize in janitorial solutions. And over the years, when I first began, I was taking on anything, right, because we had a house to pay for and things of that nature. But we provide commercial cleaning services, floor care, window cleaning services, all of the basics that you would expect in a commercial cleaning company. The types of people that. Have worked with us over the years, have been from individuals who are in high school, people who are going through college, people who just wanna purchase a home. We've hired some individuals who are older and they said, we just want exercise. And they've come on board and we've worked with them and people who have come out of jail and they're looking for a second chance. I mean, strangely enough, the company's called Cleat Slate, right? So it gives people a fresh start, and we've done that over the years. We've met so many people and had so many cool stories. People who have gotten married as a result of working there with us and people who've gone back to school. It's just been awesome. Wait a minute. People getting married to people that they work with, that they've met on the job? Yes. Yes. You have a dating service. I mean, it could be a spinoff, right?

Natasha Miller: 00:04:40

That's amazing. Was the company called Clean Slate when you started it?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:04:43

Yeah, from the very beginning, and I cannot remember how I came up with that name. Can't remember the story behind that, but it's so fitting and it wasn't just fitting for all of the people who have worked there, but it's been fitting for me because later on in life, a couple years ago, I started going to therapy and so forth, and I started realizing a lot of things that I had kinda like packed down and I realized like I also needed a clean slate. And it's just been a pretty cool story.

Natasha Miller: 00:05:07

What was your job before you scrapped it all and became a janitor?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:05:11

Yeah. I was working for Hartford Insurance Company, so I was into insurance doing worker's comp, comp claims, getting on calls, getting people back to work and things of that major. I had just moved down here from Maryland, went to school up there and I was, I mean, it was the first job that I got outta college. Granted, I didn't think I would be in that because I got my degree in computer sciences networking, but it was what it was. Granted, I guess I wasn't supposed to be working for someone long term. So shortly after college, I started my business.

Natasha Miller: 00:05:39

Yeah, you were in like button up corporate culture.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:05:41

Yeah.

Natasha Miller: 00:05:42

Right.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:05:43

Yeah.

Natasha Miller: 00:05:43

And then you went to janitorial services and that's where you were basically freed from. Yeah. It seems like. So right now, today, what is your team like for your business? What is it comprised of?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:05:54

Yeah, so we have grown and we've contracted expanded. I mean, it's been up and down over the years now. We've worked with going from just a me alone to a full-fledged team of 40, 50 people. We've gone to a contractor based system and so forth, and most recently we've kind of reduced our size to a really specialized team, and then we have begun working with. Contractors we're finding other, so let me say this, we've, over the years, one of the goals that I've had is in showing people like, you are more than what you do, right? So everyone who's come into our system, we've spoken to them about, "Hey, what are your goals? Like, what do you really want do in life?" They've shared. We've shared some of the tools that we've used over the years. We've found that people have gone up and started their own business, or they've said, "Hey, haven't we continue to work for you guys." But from our own business as opposed to as an employee? And we saw that that was something that was happening, and I'm excited for that. Granted, of course, it cuts it into profit margins, right? But again, it's about that journey that gives me the excitement and the chills that I experienced and just being able to. Create that opportunity for people. We've allowed some of our team members to build their own businesses and we hire them to go out and service some of our clients also. So it's been, it's been good.

Natasha Miller: 00:07:01

It could cut into profits, but it also could expand your reach.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:07:05

Yes. For some places that we couldn't reach or we felt it would've been a burden of sorts, we've been able to really partner with some of our team members to go out and do some pretty cool things.

Natasha Miller: 00:07:14

And have any of them wanted to branch out and do like individual residential home and such?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:07:20

Yeah. I remember one team who wanted to dabble in that. They wanted to try it out, and as people would call us, we would refer them to business. They didn't last, and I'm not quite sure if that was more of they weren't prepared for that or they didn't have the tools or it wasn't what they thought it would've been. But we're all about giving people the opportunity to prove to themselves.

Natasha Miller: 00:07:38

Right. I introduced you to Stephanie Camarillo months and months and months ago who also owns a cleaning business in Idaho. And since meeting her and since meeting you, I have been really interested in the mentality of people like you guys, the mentality and the reasons why you start and you run and own these services. And it always points right back to the people. Yeah. And that has to be incredibly fulfilling. I know it's for her and I'm gonna assume it is for you.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:08:08

I mean, the look that you see on my face, like that's the look that I get when I see people. I grew up in a household of entrepreneurs as well as educators. So the desire to teach and to learn and to share, that's intrinsic to me. And then of course, to create things, that's another thing. My grandfather was a dentist. My uncle was, he had a garbage business, like where he picked up trash and dumped it. My father, he was a marine mechanic. And he also sold parts for boats in the marine world. So just growing up in that. Yeah.

Natasha Miller: 00:08:36

You were never gonna make it in insurance for very long. Yeah. Not with that lineage.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:08:41

No. No, no.

Natasha Miller: 00:08:42

Does your wife work with you in the business?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:08:44

She does not.

Natasha Miller: 00:08:45

Church and State, huh?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:08:48

She is into like finance and then contracts and stuff like that. She works for a local healthcare provider here in Florida. She's been doing that for 22 years or so.

Natasha Miller: 00:08:58

But I bet she is a intangible unpaid employee giving you a lot of.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:09:05

Yeah, she is. She does. I'll be very transparent with you on this one. Early on in the game, I mean, I was so getting into that hustle mentality where you just work, work, work, work, work, her being stable, it really helped. That's one thing. And I remember one time when I asked my wife's opinion on something that I was dealing with, and she was so quick with a response and I was surprised that I was surprised. Of her response, and that's to show that I was so focused on just doing me, doing me, and she was supporting that, but I wasn't leaning into the resource that was right there ever since that moment, and I've had the audacity to tell her that I was surprised that she had such a great response. So, you know, that didn't go too well.

Natasha Miller: 00:09:43

Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Sorry. That somebody didn't catch you before that.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:09:48

No. But ever since then, I have not talked twice about turning to her and asking her like, "Hey, what are your thoughts on this one? Help me out." So it's been a really cool partnership.

Natasha Miller: 00:09:57

When you started this business, I'm going to assume, but correct me if I'm wrong, that you didn't anticipate starting and building this company to sell, did you?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:10:06

I did not.

Natasha Miller: 00:10:06

Okay.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:10:07

I did not.

Natasha Miller: 00:10:07

So you weren't an exit strategy entrepreneur at the time, are you now?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:10:12

Yes-ish. So literally about 10 minutes ago, I just got another email, came in from LinkedIn with someone talking about, "Hey, have you considered your business?" And so forth. So it's been on my mind most recently. I speak to my daughters, they're 10 and 9, and they also have an entrepreneurial spirit, right? We don't force anything on them. They're just in the room. So they ask a lot of questions. And my oldest, who's 10, she was asking, she's like, "Daddy, can I run the business later on, like when I get older?" And I'm like, "If you want to, I mean, it's up to you. I mean, I'll share with you all that. I know if it's something that you're interested in." Yeah, like let's do it. And then there are all these emails that I get about selling and it's like, what would I do if I did?

Natasha Miller: 00:10:51

What would you do?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:10:52

Right? So there's so many things. Oh, that's a such a great question. So I've been doing some consulting work, I've been doing some coaching and speaking, and I'm an author also. So there are all these different things that I can get into. Yeah, I think what I'll be looking for again, is something that gives me the excitement. That this journey has, it's been difficult, right? As in all businesses, it's been difficult at times, but even when I have been disrespected or cheated on within the business and so forth from different people, I always still get the same thrill of talking to somebody in the service industry and like helping them to look at work differently. So I know that that's something that's core to me and I'm, for whatever it's I can do later on that will continue to gimme that kinda energy.

Natasha Miller: 00:11:34

Are you a published author? Have you always thought you had a book inside of you? Have other people told you you've got to write a book? If so, I highly suggest you work with us at Poignant Press. We can help you write, figure out the best publishing path, and market your book to a bestseller status. Go to PoignantPress.com. That's P-O-I-G-N-A-N-T press.com. Let's talk about your book. What is it called and what brought you to even thinking about writing it?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:12:04

Right, so it's called Fast Track Your Calling How To Fuel Your Drive With Every Assignment. Back in 2012, I got a coach. I went through one of Dan Kennedy's programs and they had a coaching program. So I said Sign up for, signed up for it. And I met this gentleman by the name of Eric Harmon. He was a older gentleman out Salt Lake City, Utah. His first question to me was, how much money do you wanna make, Aaron? I looked at him, I'm human, and he says, well, you've won the lottery. Why would you won the lottery? And he says, you'll see. All I found out was this gentleman, he was an amazing guy. He didn't know this, but he only had four more years to live. I didn't know this, but he was tired of coaching people who just wanted to make money. He was at that point in his life where he wanted to share a different side of him, the struggle, the experiences that he's had, the bad decision that he's made, and how he's turned it around, all those things. And when I said I just wanted to be a better man, he was so excited and he wouldn't let me know because he's a very stern. Sterile kind of guy, but we got to working. And when he saw that I was committed to doing what I needed to do, he started to pour into me more and more. And he said to me, he says, Gerren, I want you to record everything that we're doing. One day you'll write a book. I said, I'm not thinking about writing a book. He's like, trust me, Ger. One day you'll write a book. So I started documenting them and recording our Zoom conversations and so forth. And then in 2016 when he found out, He had cancer. He let me know in August of 2016 and it, oh, August of 2016, and I think he died probably in October. So it was a short period of time. But when he shared it with me and he passed away like several years later, I was like, I was flying, coming from Atlanta, I believe it was. And I was reading a magazine and I saw a gentleman who had written a really cool article and at the bottom I saw his name and something told me, reach out to the guy. Okay. Reached out to him by email. He responded. I just wanted to let him know like, you really did a really cool article, like this was great. Da, da, da. And then he tells me, well, you know, Ger, I help authors write books. And was like, okay. Finally I just gave into it and I decided to put pen to pad.

Natasha Miller: 00:14:10

That's great. So did he become your co-writer or editor?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:14:13

Ghost writer, actually. Yeah. What was the article about that he wrote? It was, do you remember that? It was in Delta Magazine.

Natasha Miller: 00:14:20

I remember when, wait, does Delta still have magazines, even an air?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:14:25

Yeah, they're still there.

Natasha Miller: 00:14:26

They're all, they're all molding together, right? So, yeah.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:14:29

Yeah. I can't fully remember the article, man, but it was, it was juicy, man. It was a really cool article on someone and probably be able to pull it up in my email, right. One of these times. Yeah. But it was just so well written and I thought that he was thoughtful and I just wanted to connect to that person and let them know. Like, thank, I'm big on Thank you, Natasha. If you don't know this, like I love saying the word. Thank you. I think it really is powerful to people. You just dunno what people are going through and just to show that level of appreciation.

Natasha Miller: 00:14:56

Yeah.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:14:56

Goes on play.

Natasha Miller: 00:14:57

So you're speaker as well? And are you speaking about the topic of the book, about your business? I'm assuming you're a keynote speaker or you're available for hire.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:15:07

I am. I am. So, most recently because of this journey of going to therapy and peeling back the layers, I have been called to speak on the level of transparency and vulnerability in the entrepreneurial world, because I have been courageous and I have to say that about myself cause it was difficult for many years. I've been courageous to finally start sharing like my truth, right? Like just being honest and open with people when they ask the question. Like, how are you doing? I qualified in my brain quickly and then I really share and what I've realized is by me sharing that, it's been unlocking other people. They've been opening up and sharing much about what's going on. I've been in rooms with people who are highly successful and when I would ask them, how you doing? Oh, things are great. The business is going well, da, da, da. They're talking all this good stuff, smiling, and then when I pause and I say, how are you doing? Then they start sharing the truth and it's like that's where I think as human beings, we ought to connect. And sometimes I know there's business owners and people who are CEOs, they don't want to show a sign of weakness to their team. But I've realized over the years, like it has opened up so much for my team to be so cohesive and they're to support me where I wobble. And my blind sides, they've stepped up because they're like, Gar, like we see you. We know that you're doing your best. We know that you're stand trying to stand strong, but we see you. And I think business gives us the opportunity for human connection. And I think that's more important than just the transaction of making money.

Natasha Miller: 00:16:29

I'm gonna say this. I met you on Zoom, but I didn't know exactly what you looked like because then I saw you in person at the Genius Network. Yeah. You are a very handsome, large built and muscular black dude.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:16:43

Yeah. Yeah.

Natasha Miller: 00:16:44

And for all of that, So to be vulnerable and to talk about mental health and to say out loud, you've said it a couple of times now that you've gone to therapy.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:16:53

Yeah.

Natasha Miller: 00:16:53

You probably know this, but this visual, we've got an image of you. This isn't the image of somebody that talks about vulnerability mental health or says I go to a therapist.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:17:03

Yeah.

Natasha Miller: 00:17:04

I mean, you look like you could be, I don't know, a super athlete.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:17:08

Right.

Natasha Miller: 00:17:09

And you have a somewhat serious and stoic look about you. And then of course you open up and you're warm when you're talking. But I'm sure that's a little off putting in a little jarring to some people. Yeah. And I can really imagine that they're like, man, if he's saying that out loud.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:17:24

Yeah.

Natasha Miller: 00:17:25

Then I can afford to admit some vulnerabilities. And even if they don't tell you, I bet if they were always thinking, there's no way I'm going to therapy, right? That's not cool. Men don't cry. Men don't have feelings, right? You may not even hear from these people, that you've encouraged them by your actions to open up and get help and think deeper and maybe behave in a way that is not cocktail talk. All the time. Yeah. And when you stood up at the Genius Network and said what you said and shared, I saw the whole room, and most of those people know who you are, but I saw that whole room, I think take what you were saying in awe, and everyone saw this beautiful gift that you were giving to everyone because not everyone in that room is ready to be as open as you are or someone like me. So I think it's amazing, and I hope that anyone listening to this or watching it will take heed and think about how they show up in the world. Because it can only help. Nothing about what we just talked about is gonna hurt anyone.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:18:25

No, you're right.

Natasha Miller: 00:18:26

It feels a little weird at first, right?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:18:28

Yeah. Even as you're speaking, it's giving me chills all over again because yeah, I mean, there's power in that, right? And we can use, like you mentioned, okay, all these adjectives that a big guy, attractive guy, we can use that for decisions or we can use that to help somebody else. And when we take that ownership and say, I am here for the world. I'm a vessel for the. All of a sudden your words, they're meaningful, but I find use in them. I remember the times when I'm six four, right? So I'm a big guy. I'm coming to someone's home and I'm saying, I'll clean your home. And they're looking up at me like, you don't look like a, I'm like, well, what does a supposed to look like? And if I could just help them tilt their heads and look at me differently, look at a cleaner differently, maybe we can take that and lay it over someone else. And all of a sudden they start respecting people differently. Right. And that was my goal. And again, that's why I say I'm glad that I've finally gotten to the point where I'm courageous enough to go out there and just speak honestly. Because I know that there's so many guys out there, so many people out there who could be awesome for their homes, for their families, for their children, and if they are able to just pivot just a degree or two, As a result of coming in contact with me, I won. Right? Like we won. And that's why the book where it says Fast Track You're Calling How To Fuel Your Drive With Every Assignment. I look at every interaction as a moment where like, how should I show up? Like how am I supposed to be used in this one? So I keep myself open. Wow.

Natasha Miller: 00:19:48

Good. I mean, I just hope that everyone, everyone in the world listens to this specific podcast episode. So back to your business. We talked about the ups and downs, and we talked about the potential for an exit. Yeah. And that exit may be having your kids acquire the business, it could be selling. There's so many different things. But for right now, you're growing still. You wouldn't be in Genius Network. You wouldn't be talking to me on the podcast if you weren't. What is your strategy for growth and what is the growth that you want to have? So two things. What's the growth plan? Yeah. And what are you gonna do to make that happen?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:20:23

Yeah. So most recently, because I've connected and partnered with a group of friends out of Chicago, Roseto Cleaning Services, Ricky Diardo, and some of those other guys up there, those guys have helped me to look at my business differently. So I've always wanted to the queen industry sexy, right? A little bit more attractive.

Natasha Miller: 00:20:43

If anyone can do it, you can.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:20:45

I'm working on it. But I remember doing something that Cameron Harold talked about in Vivid Vision. So back in 2018, I wrote up my Vivid Vision three years, and I said, I want to have this kind of a space and this type of look and all these really cool things, but I didn't achieve it. And then I'm invited to Chicago to meet some guys out there who found me on LinkedIn. And as I walked into their space, I was blown away. I'm like, this is my dream. And it was in 2021, so it was three years later. I'm like, yo, this is awesome. And I'm teasing walking around, I'm like, jumped into my Evernote and I pulled it up and I said, read this. Like this is what I said I wanted and it's here. So it told me like the vision may not have been my mind, but I was going to experience it somehow. And I did. And I have. But connecting with those guys, they. Have grown their business really, really well, working with the healthcare facility. Well, the healthcare industry, it's one where they appreciate cleaning, right? They say thank you, they're growing, and there's a system that you can put in place for those types of buildings. And when I think of Michael Gerber's book, the EMyth and talks about systems and things of that nature, it's like, Maybe we can do this. And we've had a longstanding, relationship with, one of those healthcare facil companies here locally, and it's like, maybe we should focus in this arena. So we've been focusing more in the healthcare arena, looking at the urgent cares and doctor's offices and so forth in building a system to support that. I figured if I can do that and remove myself from it, then it, it'll be positioned either to sell or to, yeah. I'll even sell it to my daughter. She'll pay for it one way or the other.

Natasha Miller: 00:22:14

She'll be supporting you for the rest of your life with the, you know. Yeah. That's great. So it sounds like the strategy for growth. Is you found this new vertical healthcare systems and is it networking? How are you getting there? Are you just knocking on doors and making calls?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:22:32

Great question again. So it's networking. So what I've done over the years, a lot of my friends, they work in the healthcare world, and whether it's going to those golfing events or galas and things of that nature, I would show up and I would show up with my wife. And while they're perusing and they're talking and having all their conversation, I am looking for someone. Who either seems nervous or someone who I'm looking for that person to help, like that's me. By me going around and talking to those people and building connection and building partnerships with them just by helping them to feel comfortable in their space, not even about business. They remember that. And over the years, people have called upon me and people that I've spoken to years ago that. I don't wanna say that I've forgotten them, but like I just didn't remember the interaction they've remembered and they've called and they've called, and I think my strategy has been just being kind to people just in general, being kind because you just never know. Right? And we've seen people who have come into the healthcare field in the basement and they've worked their way up. They're now in the leadership role and they've called and it's like, okay, so it's a longer sales cycle, but it's one that's genuine and pure. And through those types of relationships and partnerships, we don't have transactional clients. We have clients who, they're like, they're clients. Sounds like they're more like your partners.

Natasha Miller: 00:23:42

Yes.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:23:43

Partners in an endeavor, and I love that. I love that much more than just a transactional client. I wanna speak to you again. I wanna say thank you and I wanna hear the words. Thank you. So it's however we can build that, that's kind the core of our business.

Natasha Miller: 00:23:55

Okay, we're gonna get a little bit away from the fluffy and the feeling and the good stuff. And what is the biggest challenge that you have in your business today? Is it funding? Is it human resources? Is it just dealing with the human beings that are, humans are? What is it for you?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:24:11

So it's two things. So one, it's the human beings, and I've spoken a little bit on them already. It's human beings. Finding the right people with the right mindset. I think in the world that we're dealing with right now, so many people feel. Well, I can make money this way. I can make money that, or I can just Uber and all these short term ways to make money. And again, for them it's really transactional. They just try to make a buck. But then when life really hits, they realize that they need a little bit more stability. I believe there's a lot of fluff online where people talk about you can make this amount of money in this amount of time, and people believe the hype. But don't recognize that there's, there's some serious work attached to that, right. In order for you to do that. So I think when they run up against the wall of work, like I really have to work like, yeah, right. You got work. So I think that's something that, that jars us, because people sometimes would leave us to do that gig. And then they'll find themselves coming back and then they're jaded and they have all these, so focus becomes a problem, right? That's one thing for us. Again, another thing has been cash flow and just being very transparent on that one, being in Florida is a lot of competition, right? And anyone can kinda like pick up and just say, I'm gonna start a cleaning company. And with customers seeing that and saying like, "Hey, I want the cheapest price." Because prices are raising all over, we now find ourselves competing with them. So we have to adjust the way that we do things and we do different things to show value, right? Within that, but people are still, they're still like, but there's someone that's cheaper. We lost a long-term client just last year, just before it went out to annual ingenious. And they wanted to cut costs, right? And they asked us to cut costs but still get the same level of service. And we told 'em like something has to give. They were like, no, Garron. I think you can do that. We've put the bids out and people have said like they could give us the exact same service that you've been giving us for the same price. We finally had to walk away because we were trying to give our team members raises. We wanted to make sure that they were comfortable and they were trying to cut significantly. Now they have the new company and the company has caused them to look at things differently. They're getting a different level of service.

Natasha Miller: 00:26:10

Have they been calling you back and asking you back?

Gerren Sprauve: 00:26:13

So you know that there's gonna be some ego involved in all of that, right?

Natasha Miller: 00:26:15

Sure.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:26:16

So we to, we reached out to them and we told 'em, "Hey, if you ever need us, we're here." We'll sweep other stuff under the rug. We're here. We know that you have to, that's your fiduciary responsibility to try. But if you want the love of service that we have before we're here. Right. Whenever that time comes.

Natasha Miller: 00:26:28

So you're here and you're 10% more.

Gerren Sprauve: 00:26:31

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hopefully they don't see this interview, but yes. You're absolutely correct. Okay. But yeah, so sometimes competing and being able to stay up on the price increases half some of that costs along to our clients. That has been an interesting challenge, but we learn going through that process also. So I'm really excited about the things that we're learning about people and how they make decisions and how they, they spend money or not. It's all the journey.

Natasha Miller: 00:26:56

For more information, go to the show notes where you're listening to this podcast. Want to know more about me, go to my website, NatashaMiller.com. Thank you so much for listening. I hope you loved the show. If you did, please subscribe. Also, if you haven't done so yet, please leave a review where you're listening to this podcast now. I'm Natasha Miller, and you've been listening to FASCINATING ENTREPRENEURS