Today we’d like to introduce you to Johnny Notice.
Johnny, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Have you ever heard the phrase, “I Just Fell into This”? Well that, in short is how I got to where I am today. Growing up in Queens, NY, I was one of those children, who from an early age knew what I wanted to do with my life regarding my career. From the age of 7, I told anyone who would ask that I would be a lawyer, however sometimes life has a different journey than what you planned.
When I finished college, I was a lot older than I would have liked to be, and I was then living in South Florida, and I was recently married (3 months). As I was closing in on my last year of my undergraduate degree, I realized that I was not truly fond of any of the law schools that were in my proximity, and I never wanted to go to any school just to get the degree. My philosophy was that, if I was going to invest time, and have loans to pay after completion, (I managed to complete undergrad with no debt) I should think highly of the institution, so I did not enroll in law school at that time.
Having a supporting significant other, in my opinion, is the key to any relationship. My wife, knowing my passion helped me find a Master of Law (M.S.L.) program. Getting this degree did not give me the right to practice law, nor did it have the same cachet as a lawyer, however, I would still be close to the field. Before my degree was complete, my wife, and I decided to relocate our family to Houston, Texas.
After completion of my graduate degree, I was working in the staffing industry for an organization in the operations department, however, I became a casualty of the Oil & Gas decline and I, along with the entire department, were laid-off. So here I was in a new city, no job and for whatever reason no prospects at all, so the only thing I could do was fall back on my past experiences. Throughout my years as a young adult, I have held countless jobs and various roles, and one of those roles had a janitorial component to the position. Being raised how I was in a Caribbean household, with a father who was a small business owner himself, (he was a plumber) work was work, regardless of what it involved. It may not be the most glamorous, but at the end of the day, it deserved your full attention and full commitment to make the best of it.
I have learned that sometimes you cannot wait for an opportunity to form, but to create one for yourself. I have also learned to listen to those around you. Being reared with the notion of hard work, and educational value of ownership, after much deliberation, my wife and I decided that our path is leading us to create our own opportunity. I was hesitant at first, because I never had the thought of owning my own business. Nevertheless, we ventured into it, and thus, First Class Commercial Cleaning Services, LLC was created.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Obstacles? What are those? Obviously, I am being facetious, but to answer the questions, it has not always been a smooth road; however, it hasn’t been as bad as it could be. Am I where I want to be? No, but then again, I always set high expectations for myself, because if I aim for the stars and land on the tree top, it is a lot better than aiming for the tree top and landing on the ground. The main struggles that we encounter like most new business was breaking into the marketplace, and letting our community know that we are here to provide them an alternative option in their cleaning service needs. What we have come to understand in the cleaning industry, is that “comfort sometimes outweighs cleanliness”. If someone is comfortable with a company, (or individual) whether it be because they have been in business with said company for some time, or they have a rate that is way below market average, they prefer to stay with a service that they may not be completely satisfied with, and due to that, it affects the rest of us in the industry. Do you market yourself extremely below market value to garner clients, or do you keep the rates you establish because you stand behind your work?
Nevertheless, I believe you can overcome any obstacle, and for us, one of the ways we are overcoming it, and getting our brand throughout the community is through networking. Networking can take form in an official capacity or in a non-official capacity, however, the key is to get yourself and your name (whether you are comfortable doing that or not) out to the public.
One of the first organizations we visited and joined, was the National Hispanic Professional Organization-Katy Chapter (NHPO). Learning that your goal in networking isn’t simply about gathering cards and maybe trying to use a service or an individual, but to truly jump in and get to know each other on a more personal level. We are more apt to do business and to remember someone in certain fields, if we have a relationship with them, not just a card (which most of us lose). This organization has inspired me so much that I have joined the board because I see the growth, and the effect it has in the community, and I know with such an organization and the wonderful people that are a part of it, there isn’t any true obstacle that I cannot overcome.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
First Class Commercial Cleaning Service, LLC is a family own service based in Katy Texas. Our mission is to give our clients and all those who we encounter a “First Class” experience from beginning to end. We specialize in cleaning Event Spaces, Commercial Buildings, Corporate offices, Post-Construction, Medical/Dental Facilities, Home Builders Models, as well as Inventory Homes.
I believe what sets us apart as a company is our honesty. If we know that the price that you are seeking doesn’t match the scope of work, our first course of action is to inform the perspective client, and If we cannot help you, gladly will assist in referring another company. In that same vein, I believe the thing that I am most proud of, is that even though I am a business owner and I am trying to build my business, we support other small business as well.
For example, if you have a Window cleaning company and I get requested to look at a property and one of the tasks is full window cleaning inside and out; If it is feasible, I would refer that out to someone (another small business) who’s primary service is cleaning windows. The reason I do that, is not because I do not have faith in my work, but If someone specializes in something, why not have them do it, as well as support their business. By doing that, I am creating a relationship where I would hope those who we refer a job opportunity to, will think of us if they ever have an opportunity of the same kind. At the end of the day, we are all in business for a reason, and there isn’t any reason why we all can’t succeed.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was like most kids of my generation. Heavily into sports, but not just playing, but immersing myself into the history of the game, whether it be Basketball, or Football (I am still like that today). I enjoy hanging out with my family, not just my immediate family, but anyone who we considered as family. I was fortunate to have a lot of family around growing up and it felt like every weekend in the summer we were having a gathering, and I truly enjoyed those times. There was a misnomer about me growing up however. I was an individual who always had a lot of acquaintances around me, but few friends. My inner circle is very small, and I still have the same core of as my inner circle to this day. I’ve learned to surround myself with people who inspire and motivate you and you will go far.
As an individual, I consider myself to be dependable, observant, patient & loyal (sometimes to a fault) as well as a humble (which is why speaking about myself presently is so hard). I was blessed to be raised how I was, because that was the foundation for whom I’ve become. I was raised to value people, and I hope I can put all the things I have learned from life, and my scholastic endeavors into being a good business owner but a better person.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.firstclassccs.com
- Phone: 832-930-6568
- Email: Info@firstclassccs.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/First_Class_CCS
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FirstClassCommercialCleaningServices/
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
