Today we’d like to introduce you to Charmaine Dollar.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
To say that this journey was easy would be misleading for me to tell you. I come from a background where my parents were drug attics and every odd was stacked against me even before I was born. I will say though that they have been clean for over 20 years with no thought of looking back! For forever, I have always wanted to find a place and a space made for me to just be me. Acceptance of others has always been a challenge for me for as long as I can remember. Long before I got here I had dreams of being a nurse and then a psychologist, but nothing ever went as planned so I had to reroute. Sometimes when you have to reroute and discover a new path, you have no idea of what awaits you on that road. Thank God that he has been there for me providing every step of the way even when I had no one.
On a road to discovering myself and not fully understanding myself, I became involved in different things. Over 10 years ago I was involved in a lifestyle of prostitution. I remember having a boyfriend that I told about my money issues and he insisted on helping me come up with a solution, or at least that’s what I told myself. His intentions were far from pure for me even with the situation at hand, Desperate and hard up for cash I did one of the things I never thought I would. Going forward from that place I became a mom when I left that life behind me and it was one of the scariest things imaginable for me.
Before I became all of this, everyone knew me as the honor roll nerd and the one that would be successful with a husband and children all wrapped into one, but my life went down a different path that quickly disappointed those people. Being a single mother was nothing that I had planned because I saw life for myself as having a husband and then children. When I was in the life that I was in it taught me to hustle, discipline and grit. It taught me to never quit and to always make sure that I bet on myself if no one else. Some may say that is a crazy way to learn those characteristics but it shaped me more than most people know. I’m divorced, a single mom, and experienced heartache, betrayal, abuse, and a list of other things that I can go on and on about but let’s get to the best part. Three years ago in wake of a divorce, I started a cleaning business. Being in the middle of all of that I was ready to do it! I did my research on this industry and how profitable it would be for me and my family and just took the risk. It took me like 2 years to get everything right (including my mental health) because there was so much trauma I needed to recover from with that marriage.
After a couple of years of homelessness post marriage, I then decided to take a bet on myself because working a regular job was not a fit for my family dynamic. I am so glad that I followed Gods direction because it has led me here! I was a cleaner prior to starting my own business and always found it to be extremely therapeutic for me and it’s something I wanted to get paid to do. Cleaning brings a level of relaxation and tranquility to a homes environment that was not there before. My clients trust me with the space that they sleep in day and night and that’s something that money cant buy. I specialize in residential, commercial and airbnb cleanings. My goal is to show others that you can be anyone from any walk of life and choose to make a different decision than the environment you were born into. I mean who would’ve thought that someone like me growing up in the hood and having parents who were addicts and going through abuse, getting pregnant while in a life of prostitution by my ex pimp and still managing to not let that limit me! Trust me you can do this! There are nights that I have to take my daughter to my airbnb units and we leave late but the job gets done. The ability that I am able to serve others and help them in some kind of a way is fulfilling to me. The way that mother feels when I’m able to help relieve her from the cleaning so she can focus on her family and not worry about the heavy lifting. Sometimes just knowing that I’m remembered for helping someone is beautiful. There are the days where I question everything and then I look at far God has brought me and it makes me so grateful to be where I am. There are ups and downs in this life but I am learning that with God, my daughter and a healthy support system, you can do so much. Remember that you are doing the best that you can with what you have and trust God for the things that seem impossible for you to do because he can! On this journey of whatever you may be doing just make sure that the decisions you make are for you and not what someone wants you to be for them. Remember that failure is a part of the journey but it’s about what you do afterwards that counts.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly, this journey has been anything but smooth for me. Some of the struggles were trying to people please while disappointing myself because ever since I was a little girl I wanted my parents and the people I care about to approve of everything I did. It was tough because I also wanted to be liked by everyone since I have been called weird since childhood. I figured as I got older I would stop hearing the word but didn’t so I am now accepting of my differences. Something else that was extremely hard for me was not having the support system that I thought I should have and constantly hearing that ” I act like I’m better than others” when I would give what I had. I will say that my background and how my daughter came about is always most difficult because sometimes people judge so harshly on someone’s past without understanding why they did it and most importantly who they are now.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I established my residential and commercial cleaning business back in 2019 in wake of a divorce. I have been a cleaner professionally for almost 6 years in total. I remember for as long as I have been cleaning that it has always been something that was therapeutic for me. I would clean during high times of anxiety and a cleaner space always calmed me. Being a mom also keeps me cleaning because children always have something for you to clean. I specialize in residential cleanings like apartments, homes, condos, etc. I also specialize in Airbnb cleanings. I’m not sure if most know but with Airbnb, it’s more than just cleaning and I took it a step further into helping manage units for the hosts that I work with who live out of the state. When it comes to the management side of the business, I am the point of contact for the clients that I work with, whether it’s making sure that everything is working properly in the unit or dealing with the company firsthand for key repairs and other things. When it comes to residential cleaning that is something that is dear to me. I want my clients to have a level of trust with me that when I have someone else come and clean from the team they believe the cleaner will clean just like I do. I am known for my thoroughness, consistency, and reliability. Most of my clients had the most difficult time finding a quality cleaner until I came and some of them tell me that if I’m not cleaning they do not want anyone else. One of the things that set me apart from others is that I’m not just a cleaner. I care about the cleaning community as a whole and I will have a planner designed for us so that we are able to manage the day-to-day with keeping track of our clients whether digitally or physically. I also make sure that with every client I build a relationship by getting to know them better as a person as well. I make sure that the details are important for every cleaning because people do notice the little things. I pride myself on being myself with the clients I have so they can get the most authentic version of me! The one thing I’m most proud of is being able to build something that will outlive me. Having something for my children and their children is crucial when you are a business owner. My brand is run and operated by a woman of color and there is no discrimination here when it comes to the ethnic background of any woman that I hire to work with me. I want everyone to know that I am accepting new clients residentially and commercially. Residentially, when you book your first cleaning you will receive 10% off of the initial cleaning and when you refer a friend you get an oven cleaning for free! I am taking on more clients for Airbnb as well so if you or anyone you know is looking for someone they can reach out to me at info@simpleemaid.com! I am also on google under Simpleemaid LLC with real reviews and pictures of some of my work as well. I have references for those who are looking to work with me as needed.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson for me has been to show up as myself. for many years I suffered from an identity crisis and didn’t think that being me was enough. The clientele I have always complimented me on my personality and realness when working with them. Whether I make them laugh or have a serious conversation, they remind me every day that being myself is a strength. They allow me to see that it doesn’t benefit me to be anyone else because it doesn’t allow them to see who I really am and what I stand for.
Pricing:
- Airbnbs start at $100
- Standard residential minimum is $125
- Standard residential deep clean minimum is $200
- Laudry is $10 per load
- Organization starts at $75
Contact Info:
- Email: info@simpleemaid.com
- Website: www.simpleemaid.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/simplee.maid
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/SimpleeMaidCleaningservices
Image Credits
Jotesha Williams
