From Weekend Warrior to Window Cleaning Coach

Back in the early 90’s, Andy Engstrom was operating a pallet jack in a warehouse for $16/hour. He was getting by and doing alright, but his life would soon hit a turning point. It came when his best friend, Jaime Leon, showed him how easy it was to walk into a neighborhood, sell a window cleaning job, and get paid. By the time of his first sale, Andy hadn’t even learned how to properly use the window cleaning tools that he was borrowing from his friend Jaime. These “Weekend Warriors” soon began operating a window cleaning business under the name, “2 Dudes Window Washing” in Anchorage, Alaska. It wasn’t before long that Andy launched “Capital City Windows” which has been serving Juneau, Alaska since 1998.

One of the driving forces behind Andy’s decision to become a professional window cleaner was to enable him to have more time to do things he loved, such as recording music. “My favorite thing about the industry is that it's an occupation that enables you to better the quality of life for your customers. It's like giving a bouquet of roses or a box of chocolates to someone... Everyone loves to have their windows professionally cleaned, and I'm happy to provide that service for them.”

Unlike many of us, who pull our hair out during the slower winter months, Andy has learned to embrace the slow-time and spend it catching up on life. And when it comes to the tools of the trade, Andy’s company uses the best of the best. He has tried nearly every window cleaning product or tool, partly from personal interest and partly out of the necessity since he has so many subscribers to his popular window cleaning newsletter.

As far as advice goes, Andy has as much to give to the industry as anybody out there. Although he is saving most of his advice for his instructional books, he didn’t leave us empty handed. He recommends a few good reads like "The Tough Minded Optimist" by Norman Vincent Peale. Another good one is "Multiple Streams of Income" by Robert Allen.

Lastly, Andy says, “It doesn't matter what you do in life... You determine the outcome of your life and you determine your own level of success. If you want to succeed, you've got to have a dream. Your dream is going to get you up day after day. Also, you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Follow the pattern of successful people who have done what you want to accomplish.

DREAM BIG

WORK HARD

PERSIST



Each week we are going to take a close look at a different window cleaning company. If you would like to be next to share your story or just have some helpful advice for your fellow window cleaners, please email kcpowerclean@gmail.com and tell me you want to help out.

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Thanks Andy for your time, energy, and valuable input.