#99: The “Be Your Customer” Marketing Strategy (and Why It Works), with Katie Pearse

What if we told you that the easiest way to improve your marketing...is to stop trying to market to everyone 🤔 In this episode, Stephanie sits down with Katie Pearse of Glisten Academy, a nearly 20-year cleaning industry veteran who’s built multiple commercial and residential operations across Canada and the US.

 

Katie shares how her company exploded from a weekend side hustle into a multi-city business, and why the best marketing strategy is to sell to the version of you who would hire your own company. They get into the real psychology of residential clients and how checklists, proactive communication, and clear positioning are what actually let you charge premium prices. Katie also opens up about a hard lesson in fraud, and tips to prevent it in your own business.

 

📌 What You’ll Learn

— Why the best way to sell cleaning is to “sell to yourself”

— How to communicate that you understand your ideal client (not just claim you do)

— The invisible nature of cleaning — and how checklists make clients feel real value

— How proactive communication reduces client stress and cancellations

— Differentiation ideas that don’t require rebranding your whole company

— What it really takes to scale into multiple locations and industries

— The risks of gatekeeping owner access — and why clients need a direct line

— A real fraud story that shows why systems matter more than trust alone

 

Resources Mentioned:

— Glisten Academy (Courses + Staff Training Programs): https://www.glistenacademy.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoravYMVGG2QPfsRtIVi4KGH0Er-7qIxCZN9cRLortLDmBx-DBBD

— Discount Code: FILTHY50 — 50% off any Glisten Academy course

— Contact Katie: katie@glistenacademy.com

 

— Glisten Academy on TikTok/Instagram: @glistencleaningacademy

— ZenMaid Scheduling Software: https://get.zenmaid.com/

 

👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com

📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/

 

📖 Read the full transcript: https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/the-be-your-customer-marketing-strategy-and-why-it-works-with-katie-pearse/