Monica never imagined she would be the face of a cleaning company. When she was younger, she was certain about one thing: she would never be a cleaner. “I said it more than once,” she admits. “My birth mother was a cleaner, and I wanted to be the complete opposite of her.”
Determined to break the cycle, Monica pursued a different path. She enrolled in college, joined the police academy, and launched her career in law enforcement. Over time, she took on roles as a correctional officer and later as an APHIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System) officer—positions that required structure, discipline, and a strong sense of responsibility.
Eventually, Monica left that field and moved into other industries. One job she particularly loved was leak detection—a role that challenged her skills and kept her engaged. But even a job you love can wear you down if the environment isn’t right.
“I loved the work,” she says, “but I didn’t love who I was working for. The leadership and office dynamics just made it hard to enjoy going in every day.” That dissatisfaction led her to make a phone call that would unknowingly change the course of her career—and her life. She reached out to a close friend who owned a cleaning business in Daytona Beach. “If I quit,” Monica asked, “when can I come work for you?” Her friend responded with the kind of decisiveness only a fellow businesswoman can offer: “Do you want to start this afternoon?”
Though she waited a few weeks to properly transition out of her job, Monica eventually stepped into the world she’d once sworn off—cleaning homes. It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t what she thought she’d be doing in her 30s. But it felt good, really good.
What started as a short-term solution quickly revealed itself as something more. She had an eye for detail, a high standard for quality, and a quiet leadership style that brought out the best in the team around her. Clients noticed too. They’d ask for her by name, telling the office, “Send Monica. I want things Monica clean.”
At the time, Monica didn’t have a management title. But unofficially, she had become the trainer, the quality control expert, and the steady hand who others looked to for guidance. She didn’t just clean homes—she elevated the work and set the tone. But when she moved to Flagler County, the long commute to New Smyrna and Edgewater started to take a toll. “You’re going to hate your life doing that drive,” her friend warned. And before long, she did.
Then came the conversation that shifted everything again. “You should do your own thing,” her friend said. Monica hesitated. She had signed a non-compete agreement. But her friend brushed it off. “I don’t work in Flagler County. If that’s where you live, you have my blessing.”
Still unsure of what it would even look like to run her own business, Monica asked herself a simple question: “What would I call it?” The answer had already been spoken dozens of times by happy clients: Monica Clean. And just like that, the next chapter began.
Building Something More
Monica didn’t just want to be another cleaning service. She had seen firsthand how unstructured and underpaid the industry could be. She had lived it. And she wanted to do it differently. She implemented systems, created a structured training program, and made sure the people who worked for her had clear expectations, support, and opportunities. Her company wasn’t about perfection—it was about professionalism and people.
“I don’t love to clean,” Monica says candidly. “That’s why my house is on the schedule and my team cleans it. But I’m really good at cleaning. And now, I’m learning how to be just as good at running a business.” For Monica, excellence isn’t about being flashy. It’s about being dependable. It’s about walking into a space and leaving it better than you found it. It’s about showing up for your team just as much as you show up for your clients. “I found something I was good at—and then I learned how to love it,” she says.
A Business That Changes Lives
Today, Monica Clean is more than just a cleaning company. It’s a people-first business that’s redefining what it means to work in the industry. One of the proudest moments of Monica’s career so far had nothing to do with a glowing client review or a business award. It was the day one of her cleaners bought a house. “I wanted to cry,” Monica says. “I was just so proud of her.”
When she shared the news with another local business owner, their response caught her off guard. “They said, ‘Do you know how rare that is? For someone working in cleaning to be able to buy a house?’ And I was like, wow. That put it in perspective.”
Monica never set out to change lives—but now she sees that she is. Every decision she makes—from how she hires to how she trains to how she pays her team—is rooted in one mission: to build something that lifts people. “At Monica Clean, we don’t just clean homes—we invest in people. We want to change lives. Our clients’ lives. Our team’s lives. Everyone we touch.”
And it’s working. Her employees are thriving. Her clients trust her. And Monica—once convinced she’d never be a cleaner—is now a proud business owner, team leader, and mentor.
“This business isn’t about me anymore,” she says. “It’s about the people I serve and the people I employ. That’s what keeps me going. That’s what makes it all worth it.”
