Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Matuska.
Hi Ashley, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Like so many others, I made the move to Colorado because of its sunny skies and abundant outdoor activities. In the same year, I founded Dashing Maids because I always loved coming home to a clean and tidy space. I loved the idea of giving my community members the same sense of joy and peace.
The first couple of years were riddled with mistakes and embarrassing mess-ups. Every home is so unique and I needed to find a process that worked for all types of circumstances. I am so grateful for the patience I was shown in the beginning and all of the lessons learned.
When I become a mother to my sweet son Alvie, I had to decide whether to hire an employee or sell my client list and find another career. A friend of mine introduced me to my first employee, Derwydd. He has been with me for 6 years and is now my full-time Office Manager. During his time with our company, Derwydd has seen a lot of changes and truly cares about our team of 10 and our 120 clients.
I am always looking for ways to improve and be more creative in our hiring and retention methods. The pandemic really gave us the opportunity to slow down, dig our heels in, and fine-tune our processes to better suit our team and clients.
Our goal is to be one of the best places to work in Colorado offering an incredible list of benefits, as well as extremely rewarding work where employees are challenged to set high personal goals and actively work to achieve them.
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?
There are no schools or master’s degrees that can teach you everything you will need to know when you start a small business. I had to read a ton of books, attend conferences, and reach out to other cleaning business owners for advice along the way.
Managing people is hard and an ever-changing landscape. Having a support network to reach out to and bounce ideas off of has been a lifesaver.
I meet with a group of 5 other cleaning business owners in Colorado at least once a month. We laugh, critique, share and brainstorm new ideas. After meeting with the other owners, I always feel energized and my vision for Dashing Maids is refreshed!
I find it amazing that I can have a relationship with my direct competitors, not just that it can happen but that it can truly improve our performance. They are great people!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My dream since I was in 6th grade was to become a dentist. After working in a Dental office and assisting many extractions and root canals I learned that I get faint at the sight of blood. Because I had been working toward this goal for so long, I tried for quite a while to work through it, but I finally realized I had to pivot.
Studying Biology and Sociology at Indiana University opened many doors and sparked many relationships. I apply my degree in many other ways like utilizing surveys to better align expectations and overall client and team member happiness. Though I began by making my own Organic Cleaning Solutions (thanks to the Biology Lab Courses I am likely still paying off today), we have since evolved to a more sustainable system that can grow with us.
I am most proud of our ability to navigate the ever-changing small business world. We have unlimited opportunities to better the experiences that we create for not just our clients but for our wonderful team as well. I look forward to doing better each and every day and meeting a ton of great people along the way.
What matters most to you?
One of Dashing Maids’ core values is Kindness. This is something I strive for in everything I do. Whether it’s handling a customer complaint, discussing poor attendance with an employee, or teaching my son how to resolve conflict with a classmate, I’ve found that kindness is always the best place to start. The rest will work itself out and if it doesn’t, then we will just have to do better tomorrow.
Contact Info:
Email: hello@dashingmaids.com
Website: www.dashingmaids.com
Instagram: @dashingmaids
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dashingmaids
Link to original article: http://voyagedenver.com/interview/meet-ashley-matuska-of-denver-mostly-northwest-neighborhoods-including-some-surrounding-cities-towns/
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Customer Testimonials
I was extremely pleased with Ashley’s team and they left my house extra-sparkling, making me look good for my in-laws’ visit. All traces of puppy fur and hard-to-remove gunk removed, and the house smelled clean, like lavender (not harsh chemicals). This is thorough, professional, fairly priced, and courteous service. All the stars!”
“We are very pleased with the service we received with Dashing Maids. Their communication and customer service is superb! Ashley is professional and has great attention to detail. She took the time to take notes on all the areas in our house that I wanted to have cleaned during our first walk through, which I really appreciated. In the past, I’ve done walk throughs with other cleaning companies, explained what I wanted cleaned, they nod “yes” and then didn’t follow through. When Dashing Maids came to clean on our scheduled date, they were very efficient. Everything looked great when they were finished and I’m looking forward to having Dashing Maids return on a regular basis.”
“I have never had a cleaning service, but considered it often. Dashing Maids put a flyer on my door which intrigued me enough to call them. I was impressed with their initiative and enthusiasm that I hired them after our initial meeting. Now every other week I get to come home to a wonderfully clean house with their charming additions that make me smile. I’m not sure they are trying to turn my “black thumb” into a greenish one, but I haven’t killed the lucky bamboo they left as a surprise yet. I’d fully endorse them as a cleaning, Dashing Maids service.”
“It’s so nice to come home to a sparkling clean house! I’ve worked with other cleaning companies in the past and Dashing Maids always provides a more thorough clean than I’ve found with other companies for a very reasonable price. Plus, they’re great with my dog and don’t mind that he’s at home when they come to clean. I highly recommend Dashing Maids!”
“There is no one that cleans our house as well as Katie does! She is meticulous and genuinely loves to clean, and it absolutely shows. We love it when it is our cleaning day. I could not be happier with the services provided by her and the Dashing Maids company. They are responsive, timely, and have overall been a pleasure to work with. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable cleaning company.”
“I have been using Dashing Maids for several years now, and appreciate the communication and consistency with which our home is cleaned. The cleaner that always treats our home as if it were hers is Katie. Thanks Katie for your hard work!”
“Hannah G was great! She even left a nice note on my countertop that said, “Have a great weekend!” I love personal touches like that.”
“Thank you Talon! It was great to walk into my office today to have it sparkly clean and ready for a week of patients!”
"We have been dashing maids customers for a couple of years now and the service is always impeccable. Most recently our cleaning team has included Katie and Hannah, and I always get excited when I see them arrive. I know my house will be clean and I’ll get the pleasure of their company while they clean it. They do a great job and give me such peace of mind!”
“Ashley and her crew are the best house cleaning service I have ever employed. So friendly and so fast, yet so thorough. My house feels and smells so clean, and that freshness lasts. Would highly recommend to all my friends."
We've been fortunate to have Dashing Maids clean our home for the past several years. Ashley and her entire team have been great to work with. We'd recommend them without reservation. Most recently, Tori and Carol cleaned our home with detail and care.
We really appreciate our cleaner,
Lily! She does more than just a quick “once over”. She recently found a class ring that had been missing for ages- thank you for a job well done! Dashing Maids delivers thoroughgoing service every time
Such a positive experience the whole time they were in my home. And the results are amazing. Very happy with the service and the staff. I knew what to expect but the outcomes exceeded my expectations. Lily, Mikayla and Alicia did so great!
We really appreciate our cleaner,
Lily! She does more than just a quick “once over”. She recently found a class ring that had been missing for ages- thank you for a job well done! Dashing Maids delivers thoroughgoing service every time
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