Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole McCarthy
Hi Nicole, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Sometimes when you are meant to do something, God will make sure of it one way or another. I was working in marketing for a large corporate company when Covid struck. Marketing was the first department to be cut, so I found myself without work and spending a lot more time at home. Anyone that has lost a job before can attest that it makes you reevaluate the rest of your life, and there was nothing like a nationwide lockdown to help you really reconsider your entire path. A few months into this total reevaluation of life, I also went through a breakup, leaving me with a beautiful clean slate and loads of free time. I started freelance marketing to try and keep myself busy and the bills paid. I found myself on Bumble, a new business owner and feeling confident to meet someone. I met a man named Cory who was just starting his business, days before we met. He had big plans and I admired his clarity and confidence. On our first date, we ordered lunch and dinner because the conversation flowed on for hours about all of the things you dont talk about on a first date- what we wanted life to look like in 5 years, our business journeys and childhood traumas. On our second date, he showed me the flyer he was handing out to perspective clients- it was black and white and still had the Canva watermarks on it. Coming from a marketing background, I laughed but told him I would make him a new flyer. On our third date, I handed him a new flyer and before he had even asked me to be his girlfriend, Cory asked me to be his business partner. I was a little hesitant, I had just met this man online a few days ago, but I thought of that beautiful clean slate I had, so I figured “what’s the worst that could happen”. Five months later, we moved to Bluffton, SC to really focus on growing this business. I went into business with a man I had just met online, why not move 14 hours away from home with no jobs, no family support, no friends, to go start a business in an area we had never heard of. It was a whirlwind to say the least, but the best risk I have ever taken ,and the biggest divine redirection I have ever experienced! Fast forward to today, and Cory and I are now celebrating 4 years together, 4 years of Pro Shine, and 1 year married. We have 3 vehicles in our fleet, 2 pups and 9 people wearing Pro Shine t-shirts helping our community that we now call home.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like every entrepreneurial journey, our road had some bumps along the way. However, I really believe that each of those bumps were divine redirections to get where we are supposed to be and learn what we will need to take to the next level. Almost like building those blocks of foundation. Every bump wound up being a blessing in disguise so now when we do come across some turbulence, we know to start looking for that blessing and we are able to move through it much more quickly and with more composure and grace. Keeping a positive and adaptable attitude helps you get through it. Choosing the right partner, both in business and in life, helps smooth all of those bumps, because even though the bumps will still be there, you always have someone to hold on to.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Pro Shine Professional Cleaning?
At Pro Shine, our goal is to bring transparency and education to an industry that not most homeowners know much about. They know that they have an HVAC system, and they know when it is not working, but they do not know much about how to keep in in best working order for system longevity or how it can compromise the air quality in their home. We specialize in air duct cleaning, ductwork repair, and dryer vent cleaning. Our process is different from others in the industry in a few ways. Two of the biggest being that we give “worst case scenario” pricing up front from the very first phone call, so that the homeowner is prepared for the worst, and we offer a two year guarantee on our work. We see too many people in our industry only telling half of the story on the initial phone call and they use industry jargon that clients may not be familiar with, so by the end of service they see double their expected cost on the invoice and are left confused with what they actually got. If our price changes, it’s because it’s gone down and we show before and after photos of everything we complete, making sure our clients are confident in the work they had done. The other key difference at Pro Shine is that we offer a two year growth free guarantee on all of our growth remediation projects. Living in the Lowcountry, we pay the price for beautiful weather and beaches, with humidity and higher rates of growth hiding in our air ducts. This growth effects the air quality in our homes and can wreak havoc on people’s respiratory systems and allergies. We use an all natural disinfectant in the air ducts to make sure we kill any existing growth and prevent any regrowth. We come back every six months for two years to make sure the growth is being remediated properly and our clients homes are safe, giving them great peace of mind.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most valuable lesson that we have learned along this journey is how invaluable it is to have the right people on your team. We grew and hired with the intention to build out the foundation of our business first. Our first 4 hires, were all hired to be managers before they had anyone to manage. We invested in the right people with the right skillsets to handle the level of growth we were working towards! It was worth every penny to have the best people around us -people who cared about our clients and our mission as much as we did and who were ready to keep pushing that needle every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.proshineprofessionalcleaning.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proshineprofessionalclean/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProShineProfessionalCleaning
