Hidden Gems: Meet Lauran Echols of TLX Cleaners

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauran Echols. 

Hi Lauran, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am a 32-year-old miracle. Growing up in a suburb of Atlanta, Forsyth County, Georgia was quite a feat for any child trying to break the ties of generational curses and beliefs. Oprah Winfrey did a march through Forsyth County Georgia two years before I was born. There had been signs on each side of the highway threatening people of color from entering. Not only was this home not welcoming to outsiders, it also did not welcome diversity among its citizens. I knew from an early age crushing on the girls in my kindergarten and preschool class that something was a little different about me. I would like to say that my parents knew, but we struggled through physical and emotional abuse from my father, so I believe that my mom and dad may have had too much of their own drama to deal with to pay attention to their oldest. I pushed the bounds of normalcy with my mother and new stepdad’s nerves. Once I came out about my sexuality, which was obvious to everyone except my family, I was grounded starting in sophomore year until I left home at 17. My homelessness and rejection issues catapulted me into abusing drugs and the people around me. I remained homeless and a drug addict until my addiction led me into situations that caught the attention of every local police department in three neighboring counties. At 19 I was on my way to Georgia Department of Corrections where I served 2 years. I tried rehabs and going back home to try and get my feet moving on solid ground, but three months after my release I was on the run again. Fighting and flighting my way around Atlanta caught me on the naughty list of my probation officer, who when caught up with me, sent me back into the department of corrections. I served another two years, this time I was allowed to attend a rehab behind prison walls. After that, it was a constant in and out of various county jails, homeless up and down the east coast with no direction. My direction blossomed from me finding roots in Charlotte, and always searching to be better than I was yesterday. Even getting high day in and day out, I would always think about what to do next to get better. Charlotte, NC watched me go from stealing cars to searching for minimum wage jobs that would begin to build my esteem and confidence in myself. I prayed. I prayed every day that I would get well enough to live a new life and be able to give back to those who had struggled with the same issues. I eventually put myself into a local community college and got an Associate’s Degree in Engineering. This landed me acceptance into ASU’s electrical engineering program. I wanted the challenge and to prove to myself that I was someone of prestige and value. Taking an internship over the summer before getting into my junior year at ASU I realized I cannot work behind cubicle walls. I did not come out of drug addiction, selling my body for money and drugs, prison, or knowing I would not live past the age of 25 to sit my tail in a cubicle and watch life pass me by. I decided to start a business. One of many is my plan. I want to create jobs that not only pay live wages, but also teach others to do the same. TLX Cleaners was born to showcase my newly found honesty, integrity, and hard work. It was born as a vehicle to learn how to create generational wealth while providing quality service to my neighbors. It was born to show the world that just because you were someone does not mean you have to remain someone. It was born to serve, and it was born so that I can serve. 

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?
One of the challenges of starting a business as a felon is first and foremost the mentality of NOT thinking you are a felon anymore. it has been more than a decade since I was charged and that is still so much rooted in my soul that it was hard to get past the emotional and mental triggers of feeling worthy enough to try something new. Another obstacle has been finding employees that want to serve, give back and create relationships as much as they need to breathe. For me, it is easy to know that I rely on others, and need support due to my being so broken I had to change everything about me. For some, that have not been the same type of broken, I have found that vulnerability and hope are hard skills to teach. I have also struggled finding mentors that have left a nine to five and made more than a living by piecing dreams together. I search for mentorship in books and podcasts. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
TLX Cleaners is a commercial and residential cleaning service committed to serve the Phoenix metro area and beyond. We specialize in move-in, move-out cleanings, and commercial janitorial services. People are passion. This business did not start because we are generations of cleaners, this business started to serve people, customers, and employees alike. Our team is the hardest working, and most honest team that I have ever worked with. We have great communication skills which naturally brings our customers satisfaction and relationship opportunities that continue to grow and flourish. We take pride in offering TLX with no contracts or promises. We seek relationship and vulnerability so that the satisfaction of our services continues. We seek to empower our repeat and non-repeat customers with tricks and tips. We can be found and booked through our website that prices all homes and offices by square foot. I love that we let our customers schedule their own cleaning without consultation or dely. 

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
When hiring, hire for specificity. I tried to hire one person for a billion jobs and realized I did that person a disservice. Find mentors that are already succeeding. Ask questions. It does not have to be perfect to make money, it just has to make money. It will always be under construction there is no perfect moment to start. 

Pricing:

• Below 1,000 Sq Ft is $80
• 1001-1,500 is $100
• 1,501-2,000 is $150
• 2,501-3,000 is $200
• 3,001 > $250 and up

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tlxcleaners.com

Image Credits
Kelsey Forrest