When Samantha Gonzalez finished cleaning the restroom, she took a deep breath and immediately regretted it. She knew something just was not right.

The problem? “Bathroom smell issues,” she said, specifically in the boys’ restrooms. And that just wasn’t going to work for her because she had pride as a professional. After cleaning the restroom, should it still smell strongly of urine?

At that time, Samantha was a 10-year veteran elementary school custodian. She wanted to do the very best she could, but was stymied by some of the cleaning challenges in the school. She wanted to take a cleaning class. Her school district denied the request.

Samantha then decided to take control of her future.

She did some research and came across ISSA and the educational opportunities offered. She pulled out her own credit card and started taking classes and workshops, those provided by Cleaning Management Institute (CMI), a division of ISSA.

Samantha earned a cleaning education, and surely by now, her school district would reimburse her for the expenses. That didn’t happen.

After some thought, she polished up her résumé with her updated qualifications and posted it. The offers started coming in. Within a year, she doubled her income, all based on her new qualifications and education. She is now the environmental services manager at a South Carolina aged care facility.

If you are a cleaning company owner, a facility manager, or an executive, it’s on you to recognize potential talent among your team and empower them to succeed. If you don’t, they may find what they want and need elsewhere. You will be the loser, just like the school district that still has smelly restrooms.

Watch her recorded story below.