Rosie Selvaggio, Founder

While 2016 feels like many moons ago, it feels like just yesterday
I was a young mom who was pursuing a degree to become a mental health therapist. Unfortunately, this meant classes all day, and serving tables at night. I had zero flexibility to spend time with my then four-year-old, or doing things I enjoyed.

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Backtracking to the mid-90s, my mom’s work ethic was incomparable- she worked long days, and picked up as much overtime as possible (including weekends and holidays) to provide for us. On those long weekends, I was often left with a list of items to clean while she worked- window sills and baseboards, vacuums and mops- cleaning quickly became a practice that provided me peace. Throughout those early years, I obsessively cleaned and organized my bedroom while my mom returned to school to get her nursing license. I also helped my Nan (she came to the US from Scotland) clean her home- this meant moving couches, standing on chairs, and providing all the detail. I had just entered my 20s and I was scrubbing doors and walls, continuing to find solace in the process of making things look new.

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In 2013, I was hired to provide renovation cleaning services for a number of contractors throughout the area. My best wasn’t always good enough, but I considered those experiences “enough” to file an LLC. My hope was that Hocus Pocus Cleaning would be successful enough to get me through the rest of undergrad and graduate studies- I quit my restaurant gig, and created a job with the freedom of flexibility. Initially, many doors were slammed in my face and many refunds were provided- house cleaning certainly wasn’t “one size fits all”. The fear of failure continuously catapulted me into growing tougher skin. I began learning that our failures were our biggest teachers- they make you uncomfortable enough to pivot. 

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COVID came in March of 2020; we had approximately 15 recurring clients, and I was on track to graduate with my Master’s Degree that May. The pandemic was a monster of uncertainty, but one positive thing it reminded us of was how precious time is. Pennsylvania’s Governor would not allow us to continue operations during those three months, and I believed that my cleaning days were coming to an end… Then June happened- the phones were ringing, our inbox was flooded. By August, 15 clients became 60. I had three employees, who were also needing flexible schedules- pursuing degrees or starting families. I was left at a crossroad of shutting down forever, or focusing my energy on services that provided families with that precious sense of time.

 

Fast forward to 2023, and I am a member of the Executive Forum of the Lehigh Valley, an active member of the Core Profit Builders Circle, and a member of the Leadership Team for the American House Cleaners Association. Most recently, I became a Certified Core Coach, helping other cleaning business owners nationwide. 

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Hocus Pocus Cleaning has won nine awards in 2023 alone. We employ 17 amazing people and manage over 220 clients. I am out of the field and pride myself in being a strong leader, consistently helping our management team grow personally and professionally. We have a career ladder, which provides our technicians with motivation and confidence to grow within. We believe in a wholesome work/life balance, providing flexibility among our team to continue their education or spend time with their families. With my license to practice therapy, there’s never-ending psychological research that reflects in boosting the mental health of our team and our clients, creating microconnections with the people we serve, developing a cohesive work environment, and positively contributing to our community.