Speaker 1 (00:00):
Beckii and Cortney have been working together, implementing Beckii’s proven strategies and setups to
help Cortney in her business. So Cortney, let’s hear a bit about you and welcome. So thank you for your
time today.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Thank you for having me. Well, my name is Cortney. I am a business owner, founder with A Touch
Above, Inc. I started the company in 2015, and it’s we do residential and commercial cleaning. I met
Beckii this past year and she has helped me completely revamp all of our processes, our policies, our
systems training methods, you name it. She has been my guru and I’m sure she will be my point of
contact for all things moving forward. She’s just, she’s awesome. She’s like a whole support network
herself, you know, she’s like a long-lost friend, so it’s been great linking up with her and having her help.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
So Cortney, why was having such a successful business so important to you? Like what is your why?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Well, I’ve got two little girls. You know, obviously, I feel like whatever industry you’re in, you want to
leave that legacy? Yeah. You wanna have something that you can say you built from the ground up, you
know, blood, sweat, tears. It was a lot of work. You know, I feel like I’m that positive role model as is my
husband. But it’s just something to be proud of. You know what I mean? And the business has provided
me a whole social network that I never realised that I needed as well. And linking up with Beckii her,
why is very similar to ours. She may be in Australia and we are in New York in the United States, but our
mission and our why is very, very similar. So I think we connected for that reason. She is, you know, not
just a mother’s helper but just in general, she’s very caring.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
She wants to come in and, you know, make sure that all of your needs are, are met and she doesn’t have
a cookie cutter approach. She listens to each individual client and we, we are the exact same way in that
sense. So I feel like her and I really hit it off and I tell her she found my soul because I was interviewing
for a business mentor. And she was the last person that I talked to. We talked over the phone and she
actually made me cry, which is very, very difficult to do. And so I knew like from that moment that her
and I just connected on a deeper level, we’ve got a very similar why, a very similar mission. And we were
brought together somehow, so it worked out.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Oh, that’s awesome. Um, so it is really great when, you know, you can connect with another business
mentor and they get exactly, you know, and what you are and how they can work with your business
and stuff like that. And you also brought up a really great point how you’re in New York and she’s in
Australia as well. So that sort of interaction, wasn’t a problem for you? Like how did that work being
remote and I, I guess with COVID, everything’s, you know, virtual as well at the moment.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Yes. I mean, everything is definitely, you know, virtual more remote people working from home these
days, the time difference was something to work around, but we made it work. So our meetings were either early my time or early her time, late my time, or late her time. But, you know, we figured it out what
she had to offer and what she did for me and for my business is just, I, I can’t even describe it. It was
worth those early mornings and late nights, at least for me, I mean, we definitely, it was some super,
super late nights, her time helping me out, she would be up to like 3, 4, 4, 5:00 AM, but she’s passionate,
you know? And she says that those are her, like her, her prime, her that’s her prime thinking time. I
don’t know if she was just saying that to like butter me up and like, you know, she was showing all the
support she possibly could.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
She, I can’t say enough, good things. She’s super, super supportive. She’s like having like a whole, she
leading squad in your corner. Which I love about her, the idea of not having someone face to face that
wasn’t even like a thought in my mind, because just having her face and my screen, you know, my
computer screen felt good. There were certain days that I was just like downright mess and all over the
place and, you know, we would share screens and then she’d be like, walk me through your pain points
and like what’s bothering you. And so it wasn’t an issue for me, you know, with us being, you know,
halfway across the world. It wasn’t ever anything that you know, I even put a second thought into, I
wasn’t trying to find someone local. I was trying to find someone to get me the results that I needed and
somebody that would be a good fit.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
And I found that in her. So I will forever utilize her services. She may not be prepared to be my best
friend, but she is now going to be a very good friend of mine like it or not. And she will never rid herself
of me because I love her and what she has done for me in my business. And it was just awesome all
around. She had introduced us to a couple different apps and softwares that we were not familiar with.
We had never heard of, so a lot of the automation things going on behind the scenes really play a major
role in why we are where we are right now, after just a few months of working with Beckii. A lot of it
boils down to the templates that we were using and being very, very specific.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
You know, we pride ourselves in communicating and you know, how, how well we communicate, but
her level of communication is really just again, it’s indescribable, you know, she’s spelling it all out for
you. She is leaving no room for error, no room for, you know, miscommunication or, you know, I just
didn’t know something or I didn’t, she is very crystal clear in her wording. And so that there’s no room
for question or doubt or, and I really like that about her. So, you know, she’s like if you’re saying
something more than once you need a template for that, and it’s not a matter of being lazy or like an
absent business owner, it’s it boils down to how precious your time is because aside from the business,
you know, I have a family, I, you know, family and I have a new home that it’s, we’ve been in it six years,
but it’s our starter home.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
And it’s, you know, a work in progress fixerupper and you don’t have, there’s only 24 hours in a day. And
it seems like a lot. You can’t be doing things on repeat over and over and over again consistently, it’s just
not efficient. It’s not smart. So a lot of what we were doing and putting it in place really just boils down
to those things that you’re doing regularly. And you may not even know if you take into consideration
how long it takes to type up this email or that email, this response, that response it’s, it’s so much, you
know, time it’s taking so much time that you could have, you know, be better spent elsewhere is the whole thing.
So since working with her, the amount of free time that we have, it’s not free time because
it’s still jampacked, but the amount of time, we’ve, we’ve been able to allot for other things, as opposed
to those email, you know, the email correspondence, and there’s certain, certain things you still are
answering without those templates, but certain things need to be automated for that reason.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
You need to spend your time efficiently because you, that’s not something that we can do. You know,
you can’t, you can’t request more than 24 hours in a day, unfortunately, and you have to make the most
of your time. So that was something that was major for us, the way that we convert clients over
everything has been automated all across the board. So we had certain softwares and stuff that we were
utilising before, but our new softwares that she has you know, she’s introduced us to have made a world
of difference and not only is the correspondence and the communication with customers a thousand
times better. Now we have team channels and team chats, and we have new policies and automations
pertaining to, you know, not only right from the, the get go the application process, but also, you know,
your, your current staff and the way that you are corresponding with them. And every, every channel
every everything all across the board is just easier and automated and streamlined. And it wasn’t, it, it
wasn’t before. So what it’s done for us has been pretty remarkable. You know, it’s, it’s just easier. It’s
easier already, and we’re only a couple of months in, so I cannot wait to see what, you know, another
couple of months with her is going to do for us.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Great. So it sounds like it’s not just you know, one area of your business, it’s a whole array of areas in
your business. Yes. That she’s been helping in that’s awesome.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
I told her that she was going to have to help me tie up a whole lot of loose ends and work out some
kinks. And she just, she did just that we would think that we would have one topic of conversation for a
zoom meeting, and then she’s helping me, you know, answer emails and work out this and that just like,
you know, it’s, it was a, I was throwing a lot on her. And a lot of it was just random. It was just what we
needed to deal with that day. And she was such a good sport about helping us because she knew that
these things were urgent or these things were like weighing heavy on my mind, stressing me out. So she
went down the list with me first, and then we would tackle what we actually had planned, you know,
Speaker 1 (10:19):
That’s great. Yes. And then hiring training and retaining staff. So that’s an important aspect of your
business as well. Yes. So she helped with that too?
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Yes. So like I said, right from the, you know, very beginning, they submit an application now it’s
automated. So, you know, we are getting information presented to us in a way that we’re able to, you
know, assess it a little bit better. We know, you know, what type of person they are, we’re able to
address them and have a more individualised approach. And, you know, based on their personality,
certain key things that we have worked out now with Beckii you’re just, you’re able to get a better read
on people. You’re better able to just approach them in a more like we custom tailor the work being
performed for our customers. And this is, it’s like doing that with your, your new staff, your new hires,
anybody you’re interviewing as well, so that you’re reaching them on a more personal basis, your core values and your why, and your mission are what's bringing people in as opposed to hiring someone, you
know, that just needs a job. That's just looking for work. You're bringing in the right type of people and
building on what you already have, which is hugely important to us. So all across the board the hiring
and training, especially all of it has just been night and day, night and day difference.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
I can hear it in your voice as well. Like you, you can, you, you can really tell the change that you know,
you’re excited about it too. So that’s great,
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Yes, she’s boosting the confidence is something that she’s very good at. We would do something we
wouldn’t be sharing. She’s like, put your hands on your hips. And I’m like, you know,
Speaker 1 (12:13):
I love it. What would be your biggest advice for anyone who’s sitting on the fence, exploring the idea of
business mentoring for them and their business,
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Do it, it’s, it’s worth the investment. You know, you’re going to cutting costs and stuff is something that’s
always like in the back of every business owner’s mind, you know, should we spend that? Should we not
spend that? This is, this is well worth the money. This is not one time fee and something to look at and
be like, oh, I, I can’t, this is an investment in yourself in your business. So if you’re stuck, if you have
certain kinks, certain things that are just, you don’t know, you’re fumbling through it as I was I was
fumbling it, you know, fumbling through it kind of as backwards. I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t
take a business course. I didn’t have family that walked me through it and told me like, oh, this is what
you&’re doing. Great.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Here’s a plan. I had none of that. So I was out here winging it, trial and error a lot, a lot, a lot of error.
And I got sick of it, you know, so I did the, my, my post and put a few posts out there saying that I was
looking for a mentor. Like I said, I had interviewed multiple people, and I didn’t even really know what
that meant when I put that out there. Until I saw what she did for me. And then I was like, again, it was a
night and day difference if it’s not like a one-time class, and it’s not something that should scare you off
because what you’re going to get out of it is going to be it’s gonna be huge. You know, you’re going to
your rev. You’re gonna see your revenue go up.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
You’re going to see, you know, this, those kinks and all these things. Everything gets easier. It just gets
easier. And that in itself you know, I have less of a headache. I can sleep a little bit better. You know,
things are a little bit more efficient and streamlined and all of it just makes you feel better. You know
you don’t have to keep struggling. If you are stuck, you don’t have to stay stuck. There are people that
can help you get to where you’re going and faster because they’ve been there, done that. And I think
that is, you know, something that you need to like take away. If you’re gonna take anything out of this,
you know that specifically, they get you there quicker. You can figure it out. I’ve got this thousand page
book on SEO that I may or may not read.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
There’s people that will get me there quicker. You know, like I, you can absorb the knowledge things
take time though. And again, there’s only so much time in a day, so you don’t have to stay stuck and you
don’t have to stay struggling. There’s people, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, which is what Beckii
always says. Like, you know, she was able to just step in and just take me and kinda get me there. And
she’s like, oh, you’re derailing over here. Okay. Let me just, let me bring you this way. And it’s just, it’s
worth, it’s worth all, all the money, all the, you know, every frustration leading up to this point. I’m just,
I’m glad that I didn’t sit on the fence. It’s worth it to get off of the fence.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
I love that. And I, I love what you say as well. Like you don’t have to feel stuck. You don’t have to be that
way. You know you can get the help to be able to excel your goals and get where you want to be. I
guess the same sort of question, but maybe in a different light, who is business mentoring not for?
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Anybody that’s not willing to put in the work because while it will get you there quicker, this was a crash
course. You can’t be lazy. You can’t sit on the sidelines and not be willing to put in the work because it’s,
that’s exactly what it is. We did Beckii and I, her and I did a crash course. Like we went top to bottom a,
to Z around and under the whole business got revamped and I have notepads and I have, I wasn’t
sleeping. I wasn’t cuz I wanted it and I wanted it yesterday. And that’s just my personality. But you can’t,
you can’t expect it to fix itself. You can’t expect somebody to come in. I am very Type A, so that has
something to do with it. I will prerequisite all of what I’m about to say with that. But I might like things a
certain way.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Even if you don’t, it’s still your company, it’s still your vibe. It’s still your website. It’s still your policies. So
you can’t expect somebody to just come in and do it all for, for you without any oversight, without any
input with any, without any of that from you, you are still the business owner at the end of the day. So if
you are not ready, if you are not willing to put in the work, don’t bother because it is, it’s going to take
some effort and some help on your end. So that’s about it. Those that, you know, if you’re lazy and
you’re not gonna put in the work then no, but anybody else do it.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Thank you so much Cortney for your time. And I love hearing your success story and how your business
has really excelled. And you’ve got your goals all worked out and you’re working really hard to achieve
everything that you wanna achieve and Beckii’s helped you get there. So thank you so much for yeah.
This interview and letting us know exactly how you feel.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.