John Braun

While majoring in advertising at the University of West Florida, I started a cleaning business to practice advertising and find out what REALLY works. My ultimate goal was to start my own advertising agency, but I felt that it would be hypocritical to tell others how to advertise without putting the theories into practice with my own money.

I didn’t want to work for someone else, though, so I started Premium Carpet Care in Pensacola, Florida, and built it up to be one of the most well known cleaning firms in the area. And you know what? I made more money in the cleaning business than I thought I would ever make, so I stayed in it. After getting involved in the industry, I showed my advertising to other cleaners.

Some would ask me to create marketing materials and build websites for them. I would occasionally get asked to speak about advertising at various national cleaning events.

Finally, in 2008, I started Hitman Advertising, an advertising consulting group that caters to the cleaning industry. Since then, I was a monthly contributor for ICS Cleaning Specialist Magazine.

I currently write for CleanInformer Magazine and speak regularly at industry events, both online and offline, on the subjects of internet marketing and advertising. I still own my cleaning business, but I have great employees that operate it for me with the systems I have put in place. This industry has been good to me; like some have said, once you get cleaning chemicals in your veins, you can’t leave.