The Two Maids & A Mop business model offers a unique approach to a very old, static industry. Our brand disrupts the residential cleaning industry by using a variety of innovative technological advancements; including real-time online scheduling, social media brand awareness and digital media lead generation. Our growth has been so phenomenal that Inc. Magazine recently recognized us as the fastest growing cleaning company in America. The secret to our success certainly starts with the business model. But honestly, the true secret to our success ends with our franchise owners. In this series, we’d like to introduce some of the superstars within our franchise family.

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Anthony Truong – Orlando, FL Franchise Owner

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I was working inside my office one afternoon when the telephone rang. On the other end of the line was an energetic guy that was ready to take over the world within sixty seconds of the conversation. I immediately fell in love with the guy because, well… he sounded a whole lot like me thirteen years ago. Of course, this future titan of business is none other Anthony Truong; proud franchise owner of the best maid service in Orlando. Just wait until you hear his story.

Anthony was born in Saigon in 1973, just two years before the Vietnam War officially ended. Growing up in Vietnam was especially challenging due to the lack of food, running water and electricity. In those days, electricity and water were provided by the state on a random basis only. The only food source that was available to the people was Daphnia Seeds, the same exact stuff used to feed livestock. His parents were desperate to provide their children with a different way of life and devised a risky plan to escape the communist country. Anthony’s father and older brother decided to escape the country by floating on an old, wooden boat for seventeen days. Eventually, the boat found land on the shores of Thailand. His father and brother fought off multiple pirate attacks and suffered through extremely difficult weather conditions. It was an harrowing experience and death seemed assured. Once safely in Thailand, Anthony’s father and brother were herded into a camp already overcrowded with other Vietnamese refugees. They remained there living under difficult conditions for two solid years until they were brought to New Jersey by sponsorship of a local church.

Things did not improve until Anthony’s father and older brother were able to relocate to the United States. Both got jobs and worked hard to send money back home to help support Anthony and his mother. And after six years of separation, Anthony’s family was finally able to reunite at JFK International Airport in New York. Anthony recalls the moment vividly.

“I can still see my father and brother smiling, crying and waving in the glass waiting room inside the airport. I was overjoyed. I loved my father dearly and had missed him ever so much. I raced through the customs building, hurdling the cement steps and fell right into my father’s open arms. I wept tears of joy as he hugged me and kissed me. I knew my life had changed forever at that exact moment.”

Anthony has loved America ever since that very first day and he’s taken full advantage of the benefits our great country offers. He eventually graduated high school with honors, attended college on his own dime and worked tirelessly inside corporate America for the past fifteen years. This is the moment when I met Anthony for the first time; on that innocent phone call last year.

Anthony talked a very big game. He had big dreams; wild visions in fact. I remember everything about our initial conversation. He talked about his desire to own the Orlando market; even though he lived more than 75 miles away in Palm Coast. He talked about his desire to serve as the initial Office Manager; even though he had plenty of money to hire an on-site manager. He even talked about his willingness to travel to Birmingham ASAP to get the ball rolling; like tomorrow in fact. Like I said, he talked a big game and I knew that we just had to meet this guy. Anthony’s first meeting with us was inside a hotel lobby. I didn’t know anything about his past. Didn’t know about Saigon. Didn’t know anything other than a couple of energetic phone calls. But on that night inside that hotel lobby, I knew we had a winner.

Anthony opened for business earlier this year. Hasn’t been a franchisee for a long time. But in that short time frame, he’s proven his commitment time after time. He’s notorious for working crazy hours. Believe it or not, he’s even provided a house cleaning for a customer past the midnight hour. He’s pushed brooms. Conducted estimates. Been on last-minute supply runs. Driven back and forth each of those long 75 miles from Palm Coast to Orlando every day since his grand opening. He rarely spends time with family during the week as a result. But make no mistake, Anthony loves his family and proves that by is work ethic. It’s been a sacrifice but he’s accepted the challenge from day one.

I believe that every successful business owner must possess four essential qualities: a business owner must be passionate, a business owner must have a plan, a business owner must have a very high work ethic and a business owner must refuse to lose. Anthony embodies every one of these traits and he didn’t just start living those ideals yesterday. He’s been busting his tail for a long time. He’s been passionate about building financial freedom for a long time. He’s been refusing to lose for a long time. And trust me, he’s been passionate about his plan for the future for a very long time. He’s the kind of guy that will find success no matter the direction. I’m just thankful that he chose Two Maids & A Mop.

Anthony still has a long way to go. He’s still building his business and he’s still working crazy hours. He already knows this and he’s cool with the challenge. I have no doubt that his future is bright. Anthony is success and there’s not one person on this earth that couldn’t learn something from him. Reach out to him and ask him about how to make it in this country. His answer will not be sexy. His answer will probably repeat everything that I’ve already said. Be passionate. Have a plan. Work harder than everyone else. And refuse to lose. That’s Anthony and we love him. Thank you Anthony for choosing Two Maids & A Mop and please keep on being you. You’ve earned everything and your future is bright. You are success!