What would you do if you lost your first business 5 days after owning it? That’s the situation that Ross Dodds found himself in after a full year of preparation leading up to purchasing his first laundromat. Listen to his riveting story from triumph over obstacles to devastating disaster, and clawing his way back to prosperity.
Ross is an open book who freely shares his hard-earned wisdom on how to run successful laundromats, give back to the community, and grow a small business empire! Beyond the buckets of wisdom he shares, pay close attention to the way that Ross thinks. It is his relentless mindset that has paved his way through the turmoil and will continue to lead him well past his goals.
Every second of this interview is stuffed with practical insight, enlightening mindset shifts, and joy! It was an honor to have Ross on the podcast and I bet you’ll feel the same way after hearing his story!
Listen To The Podcast Here
Watch The Podcast Here
Jump To These Show Segments
Interview Starts: 10:24
Down To Business: 48:05
Secret Sauce: 1:05:01
Pro Tips: 1:12:04
Recommended Resources: 1:17:30
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Links from the show
- Check The Care Label Video
- Laundromat Resource Forums
- Laundromat Resource Blog
- Be a guest on the podcast!
- Buy a laundromat
- Sell your laundromat
Connect with Ross
Email: ross@washclubla.com
Ross's Bio
Starting in the laundry business back in 2014, Ross and Russel closed escrow on their first
laundry after nearly a year long search, the laundry burned down 5 days later. Fast forward to a
2 year rebuild and purchasing a second laundry in the process, they fully have the laundry bug
now. With 3 current laundries and several pending projects they looks forward to the future in
the business.
Join The Laundromat Resource Community!
Episode Transcript
[Music]
you’re listening to the laundromat
resource podcast the show by laundromat
owners for laundromat owners with your
hosts Jordan all right I’m feeling that
one that one is hot I love that intro
I’m I’m feeling it
what’s up guys it’s Jordan from a lot of
our resource podcast and laundromat
resource calm and I’m super pumped to
hear today because if you listen last
week you know that today is a very a
very special episode and this is why I
read somewhere and I have no idea out
legitimate it is but I’m just gonna I’m
just gonna pretend like it’s totally
legitimate but I read or saw or heard
somewhere that most podcasts don’t make
it past 8 episodes so we are now part of
the few the proud the podcasts that made
it to episode 9 so we have made it and
we’re celebrating if you’re on YouTube
you can see if not I’m wearing a party
hat and I have a little bit of this oh
okay well I guess I should have tried
that before I did this but it’s one of
those little party blower things I
thought it was gonna make a noise but it
doesn’t but it does have a unicorn on it
so that’s pretty alright we are
celebrating today not only because it’s
our ninth episode but also pretty much
immediately after we uploaded last
week’s episode episode 8 we hit a
thousand downloads for our podcast and I
just feel like I don’t know some people
might not be impressed by that but I
feel so blessed and humbled legitimately
I feel humbled and blessed that the
podcast has been downloaded a thousand
times and I know that it’s because we
have such a great community here but
also we’ve had some amazing guests
and man just a huge thank you to
everybody who’s been on if you’re
someone who owns a laundromat and you
want to come on here and talk
laundromats with me in front of everyone
else
man come do it checkout laundromat
resource calm slash podcast guest I’ll
put a link in the description or in the
show notes and today is show number nine
the show number nine and so if you want
to check out the show notes page for
more information for all the links that
are mentioned today for everything from
the video to the audio to you know how
to get in contact with Ross all that’s
gonna be at laundromat resource calm
slash show nine all one thing no spaces
or underscores or dashes or anything
just show nine a lot of my resource calm
slash show nine for the show notes so
check that out if you’re interested in
that and today’s man today’s show is a I
I mean it’s riveting I am yeah I just I
don’t even I’m just like speechless
right now because Ross’s story just the
fact that he is on this podcast today by
the end of this episode probably by the
middle of you’re gonna be like how in
the world is even on this podcast right
now let alone thriving in the industry
after what happened to him after the
obstacles he had to overcome to get to
where he is now and he is thriving so
you are going to not only just be
enthralled by his story but you’re gonna
learn a ton he just brings a ton of
value he’s an open book I love I had so
much fun talking with Ross today you’re
gonna have a ton of fun – I think so
make sure if you haven’t yet where ever
you’re listening to this or watching
this on YouTube Apple podcast stitcher
wherever you’re listening or watching
make sure you’re subscribed because
every week we have something cool happen
and we have an owner coming on who’s
just talking about their experience
sharing the things that they’ve learned
sharing the things that are working for
them sharing tips for newbies for people
who are trying to get into the
laundromat industry telling them what
they
need to know what they wish they would
have known so do not miss it make sure
you subscribe
I’ll wait go ahead subscribe right now
alright alright it’s enough of that
alright so today you know we’re
celebrating 19 episodes we’re
celebrating a thousand downloads we’re
we’re way over that now but you know
we’re celebrating a thousand downloads
and man we’re just gonna have a blast
so before we get into this story with
Ross though I wanted to highlight one of
the questions from the forum today and
if you if you’ve been listening and you
haven’t done it yet you have another
opportunity for redemption this week
head over to the forum’s laundromat
resource calm slash forums again links
down below or in the in the show notes
and go to the forums and check out
what’s happening over there I’ve been
excited there’s been more and more stuff
going on there’s been more and more
interactions and I would really love for
us to be a community and a place where
we can help each other out and where we
can share with one another and you know
help each other succeed and that’s a
great place to do it
but today Corey had or this week Corey
had a great question it was one that
kinda surprised me actually and I
thought that some of you guys might have
some input on this he’s asking he’s
looking at a laundromat you know I’m
assuming it’s a he it might be a she he
or she is looking at a laundromat and
they are that that laundromat has a wash
and fold service and they’re wondering
if they should can the wash dry fold
service does about 30% of the business
it can and instead with that space put
in new machines and man that was just I
was a surprising question for me because
I I’m always trying to think the other
way how do I add more wash dry fold or
pickup delivery or how can I expand my
business and that way but Corey’s point
is they want to simplify the
without losing revenue and they don’t
want the the management headaches and
the oversight and extra supplies that
you have to purchase and all of that and
man I thought it was a great question so
you know if you have some input and
watch trifold fluff and fold or any of
that that you want to go help Corey out
head over to laundromat resource comm
slash forum and click on the laundromats
forum we have a few different forums
over there the laundromats one is where
this one is and go help Corey out and
give some input on to that forum one
other thing I want to highlight before
we jump into this I know that you got to
be itching to get into this because I
know I am this podcast episode was again
Ross was incredible I had a ton of fun
talking to Ross before we get in there
one more quick thing I just want to
highlight that if you’re not a member
yet of laundromat resource calm you
haven’t signed up for that free
membership it’s free and we have a ton
of tools and resources for you over
there and one of the things I want to
highlight that we’re rolling out this
week we’re starting to roll them out is
we have a bunch of tools over there some
of them are very simple some of them are
a little more in-depth and and we have
some tools that are designed for people
who are looking to get into the industry
you want to know what to look for I want
to know what that process is like I want
to know how to analyze deals and we have
some tools that are designed for owners
who currently own laundromats and again
some of those are free without any
obligation no email or anything some of
them you just got to join the free
membership but if you haven’t yet I
encourage you to go do that it’s it’s
it’s really cool how the community is
starting to grow over there so go check
that out
but this week we’re starting to roll out
little mini video tutorials on all of
those tools just so I can explain to you
what they are and how to use them what
they’re good for what to do with them
and just how they work so I’m rolling
those out and I think that’s gonna be a
really awesome little feature for you
guys for the members there
so go check those out all right let’s
jump into this thing we have a quick
message and then we’re gonna jump into
our talk with Ross in today’s world if
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description all right without any
further ado let’s jump in with Ross all
right Ross how’s it going man how are
you doing good good how are you I’m
doing awesome thank you so much for
being on the podcast I’m super excited
to hear your story we’ve talked a little
bit about it already and I think it’s
gonna blow people’s minds that you’re
sitting here right now on this podcast
but thank you for being on I appreciate
it I write plain good well hey let’s
start with why don’t you tell people
just a little bit about who you are and
how you got into the laundromat industry
I get asked all the time when I tell
people that I own
that’s like that’s random like how did
you get into the industry so it’s random
that you’re in it how’d you get in yeah
I mean I always kind of struggle with
what’s the best path into how I got here
I mean I always kind of wanted to work
for myself an entrepreneurial spirit in
the past it works better for me and I
had a business I’m from Kentucky
originally so I had a business there and
I went through kind of the whole credit
downturn and so I started thinking about
now that I’m out here what can I get
back into that maybe a little more
resilient to economic of course who knew
covered was gonna happen I’m good though
I started looking at that thing that
sort of stuff and and what was happening
throughout my daily life that I used and
need it and so it kind of started there
that it’s like laundries I hate my two
that are at my apartment
so starting using them and it’s like why
does it gotta be this well it started
out that this seems good then it had
been him float into why’s it gotta be
this awful experience yeah yeah it is
awful I hate folding clothes I I had
half of mine to just start a fluff and
fold business just so I didn’t have to
fold my own clothes nobody else use it
was fine holding or putting it away I
can put it yeah that’s true
actually I need I need that service
somehow so we should incorporate that
some way new business venture cool so
just to clarify where you locate you
said now that you’re out here were you
located and so I’m in Los Angeles
California at the time we lived kind of
in Hollywood those fields area okay I’m
now I’m right over by Dodger Stadium so
still relatively close who Dodgers all
right yes I mean you know when sports
come back yeah
awesome so that’s kind of I think that’s
pretty cool way to kind of get in the
industry actually because it’s like okay
I see you know a good you know business
idea but by finding it you took a look
at your life and seeing what are the
things that I use what are the things
that I need and how can I you know turn
that into a business I think that’s
really cool and I think that’s something
that a lot of us really miss we’re
always looking for you know what’s the
big thing what’s the sexy thing and you
know laundromats are a lot of things but
they’re not super sexy it’s like just
practical and I think that that’s solid
you know and and one of the things you
know you mentioned the kovat stuff you
know and that’s a whole other story but
one of the things that it’s proven out
is that you know for a long time I think
the laundromat industry has said hey
everybody needs place to live food to
eat and clean clothes to wear and you
know and we’re essential essentially and
and the Cova thing is kind of proving
that out I know a lot of us took some
hits for a little while but most of us
were able to stay open and do business
yes we room they open and so I’m
definitely happy even more happy in this
business now to be able to stay open
yeah and I and I think it’s also you
know at least for me it makes me feel
like we’re doing something that matters
you know I think with the kovat stuff
the cleanliness is so important it’s
always it’s always been important and
it’s just showing how important it is
and I never slap on essential to my sexy
laundress that’s right that is right you
are essential let me tell you all right
so you’re in the laundromat industry and
you know we’ll talk about your specific
businesses here in a little bit but I
want it you know this is when when you
first reached out to me and said hey I’m
interested in doing this here’s you know
the gist of my story I felt like I was
punched in the stomach for you and so I
why don’t you tell people a little bit
about
maybe lead us into it talk to us about
the process of getting your first
laundromat you know and how that process
went and then and then tell us what
happened after you finally got a punch
of salt and stomach I think so when I
initially start thinking about it I was
in a fairly new relationship at the time
we were getting more serious at now my
husband Russell and he always had a
career when I met him and so when I
started kind of talking like I think
maybe look at the laundry business he
was kind of like uh-huh and from the
start when I really started looking –
when we finally closed on the first one
was almost exactly a year so it was not
quick I had a lot of trials and
tribulations of finding one that not
only I liked and but I also had no money
I had no money and so I would say
there’s a couple of things and maybe we
can come back to it but I decided kind
of early on like what was my risk level
and since I didn’t really have any other
assets I could risk a lot nothing to
risk yeah so I opened credit cards lines
of credit and that’s how I bought the
first one completely in my name in case
it went bad because we weren’t married
yeah I was like we gotta weigh this out
I can’t destroy his finances and our
relationship all the time it was bad
but so and plenty enough the very first
laundry I had looked at ended up a year
later being the laundry that we bought
but when I first saw it inexperienced I
was still inexperienced when I bought it
but my vision when I first started
looking at laundries what had was
completely different and and it didn’t
fit that model in my mind but over the
year every time I found one I would go
and do laundry constantly going
different times a day and it
it allowed me to be in the laundry and
talk to people and nobody would look at
me like this laundry’s I mean because
some people are so laundries with that
employees knowing or anything and so
fast forward and it was like this
actually fits perfect how did I miss
this the first time so ended up closing
on that it was very old
it was very half of the equipment what
was out I had already placed an order
with PWS for at the time you could buy a
hundred thousand with like beating her
like these are my like eight machines
that I can order in replace and I was
there I didn’t have employees I was
there every day and then Russell’s going
at night and meeting with the tech and
five days in we get a call we have to
prepare people before we get there but I
want to back up real quick before we get
there because you’re about to drop a
bomb and but before we do so I do I do
some coaching and I get all the time
people who want to get into laundromat
industry and don’t have money they you
know just the same situation as you and
so can you you just elaborate a little
bit more on I mean that’s a huge
obstacle for a lot of people and and I
and I have met people since then and I
definitely say if you have a family of
kids then it a hundred percent changes
it I mean I mean entrepreneurs tend to
risk a lot but if I had young children I
would choose probably differently you
can’t implode your life trying to make a
business work when you have some more
things on the line most likely but I
mean credit is the American Way I guess
if you could say and and in in my case
obviously if you can do cash then do
cash
I felt like that was the one obstacle
kind of standing in my way how can I
mitigate the risk and still get into the
business so I mean when I say I looked
at laundries left and right for a year I
was also looking at laundries that were
on the market for like under 60,000 so I
figured if I can get them down 10 or 20
what I learned after is it’s not just
purchasing the laundry I mean here in
Southern California utility deposits can
be three five times what the average
bill has been so I mean in a way buying
such a random laundry helped me because
the bills were lower right yeah what I
mean you need a lot more cash after you
open and the other thing now being in
the business for a few years there may
be many laundries that you can do in
pieces but if you buy a completely
run-down torn up store don’t think in
your mind you can replace four machines
and make some money and then go buy four
more you won’t make it I’m at least
that’s my opinion
there are some people that have done it
but the risk is exponential the longer
you make those steps I mean I was lucky
that even though I was purchasing the
first one we ended up purchasing that
was so rundown the owners had been there
for almost 17 years and they were there
every day the two of them if one of them
wasn’t there the other was but most of
the time both of them were there they
lived and breathed that laundry so
despite how bad it was getting the
customers knew them they were family so
they would tolerate all of that so I
came in having a customer base where
normally that laundry just would have
been nothing yeah
yeah I think that’s I think that’s good
let me ask you this would you if you if
you had to go back and do it all over
again would you still do it the way that
you did it in terms of taking out you
know doing the credit the lines of
credit the credit cards all that stuff
would you still do that I would do it
again I mean I think I I planned as much
as I could for planning meant and
luckily I had access to some some great
credit unions I mean you don’t want to
take your chase card and cash advance it
they have astronomical rates but credit
unions a lot of times don’t charge extra
or only 1% more for a cash advance so I
was able to access cash even with credit
that you can’t normally do with your
standard big banks so I wasn’t accessing
astronomical rates or else I probably
would have buried myself in too bad you
can’t pay 30% right right well I mean
okay so here’s the reason I’m asking is
because I just want people to hear that
you can do it there are ways to do it
you know I think the biggest barrier to
entry in the laundromat industry you
know one is kind of a lack of knowledge
it’s really hard to find concrete
knowledge and in numbers about
laundromats but the other huge barrier
to entry is is the financing you know
and yes laundromats are expensive but I
want people to hear if you have if
you’re working and can do it which I
don’t necessarily recommend for a first
laundry unless you have a flexible
schedule because this is not a
collective quarters once a week thing
but but I mean obviously you do have
some better borrowing options if you
have a verifiable income while trying to
do something so unverifiable in the
beginning so it there are options if you
have to go outside of standard Eastern
funding or
that machine machines are pretty easy I
would say
but it’s usually acquisition and remodel
yep yeah yeah so I I just want to hear I
want people to be able to who are
interested who maybe don’t have the
money but want to get into the industry
there are ways you just have to be more
creative and you have to be determined I
think and that’s you know you we’re
gonna find out here in a second that you
are like the epitome of determined and
but I think that that is every
successful person that I’ve talked with
either here on the podcast or just in in
life they’re just determined people and
they find these obstacles and they
figure out a way to get through them
over them around them or whatever and
that’s exactly what I think you did
to give it that such laundromat probably
where my inexperience actually helped me
because I didn’t call up people like I
didn’t really work with a broker for the
most part until close to the end and
then the sellers broker actually double
represented us but up until that point I
didn’t really work with a broker because
every time you talk to a broker it’s
like well what cash do you have and I’m
like I mean no man define cash and I was
a little too I’m a very open person and
sometimes that hurt me because then
they’d be like well you just can’t do it
and and so then I learned to just start
if I had to represent cash I started
representing what I could deposit in the
next week and through my creative ways
and and so I just learned to really
search out on my own because you talk to
any of the bigger brokers and at the
time maybe it’s changed but they didn’t
really have anything I mean they’re
listing started in the 200 and it’s like
well can you finance that I’ll finance
it if you’ll approve me and they’re like
well you need 50% atma though it kind of
probably ended up being the thing that
helped me to just come to Craigslist I
calmed everything I can find outside of
the standard
yeah well you know kudos to you I think
that’s great people you know we’ll run
up against this barrier of financing a
lot of times and that’ll be the end of
it which actually turns out to be kind
of a good thing for the rest of us
because you know for those who can
figure out ways to overcome the barriers
the rewards can be pretty good so you
know kudos to you unless the rest of
your story happens to somebody so let’s
okay so right now you have overcome this
massive obstacle you’re probably
exhausted by the day you closed your
laundromat because you work so hard for
a year trying to get this thing and you
you know you’re picking up some new
equipment from PWS you’re getting ready
to start
you know renovating and all that stuff
so so alright day of closing forward
tell us tell us your story yeah it’s
like Dave closing and the owners trying
to do such a good job and tape on each
key and it was on a table in the back
room I must have had a hundred keys I’m
not joking in this laundry was 1,800
square feet and you’re going I’m sorry
what and they really did help you the
first couple of days and and it was like
I’d bring out a thing of peas and some
of the customers would even know so
we’re just trying to hold all the duct
tape together and be like can I get
these new machines and how do I get more
because I’ve ordered washers and now I’m
looking at my dryer and so we were
working with this great mechanic luckily
somebody had referred us to he worked
full-time and he was coming 9:30 10
o’clock at night and he would go for two
or three hours and get a couple of
machines done so fifth night Russell had
stayed at the laundry so I could go home
and sleep a little bit because at that
time Saturdays and Sundays the laundry
opened at 5:00 instead of six and I was
there
until 11:00 at night and he stayed to
work with the mechanic comes home about
12:30 or 1:00 3:30 I hear my phone and I
let it go to voicemail and I listen to
the voicemail and Ross the plaza is on
fire come now and it was my landlord and
the plaza that we were in the little
chickens form the restaurant next to us
had an electrical fire and burned the
laundry down and so we went rushing out
but yeah I can’t say I was prepared I
can laugh about it now but oh my gosh
day five I wasn’t ready for it I hadn’t
even made my first insurance premium I’m
like are they even gonna cover it like
so Y I’ve days in in your laundromat I
mean did it burn down did it no I mean
talk to me talk to me about this fire
here a little bit I like I don’t know if
everybody else is feeling what I’m
feeling right now but I cannot imagine
going through everything you’ve gone
through overcoming these huge obstacles
for a year to finally close on your
laundromat and you’re trying to get it
going and it catches on fire yeah yeah
so it we were right next door it was an
older older Plaza so things have changed
a lot of course with everything so it
learned about only about 20% of our
laundry was that all but but it took out
half of the roof and ironically it was
the one one night that it was raining in
LA Wow didn’t help put the fire out but
but obviously between the fire
department coming through with an axe
and there’s a wall or door in the way
it’s coming out coming in and they go
along the roof and punch holes all on
the roofs
it-it-it it totaled us I mean you you
first walk in and and you’re like oh the
equipment it’s wet it can probably
sustain that but what I’ve learned now
is insurance is not interested in any of
that
and and I guess I we were very lucky
from the standpoint that our carrier at
the time sent down somebody like two
days after the fire and she like has
matted suit up and she’s like you’re
walking in like that we’re like she was
like don’t take any of that stuff home
with you you’ll never get the smell out
and she was right but she walked in and
she left around she’s like Toto let me
know if you need anything and watch back
out she hadn’t another adjuster person
with her I mean now I can’t laugh about
that but at the time you’re done already
what’s happening
I just wasn’t I wasn’t prepared at all
oh my god well how could you be prepared
for something like that I feel like if
that happened to me now I still wouldn’t
be you can’t be prepared for something
like that yeah I mean I think I think
initially we had to still wait for the
fire department to clear it when we
first got there and and I’m I’m kind of
one of those like if it’s not a person
it’s a thing like we have insurance
but I don’t know if it was just my my
new project my my future that I saw but
when they cleared us and I walked it in
I thought I was fine and I went and I
just lost it and so it took me a minute
and then I was like gosh I think I can
sleep in tomorrow okay well this has got
to be the question on everybody’s mind
right now is how in the world and why in
the world do you own laundromats right
now after that experience how I mean how
business well I said at that point it’s
like I mean when we start going into the
insurance stuff it’s like they know they
they do it in they did it in two phases
for us so phase one was like here’s what
it was worth when it burned here’s your
cheque and it’s like okay well that pays
off where I was it actually gave us more
money but I hadn’t even got to run the
business yet so I couldn’t even say
rather I liked it or didn’t like it so
I’m kind of typical to that how I
operate I was like then I guess this
just means we should dive two feet in
instead of one double down I like it and
I mean going back to financing and no
money just that little bit from our
first back not only paid what we had
paid for the laundry but paid our debt
off and thanks look at snapshots and the
snapshot is I have good credit
I have zero debt and I have a little bit
of money in the bank so now my lending
power became pretty high and I went
running as fast as I could with that so
we immediately decided we were going to
rebuild the longitude burned supervision
yes okay initially told six to twelve
months at month six when they hadn’t
even removed the roof yet we knew that
twelve wasn’t going to happen and we
actually ended up taking over the little
chicken restaurant that caused the fire
and that’s now our fluffy unfold but I
immediately started looking for a second
laundry um – so you really did jump back
in both feet yeah you’re like I owned
one for five days so I’m pretty much an
expert let’s go
you know that wood burned down so let’s
just build that one and buy another one
I love it yeah I love it so and and of
course that’s
to the the first in taking a year I did
I did go into escrow on a couple and and
they never kind of came to fruition so
by now we’re we’re like I almost a year
and a half into the rebuild and it’s
still not built and so it’s like well
now we better not go buy a second one
and about the time I decided that I get
a call going I have this laundry that I
think you’re just gonna love and I was
like well I don’t know how I’m gonna
finance it but let’s see it let’s take a
look and and so ended up looking into
starting to buy that one that
interestingly enough that owner as I’m
buying it files bankruptcy so now it’s
frozen in court when I’m about to open
he comes in the middle of the night and
takes every like takes the money and
locks the door and says closed so that
ended up being delayed remodeled laundry
one Vanja two opens the exact same day
no way January 1st 2017 I’m back into
business for my sixth day so how long
did it take to rebuild how long did it
end up taken two years – exactly and and
it was Wow
it was an experience it was learning and
it was infuriating the laundry sat for
three months with no power that’s all we
needed was power and and by this time I
mean insurance covers lots of income for
twelve months so we’re a month nineteen
now and the laundry was so close to
being done in like June everybody starts
saying you need to start paying so I
started paying on the equipment I
started paying
landlord and then the laundry’s not
opening so now I’m going I’m running out
of money then I am I’m back to credit
cards again and we’ve got laundry to
under-construction
laundry one is ready to open but I have
no power and I could not get the power
turned on and so I’m like with the power
company like you’re going to court with
me when I’m telling the judge I can’t
pay bills because you haven’t provided
power to my business it is ready so yeah
I’m gonna suppress my Power Company rant
but I feel your pain and that that’s got
to be so frustrating we can we can thank
a channel channel channel 6 I think it
was I on your side the day I signed the
release of the Power Company that they
could speak to channel 6 is the day I
finally had this lovely lovely lady I
wish I had been dealing with her from
the beginning that we had power in two
days and she was like any time you ever
have anything happen again you just call
me direct don’t go anywhere
that’s like god I want to kiss you right
now yeah I mean it’s it’s it’s a bit of
who you know and and how loud your voice
can be unfortunately oh yeah yeah but I
mean it does come down to that sometimes
and you know I found that all over the
place even with like the police
department that I’ve had to deal with
sometimes you know sometimes I just had
to call them every single day and
multiple times a day just to get them
out you know when I had problems early
on in my first laundromat and yeah I I
really envy some people that along the
boards that I follow and whatnot that
live in a little bit smaller communities
right that can call up and and they’ll
gladly come out I mean unfortunately I
mean we are just really challenged
especially here in LA and I think it’s
style with mental illness and and
unfortunately we’re just not set up to
handle yeah yeah it’s it’s a difficult
situation kind of all around I think I
think all up and down the west coast
even I’m sure everywhere but you know
especially right now it’s it should be
bad so okay so now you opened your two
laundromats on your sixth day two years
after your your first one burned down
and you’re up and running how was it
opening two on one day that seems kind
of overwhelming it was overwhelming
because one laundry ended up being
Dexter and one laundry ended up being
Speed Queen and I knew little to none
about either of them so it didn’t really
matter but I had brand new employees at
both locations and I was bouncing back
and forth and if an issue came up that I
didn’t know where water shutoffs were it
even though they were brand new
remodeled is still felt like the first
day from the first one before it burned
I didn’t know anything and I I just felt
like adding the fact that I couldn’t be
at one location at the whole time just
was like what did i do what did I do and
so it was a little crazy but after a
little while them you you start to get I
mean most of the time I mean we found
very early on if you could just smile
and like please bear with us 99% of the
customers were like it’s it’s fine we
understand like they gave us a break so
yeah yeah well I mean that yeah that
sounds silver and you’re right I mean
you do finally get a rhythm but it’s
overwhelming I remember being
overwhelmed you know I remember
specifically getting the keys actually I
got like a bucket of keys
with my first one it’s a little you know
1800 square foot one and I lit I
literally have a like a cookie dough
bucket full of keys that I’ve not even
touched I don’t even know what they go
to yeah most of them but I remember
getting that and just that overwhelming
feeling of like what do I do now and
like customers would ask me questions
I’m like I know nothing about these
machines I don’t I think about the you
know any of this stuff I don’t know what
I’m doing
yeah but I think you’re right having
that million-dollar smile and just being
like sorry like I’m trying really hard
you know I’m trying to figure it out for
you and you know and just being
generated out we we paid for a lot of
stuff but I I just figured very early on
that the people that were going to be
our customers would appreciate us trying
and and giving them a little for their
patience and the people that were going
to take advantage of us would would just
go away once we stopped doing that and
got into our rhythm so in the early days
it was just like I’m sorry here hold let
me start again let me do this again and
and and that gave us the time to also
just like huh with with the people that
were really willing to to help us
through it and they’re like it’s fine
just just sit down for a sec I mean
laundry tends to be a little bit like
the bar normally you’re the therapist
but sometimes the customer really wants
to help you out too and and we were very
lucky that we had some really really
great customers still to this day we do
but very early on that that we’re just
willing to and hand-walk me and my
employees through some of the staff yeah
I think it’s off and I found that like
my my laundromat you’re both had pretty
rough neighborhoods but even still I
found that by far like 98 or 99 percent
of my customers are great solid people
and it’s just the you know it’s a small
minority that makes a rough neighborhood
a rough neighborhood generally speaking
so
you know yeah but that’s awesome so tell
me this what is your what is your we’ll
get into we’ll get into like details
your business here in a second and I
know you own more than two how many do
you own now so we were up to four we
bought a third one just within a year
the first two opening and then last year
built out a facility for our pickup and
delivery a dedicated facility that’s
closed to the public and we sold the
second one that we purchased so we’re at
a three right now with several in the
pipeline oh I like it you are a glutton
for punishment I like this so what is
your day-to-day look like now I mean it
varies a little bit but I I would I
would say now fast-forward a couple of
years I mean my day today is a lot more
controlled most of the time yeah if it
was just dealing with the laundries I
have great staff now so I can be fairly
hands-off with that the pickup and
delivery is still a growing thing and
and I’ve struggled more to find my my
way in that business and then the
laundry business so I put a lot more
time into that yeah oh and it’s also
something you’re building from scratch
and it’s also it’s not a new like
industry but it’s a newer industry it’s
developing industry still so I think
everybody’s still figuring things out a
little bit so yeah so have a little
grease it’s good go for come bigger
obstacles it’s fine
woody what are you okay you mentioned
that you have maybe a few in the
pipeline but what are your what
direction you heading are you looking to
add 50 laundromats are you looking to
what’s your what are your goals do you
have any um so I’ve said
and um this year but I’m I’m running out
of runway
well it’s the Cova thing man the kovat
thing all right keep going
so I I would say I do have a number
somewhere around 20 or 25 okay um that’s
your goal
yeah well I mean I’m relatively young
yeah 39 incredibly young I’m 38 so we
are just man late 30s is the new early
20s in my opinion my parents both
retired from IBM my dad was there for 36
years and my mom for 27 and thank
goodness they have pensions but that
rarely exists in companies anymore so I
always my husband and I always talk
about now like it’s a lot different from
her parents growing up where if you had
a million in the bank
you were just set you were fine in
retirement but that included a pension
lien doesn’t go as far anymore here yeah
well especially here in LA so you got a
lot more into to try to build towards
yeah all right man well 20 or 25 I like
that ten this year you better get
rolling I hope you have that few in the
pipeline yeah get them going it sounds
like that but that’s that’s totally
doable and I think you know even if you
even if you miss that goal just having
that goal and shooting for that goal you
know you’re gonna be further along than
if you didn’t have the goal and he
didn’t shoot for it so I love that I
love that well we have a little segment
of the podcast that we like to call down
to business and that’s just an
opportunity for us to talk about your
business and in some of the details so
let’s run through some of those so you
talked about your location how
four of a radius or your your
laundromats in your facility and from
currently I’m pretty close I’ve been
lucky in that standpoint and I would
definitely say when starting out stay
close
I mean now I’m willing to go out further
because I feel like I have a better
handle on things I have I have a better
team that can handle certain things but
in the beginning I especially going
through the fire we were only about 15
minutes away of course in LA everything
was that’s like two blocks or what well
I gotta keep in mind when I’m looking at
laundries right now during ko fit that I
know actually say in the beginning say
closer I’ve never been more than 30
minutes from any of our laundries and
and we were very lucky in finding we
bought an old close down laundry to
build our facility and it’s right in the
center about everything my newer stuff
is is getting further out yeah yeah well
you got to move you got to move out
sometimes but yeah that’s awesome that’s
awesome to have them so close together
my first one I was like 45 minutes away
and man I mean I just didn’t expect you
know getting all these random calls
about random things from hey there’s two
inches of water all throughout your
laundromat – there’s you know somebody
drunk just yelling at the washing
machine or whatever like hey you got to
come out here or like the washer won’t
open and my clothes have been in there
two hours or whatever yeah yeah expect
all of that and so 45 minutes is that’s
a long way to go and that stuff happens
it sure sure yeah okay so we talked
about you have three right now you had
four you have three now and you got to
feed the pipeline see you okay when you
when you bought your first one before it
burned down how long ago was that
that was at December of 2014
okay fourteen and then two years later
was at January of seventeen
yes Wow that makes it sound even longer
January of seventeen is kind of really
when you got in the industry I mean you
were in but that’s kind of your you know
your that’s when you were getting your
your real experience in okay so you
haven’t been in super long it’s been a
few years well you’ve kind of been in a
long time and kind of not been in a long
time so it’s kind of kind of we’re done
so where you at VIN prices wise I know
la is super competitive can you give us
like just ballpark you don’t have to
give us like too many specifics but
we’re works were the highest I think I
try to stay highest so I check in on on
people around and and I will gladly
raise my prices but I typically in the
beginning raised about every six months
and because I started just above kind of
at the market at the time and and I the
first year year-and-a-half I raised
every six months now I couldn’t sistent
ly raise at least once the year
we’re also full cycle dry I was one of
the first in LA to go full cycle dry I
highly recommend it I try to everybody
to switch to it and so were and and
people on the East Coast and Midwest
they’ll probably hear this and just
about croak but out here it’s not very
uncommon for 15 minutes a quarter 12
minutes a quarter so when I started at a
dollar for 30 minutes
at people were going bonkers about it
for a very short minute but and so now
now I’m up to a dollar fifty I’m a
thirty pound dollar 75 mi fifty pounds
I’m for thirty minutes and my 20 pounds
is my smallest I don’t do top-loaders
get rid of them I don’t care if your
favorite customer loves them if they
leave they’re probably not your customer
anyway
I promise you so my 20 pounds starts at
375 and we go all the way up to a 90
pound and they’re consistent in that
that price I don’t know it sounds as you
get larger yeah that’s awesome
and I I love you know as I’ve been doing
this podcasters interviewing all kinds
of different owners I found that the
ones that are doing the best tend to be
the price leaders in their in their area
but they’re also the ones bring in the
most value to the customers so they can
charge that much and and and and Dave
said on his when he was on with you that
that I want to be compete on value never
on price and I’ve posted as soon as I
was listening to so that because I was
like say it again for me yes yes I mean
I think as entrepreneurs sometimes we
end up being our worst enemy and and yes
we have to listen to people especially
when we’re new but you’ve got to know
when to filter out what what advice is
is good and and where you as the
entrepreneur need to make those business
decisions that are business decisions
and you know and you can’t have 10
customers tell you that if you get rid
of that toploader
that I won’t be your customer and you’ve
got a thousand other customers you just
eat and I mean when we first opened I
can tell you I had two people walk out
of the store the first week we were open
when they couldn’t find a top loader
against what they were pushing a little
cart for carrying a bag they were not
pushing in the grocery cart or backing
the truck up to the laundry and it’s
it’s not your customer they have top
loaders at home in Nevada in the
basement of their apartments everyone’s
got to up load or somewhere it doesn’t
need to be in the laundromat period it’s
always saying
reach I love that I love that I got rid
of the top loaders in my first
laundromat and I
a little bit of backlash but not a not a
ton and not for very long and people
pretty quickly got used to it I still
have some in my second laundromat and I
am like dying to replace those suckers
not just because they use a lot more you
know utilities water electricity they
don’t last and all that stuff but they
break down more often there you can try
to like stuff those things full and if
you turned out the belts and they get
mad at you and I don’t know there’s so
many problems with them that I would
just love to chuck them off the roof or
something so yeah
someday I’ll videotape that and put it
on YouTube
and real quick if you haven’t listened
to that episode from Dave Mane’s and
that’s show number two go listen to that
Dave is awesome I’ll put it in the in
the show notes a link to it make sure
you listen to that so yeah Dave he
brought it with that value okay turns
per day you have like a ballpark average
of what you’re looking so yeah our first
and second store or I mean what ends is
our first store now we average between
seven and nine our third store was a
smaller or that the that started out my
model when we opened one and two was
that we would be fully attended have
drop-off service and and that was just
the thing and we opened store three and
I’m like losing money losing money
losing money and I was like oh gosh I
made my huge first mistake in laundries
with buying this third store which
brings me to
being ready to pivot and make a change
don’t get so trapped in your mind and
and and lose focus on on that sometimes
things have to change
so that store we hold all the employees
now it’s got a cleaner and we don’t do
drop off and that store is now a super
successful store in a different way yeah
but now that we figured out the locking
systems the camera system the lights
automated all of that was a new thing
for us but now that we’ve got that
figured out that store causes me so much
less headaches than any of the other
stores so I think Luke with blanking on
his name right now yeah Wolford sorry
family yeah I’ve talked to them lodge
excellence and every clean show I love
their story and catching up on how many
more they’ve opened because every time I
blink they have two more so I’m trying
to catch up Luke I’m coming one of the
very first times I met him like we had
to decide a long time ago what model we
were going to go with and and basic that
model and stick with it because it can
make things a lot faster when you stick
with one particular direction with your
stores on how best we can acquire them
so I always remember that and now I’m
starting to really like my unattended
store well you know what’s funny is that
the episode the next episode after your
episode is with Luke I interviewed him
earlier today for that episode so he’s
he’s brining it too so stay make sure if
you haven’t subscribed to this podcast
subscribe because this episode is
already just it’s jam-packed full of
isn’t I know you got some stuff to say
next episodes gonna be awesome – I’m
keeping a very close eye on his new card
system I think it’s gonna end up in one
of our laundries in the very near future
hey people appreciate you saying that
and I think I told him today a little
sneak peek but I told him today that you
know he is obsessed with you know
serving the customer and he is obsessed
with operations and I said if you’re
gonna buy a card system from somebody
you wanna buy a card system from
somebody who built a system for
themselves and he’s obsessed with
customer satisfaction and with you know
efficient operations and so he’s got a
good thing going I think yeah definitely
worth checking out yeah so stay tuned
next episode for that all right so you
have both attended and unattended
are you currently are you all coin store
no so store 1 store 2 or hybrid there’s
the night or walk stores yeah store 3
and on have been card only yes that’s
like the dream an array I’m not going
back to coin I I’m happy for all you
dollar coin people it’s not gonna be me
and if yeah so I’m I’m just not not only
from I mean I’m all for a customer
paying any way possible however if
you’re gonna be a one store to store you
can do that I just don’t feel you can be
a 25 store owner and collect quarters
I’m gonna pay somebody a hundred
thousand dollars a year to collect
quarters and and and and they’re gonna
skip more off the table the operational
side of making sure that person is not
stealing when it’s quarters is going to
be at 25 stores I just can’t I couldn’t
track it I know me I know me I can’t
give you a receipt off of my credit card
I can’t track quarters like that I’m not
interested no that is yeah it’s way too
much and I think you’re right I think
you know when you get to scale you got
to think of you know things changed and
your operations need to change and your
systems need to change
and so that’s definitely one that I
think your value themselves I mean you
got into this business hopefully to to
be an entrepreneur and to change
something in your life whether it be now
or in the future both hopefully that in
the beginning as our store got this year
I couldn’t be gone for for more than
four days I had it calculated like if
the flight left in the morning and I
couldn’t collect before we left like I
had four days only and it had to be an
early for day not a late for days so I
didn’t want the business to chain me in
that sort of way yeah yeah and I think a
lot of people get into the business for
the freedom and when you start scaling
up like that you don’t have a system of
payment that gives you that freedom
I mean you lose your freedom real quick
you know even it even at a couple of
stores you know it ends up taking a lot
of time so the nice second floor was so
so busy we had to replace all of our
coin drops and coin boxes in under two
years just because of the lint and and
the amount of use and so it’s not a
simple calculation of oh and paying 3%
or 4% of credit cards and it is an
expense to set up for sure no but it’s
your your long-term goal yeah I think
it’s great how many how many hours do
you would you say you spend you know on
your business now I know early on you
were there all the time every day it’s
you know three o’clock in the afternoon
on a Tuesday right now so and so I mean
yeah back to the laundries themselves
I’m probably inside the laundries less
than five hours of the week I like
people to still see my face especially
face so I’m here
I mean I mean it’s important for
customer my employees to they can always
reach me but it’s important that
customers also see you with your
employees and that you’re just not some
invisible owner that slaves drives their
employees we’re open a lot of holidays
and I make it a point especially on
holidays to be in my stores if we’re in
town because people have the stigma that
you were forced to work and I all my
employees to choose on the holidays and
we pay for it
how would I pay so but yeah it’s
important to be seen but otherwise
outside of the normal running I’m
probably five hours pickup and delivery
like I said is still more to me so I
probably spend fifteen or so hours on
that and I mean I take phone calls all
the time yeah but really working is
probably down to 20 hours a week at this
point and that’s baby doing projects
right yeah yeah and you know you’re
looking for other laundromats and all
that stuff to you yeah yeah yeah but
still I mean that’s pretty that was less
than I was expecting for you know pickup
and delivery service that you’re you’re
growing right now so I think that’s
awesome
not bad for you know half a week’s worth
hours you know being able to work on a
few different businesses that’s pretty
cool well awesome that’s the down to
business
now comes my favorite couple of segments
of the podcast the first one is this
it’s called the secret sauce listen up
it’s the secret sauce
and in the secret sauce it’s you know
directed towards laundromat owners and
you know I’m just looking for an answer
to this question what’s one thing that’s
working well in your businesses right
now that other laundromat owners can
implement into their business that might
help them improve their business my my
team my employees I mean it was it was a
pro tip very early on that I got from
enrique del del riviera he owns several
laundries here in LA he used to be the
president of the Southern California and
he said to me very early on when when I
had escaped to one of the luncheons
after the first two opened and I was
just running in and out take phone calls
and stuff and he was like I know right
now money is probably hard and you can’t
see it but as soon as you can make it
happen
don’t be your employer employee be the
employer or an entrepreneur and I’ve
said it over the years since then that
when he said it to me I was like paying
my pay wrong credit cards how am I gonna
hire more people but as soon as I did it
it allowed me to to start focusing on
the customers again start focusing on
the employees that were there and and
and training them more and it was I
don’t know if it was just luck or a
little bit of everything but how quickly
it turned around to the laundry’s going
from red to green after doing that so
yeah yeah getting good people in there
you’ve got to have good people and
you’ve gotta be constantly looking and
reassessing what’s working and not
working and you can’t do that
when you’re stuck behind the counter
okay in the beginning I was still there
just as much but I was there in the
capacity of
as the employee yeah I think that’s just
I think that’s solid advice and you know
just having the right people in there
helping you giving you the space like
you said to work on your business not in
your business you know to use kind of a
cliche term but it’s so true because
it’s so easy to get sucked into the
whirlwind of you know just all the
things that need to happen to make a
laundromat run that it can be really
difficult to take a step back and think
okay well how can I improve this
business okay how can I move us forward
how can I expand and grow into new
laundromats
or pick up a delivery business or
whatever it is that you want to do or
how can I you know make this more
efficient or how can I make this
customer experience better all those
questions are working on your business
and it’s hard to do when you’re the one
doing everything when I think we’ve seen
it more now in the last couple months
with all the cogut stuff is that we are
in our local communities and our
communities are our customers and are my
employees so we invested early on in
that I haven’t done I mean I did try
some stuff when we first opened door
hangers and and different advertising
but I quickly found my best advertising
money was spent directly to my customers
and so we we did pizza parties we did
grand openings when we first did we try
to do a yearly party now which is like
checking in and cake and we just did one
last month and we did free laundry all
day and it it’s it pays off so much
better than any other advertising I
could do and I get to interact and spend
time with my customers that I kind of
miss as I’m running in and out sometimes
yeah I love that you sent me when you
reached out to be on the package you
sent me a video of
one of those parties and one of those
days it was first of all that was an
awesome video I don’t know if you you
know if you want to share that but we
can link that if you want to share it if
not that’s okay yeah yeah so we’ll link
that in the in the show notes and in the
description so check this video it’s
really cool it’s just a video of this
this party that he’s throwing and he
does free laundry for his customers and
it has some interviews with some of the
employees and you know what Ross is
doing and how that’s affecting their
lives as employed and employees and
interviews with some of the customers
and just how much they appreciate it and
it’s it’s really cool I think that
that’s a you know a bonus secret sauce I
think some of it comes from the
fascination of of that especially here
in LA going back to the homeless and
meant to house that it seems so big and
and where can we play a part in that and
a shower and clean clothes it is a
dignity thing that everybody deserves
and then now we have that one tiny piece
that we can offer so easily so it’s just
a matter of figuring out rather you team
up with somebody another organization to
help implement that but I feel like it’s
something that can be implemented
everywhere you just have to find how
it’s gonna work
within your business and and that’s what
we constantly tried to expand on now and
it’s just been a better fit for us to to
focus real local and starting with our
team our employees and and and helping
improve their life and and their fixing
their needs and it makes them much
better employees when they’re not
worried about something that I don’t
even really consider so that’s it’s what
we’re doing epic secret sauce segment i
that i loved every single word that you
had to say there I think that was so
good and I know that you know any any
other owners out there that are you know
listening to this if you can implement
some of this stuff into your business
it’s
really gonna benefit you I know I’m
gonna try to implement I was pretty
inspired by that video that you sent me
and so I’m working out how to kind of
implement something like that into into
my water mess – so pretty cool thanks
for inspiring me at least and I’m sure a
ton of other people the next segment we
like to call pro tips and pro tips is
this it’s more directed towards people
who want are trying to get into the
industry maybe they don’t own a lot
about yet but they’re they’re interested
and they want to buy one so what’s one
piece of advice you would give to
somebody who is wanting to buy their
first longer Matt research research
research and and put yourself in it
I mean if laundry is definitely gonna be
what you’re going into don’t be afraid
to start going everyday and doing
laundry there’s no better way to check
out a laundry than being there for more
than five minutes and and I think pretty
much every guest and you continue to say
ask ask for help ask for advice yes at
some point in the process you’re gonna
have to get a broker and and probably
depending what you’re buying you’re
gonna have to retool it and have to get
involved with a distributor find
somebody that isn’t taking your money
for another soundboard I mean there are
some wonderful distributors wonderful
agents but just like in everything else
somebody could have the best intentions
but they’re also in in business for
themselves – so you’ve got to be
responsible for for for your money
they’re responsible for their money and
you’re responsible for yours but there
are people that that are around to help
them and and we’ll I I think that that
pro tip
genuinely worth thousands of dollars I
do I generally think that takes checks
man I can write you checks all day long
it doesn’t mean anything to me but
genuinely I think that that is true
because you know when I yeah I’ve told
this story before but when I got in the
industry I had to rely on the people
whose income depended on me buying a
laundromat and you know just you saying
the words they’re being responsible for
their money you be responsible for yours
would have drastically changed my
experience getting into the industry you
know and and you know me and I just
listen if you’re looking at to get into
this industry listen to the go you know
listen to this segment again write every
word of it down post it on your bathroom
mirror chanted every morning whatever
because honestly that’s probably the
best advice that you’re gonna hear when
you’re looking to get into the industry
and unfortunately the reason for that is
because there’s there’s just so much
secrecy in the industry right now not
everybody but there’s a lot of secrecy
and there’s a lot of there’s not a lot
of accountability and there’s a there’s
a ton of really great people in this
industry brokers distributors everything
there’s a there’s so many really good
ones but there are some who are out for
their own you know their own agendas and
it might not necessarily line up with
yours and so you you know you need to be
responsible for your own money you need
to do research you need to reach out you
know there’s there’s forums there’s
Facebook groups you know the podcast
you’re hearing from these incredible
owners who are giving their you know
wisdom for free take it you know Ross
has earned every single piece of wisdom
that he has shared and more and I don’t
think that guff were just buying either
you start looking into remodeling reach
pooling and and some contractors would
hear what we pay to have a
laundry done and be late where are you
crazy I could do that for a half the
price laundry is not a typical that’s
especially if you’re if you go permanent
route and stuff it’s a different animal
than a house it’s it’s it’s why there’s
there’s residential real estate brokers
and commercial brokers laundry is
different don’t only be focused on price
get referrals and and and meet with
people I mean but I say we we get into
arguments a lot between brands these
days and and I don’t know that it brand
is really where you need to be focusing
anymore they’re all pretty good they all
have their pluses and minuses I think if
you have a good distributor and sales
person you’re going to see them after
the fact if you’re only looking for
somebody to drop off some equipment to
you then buy it anywhere you can get the
best price but I don’t fix it so I need
I need a team of people behind where I’m
buying and I’ve been lucky that I have
worked with some great people and
continued to at many different companies
so totally man I love that I think
that’s gold sheer I need to go around as
there is floating around I love that all
right well one other question that I
wanted to ask and I just I was curious
if you have maybe like a resource that
you would recommend to people either to
help them grow personally or help them
grow their business is there like a book
or a website or blog or any kind of
resource that you would recommend and I
definitely love Facebook at the
laundromat owners laundromat for success
because it’s so easily accessible CLA
can be a good resource and then
unfortunately this year
laundry excellence was cancelled and I
went to my first one it’s every other
year so two years ago and I loved it I
one to be a big share and then I just
want to be surrounded by people who have
been in the business longer than me that
are willing to share – I get some of my
best advice has all come from people
that were in the business before I was
and so I just I like the sharing part of
it all I mean we all want the same thing
at the end of the day to take care of
our family and be happy and successful
and so yeah I yeah that’s I
let’s just talk all day long how about
that you just tell us stuff all day long
because I love everything you’re saying
and I think that you’re totally right
like the networking aspect of all of
these these groups and these events and
stuff like that that is where you’re
finding you know huge value because
you’re talking to people who are doing
it right you’re talking about and you’re
often talking to I mean we happen to be
relatively close but you’re also like
Dave and in Ohio Dave’s not gonna tell
you something that’s gonna be awful for
your business here just so you’re not
competition to him yeah you you tend to
get advice that that’s based on
experience or that I’ve been through it
I’ve made the mistakes and had the
costly things happen and I I mean here
in LA I just don’t even think like my
closest competitor is really my
competition we we get too caught up on
on worrying what the person’s doing
instead of just stay in your lane in
that instance and run your business the
way it needs to be run and people will
still come you know we have choices and
everything you know
awesome well this has been incredible
I’m I’m just I’m so I feel very honored
to have you on I feel very grateful that
you came on and you’ve shared so much
with us I know for a fact that people
are gonna love what you had to say and I
don’t know if people want to hear more
from you or contact you or just drop you
a note and say thanks for what you
shared or any of that stuff what’s the
best way that they can get in contact
with you and can email me at Ross ro SS
at wash Club la comm and that comes
directly to me always and I’d be happy
to jump on a phone call or email with
you I will add cuz I I missed it way
back in the beginning since I have been
through a fire when you think you have
enough insurance add another 100 or 200
there’s a big difference between
replacement costs of laundry equipment
which is what we always focus on when we
buy insurance but like in the case of
the total loss of the laundry we had to
bring electric up-to-code plumbing up to
code and in a laundromat that is not
your typical plumbing and typical
electric so we were actually heavily
underinsured on our first one mmm so
that was my my very early on lesson and
now I scream it everywhere I can buy
more than you think you mean so yeah I
think that’s good advice good advice
because man you can get you find
yourself in a big hole that way for sure
yeah awesome well Ross at wash Club LA
I’ll have that in the description and in
the show notes and the show notes will
be on alarm resource com slash show 9
and so check it out there you can get
links to everything there and man thank
you so so much for being on today it is
like I said it’s been an honor and it’s
been a lot of fun too well thanks for
being another resource for people to go
to and and to get in contact with other
owners that are willing to share like
you are so yeah
it’s been fun it’s by far the my
favorite thing that I’ve been doing
lately is just you know talking to you
guys and learning from you guys have
been learning so much so it’s been a lot
of fun all right well thank you and hey
we’ll have to get together since we’re
so close
yeah and go grab some lunch or something
that’d be fun yeah now that they’re
starting to open again I know I know
finally finally all right we’ll talk to
you later
thank you I told you that this episode
was incredible can you believe that five
days after he bought his first
laundromat it burned to the ground and
it took two years to get it rebuilt and
he opened two on the same day when he
opened him oh my gosh man I can’t I
cannot even believe let alone the
financing things we went through getting
there ah there’s just so much about Ross
that I love and so much about his story
that just I respect Ross so much for
everything that he’s gone through and
then he’s overcome and now that he is
thriving in the laundromat industry not
only is he thriving but he’s here in LA
which is a highly highly competitive
market here for laundromats oh man it
was man I it was a privilege for me to
spend that time with Ross I hope you
feel the same way next week again we
have an incredible episode it’s really
it’s gonna blow your mind
the the owner that we’re talking to next
week is going to blow your mind so
definitely subscribe if you haven’t yet
and man I just wanted to remind you go
to the go to the forums start start up a
conversation ask a question go answer
somebody else’s question unmet resource
calm slash forums go check that out and
also go sign up for the membership it’s
free there’s a ton of information and
resources be a part of the community be
a part of what’s happening because I
will tell you that I am working really
hard right now on making that a place
where laundromat owners will find tons
and tons of value
tons of value so come be a part of it
now come be a part of building it with
me I am like incredibly excited about
what it’s becoming and I have crazy
visions for what it can become and what
we can do together so come and do it
with me a lot about resource calm and
then click that join or Lata memory
resource calm slash join and just be a
part of it and look forward to just the
new things that are rolling out and help
me figure out what we need to do to make
it an even better place so that’s show
number 9 I don’t I mean my mind is blown
I bet your mind is blown too and just
thanks for spending this time with us
this is jordyn for the laundromat
resource podcast show number nine and
we’ll see you next week to blow your
mind again so go rest up and heal up
peace
[Music]
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