Today we’d like to introduce you to Wesley Bloeme.
Wesley, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Four years ago, I was sitting in my Freshman dorm room at Maryville College when one of my childhood friends, Ryan Francis, called me. He asked me if I wanted to do something that summer to make some extra money in addition to our various part-time jobs. I told him I would love to and I asked him what he had in mind. He suggested mowing lawns. I said that it wouldn’t work. I said that no one would have fired their lawn service for us to mow their lawn for ten weeks before leaving them out to dry when we went back to our perspective schools. He asked me if I had any ideas. That’s when I suggested pressure washing. He asked me if I had done it before or had a machine to which I said no to both. After asking around, we found that his aunt had a machine that we could borrow. There were many days where we had to knock on doors or put out flyers in attempts to attract new business. But, throughout the summer we landed more jobs than we had expected. We decided to upgrade our equipment, and I saw the potential to use pressure washing as a way to pay for my college education. At the end of the Summer 2014, Ryan decided that he didn’t want to pressure wash anymore so I agreed to pay him back for his share of the equipment purchases that we had made. At that point, I was officially running a one man show.
At the time, I was still playing football and tennis at Maryville College. I was the starting placekicker on the conference championship team and a member of the USA South All-Academic Team. It was in the Spring of 2015 that I decided to go all in; quit playing football after my sophomore season to achieve my goal of graduating college debt free. I formed College Student Pressure Washing, LLC (CSPW) and got the necessary licensing and insurance. Since I went to college in Tennessee, I decided to move my business back and forth between Atlanta and Knoxville when school was in session. Last Summer I decided to hire two other college students to help me.
Right before my Senior year, I thought about not finishing school and continuing to grow the business, but then I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish my stated goal, which was to graduate from college debt free. After I made the decision to finish school, I joined two industry organizations: Pressure Washing Resource Association (PWRA) and United Association of Mobile Contract Cleaners (UAMCC) and attended each of their annual conventions. One of them was in Washington DC, and the other was in Charlotte, NC.
This Summer, my former teammate, and good friend Alex Willard has decided to join CSPW to serve as General Manager. This has helped me delegate the company’s responsibilities, which will ensure quicker growth. He will help to oversee our four college student technicians as we look to add a second crew.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has been a tough road, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I have had to make many sacrifices whether it be hanging out with friends or spending time with family. I also struggled to keep a healthy weight as I lost close to 15 lbs each summer from working so much (at least 80 hours a week). Also, I had to relaunch my company at the beginning of each of the last four years when I got home for the Summer. There was always the fear of not being able to duplicate the previous Summer’s success. Fortunately, we have experienced significant growth each of the last four years.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about College Student Pressure Washing – what should we know?
We are an exterior cleaning service company (residential and commercial) founded in 2014 which specializes in pressure washing. We clean driveways, decks, pool areas, patios, houses, sidewalks, walkways, etc. We recently added exterior window cleaning and plan to add additional services throughout the year. We are known for providing an excellent value to our clients by using the best equipment and detergents to optimize results. We are also known for our communication and level of professionalism.
I am most proud of our team. Without those guys, none of this would be possible. It is how much our people care about doing the best job they can that is what sets us apart. From putting the clients hose back on their spigot to making sure that their furniture is oriented in the exact starting position before we leave. We strive to create the best experience that we can for our clients starting with the way the phone is answered and ending with the way that we leave the job site. We believe that it is the accumulation of the little things that sets us apart.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least about our city?
I love Atlanta. It is where I grew up and where I ultimately want to settle down. My favorite part of the city is that despite how densely populated it is, it still has somewhat of a small town feel to it. It is hard to go to a Braves game and not run into someone that you know. I also like the landscape with all of the hills and trees.
My least favorite part of the city is the lack of effectiveness of our mass transit. It is hard to go anywhere without a car which leads to a lot of our traffic congestion. It’d be great if we could use MARTA for more than just going north and south (mostly ITP).
What were you like growing up? Personality wise, interest wise, etc.
Before high school, I was always getting into trouble for talking back and not following directions. I struggled to focus in school due to dyslexia, ADHD, and sheer boredom. Each year my teachers would tell my parents that I was not working at my full potential in the classroom. They would always say things like, “Wesley is brilliant, but doesn’t apply himself.” The only reason why I liked going to school was for PE and Recess. I have always been very competitive, so sports have always been a big part of my life. Growing up I played soccer, baseball, and basketball before deciding to join the football team my freshman year at Riverwood High School. Although I stopped getting into trouble, I didn’t start to take my studies seriously until I got to college. That was the first time I was personally paying for my education, so I wanted to make the most out of it.
Contact Info:
- Address: 267 W Wieuca Rd NE #202, Atlanta, GA 30342
- Website: collegestudentpressurewashing.com
- Phone: 770-766-9274
- Email: info@cspwllc.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cspressurewashing/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/college-student-pressure-washing-atlanta-3
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1p-jEgIFNTZRWgy0Waa2lw
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
