CASE STUDY: How a Best-In-Class Cleaning Company Doubled Revenue (and Doubled Profit) in 18 months.

The Alpine Maids Story: Strengths, Struggles, and Success

Competing in the swirling sea of the Greater Denver-Metro area was a cleaning company named Alpine Maids. A small-ish fish (around 2M in annual revenue) though pretty big for its type.

At the helm was Chris, the founder and CEO. Chris was not just the visionary who saw Alpine Maids into existence 7 years prior—he was also the the captain of the day-to-day, the operations leader, the finance guy, and even the occasional salesperson. In short, Chris did it all. His strength lay in his deep knowledge of every facet of the business, having built it from the ground up over ten years. However, that same strength was his greatest weakness: he was so enmeshed in the business that he found it difficult to step back, approach problems from new angles, and delegate effectively.

Chris was surrounded by a small but scrappy leadership team. There was Vicky, the operational leader—a no-nonsense general who could manifest visions into reality. Her strength was getting things done, but her hard-charging style often left others feeling fearful or avoidant rather than respected. While she commanded results, she also generated tension and strained relationships, but she was soon to leave due to her husband’s military assignment.

Next came Mel, a jack-of-all-trades whose entrepreneurial spirit had been forged through the school of hard knocks. She once owned a pizza shop, learning valuable (and often painful) lessons from that venture. Mel’s work ethic earned her respect, but her lack of experience in executive leadership left her vulnerable to emotional overwhelm. Her general work overload of filling multiple roles at once only multiplied this. There simply weren’t enough hours in a day to do it all. Her colleagues found themselves treading lightly around her, reluctant to push her too hard too soon.

Stu handled sales, or at least tried to. In reality, Chris was the de facto sales leader, and Stu was more of an assistant, juggling customer calls and attempting to convert leads. Though friendly and eager to improve, Stu was simply out of his depth in a role that demanded more experience than he had

The last key player was Nolan, a rising star within the company who excelled as a "doer." His promotion to leadership was an attempt to elevate his potential, but it became clear that Nolan was better suited to execution than management. Despite his respect among his peers, he struggled to lead effectively from his new vantage point.

This was the Alpine Maids team when the winds of change began to blow.

Changes We Made:

In August of 2022, Alpine Maids embarked on a transformational journey by implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). The first step was introducing structure, beginning with an accountability chart that clarified roles and responsibilities. The goal was to free Chris from the multitude of roles he juggled and give him the space to lead as a visionary and at the same time to empower each of the leaders to focus on their respective superpowers, step up, and take charge of their departments.

We began with traction first, vision second. Day 1 we established version 1 of who does what, defined our 90 day must-do goals, established their ongoing weekly meeting agenda, and took a first crack at their scorecard.

We set a quarterly cadence where the team would meet, review goals (called "rocks"), and resolve core issues through structured problem-solving sessions (known as IDS—Identify, Discuss, Solve). Each quarter, the team would refine their strategic documents, including their two-page vision/traction organizer (VTO).

The changes extended to people management. Mel was transitioned into the role of integrator, stepping into the day-to-day operational leadership. Francine, a new hire, was brought in as an operations leader charged with fulfilling the promises of the company (happy clients, happy maids), displaying a go-getter attitude and a refreshing humility. Over time, Deanna replaced Stu in sales, though she initially struggled with confidence in leadership meetings

Challenges With These Changes:

Implementing EOS was not without its challenges. The biggest hurdle was getting the right people in the right seats. Stu and Deanna both struggled in the sales leadership seat, with neither able to rise fully to the demands of the position. Stu lacked experience, and Deanna, despite having a solid background in sales, was often hesitant to speak up in meetings. They both eventually left the company, revealing that sometimes people who seem ready to step up might not be the right fit for leadership.

Nolan, too, found himself facing the Peter Principle, where he was promoted beyond his capabilities. Although respected, he couldn’t effectively manage others and ultimately had to step back from his leadership role.

One of the hardest challenges the team faced was breaking old habits and adopting the new EOS framework. Change management proved difficult as employees had to shed long-standing practices in favor of new, more structured processes. The adjustment took time, and it required a lot of patience and persistence from the leadership team

Finally, embedding the company’s core values into everyday operations was a significant task. After several EOS sessions, Alpine Maids identified their core values and even painted them on the walls of their office! It wasn’t an overnight success—it took months of reinforcement, but eventually, these values became the soul of the company.

The Outcomes:

The Alpine Maids of 2024 was a very different company from the one in 2022. By the end of the transformation, Chris had successfully extracted himself from multiple roles, leaving Mel as the full-time integrator and Francine as the operational leader. Deanna, though initially hesitant, found her voice and became a confident contributor in leadership meetings. Despite her growth, Deanna ultimately couldn’t cut it and this pointed out an area of opportunity for Mel as a leader in not allowing sub-standard results. The realization led to Mel’s further seasoning & leveling up and an exciting final hire in Connor who was able to step up and exceed all expectations as sales leader adding 20 recurring cleans/week (about double Deanna’s performance).

Thanks to this restructuring and re-focusing, the company’s revenue doubled, reaching near $4 million, and profit followed suit: doubling from healthy & respectable to very healthy & well above industry standard. Chris was finally able to take a step back from the day-to-day grind and focus on the big picture, driving the company's future, ultimately allowing him to even start another simultaneous venture in an adjacent space.

The story of Alpine Maids is a testament to the power of the right structure, the importance of patience in people development, and the value of strong core values. Through consistent effort, EOS transformed Alpine Maids into a stronger, more resilient company. Though not everyone rose to the occasion, those who did—like Mel and Francine—paved the way for a brighter, more stable future.

Alpine Maids now had a solidified leadership structure, a deeply embedded company culture, and a reliable framework for continuous growth. Chris, who is also a member of Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO), became an advocate of EOS, recommending the process to his business network and crediting it for the company’s transformation.

And in the end, Alpine Maids didn't just clean homes—they cleaned house within their own organization, emerging stronger and more unified than ever before.

In summary, Alpine Maids’ journey from a founder-driven, fragmented organization to a well-structured, highly profitable business offers a powerful case study in the value of EOS. Through disciplined execution, people alignment, and a relentless focus on core values, the company not only grew but became more resilient and sustainable.

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