From Passion to Sparkle: The Story Behind Sparkling Homes

Meet Michelle Allegrezza Shoulak, the inspiring owner of Sparkling Homes, a company built on dedication, perseverance, and a deep love for both cleaning and community. Through hard work, determination, and a lot of life lessons, Michelle transformed her passion for cleaning into a thriving business. Here’s the story behind Sparkling Homes—how it all started, the challenges faced, and the vision that keeps the company shining bright.

Personal Story: The Roots of Passion

Michelle grew up in Eveleth, MN, on the Iron Range, spending summers at the family cabin on Lake Vermilion. Her parents, a hardworking father in the mines and a mother climbing the ranks in the financial world, instilled in her the values of dedication, perseverance, and the importance of hard work. Watching her mom juggle her career and family life, Michelle learned firsthand how difficult it can be to meet everyone’s expectations while managing your own life.

As a young girl, Michelle was inspired by her mother’s strength but also recognized the pressures that come with balancing work and home life. It was these early experiences that shaped her approach to both business and leadership.

A Journey of First Jobs and Life Lessons

Michelle's first-ever job was as "Moola Moola," a mascot for a small town bank, where she waved at passing cars to encourage children to open savings accounts. While the job may have been quirky, Michelle quickly learned not to stand on a hill when teenagers walked by.

Later, she worked at a mini-golf course near her family’s cabin, where she learned initiative, responsibility, and how to handle difficult coworkers. She also mastered the art of walking home alone through the woods after closing hours—one of her most memorable experiences.

The Spark That Lit the Path

For nearly 20 years, Michelle worked in cleaning, always juggling multiple jobs to pay the bills. Whether it was serving, bartending, or working as an EMT, she learned the importance of multitasking and customer service. It was during one particularly tough road trip, when she and her now-husband couldn’t even afford McDonald’s for dinner, that Michelle realized her calling was to build her own business, rather than pursue a career in medicine as she had initially planned. Despite her struggles in school and mounting debts, Michelle knew she could build a business from the ground up. This was the turning point for Sparkling Homes Cleaning.

From Side Hustle to Full-Time Business

Michelle’s first experience with cleaning came in 1999, when a friend asked her to help with a post-construction clean-up. Despite the hard work—scrubbing floors, scraping stickers off windows, and dealing with drywall dust—Michelle knew she had found her niche. Ten years of working side-by-side with her friend eventually led her to branch out and start her own cleaning business in Albertville.

Her early days as a business owner were filled with lessons learned the hard way, including how challenging it could be to hire staff and keep up with her own bills. But she was determined, and with time, Sparkling Homes became her full-time passion.

The Name Behind the Shine

The name "Sparkling Homes" came to Michelle long before she ever thought of turning it into a business. Michelle, a lover of all things sparkling, dreamed of starting a cleaning company for years before the stars aligned. When the name was still available in the state of Minnesota, it felt like the perfect sign. Sparkling Homes was born, and the company quickly grew into what it is today.

The Journey: Challenges, Growth, and Lessons Learned

Like any entrepreneur, Michelle faced her fair share of challenges. One of the biggest hurdles was hiring employees while still trying to make ends meet. As the business expanded, Michelle found herself splitting her pay and realizing just how long it would take to become financially stable. But through perseverance and learning from each mistake, Sparkling Homes grew stronger.

Michelle’s advice for fellow business owners? “Hire slow and fire fast.” It’s a lesson she learned the hard way, but one that’s crucial in maintaining a healthy company culture.

Since its inception, Sparkling Homes has evolved, automating many processes that once took up valuable time. These changes have allowed Michelle and her leadership team to focus on what really matters: providing top-notch service to their clients and supporting their cleaning techs.

Core Values: Family, Impact, and Excellence

At Sparkling Homes, the company’s values guide every decision. Their core values are summarized by the acronym FIRE:

• Family: Always put family first.

• Impact: Make a meaningful difference in the lives of those they serve.

• Renegade: Empower cleaning techs to go above and beyond.

• Excellence: Strive for excellence in every task, every time.

These values are what make Sparkling Homes stand out from other cleaning companies. By treating employees with respect and creating a positive work environment, they ensure that their team delivers exceptional service to every client.

A Vision for the Future

Michelle’s vision for Sparkling Homes is clear: to become the elite cleaning company in the northwest metro. Through dedication and a strong team, Sparkling Homes will continue to help families focus on what matters most—spending time together—while they take care of the cleaning.

Behind the Scenes: Fun Facts and Insights

Running a cleaning business involves more than just scrubbing floors. It requires learning about payroll, human resources, marketing, and operations—skills Michelle honed through trial and error. As she learned the ins and outs of running a business, Michelle made it her mission to understand every department at Sparkling Homes.

Michelle’s personal favorite cleaning task? Bathrooms. “It’s so satisfying to see a clean, shiny bathroom,” she says, even if she sometimes ended up soaking herself in the process! Her least favorite? Cleaning ovens, which can be tricky and uncomfortable.

Passion and Perseverance: What Keeps Michelle Going

Michelle’s drive to keep going, even on tough days, is simple: there are people depending on her to make the right choices. Her personal motto, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with” (Jim Rohn), guides her decisions both personally and professionally. She carefully curates her team to ensure they’re surrounded by the best people, fostering a supportive and positive work environment.

Success: A Journey, Not a Destination

For Michelle, success has always been about finding balance. She once thought she would be successful when she could afford a house cleaner for her own home. Today, she ensures that her team gets the benefit of free house cleaning, so they don’t have to wait for success to come to them.

Personally, Michelle feels successful because of the love and support from her family. Professionally, success means the amazing team she’s built and the impact they have on their community, whether it’s through partnerships like "Cleaning for a Reason" or sponsoring local events to raise money for those in need.

Michelle’s journey with Sparkling Homes is a testament to the power of perseverance, passion, and treating people right. From humble beginnings to becoming a leader in the cleaning industry, Sparkling Homes continues to shine bright, making a difference one home at a time.

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