Meet Our Franchisees: Kevin Olson

Kevin Olson has spent the majority of his professional career working in corporate finance, but he is now ready to launch a new career as a franchisee with The Cleaning Authority. A graduate of Portland State University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance, he also played on and coached for the football team during his time there.

After college, Kevin worked for a number of tech companies in the Portland, Oregon, area in corporate finance before relocating to California. But after more than 20 years of success in the corporate world, the unexpected happened—Kevin was let go from his position as treasurer at a biotechnology company.

“Being let go was a ‘Whoa!’ moment; I was 51 years old and looking for a job for the first time in my life!” said Olson of the experience.

For the first time in his life, the 52-year-old finance expert was looking for a job. Kevin was financially stable, but he wasn’t ready to retire. He did some consulting work, but he soon realized he no longer had the passion to return to corporate finance. While considering what steps to take next, he received an unsolicited email from a franchise broker offering to help him find business opportunities.

“I didn’t know about The Cleaning Authority until I met with the broker. I kind of laughed at the idea at first because I didn’t want to clean houses. But after I began researching the company, I started to understand the premise more, and I learned that it’s a sound model. After a few months of due diligence, I realized just how great of an opportunity it was,” said Olson.

Kevin decided to inquire, and after a detailed investigative process, he discovered The Cleaning Authority.

“It has what I was looking for from a business opportunity; they have a simple model and it’s proved to work,” said Olson. “I got to meet with corporate and spoke to several current franchisees, and I realized I could make a go at this business.”

“The brand meets my financial objectives and allows for a flexible lifestyle,” he said. With the San Jose, California, market available, Kevin jumped at the opportunity to make his office about half of a mile from his home.

Kevin will be working alongside his wife, Pam, who will run the day-to-day operations in the office, as well as performing the in-home inspections.

Kevin and Pam plan to use the business to build something for their children. They have two sons, ages 10 and 7.

“I’d like to build something for my family, for my kids. Eventually, that includes allowing for a very flexible lifestyle to spend time with my family and enjoy life,” said Olson.

Kevin is the treasurer of the local Moreland Little League team and has been on the investment review committee for the city of Mountain View for nearly 15 years. He’s also an avid scuba diver, motorcyclist and 49ers fan. We look forward to sharing in their success!