Hard Refresh | An ISSA Podcast

It’s Halloween on Hard Refresh — and things get a little western. 🤠 Caden Hutchens and Karina Neff saddle up with Brian Lee , owner of Express Time Solutions , for a faith-filled, tech-twistingconversation about leadership, service, and the heart behind innovation. From cleaning theaters at 3 a.m. to building one of theindustry’s leading software companies, Brian shares how faith, family, and hum...

Evolving Client Expectations | E28 – Hard Refresh – An ISSA Podcast In this episode of Hard Refresh , hosts Caden Hutchens and Karina Neff sit down with Lisa Macqueen , Co-Founder & Director at CleanCorp, to talk about how client expectations are evolving and what building service contractors need to do to keep up. From strategic partnerships to company culture, Lisa brings more than 30 years...

In this episode of Hard Refresh , hosts Caden Hutchens and Karina Neff sit down with Tim Cullinan of Janitronics to explore how technology can strengthen client relationships without losing the human connection. From proactive quality control to the simple act of remembering custodians by name, this conversation digs into the balance between data, trust, and people. In This Episode: 🔹 Quick Contr...

In this episode of Hard Refresh , hosts Caden Hutchens and Karina Neff sit down with David Lee , longtime industry leader and entrepreneur, for a conversation that spans faith, family,technology, and the business lessons only decades in the field can teach. From building teams and avoiding “monsters” in softwaredevelopment to reframing what AI really means, David brings a wisdom-first perspective...

📊 What if your next best decision wasn’t a guess—but a calculation? In this episode of Hard Refresh , hosts Caden Hutchens and Karina Neff are joined by Tim Moriarty , Co-Founder of Data Insights Consulting and member of the ISSA Technology &Innovation Committee. Together, they dive into the emotional and operational sides of working with data—and how smart systems, built with trust and clari...

🎤 In this special episode of Hard Refresh , Caden and Karina pause the usual format—no guest, no Two Truths & a Lie—to talk candidly about one of the most meaningful initiatives tohit the industry: the inaugural VEO Conference . Together, they reflect on the why behind the event, the impact of the Hispanic community in the cleaning industry, and whatit means to create space, recognition, and...

📶 In this episode of Hard Refresh , hosts Caden Hutchens and Karina Neff sit down with John Kunzier , CEO and President of Invisible Sun Technology, to explore how IoT is reshaping janitorial services—from demand-driven cleaning to real-time proof of service. With decades of experience across tech, marketing, and construction, John shares a fresh, field-tested perspective on using data to drive s...

💡In this episode of Hard Refresh, host Caden Hutchens is flying solo and sitting down with the powerhouse behind WootRecruit and Sell Convert Clean—Libby DeLucien. From scaling residential cleaning during COVID to building multiple SaaS brands, Libby shares how to avoid tech overload, reduce operational friction, and build smarter systems before you buy the software. If you’ve ever said “we’ll fi...

🧹 What does six decades in the cleaning industry teach you? In this episode of Hard Refresh , host Caden Hutchens and co-host Karina Neff sit down with Ron Segura , President of Segura & Associates and a true industry legend, to trace the arc of cleaning technology from hydrochloric acid to AI-powered operations—and everything in between. With 60 years of experience across contracting, distri...

🧠 In this episode of Hard Refresh , hosts Caden Hutchens and Karina Neff sit down with Josh Vesely from Findd to dig deep into what it actually takes to roll out biometric tech in the janitorial world—and why success has way more to do with people than software. From facial recognition and sentiment analysis to practicalchange management, this conversation isn’t about flashy features—it’s about m...

🧠 What does it take to scale a janitorial business without drowning in fires, friction, and failed tech? In this episode of Hard Refresh , host Caden Hutchens sits down with Michelle Audas , CEO of Swept Janitorial Software, for a straight-talking conversation on systems, leadership, and whatreally separates stuck businesses from scalable ones. From the “death by a thousand cuts” metaphor to visi...

💼 In the third and final mini episode recorded live at ISSA’s Business Growth Strategies conference, Hard Refresh co-host Caden Hutchens sits down with Billy McGrail and Michael Staver of KleenMark to talk about breaking free from the low-bid trap—and building a sustainable growth model rooted in value, trust, and people. From hockey careers to tariff strategy to RFP landmines,this episode is a m...

💡 In the second mini episode recorded onsite at the ISSA Business Growth Strategies conference, Hard Refresh co-host Caden Hutchens sits down with Luis da Costa , founder of Modular Concepts, to explore how a relationship-first mindset creates profit, retention, and peace of mind—even without a sales team. From his community-first growth strategy to a 36% EBITDA,Luis shares a radically different...

💥 We’re live from the ISSA Business GrowthStrategies conference with the first of three special mini episodes! Co-hosts Karina Neff and Caden Hutchens sit down with Channing Johnson , President of KP Building Services, for a powerful conversation on leadership,perfectionism, and scaling tech the right way. From emotional burnout to building SimonServe (acustom-built operations platform), Channing...

We hit record live from the floor at ISSA’s 2025 BusinessGrowth Strategies Conference in Chicago! In this special edition of HardRefresh , co-hosts Karina Neff and Caden Hutchens talkbusiness strategy, brand perception, and employee impact with special guestsfrom the field: Alex Crowley , Vonachen Group Brad Klein , Building Professionals of Texas What’s better— unified brand strategy or specializ...

🚽 Toilet talk—elevated. In this episode of Hard Refresh , hosts Karina Neff and Caden Hutchens dive deep (pun intended) into bathroom tech and brand psychology with Rob Poleki , Founder & CEO of Washie and self-proclaimed restroom revolutionary. From his roots in government to a viral Shark Tank momentthat never aired, Rob shares how he turned a seemingly “crappy” problem into a category-defi...

🤖 It’s the most requested topic we’ve ever had—and we finally deliver! In this episode of Hard Refresh , hosts Karina Neff and Caden Hutchens welcome David Pinn , CEO of Brain Corp, for a deep dive into the future of robotics in the cleaning industry. From warehouse floors to Walmart supercenters, David shares how AI and robotics aretransforming facility management—without replacing frontline wor...

💰 Ever wonder what it takes to get real venture capital in the cleaning industry? In this episode of Hard Refresh, co-hosts Karina Neff and Caden Hutchens sit down with Brian Snow, Managing Partner at Impala Ventures, to break down how VC firms assess janitorial tech—and why most startups fumble before they’re funded. From AI-powered cleaning sensors to robotic scrubbers, this episode reveals wha...

💻 As AI accelerates software development, more cleaning industry leaders are asking: Should we build our own software or buy off the shelf? In this episode, co-hosts Karina Neff and Caden Hutchens sit down with Ryan Ferons , Software Architect at Pioneer and the mind behind their proprietary platform Cora , to unpack the real pros and cons of building in-house. Whether you’re drowning in spreadsh...

💡 In this episode of Hard Refresh , hosts Karina Neff and Caden Hutchens sit down with George Boutsalis, President of Impact Cleaning Services, to explore the double-edged sword of software overload in the cleaning industry. George shares his family-run business journey, his evolution in tech strategy, and why sometimes, less really is more. Whether you’re leading a cleaning operation or navigati...

🧠 In this lively episode, co-hosts Karina Neff and CadenHutchens blend laughs with insight as they explore how AI istransforming the cleaning industry —from frontline language translation to generative marketing strategy. Oh, and did we mention they roast themselves with ChatGPT ? Yep, this one’s equal parts humor and hard truths about embracing tech in today’s janitorial world. In This Episode:...

🎙 This week on Hard Refresh, Karina Neff and Caden Hutchens are flying solo (and loving it)! No guest, just a candid conversation between your co-hosts—and some Two Truths and a Lie to kick it off. But don’t be fooled by the playful start—this episode digs into a serious topic: Is digital transformation just a buzzword, or are businesses truly changing? In This Episode:🔹 Quick Control:• Check out...

In this episode of Hard Refresh, host Caden Hutchens and co-host Karina Neff sit down with Gerald Fong, CEO of BrightGo, to explore the powerful intersection of software development, APIs, and innovation in the commercial cleaning industry. Gerald shares his extensive insights into why APIs are critical for effective data management, seamless software integration, and how businesses can leverage t...

🎓 Training is back in the spotlight. In this episode of Hard Refresh , hosts Karina Neff and Caden Hutchens sit down with brothers Tony and Vince Maione from Core America and Smart Inspect to talk about something every cleaning organization faces— training that doesn’t stick . With decades of consulting and field experience, Tony andVince unpack why training fails, what real training looks like,...

📉 Is ROI always the right way to measure value? In this episode of Hard Refresh, co-hosts Karina Neff and Caden Hutchens sit down with Jon Hill — long-time CFO, Navy vet, and now CEO of Cobotiq, a robotics company — to debunk the common misconceptions around Return on Investment (ROI) and explore what really drives smart business decisions. Whether you're buying equipment, implementing softwa...