Straight Talk – an ISSA Podcast

Randy Burke, CEO of DCS Global, an international custodial advisory company. In this episode of Straight Talk!, he describes the industry that has increased frequency of cleaning and the need to validate everything cleaning professionals do for their facilities. He also describes the value of GBAC STAR accreditation and how it can help facilities to keep a hyper-focused view on their cleaning and...

Larry Dietz is the general counsel for Tal Global Corporation, a firm specializing in security consulting and risk management. In this episode of Straight Talk!, he discusses ongoing issues and concerns with cyber security, hacking, malware, ransomware, and more. 

Matt Vonachen, CEO of the Vonachen Group, is the incoming ISSA president for 2023. In this special episode of Straight Talk!, Vonachen shares his insights, his vision, and some personal observations about the global cleaning industry and ISSA.

James Tole is an IICRC-Approved Instructor with decades of practical industry experience behind him. In this episode of Straight Talk!, Tole explains the value behind a planned maintenance program and the impact that increasing the frequency of cleaning has on the life of carpet, health of those in homes and facilities, and the proven financial savings.

Mark Saiger is the owner of Saiger's Steam Clean and Saiger's Sauce, and has made an impact on the lives of dozens if not hundreds of cleaners across the country. When someone needs help, Mark is there for them. This is his story.

Micah Green is the founder and CEO of Tailos, a cutting-edge technology company that specializes in robotics and automation.  One such specialty is "Rosie the Robot" - a fully-functioning autonomous cleaning device that many in the industry are embracing. In this sponsored episode of Straight Talk!, Green discusses not only the technology behind Rosie but also his passion with automation...

Mike Sawchuk with Sawchuk Consulting knows how a clean, pristine, and organized custodial closet should look like. What he often sees when he visits facilities is not always in the best shape. In this segment of Straight Talk!, Sawchuk explains how cleaning professionals can create, maintain and ensure their custodial closets are in good shape.

Dr. Deborah Birx, M.D., is a noted and recognized expert in the development of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines for improved health, disease prevention and health security. In this special video presentation from the GBAC Air Considerations Symposium in Chicago on August 17, 2022,, Dr. Birx shares her expertise on how we responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, what we learned, and cautions we ca...

John Lowe, PhD, is the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Health Security at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. His presentation, which opened the GBAC Symposium 2022 Air Considerations event in Chicago on Tuesday, August 16, 2022, spotlighted indoor air quality issues related to the pandemic, what the industry faces post-pandemic, and much more. Lowe's analysis of several studies and stat...

What are you doing to embrace and promote true sustainability efforts in your organization? While many in the industry are sincere, some engage in what can be called "sustainability theater". This happens when sustainability claims are nothing more that performance art, doing little to reduce the risk of harm to the environment, people and future generations.   In this episode of Straigh...

Peter Kwestro is the global business development director with Gausium, a leading robotics engineering and manufacturing company. In this episode of Straight Talk!, he describes the company's mission, what it is doing to fill the gap created by a worker shortage, how automation increases productivity, and much more.

Nate Gaubert is the Manager of Research & New Product Development at Spartan Chemical Company, Inc. As a formulator, Gaubert has brought more than 45 products to Spartan’s product catalogue and is a subject matter expert for this topic.   In this episode of Straight Talk!, sponsored by Spartan, Gaubert discusses critical aspects of hand hygiene, government compliance, development processes, an...

Russ Kendzior is the founder and the executive director of the National Floor Safety Institute (NSFI) and has been involved in more than 1,000 litigation claims in his 20+ years in the industry. Industry assets that have helped him are "standards" such as produced by NSFI, among other organizations. In this episode of Straight Talk!, Kendzior describes the journey of creating standards t...

The living wage program is starting to get more and more recognition by companies and organizations, and building service contractors can benefit competitively by embracing the concept, according to the experts in this episode of Straight Talk! Details such as the cost of the program, how to include the program in proposals, dealing with unions, and much more is featured. Guests in this episode in...

The economic environment is always changing, shifting. Just look at the past few months as examples. We have gone from rapid growth and a flourishing economy to one that is in doubt. Some even say a recession is likely, which will put added stress on the sales process. Added to this is the shift in how salespeople approach prospects. Gone are the days of visiting current and potential clients with...

Some in political circles and in mainstream media say there are many signs that are indicating a possible recession. Some say it is coming. Regardless of how you feel or what your own prediction is, being ready for what may happen is smart.  Core America is a consulting and technology firm that helps cleaning industry professionals and organizations achieve cleaner, healthier, and safer buildings....

Johnathan Tal is the CEO of TAL Global Corporation, an international investigative and risk-consulting firm. He is an expert with building risk assessments and determining what it will take to make a building secure against all types of threats, including active shooters. In this segment of Straight Talk!, Tal shares strategies all building owners and managers need to know right now to make their...

The Consensus Group is an ISSA member organization, and it prides itself on being game changers in hygiene, health, hospitality, and happiness. As both Frank Laurentius (father) and Glenn Laurentius (son) describe their company in this edition of Straight Talk!, it is their mission to provide this and future generations a cleaner and healthier world. The entire Consensus Group team is behind the c...

With flooring, oil build-up can be an issue, creating slippery situations. Then, if claims are filed, insurance premiums go up. They rarely go down. Understanding what causes slippery floors and then working to avoid them is critical considering both protecting people along with the cost of litigation. Russ Kendzior is the founder and the executive director of the National Floor Safety Institute (...

As told by Debbie Sardone, the founder of Cleaning for a Reason, an ISSA Charity program, Tyler Perry is a comedian and actor she has never seen in a television show or movie, yet she loves him for his giving attitude.  In this episode of Straight Talk!, learn how Tyler Perry paid off lay-a-ways for families in need and how Debbie focused in on how a giving attitude can be infectious. The story sh...

The majority of Americans say either they or someone in their immediate family have been diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. Cancer has no bias, and attacks anyone. How can the cleaning industry help when cancer attacks? That's where Cleaning for a Reason, an ISSA Charity program, comes into play. More than a thousand professional house cleaning companies have come together to...

Robert Kravitz is the founder of AlturaSolutions Communications and is a recognized thought leader for the cleaning industry, a frequent author of articles and content for ISSA publications, and engages in working with clients to promote their products and services.  In this episode of Straight Talk!, Kravitz describes what a thought leader is, how they specialize in a particular field or niche, t...

Some may balk at paying more for workers, as BSCs try to stay competitive, but the living wage program is alive and well in many industries, and has value that is hard to ignore. Learn how to work a living wage program into your proposals, how to identify potential clients that are a good fit with this type of program, and other critical details to make this program work for both the cleaning cont...

Russ Kendzior is the founder and chairman of NFSI, and in this episode of Straight Talk! he discusses the testing methods and protocols the industry uses to see just how slippery and how potentially dangerous a floor may be. Surprisingly, he discloses that some want to put their head in the sand and not know how potentially dangerous their floors are, and some want to hide the data if it comes bac...

David Kahle is a noted and in-demand keynote speaker, author, and expert business coach who concentrates his efforts on helping wholesale distribution companies to succeed. In this episode of Straight Talk!, he offers several solutions that can help any organization involved in sales, but especially those in distribution.