Charlene Murff Owner of ECS Cleaning Services

My name is Charlene Murff, and I was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI. I am so blessed to be a mother and grandmother who enjoys and understands the importance of spending time with family. But I am also and will always be an entrepreneur.

This entrepreneurial spirit was gifted to me by my late aunt and mentor, Naomi Scott. She initially accumulated her wealth by owning several hair salons in Milwaukee. When she became upset about the growing number of people in Milwaukee living on the streets, she opened a homeless shelter. I was blessed to work there for many years, learning how to deal with people from all walks of life and strengthening my ability to communicate in a warm-hearted manner to people who were different than me, regardless of their appearance. My Aunt instilled in me this saying, "Never look down on a person unless you are there to pick them up!" I take this to heart, and it is one of the core principles of how I do my business.

My entrepreneurial journey has been a long one, filled with ups and downs, painful failures, and joyous success. And with every step I took, I learned so much. I've dealt with so many people from so many different backgrounds and cultures. All of this has brought me fulfilling success. And one of the most important things I’ve learned over the years is that the real journey was not the getting there, but staying there!

I’ve experienced several significant milestones on my entrepreneurial journey, and one of the most significant ones for me was being supported by the law firm of the late great Johnny Cochran. This occurred when I was being a social entrepreneur. In 1995, I started a non-profit called Concerned Parents, whose mission was to organize and support parents to go into the school systems specifically to address issues that dealt with the violation of students' civil rights. After learning that Mr. Cochran’s office was looking for organizations and businesses that were taking on local civil rights issues, my team and I submitted our mission statement and were chosen to receive pro-bono legal representation when needed. That was truly a proud moment for me, my team, and the parents.

Currently, I focus my time and energy on my cleaning services business, which I started up back in the mid-90s. Not having the start-up money I needed, I began Exceptional Cleaning Services on a word-of-mouth basis and using a barter system. This meant that I would provide my cleaning services in exchange for needed services and goods, not money. This has also been called a “gentlemen's agreement”. I was able to market my business that way, and I courageously would go door to door introducing myself and my business. That was how I initially got clients. I now live and work in Phoenix, AZ, and over the last 10 years I’ve been providing services to over twenty-two office and commercial sites, several residences, private homes and mansions, and even model homes for real estate corporations, including construction clean-up services.

As a new member of the Be Well Community, I’m looking forward to learning how to leverage all of the available resources, especially new technologies that can support my expanded business goals. I’m excited and grateful for this opportunity to be part of a vibrant community of female entrepreneurs.