‘Leap of faith’ lands with strength

For Kayla Curtis, a clean break led to a clean slate that resulted in a cleaning business.

The Winnipegger was a few months into her first year of medical school when she called off her engagement and lost her only source of financial support. She had no income and nowhere to live — and she was determined to continue her education without interference.

Starting a business seemed like the best solution. It had to be something that fit her demanding schedule, had virtually no startup costs and could turn a profit almost immediately. Cleaning people’s homes was the answer.

Curtis posted an ad on Facebook and started booking clients for her new venture, WPG Local Cleaners Inc. The response was so great, soon she needed to hire help. Before she knew it, the company was a year old and doing six figures in sales.

A year-and-a-half after Curtis started WPG Local Cleaners, the business completes more than 200 cleans per month, supported by two managers and 15 cleaners — all of whom are women.

The company has grown with no paid advertising. It’s just been word of mouth and community support, Curtis says.

“It’s been a roller-coaster,” the 27-year-old says, “but when I sit down and think of it, I’ve come a long way since I started this business.”

Curtis has wanted to be a doctor ever since she was a child, but says self-doubt kept her from applying to medical school after finishing her undergraduate degree in nutritional sciences.

She moved to Toronto after graduation, where she ran a small meal-planning business and worked as a server. Lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic gave her time to reconsider the path she was on.

“When I sat down and really assessed what I wanted for my future, it was medicine,” she says. “So I thought I would take a chance and try to get in.”

Curtis moved back to Winnipeg in the summer of 2023 and entered the University of Manitoba’s Max Rady College of Medicine. She started WPG Local Cleaners in early 2024, just in time for spring cleaning.

The company’s home services include ongoing home cleaning, moving in/out cleaning and one-time cleaning. Commercial services are available for small offices. The majority of the company’s nearly 150 ongoing clients live in the St. Vital neighbourhood of River Park South, but its services are available all over the city.

Curtis declines to disclose what WPG Local Cleaners charges clients, but in her estimation it’s one of the most affordable in the sector in the city. She wants to keep services accessible to families across different socioeconomic backgrounds.

“It’s very important to me that people in the community are able to get extra help when they need it,” she says. “It makes me sad to see that not everyone can afford that extra help.”

Curtis’ vision is to make cleaning a respected profession. The subcontractors are experienced and undergo background checks.

“I think cleaning, for a lot of people, is a flexible work opportunity — newcomers, single mothers and students like myself,” Curtis says. “I wanted to offer basically consistent opportunities for work that would allow cleaners to maintain their autonomy while still receiving fair pay.”

Curtis and managers Atlanta Ellison and Desiree Grace aim to create an environment that supports the cleaners.

“I’m a strong believer that if you take care of the people who work with you and treat them well, they’re going to offer a more consistent and enjoyable client experience,” Curtis says.

At first, Curtis didn’t tell her peers or professors she was running a business. She feared they would think she wasn’t taking her studies seriously.

“My medical studies are my priority, but when you are in a situation where you need to focus on survival, that has to come first,” she says.

Once she became financially stable, she started opening up to people.

She describes the first 12 months of running the business as one of the most difficult years of her life. She was keeping on top of her studies while managing a dozen people and handling more than 100 ongoing clients. Challenges included non-paying clients and unreliable subcontractors.

“You learn it’s just about taking a leap of faith… You don’t have to be the smartest or the richest or have investors or money to start a business.”

But the business has given her the financial independence to continue medical school. Curtis doesn’t come from an entrepreneurial family and says meeting business owners in Toronto inspired her to start WPG Local Cleaners.

“You learn it’s just about taking a leap of faith,” she says. “You don’t have to be the smartest or the richest or have investors or money to start a business. It’s honestly about taking a risk and doing it and thinking, ‘If they can, why can’t I?’”

Now in her third year of medical school, Curtis’ confidence has grown significantly over the last 18 months. Running a business has shed light on her weaknesses and forced her to grow and adapt quickly, she says.

Accepting that she’s not perfect and will always have goals she’s striving toward has built her confidence and led her to believe in herself — no matter what the situation.

“I absolutely want to become a doctor, I think it’s what I was meant to do,” she says. “But I also want to continue growing businesses.”

To that end, Curtis is preparing to launch a luxury scrubs brand called MediLuxe. Once anxious about pursuing business, she now believes tending to interests outside of medicine will only make her a better doctor.

“I absolutely want to become a doctor, I think it’s what I was meant to do. But I also want to continue growing businesses.”

She invokes the physicians’ pledge she recited on her first day of medical school. It reads in part: “I will attend to my own health, well-being and abilities in order to provide care of the highest standard.”

For Curtis, attending to her own health and well-being means making time to explore her non-medical interests and strengths.

Getting to know the women that work for WPG Local Cleaners has inspired her to find more ways to help women outside of medicine.

“I started this business to support myself,” she says. “Now I don’t really care about that. It’s more about what this business does for others.”

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca