Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Hallman.
Hi Jamie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hallman Window Washing started in 2018 as a side hustle with a pretty simple goal: make some extra money, pay off debt, and put my family in a better financial position. At the time, I was working full-time at Western Michigan University and cleaning windows on the side whenever I could fit jobs into my schedule.
What I didn’t expect was how quickly that side hustle would grow. Within a few years, I was making more income part-time cleaning windows than I was at my full-time job. Eventually, I reached the point where I knew I had to make a decision. I left the security of my full-time job and went all-in on Hallman Window Washing.
For the first several years, I did just about everything myself—answering the phone, estimating, marketing, cleaning the windows, invoicing, and figuring out how to run a business as I went. I didn’t come from a business background, so a lot of my education came from making mistakes, learning from other business owners, and constantly trying to improve.
Eventually, my mindset shifted from simply creating a job for myself to actually building a company. I began hiring, developing systems, investing in our brand and customer experience, and learning how to lead a team instead of trying to do everything myself.
Another unexpected part of the journey has been the exposure I’ve received within the window cleaning and home-service industry. I was featured in a YouTube video called “How to make $900 a day window cleaning” documenting my business and story that has now received more than 140,000 views. I never expected that many people to see it, but it opened the door to a lot of new connections within the industry and gave me an opportunity to share what I’ve learned with other business owners.
Today, Hallman Window Washing has grown from that one-man side hustle into a team serving thousands of homeowners and businesses throughout Southwest Michigan. I’ve been able to step away from doing the day-to-day cleaning and spend more of my time working on the business, developing our people, and planning what’s next.
One of the coolest parts for me has been seeing things come full circle. When I started, I was constantly looking to other window cleaners, business owners, online groups, and anyone willing to share advice to figure out what I was doing. Today, through YouTube, social media, industry connections, and simply sharing my experiences, I’ve had the opportunity to become one of those people newer business owners reach out to for advice. I definitely don’t have everything figured out, but it’s pretty rewarding to realize that some of the lessons I learned the hard way can now help someone else.
Probably the part I’m most proud of is that we didn’t build it overnight. It’s been steady growth, year after year, with plenty of mistakes and lessons along the way. What started as a way to make a little extra money for my family ultimately changed the direction of our lives and gave me a passion for entrepreneurship that I never knew I had.
That passion has now led us into our next venture as well. We recently launched a second business, **Silent Light Christmas Lights**, providing professional Christmas light installation throughout our area. In a lot of ways, it feels like starting over again—building a new brand, learning a new industry, and figuring things out from the ground up—but this time we’re able to apply many of the lessons, systems, and experiences we’ve gained through building Hallman Window Washing.
It’s pretty crazy to look back and realize that something I started on the side in 2018 just to make some extra money has turned into a career, a team, opportunities I never expected, and now the foundation for building other businesses.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think releasing some grip on the business in regards to control. I was a “no one could do it better than me” guy. Hiring and leading and allowing my wife to step in the admin role has been huge.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At the core of everything I do is Hallman Window Washing. We specialize in professional residential and commercial window cleaning throughout Southwest Michigan, but over the years my role has grown into much more than just cleaning windows. Today, I spend most of my time working on the business—building systems, developing our team, marketing, improving the customer experience, and figuring out how to continue growing without sacrificing the quality and reputation that got us here.
One thing I’ve really enjoyed along the way is documenting the journey through social media. I’ve tried to share both sides of entrepreneurship—the wins, but also the mistakes, lessons, equipment, numbers, and challenges that come with growing a service business. That content has connected me with window cleaners and home-service business owners from all over the country and has opened doors I never really expected when I started.
I’ve also had some great opportunities within the window cleaning industry itself. For a period of time, I contributed as a writer for **American Window Cleaner Magazine**, writing about topics ranging from window cleaning techniques to advertising and running a business. I’ve also had the opportunity to step into educational and leadership roles within communities like **Squeegee University**, where I can share some of what I’ve learned with other window cleaners who are trying to grow their businesses.
Probably the industry role I’m most involved with today is with **Tucker USA**. Tucker is one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of professional window cleaning equipment, particularly water-fed poles, pure-water systems, brushes, and other equipment professional window cleaners use every day. I originally became involved with Tucker because I was already using and recommending their equipment in my own business. That relationship continued to grow, and today I work directly with Tucker as a residential and commercial window cleaning expert and sales/product specialist.
What makes that role especially meaningful to me is that I’m not selling something from a catalog that I’ve never used. I’m still a window cleaning business owner. I’ve used the equipment in the field, trained employees on it, spent money on the wrong equipment, figured out what works, and built a company using many of these same tools. So when another cleaner calls me—whether they’re brand new and trying to build their first setup or an established company trying to improve production—I can talk to them as another business owner who has been in their shoes.
That’s probably what I’m becoming most known for within the industry and what I’m most proud of. I genuinely enjoy helping other guys who are where I was several years ago. When I started, I had a million questions. I leaned heavily on Facebook groups, YouTube, experienced window cleaners, manufacturers, and anyone else willing to share what they knew. Now I’ve had the opportunity to be on the other side of some of those conversations.
Between social media, YouTube, American Window Cleaner Magazine, Squeegee University, Tucker USA, and the relationships I’ve built throughout the industry, I’ve been able to help people with everything from choosing their first water-fed pole to pricing jobs, marketing, hiring employees, building systems, and eventually getting themselves off the truck.
I think that’s also what sets me apart. I’m not trying to portray myself as someone who has everything figured out. I’m actively building a business at the same time I’m talking about building one. If something works, I’ll share it. If I make a mistake, I’ll share that too. I think people appreciate hearing from someone who is actually in the middle of doing it.
I’m extremely proud of what Hallman Window Washing has become, but I’m equally proud that building it has given me a platform to help other people create something of their own. Seeing someone take an idea or piece of advice I shared, put it into their business, and have it actually improve their life is incredibly rewarding. In a lot of ways, helping the next guy avoid some of the mistakes I made has become one of my favorite parts of what I do.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I’m a big believer in constantly learning, but I wouldn’t say there’s one specific book, podcast, or app that changed everything for me. A lot of my growth has come from surrounding myself with other business owners who are a few steps ahead of me and being willing to ask questions.
YouTube, podcasts, Facebook groups, and industry communities have all played a huge role. Especially when I was starting out, I consumed just about anything I could find about window cleaning, marketing, hiring, leadership, and building a home-service business. Even today, I enjoy listening to business podcasts and hearing how other owners are solving the same problems I’m dealing with.
Some of the most valuable resources for me have actually been the relationships I’ve developed within the industry. Communities like Squeegee University, my relationships through Tucker USA, and networking with other home-service business owners have given me people I can bounce ideas off of and learn from. Sometimes a 20-minute conversation with another owner who has already dealt with a problem is more valuable than reading an entire book.
Social media has surprisingly been a great learning tool as well. I use it not only to share my own journey, but to follow other entrepreneurs and see what they’re doing differently. The key for me is trying not to just consume information—I want to take something useful, implement it, and see whether it actually works in my own business.
Probably the biggest resource, though, has been experience. I’ve learned that you can read every book and listen to every podcast, but eventually you have to make decisions, make mistakes, and figure things out yourself. Some of my best lessons have come from things that didn’t work.
Outside of business, my family and my faith help keep everything in perspective. Building a successful company is important to me, but ultimately the reason I’m doing it is to create a great life for my family, have control over my time, and hopefully be in a position where I can help other people do the same.
Contact Info:
- Website: HallmanWindowWashing.com and SilentLightMI.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hallmanwindowwashing
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HallmanWindowWashing
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-hallman-936250235
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq-P7GS07mtOdvd2c7p1V9A
