Her Story
About Cicely
I have been President and CEO of Above and Beyond Clean for 14 years, leading a commercial janitorial and construction cleaning service company. My journey into this industry was unexpected but divinely guided. I spent over a decade in the mortgage industry as a senior loan officer and even opened my own mortgage company at a young age. After having my daughter, I returned to the field but didn't want the overhead of running my own mortgage company again, so I worked under someone else. One Sunday evening, the banker and attorney who owned the building where I was working called me and said they knew the market was fluctuating and that I might need additional funds, so they offered to open a cleaning service for me. They took care of everything - payroll, insurance, setup, supplies, equipment - for three years, and that's how I started this business 14 years ago. We provide commercial, janitorial, and construction cleaning services, and we have touched places that many people from Houston have never been able to access. In December 2025, we completed our largest project to date: the construction cleaning for the IAH Terminal B project, the largest project in Texas right now. We are currently bidding on the final clean for the airport Terminal B. Over the years, we have worked with major institutions including TSU, HCC, UT School of Medicine, UT Health, UHCL, the Galleria Mall, police stations, and various arenas. One of my proudest moments was walking into Terminal B with a crew of 30. My superintendent, who loves AI, asked AI how many females are doing what I do, and it came back as 1% - only 1% of minority females leading minority crews on construction sites. We are in the top 1% of what we do. I hold a degree in finance from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, which initially led me into the mortgage business. My father's stepfather, the father who stepped up, was one of the first Black residential and commercial appraisers in Kansas City for real estate, and watching him be successful inspired me to become an entrepreneur. I am certified as WBE, MBE, SBE, Hub, and Hire Houston First, and I am an active member of the Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Minority Contractors. My goal is to build a multi-million dollar business, and I affirm every day that I am thankful to be healthy, wealthy, and blessed to have a multi-million dollar business that easily provides a new quality of life and level of abundance that allows me to live in my purpose and do God's will.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cicely
01What do you attribute your success to?
The only way I made it here is by keeping God first and having faith. I tell people all the time: positive mindset, positive outcome, keep positive people around you, and you'll make it happen. My affirmation that I say every day is that I'm thankful that I'm healthy, wealthy, and blessed to have a multi-million dollar business that easily provides a new quality of life, a new level of abundance that allows me to live in my purpose, to do God's will. I was inspired by my father's stepfather, the father that stepped up, who was one of the first Black residential and commercial appraisers in Kansas City for real estate. I would watch him doing his business and seeing him be successful, and he inspired me to do my own thing. Even though my mother was a teacher for 40-something years and didn't really understand the entrepreneur mindset, asking why I didn't just go work for somebody with my degree, I wanted to work for myself. The key is to never give up, despite what anybody says. If you feel like quitting, don't quit, because it's right about to happen right when you want to quit. Just keep God, and God will take care of you every day. Just keep waking up and keep going, and it'll all fall into place - you just have to keep the faith.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Never give up, despite what anybody says. If you feel like quitting, don't quit, because it's right about to happen right when you want to quit. Number one, just keep God, and God will take care of you every day. Just keep waking up and keep going, and it'll all fall into place - you just have to keep the faith. The opportunities are limitless. You just have to get out there and get them. As soon as you think that it's not gonna happen, then the next day it would have happened if you just didn't give up. Get certified, because that's one of the things that I did - I got certified WBE, MBE, SBE, Hub, Hire Houston First. I have all these certifications that are backing me. Join the organizations, and those organizations will back you as well. Even if you're in it alone, you're really not, because you have these other people behind you. You'll have the city behind you, you'll have the chamber behind you, you'll have these contractors behind you, and you have to build your own network.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Opportunities are endless. It's just up to you to get them. You have to get out there and get them. You have to not give up, because as soon as you think that it's not gonna happen, then the next day it would have happened if you just didn't give up. The opportunities are there if you get certified, because that's one of the things that I did - I got certified WBE, MBE, SBE, Hub, Hire Houston First. I have all these certifications that are backing me. Then join the organizations, and those organizations will back you as well. Even if you're in it alone, you're really not, because you have these other people behind you - you'll have the city behind you, you'll have the chamber behind you, you'll have these contractors behind you, and you have to build your own network. Stay active in the community, because if people see you out there, they want to work with you more. Out of sight, out of mind. So I want to be top of mind.
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Texas
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.