Influential Woman · Janitorial and Facility Services Industry
Cindy Klinglesmith
Business Owner, Team K Cleaning Services LLC
El Paso, TX
Her Story
About Cindy
I come from Peru and immigrated to the United States in 2005 with a student exchange visa. When I first arrived, I worked as a housekeeper, and during my immigration process when I couldn't legally work, I even sorted potatoes in fields just to survive. I didn't speak the language well, and it was a rough year, but my outstanding parents taught me to never give up and never be ashamed of what you do. I worked my way up to housekeeper supervisor and eventually housekeeper manager for Holiday Inn and Suite Hotels. In 2011, I joined the Army and served for eight years. After my military service, I became a civilian again and dedicated myself to education, earning a Bachelor in Science, an MBA, and a Master's in Organizational Leadership. I'm currently pursuing my PhD in Educational Leadership at Liberty University full-time. In 2022, I opened Team K Cleaning Services while working full-time for the government at Fort Bliss as a counselor for soldiers transitioning out. As my business started growing, I had to quit my job and dedicate 100% to Team K. We do government contracts and janitorial services as our main priority, but also post-construction, residential, and commercial cleaning. I'm the main person who does the networking, searches for contracts, and serves as the main point of contact for bidding. I'm also the El Paso Chamber Borough Director and very involved with giving back to the community, supporting retiree veterans every year with Fort Bliss, schools with donations, and widows who come across legally from Juarez to El Paso. My business name Team K represents my family - we are a team with my kids - and honors my parents with purple for my mom and green for my dad in our logo.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cindy
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to patience and hard work. Those are the main things. I've seen friends who opened their business but got to a point where they said, oh no, I can't no more, I can't, this is too hard, this is too difficult, and they gave up. I feel proud of myself that I'm not a person who gives up so easy. I will fight to the end. I learned from my parents to never give up and never be ashamed of what you do. My dad had lands of rice in Peru and was always into business, and I think I learned that from them. I also learned that I'm unique, I know I can do it, and I will respect others if they don't. Not everyone is the same, and expectations sometimes fail you and make you feel like you didn't accomplish anything, but I learned to value that each person is unique and you cannot compare with others.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
When I was working at the SFL TAP transitioning program for soldiers at Fort Bliss, my big boss and leader told me something I will never forget. He said, Cindy, don't forget that education is very important, but never lose your character, your personality, and walk in life with that humbleness that you project to people. Be humble, help others, and keep going. Life is gonna give you back a lot. He was really a mentor for me and my big support. When I was creating Team K at the same time I was working there, he would allow me to go learn things, get things, go find out, go help my team. I just won't find a boss like that. He encouraged me and was a mentor while I already opened the business.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Look for and find your passion. What is your passion in life will help you to accomplish your goals. My passion was to create a business and help back to the community, and I'm here now doing it. So find your passion, find out what you are good at, and then go from there. My dad used to say, Cindy, if you don't like school, that's fine. It's okay. We all know we're not born to like school. We understand. We just have to do our best, but when you grow, if you want to be the best bakery person, the best driver person, that's what you have to do. Make your passion the best of the best, and you will be successful.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
For work, honesty and respect are most important to me. Respect, I think, is the big line in life to get anything you want, because if you don't respect yourself, if you don't respect others, nothing is accomplished. That's the main value for me. Family is also my top priority. Right now, my kids are into school sports and stuff like that, and I don't miss anything for them. I stop everything else to go see them. I love to travel with my family. We're planning a cruise trip next week with my husband and kids, and in June I'm taking my kids for one month to Peru. I'm able to go because I have a great team here, and without them, I won't be doing what I'm doing now.
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