This episode features an interview with Jaclyn Frenzel, President at OnSite, a facility maintenance company that utilizes a cloud-based approach to achieve cost-reducing, effective solutions for multi-site facility service needs. With over 13 years at the company, and two years as President, Jaclyn’s priority lies in building an efficient organization staffed with business development, sales, marketing, and support professionals. Her notable achievements include directing strategic marketing campaigns, mobilizing operations teams, and facilities program deployment. On this episode, Jaclyn delves deep into what brands find most important when it comes to facilities management, the importance of bringing diversity to the table in any business scenario, and how to best attract and retain talent in a post-pandemic world.
This episode features an interview with Jaclyn Frenzel, President at OnSite, a facility maintenance company that utilizes a cloud-based approach to achieve cost-reducing, effective solutions for multi-site facility service needs.
With over 13 years at the company, and two years as President, Jaclyn’s priority lies in building an efficient organization staffed with business development, sales, marketing, and support professionals. Her notable achievements include directing strategic marketing campaigns, mobilizing operations teams, and facilities program deployment.
On this episode, Jaclyn delves deep into what brands find most important when it comes to facilities management, the importance of bringing diversity to the table in any business scenario, and how to best attract and retain talent in a post-pandemic world.
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Guest Quote
“Often we find that simplicity isn't without complex execution. My number one goal, and what I really drive throughout our organization, is outstanding customer service. In this day and age, we rely upon data analytics, AI, and it is all necessary, but at the same time we cannot forget customer service. I can train for the majority of the roles within my organization, but I cannot train positive attitude and great customer service.” —Jaclyn Frenzel
-Time Stamps
*(0:16) Jaclyn’s role
*(5:12) About OnSite
*(8:28) Facilities management explained
*(14:43) What brands find important
*(18:37) Impacts of the pandemic
*(21:11) Investments at OnSite
*(25:21) The importance of diversity
*(29:19) Attracting and retaining talent
*(38:41) Facilities management stories
*(41:15) Predicting the future
*(48:32) Advice for her younger self
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Links
Sid: Hello everyone. Welcome to the show. Thank you for joining us. I am here today with Jaclyn Frenzel. Jaclyn, welcome. How are you?
Jaclyn Frenzel: Hey, Sid, I'm honored to be here. Thanks for the opportunity.
Sid: now. Thank you. alright. Jaclyn so let's jump right in. Let's start with, what is your role and what are you responsible for?
Jaclyn Frenzel: I was promoted to president in January of 2020 after a decade with onsite, I have a cheesy quip that I usually say that I'm the Jackie of all trades, which I think comically. Illustrates the many roles. Um, I'm empowered to execute here, uh, but ultimately I'm responsible for operations, strategic direction and client directives, um, which I think are all just fancy ways of saying that I lead our staff. I ensure our goals as an organization are being met navigating market conditions and ensuring the services were provider executed above expectation.
Sid: That's great. So, Jackie, I mean, I've known you for some time and, and a lot of folks in our space know you, would love to share with that audience. How did you end up in facilities and what does that journey look like?
Jaclyn Frenzel: You know, I've had, this conversation with many folks in the industry over the years. And I think one of the. The majority of us have in common is the fact that we did not set out on a linear path to facilities management. honestly I didn't even know what facilities management was until I joined on site and I really had to fake it till I made it. So in college, I thought I was gonna work in politics and public relations throughout my entire career. I studied English and law and I worked for a Congressman. after college, I was hired to be the director of a major multimillion dollar campaign, which was for development in Northern California. I was managing, I was doing advertising commercials, grassroots initiatives, managing volunteers, marketing, you name it. I was managing it. I had no experience, um, but I was young and I was passionate and I really didn't know how in over my head I was , but I was a go getter. Um, imposter syndrome really didn't exist for me in that part of my life. And I'm really grateful for that. and at that time I was. To national consultants who were out of DC. we managed lots of directives from major donors for this campaign and they were all developers, landowners builders, very prominent men in the industry. and like most of my early career, I was the youngest and the only woman seated at the table, um, which was very formative. but also it had very great experiences. So. From there. like the campaign cycle works. Um, it was a success. We had a major success, which was great, but I was out of a job. So here I am thinking I'm gonna do politics and public relations. And now I'm out of a job. However, I made a ton of connections and it was immediately offered a position with the building industry association. uh, which in essence is a lobbying, organization for the planning and development, um, locally, regionally, nationally, for smart planning and land development. So again, in a room of roughly 20 individuals, I was one of three women sitting at the table. I was hired to do lobbying and I cut my teeth in public relations. I met phenomenal leaders, made mentors, became a mentor. And in 2008, after five years with this organization, I was told in no uncertain terms that the market was crashing. I had six months of employment left and if I could drum up business, they'd keep me otherwise. I was out. So I was young. I was newly married. I had no children. My responsibilities were fairly, fairly limited, which I can appreciate. And, a developer came to me and said, you're gonna be out of, out of a job. He was very direct and very, uh, very forward. And I appreciate Those type of people to this day. So he said, you're gonna be out of work. I'm not gonna be developing. We should work together. and you know, I thought here I am, I'm gonna be in public relations. I, I don't know what this guy has in mind, but something inside of me said, just do it. So we met at a Starbucks and I sat down and I said, and I'd like to say that it was an overnight success. Um, but 13 years in numerous failures, numerous successes, I'm still learning and growing. And I found my passion and purpose in facility management.
Sid: Wow. that is quite the journey. that's pretty phenomenal, right? Because you, you entered the space, kind of fresh and then 13 years later, here you are president, at, at the company so that, you know, congratulations to you. you mentioned two, the key things, which I would like to touch upon later, uh, one is diversity. Um, and the second one is us having a PR problem in our, in our space and how maybe, we can learn, uh, from some of your previous background in, figuring this out. Right. but tell us more about onsite and what your offerings are.
Jaclyn Frenzel: Sure onsite is a certified minority and women own facility management company. We operate both a us and a Canadian corporation. We provide services throughout both countries and the United Kingdom, and we specialize in all things, cleaning related handyman grease. Uh, kitchen hoods and refrigeration. I'm really proud of our team. We are totally subcontracted out, but we have phenomenal management. And I like to think that we lead with empathy. So that's on site.
Sid: That's great. before we move on to the next section, any surprising or interesting stat about your company, or as a service provider or the industry in general that you wanna share.
Jaclyn Frenzel: I think this is a phenomenal question and I'm really excited about this. Uh, we have some really cool minor statistics, for onsite and our subcontractor base. And so we have 92%, uh, women. Team members. We have 75% minority employed. 65% of our board are women. 75% of our executive leadership are minority and even more surprising as 45% of our service providers are minority or woman owned companies.
Sid: Wow. That's phenomenal. thank you for sharing that. alright. Let's, talk about that more in our next section, but, before we do, let's talk about some, big picture objectives and the way teams can move across the goal line. What are your company's goals for the type of service you want to deliver? what do you want your customers to think of when they, hear the name on site?
Jaclyn Frenzel: it's gonna sound really simple. But often we find that simplicity isn't without complex execution. My number one goal, and what I really drive throughout our organization is outstanding customer service. In this day and age, we rely upon data analytics, AI, and it is all necessary very much so, and I'm sure we'll get into that later, but at the same time, we cannot forget customer service. I can train for the majority of the roles within my organization, but I cannot train positive attitude and great customer service. it's innate within you. So I really want our customers experience to be. That of consistency and that they are consistently wowed when they come to us. I want them to know that one, the job's gonna get done, but two, they're gonna hear that smile through the phone line and we're looking for a solution we're always. We're not without failures, we're not without, you know, challenges. And the last three years have definitely demonstrated that for the majority of us. But at the end of the day, you need to know that you're coming to onsite and you're coming to my team and that they're really working as an extension of your department. And so that is what we drive constantly. I am. Whether we're having internal meetings, whether we're having conversations with clients, the end goal is always customer service and we will coach and we'll train. And we'll constantly educate ourselves on how we can be the best in that, space.
Sid: You must primarily work with facilities teams. Right?
Jaclyn Frenzel: Correct. we work with primarily facilities and a little bit on the construction side, but you're correct. Mostly facilities teams.
Sid: Got it. what is your view on the, on the role of facilities and. In construction and, the value they bring to the overall organization.
Jaclyn Frenzel: oh my goodness. They have immense value. but going back to that com that comment you made earlier, I think there was a huge PR problem there within an organization. We have not done a really good job at calculating the ROI of these departments. Specifically facilities and it's just a spend. Right. But we all see, and it was definitely highlighted throughout the pandemic. What the role of facilities does to ensure safety and competence within customers when they're entering in their, in a space. So the role of this facilities team is really challenging because their primary customer. are the operations and the store staff. but they also have to answer to the C-suite when it comes to budget. so having their position be one of value and be really elevated is necessary. They are ensuring the safety of staff. They are ensuring the safety of customers and providing. Experience for their customers. and it's not only a spend it's there. We need to start calculating that ROI and really allowing them to show what their department does for the greater organization.
Sid: Do you think that there's a shift in mindset about facilities as it relates to customer experience? Like you mentioned. their customer is the store operations team. right. But with the customer's customer, I guess is our ultimate boss, such as the consumer, who's walking into your space. Do, do you think as an industry, we do a good job in articulating the impact we have on that experience,
Jaclyn Frenzel: No, I think that it's such an afterthought and it's a spend, it's a budget line item, but. I over the years, I've seen it definitely start to shift in that direction, but we have a lot of work to continue to do to really explain the, role of the facilities teams. They are again, supporting operations facility, making sure that the buildings themselves are not only up to standards, but also implementing all of the experiential. and all of the new types of marketing that we're throwing out there. And so being able to bridge the gap and really communicate and educate both sides of the aisle, the, the C-suite and operations teams, what facilities does to support them, um, I think will take the entire industry's, you know, messaging we need to continue to, explain and educate what their role is and so that they can continue to garner support. and what's something my organization does is we always say we're an extension of your facilities team. So. We're here. The only time we make a win is when that facilities team makes a win, you know, and it's not just reactive. It's proactive us being out there in the forefront and making sure that we are, projecting what needs to happen. communicating these items are these issues ahead of time, and really ensuring that the facilities team has transparent information up to the minute data so that they can also use this to communicate to their C-suite and to their operations teams. So I think as an industry, it's all of our responsibility to, to make this, you know, education happen, so to speak.
Sid: we've talked about this in the past. you know, our industry does have a massive PR problem and I think the more we can do to collectively raise the awareness, of our space, the better for everyone, because I don't think. Facilities gets its due credit. and ultimately like the impact that our space has on the ultimate consumer experience, is tremendous. so maybe this is where we kind of, utilize your experience in public relations to do a better job in our space. Right.
Jaclyn Frenzel: one would hope that we could. I, I think it's, it can be really overwhelming to think about because there's a lot of things within our industry that need to be. Discussed on a national or global level. And if I could reel it back into nationally it's we don't have any lobbying arms for our industry. We can rely on certain associations, to lobby, but that's primarily in development or land use, and it really doesn't revolve around maintenance. Um, and so collectively we are really disjointed and segmented because our industry. Encompasses so many different factions, right? We have H V a C, which in and of, of itself is its own industry. We have electrical, we have handyman, we have point of sale. We have, um, software, we have so many different. Types of industries that support facility management that bringing them all together to have one voice, um, is definitely the challenge. And then you have a department or a type of, um, job title. So facility manager. That even at the, you know, college level, isn't something that people are seeking out. So we have a major PR issue and we have an aging workforce. We have lack of skilled trades, and this is all something that is being exacerbated because of the pandemic. And we don't really have a collective voice to help one educate and two start to find solutions to these problems.
Sid: step by step, right? We gotta collectively move forward, to raising that awareness. Um, it is so important, and hopefully, this show can contribute in a small way towards that, right?
Jaclyn Frenzel: absolutely. I was just gonna mention that. I mean, there's like you said, small steps and, and this is bigger than a small step. this is necessary and it's, going to be impactful.
Sid: much appreciated. so Jaclyn , as, as a service provider, what are you seeing or hearing from brands, the leaders you talk to on a daily basis? What do they care about? You know, whether it's facilities or, or anything else related to customer experience, what's important to.
Jaclyn Frenzel: you know, I don't think there's one thing. There are many, the pandemic certainly elevated cleanliness. It went from the bottom of the budget to, you know, and as it was an afterthought, something retail staff could do in their downtime, but you know, customers should never see them doing this. And then it was fast tracked to the forefront, with an expectation. That both staff and customers saw the cleaning take place, right? It was a bit of hygiene theater. and this shift was relatively quick. I don't think we had seen any kind of shift that quick in our, in our lifetime. So now, uh, that we're emerging from the pandemic and sensitivity levels are starting to relax. Um, we are back to talking about the same pre pandemic issues, but with more urgency, so supply versus demand, aging workforce, lack of skilled trades. And then now we've on, you know, tacked on inflation and the looming budget constraints and worries. So here we are midway through 2022, starting to look at 2023. And having conversations with our customers about what 20, 23 looks like what's gonna be a priority to them. And cleaning is still a priority, but there are also issues revolving around unionization of stores, making sure that staff feel safe and ensuring that they have the budget in place to be able to do capital projects along with any kind of updates and, and things that were really neglected for a long time. But when you pair that against the service provider base, you know, we only have so many service providers willing to do these jobs. And so there's a lot of constraint there. And so having the conversation around flexibility, I believe transparency is at an all time high, which is phenomenal because when we are talking to our clients about what's available, what hard. Topics and conversations they have to have internally around, multiple departments around operations and scheduling and loss prevention. These are all things that they had the luxury of never really having to, to think about. And now they are. And so it's really bridging the gap between multiple departments and having them have the conversation with facilities and with their providers. And so it's really opening. These conversations now, the conversation's the first step. The next step is how do we find solutions?
Sid: Right. You mentioned the pandemic and the last three years, I think the last three years have been so crazy and interesting. I don't think any brand or any facilities team has done. Things at scale. the way I think we had to, during the pandemic, because, you know, locations have store closures and store openings, but there were times where, you know, with, during the pandemic and the social unrest that facilities teams had to be called upon to. Close hundreds of stores at the same time or open them at the same time. And like, you know, you mentioned about cleaning and the, the requirements to, not only keep your stores hygienic and clean and safe, but also you had to make the consumer feel that you were doing it, right. It, it wasn't enough that it was just behind the scenes. it had to almost be visible for customers to feel, comfortable to walk into your space. do you think that momentum, will continue whether there's a tremendous amount of limelight on our space? has it improved or changed the way we do business? what do you think it's gonna look like.
Jaclyn Frenzel: it's kind of had an ebb and flow over the last few years and I started to see a pullback. There were, there was a lot of spend in those first, you know, 20, 20, 20, 21. And companies were trying to, Reign that back in and start to have it even out. And then you go through another wave of the, of the pandemic or COVID coming through and, and then it escalates again. And so there's been a real like push pull for cleaning and it's not, it changed it. Wasn't only about the consumer. It was also about staff. So when we talk about supply demand, Retail and the majority of organizations throughout the country and in Canada are experiencing a labor shortage. And so if your staff doesn't feel safe coming into work, good, better and different whether or not they're using at an excuse or not, you as an employer, then they're seeing this have to make them feel safe, just as much as the customers. So more emphasis is definitely being taken there, but I'm also seeing that. As the sensitivity starts to die down as we're becoming numb to the different waves, something else is setting in. So they're pulling back and they're getting back into more routine type cleanings highlighting and, or reconstituting, um, PM programs for cleaning related services. But then you have now the unionization factor, that's kind of resonating throughout the industry at a, mostly the retail industry. And you're seeing The C-suite saying, okay, we hear you. We wanna make your space safe and here's what we're doing. And so now you're seeing more, maintenance related items being tackled, not the same level of urgency, but definitely a longer term vision for how they're going to maintain their spaces and, ensure that their staff, that operations is just as cared for as the consumer.
Sid: That's great as a service provider. can you share. What's important to you. because I have a lot of guests, you know, on, from different industries, from the facility side or sourcing and so on. but I always like to understand and bring to the forefront, you know, different perspectives on what's important to you. and so we'd love to understand when you, when you look at your business and you look at, you know, the future of, onsite, what are the kind of investments that you care about that you think will. you know, propel you even further, as a provider. and what's important to your organization just in general as well.
Jaclyn Frenzel: you know, I don't think that they're mutually exclusive, things that really impassion me. Are employing women, employing working mothers, elevating facilities, and women in facilities. and I believe that this is something that will definitely improve the industry in general. So having. know, individuals who have children and being able to provide them with a career that fosters growth and allows them the flexibility of having a family and having a career is something that I find to be. Super unique to facility management, and it really excites me for our future. And it's something that I make a priority every day. When I come into work, when I'm hiring, when I'm leading the team, it's always at the forefront of my mind about how can I empower these women? How can I. Lead them, how can I empower them and make them feel connected to a global industry? it's not without its challenges, but it's definitely something that, that I'm living and breathing. And that is really important to our organization.
Sid: I love it. Thank you. let's move to our next segment. and let's talk about how you do it. so it's a competitive world out there, right? Um, how do you differentiate yourself and, how do you show accountability, and measure success?
Jaclyn Frenzel: You know, this is a challenging question because it's easy for all of us to kind of, especially when you're in business development or come from that. realm to say, oh, we've got amazing customer service, or we do things differently. And at the end of the day, we all do things relatively the same. And it's about relationships. And it's about, you know, your. Longevity within the industry. So when I really sat and thought about what differentiates us, it is the fact that we are a minority woman owned company, and it's easy to show accountability for that because it's in the numbers. Right? So that's how we can measure success. We set directives internally for obtaining a certain level of minority diverse women. Team members we've met it, we've exceeded it. And then we continue to educate and communicate that to the public. and then also we've made an internal directive for our subcontractor base to do the same, because it's not just about our organization meeting those standards in our offices. It's also about us living that and ensuring that we are promoting the minority diverse woman-owned companies throughout our subcontractor base. So annually, we perform surveys. This is all information that is calculated amongst, intaking new service providers. And we also have a business. Uplifting program. So if service providers need assistance, if they're undergoing hard times, if they're looking to get their minority or diverse supplier certifications, we'll walk them through it and help them with that process. We've provided small, small loans to service providers to get them going. And these are ways that we really want to elevate the industry and ensure that there's continued success amongst various. You know, service providers at the local level. it's so easy to say, you know, that I'm here to serve the customer, but at the end of the day, I'm the middleman. And if I'm not serving my supplier base, then I cannot serve my customer. So we take the Liberty of showing the accountability, living it day to day, and then providing those resources is necessary.
Sid: So clearly, I mean, we, we should all care about diversity, right? it's so important, that we do the right thing, but, uh, I wanna understand. Why is diversity important? why do you do what you do? Right. We know it's the right thing, but I'd like to share with our audience, on your perspective, on the impact it's had within your organization and ultimately, how does it help, what you offer as a service to your
Jaclyn Frenzel: You know, I probably don't have the most polished answer definitely my perspective. So I am a. non-minority, I'm a woman and that's, the extent of my minority status here. So, but that being said, if we are all the same sitting around the table, we're gonna continue to get the same results. Which is not how you move forward. So that's how I've always looked at it. I've always looked at it as you want the most diversity in a room because you're going have varying perspectives. You're gonna have varying outcomes. You're gonna have varying thoughts. And you're also gonna find that consensus is, is found somewhere in the middle and it's not with one total side or the other total side, and we're all gonna come together to find the best result. And so it's really great when you have. You know that diversity there and you have that perspective and you have whether it's socioeconomic, whether it's gender, whether it's race and, and so bringing everyone together from different perspectives is going to result in. The best outcomes and moving forward, that's where we should always be. Our goal should always be forward. It's not about the past. It's about how can we come together and then find the best solution to move forward. And I really believe diversity does that.
Sid: I love it. I, I couldn't agree more. Do you think there's enough momentum in our space? like our organizations and businesses, kind of doing enough to reach out to businesses like yours, to expand the diversity in their network of providers, as well as within their own talent pool.
Jaclyn Frenzel: I think that there's momentum and it's building and we are moving in the right direction. I would say that there are several organizations, lots of them, big and small that are moving in that direction or have already they're leading the way. And they're doing a great job at it, but I believe that there are still there's so much ground to make up I, I remember when I was sitting on the board for connects, and we were launching the de and I C. As a board directive, and there was so much praise and lots of folks in the, you know, membership wrapped their arms around it, but you did have a few that questioned. Why is this necessary? and I think that that as an industry is something that we're gonna continue to battle for the near term, but the momentum and the support around. is growing rapidly daily that I just see that momentum overtaking and educating, folks that don't understand or don't know how to be an ally or don't understand what it means and really removing that fear, which I think holds people back because they don't know how they fit into diversity. to really see that it's not a personal thing. It's about. Bringing everybody to the table and giving us all the same opportunity. It has nothing to do with, with removing opportunities for others. All it is is for all of us to support and bring everyone to the table. So I see a lot of organizations doing it and doing it well. And I, on the daily, I'm seeing that they are moving towards it now. I would like us to be further along, but again, it's about looking at the goal to the future and saying, okay, tomorrow there'll be more incentive tomorrow. C-suites are going to incentivize their facilities teams, or they're going to provide budget allocations specifically for these types of in, um, corporations and little by little, we will get there.
Sid: love it. I wanna touch upon another key issue in our space, which is, uh, talent, and the shortage we are seeing, in the talent pool and aging, work, force. what can we do to attract and retain talent? are you, facing similar challenges with, you know, talent shortages and how are you coping with.
Jaclyn Frenzel: Yeah, absolutely. and I'm seeing it on both the skilled and unskilled trades. we talk about just skilled trades most of the time, but a lot of our industry is also supported by. By mom and pop, you know, local companies and you're not having the same amount of young, driven. Talent out there, come out and say, Hey, I wanna own a window cleaning company, or I wanna do handyman work. And so it's really challenging. And we're putting a lot of strain on the existing resources that we have. So as an industry, we need to take a look at this and say, okay, How do we put our money where our mouth is? How do we foster new development of businesses? How do we encourage folks to get into these trades? How do we educate them that this is a good field for them to go into and with skilled trades, it's really important that we get behind, um, training programs. Um, there are a lot of, lot of unions even out there that provide. Free training. You can become certified without having to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, like you would going to college. And I remember listening to, um, a speaker a long time ago who said, and it really resonated that we cannot all be doctors and lawyers. You know, if we all go to college and become doctors and lawyers, our economy is going to fail. So we need to elevate and, and goes back to that PR program about our industry and say, it is not a bad thing to become an electrician. In fact, you're likely gonna make. Six figures have a phenomenal pension, have great benefits and be able to work locally. Right. And have a great job. Same goes with being a plumber or an HVAC technician, same goes with being window cleaning or handyman and the flexibility around this. And so really putting it out there that. These industries are valued that they have a purpose and a place, and that it's not somehow lower or less looked upon if you go that route. And so if our industry can really get behind that and do national campaigns and maybe even work with education lobbying to start to implement this education, you know, during middle school years, Because that's when it's formative, that's when people and children can learn, Hey, I don't have to go. Maybe I'm not the best student. Maybe, you know, I'm good at math, but I'm not good at test taking. And I'd like to go into the workforce. And so getting it at a national scale is great. individual organizations can have incubator programs where they help small businesses where they really educate and can teach their community about these things. But ultimately we all have to come together and start promoting it as, as necessary and valued.
Sid: no, that's great. and, you know, there, there are folks out there that, are just amazing with their hands and they want to, go and they have an inclination to go and. take things apart and fix it and put it back together. you know, there are trade schools for that, right. Do you think trade schools get enough? you know, publicity in terms of, you know, what they do and why they do it? how can we help.
Jaclyn Frenzel: No, they don't. And it's really important that we support them and get behind them. I think an easy way is to have our associations, the facility management associations that we all belong to. Um, start sponsoring and being involved, getting these trade schools involved in our organizations and then at a local level sending teams out because a lot of these trade schools do attend, uh, what do they call it? The career days in high school and middle school. And so if we can start to really educate. Them about this industry and really get out there at, at that local level. Then I think we'll start to see the impact being made. But the unfortunate thing is that this is a national problem, but you're really gonna see the most impact at the local level. So we need to start partnering with those trade schools and really getting the, the message out about the value, the types of income you can make all of the benefits and flexibility around these, these trade.
Sid: Perfect. I wanna go back to a question, or a topic that we were discussing earlier, you know, just as it regards to facilities folks, right? The persona of the facilities manager or director or VP, has been changing over the past few years. Right. Would you agree
Jaclyn Frenzel: Oh, absolutely.
Sid: right, the kind of person that's that's sitting in that seat is different? do you think, has driven that and, do you think that the messaging that, that resonates with. The professional in that role today is different from maybe 10, 15 years ago. what kind of messaging I think resonates with them and allows them to really see, a path to realizing their full potential.
Jaclyn Frenzel: it's an interesting question and I wanna take it a little bit further and say that I think it's also different between the. Of facilities that they manage. So if you're looking at retail facility management versus say restaurant facility management, I see a large difference between the type of facility managers in both of those spaces. and in one side I see a lot of highly educated, very, um, construction driven. Professionals that are using a lot of data and analytics. And then in the other side, I see a lot of grassroots having learned on the job came from skilled trade type of organizations and then worked their way into facilities. And so you see them managed in two very different types of ways. Not for, you know, one being better than the other. Um, but it's just an interesting, I I've noticed it. And it was, it's always been very curious to me to see why that is. Uh, and I think it goes back to the type, the number of facilities that you're managing and who you're reporting to. So some organizations report are public and they report to boards and it's, it's very, necessary that they have, they have an education with business and, and software and analytics and all of that behind them where the other they're managing fewer locations and they are very hands on and need to have that skillset to be able to diagnose and properly fix the equipment. So that's where I see it. where it currently is, where I see it going though, regardless of what your background is, I see it going very much. with data and analytics driven and AI, humans and all of us are still gonna be very much a part of this process, but we are going to be relying upon. Real time data to make very quick decisions and be able to deploy, the best solutions in a much shorter amount of time. I think this will help lessen the burden and stress on facility managers in some respect. Um, it might have its own repercussions on, on the back end because now you're managing a lot more. however, I see that. It's going to be a positive impact because we'll be able to see exactly what's happening, where it's happening and then how to deploy solutions, you know, rather quickly, over the last decade, I've seen this go from a very paper industry to a very digital industry. And I see that now progress even further with the advancement of AI and it's starting to. Diagnose the problems and see patterns. and I see that that's going to really impact the types of professionals who get into this industry.
Sid: that's very interesting. And I, and I agree with that. I think, uh, if you look at the entire, industry today, there's this wide spectrum of the kind of professional that that's kind of running, uh, these programs. and to your point, I think that. There's no good or bad approach to, you know, what they're taking. But I think that collectively what we are all having to do now is adapt. Right? These are very, very interesting times, with a lot of change. And I think the one thing that our industry is good at is adapting, and things are changing really fast. and so we're having to rely on data and technology, to keep up, as an industry, Just by the nature of what we have to do. You're kind of always behind the eight ball. our goal is right. Collectively is to go ahead of it, like stay ahead of it. and not be so reactive. And I think this is one of those other things where little by little, we gotta change the mindset and change how we, look at, uh, what we do on a daily basis to be more strategic versus, uh, reactive. Before we go to our next section, where we talk about the future. I wanna ask you about, you know, any stories that you might have, that could be worth sharing, cuz facilities, folks have the most interesting stories and, um, would love to hear if you have any, uh, you know, through your career.
Jaclyn Frenzel: You know, the stories that we have that we share are probably inappropriate because you have to remember that we are, we specialize in cleaning related solutions. And that was like what our core was before branching out and expanding over the last, you know, five or six years. But what I try to tell people are. When I'm talking to my friends and I'm like, Hey, do not ever take your shoes off in a dressing room. So that is one is one point of advice I'll tell you. And the listeners like whatever you're thinking in your head right now, that's exactly what we've been deployed out there to, to tackle. So let's just keep it there. Okay.
Sid: Oh, my God. Good advice.
Jaclyn Frenzel: So that's, so that's the first one. and you know, we, we have some fun stories too, where a couple years ago, we, we had a call from a client who was watching their cameras in real time as we were there. And our crew was on site cleaning. And they're like, first and foremost, we wanna tell you that we absolutely love our cleaner and that he does a great job, but can you please tell him not to use his hoverboard when cleaning our store?
Sid: Wow.
Jaclyn Frenzel: when you think you cover all the basics in your scope of work conversations with contractors, we've now added, you can't use hoverboards when doing your nightly janitorial
Sid: That is hilarious.
Jaclyn Frenzel: So we, we definitely keep that video on rotation. I mean, he was very efficient. I won't tell you that he wasn't, but definitely definitely a risk to, you know, to harm himself. So we eliminated That
Sid: That is funny.
Jaclyn Frenzel: it is funny, you know, and on the, flip side we've had to navigate. the blurred lines between professional and personal, because we all use our devices. There's a lot of texting that goes back and forth. And there are times when we've had inappropriate things sent to our team members that have raised eyebrows and, and we've had to, to navigate those just as delicately. Um, you know, telling our friends not to wear shoes in dressing rooms. So, so there's, there's a lot of stories out there. I just don't know that, um, that sharing them all on this podcast is worth it, but just go back to wear your shoes in dressing rooms.
Sid: Point noted. alright, so, so let's jump into, uh, our final section that we'd like to just talk about the future. but before we do that, you touched upon this briefly, but how do you think the industries has evolved with the past 10 years and, where do you see us going? And, um, where would you like to see us going.
Jaclyn Frenzel: I think that we have evolved. Greatly over the last decade and I'm very fast. but I, I think that could be said for a lot of industries. So I, you know, I did mention briefly that I think we've gone from a highly paper run type of industry to a much more digital industry. And that's that benefits everybody. It gives us a lot more, um, flexibility and allows us to take on more work and. So forth and so on. And that's only going to continue to improve, um, on the service provider side. I could say that when I first joined the industry, it was like pulling teeth to get service providers, to comply with the digital components. And there was a lot of manual processes our team had to do to like, convert that information. So that's lessening and. Become now standard. Everyone has smartphones. Everyone has tablets. they can perform these services and be much more digital, which is great, not just for real time information, but for our, you know, for global warming and climate change and all of those things and deforestation. So I'm glad that we're moving digitally there, but I think also we are moving in the direction. Educating, bridging the gap between the departments, um, of our customers and having open transparent conversations about service providers. I think the relationships between facility management, uh, executives and their service provider teams is of utmost importance. We have to rely on each other. so heavily that that relationship is a necessary part of, being future minded. And I also believe diversity is, gonna continue to drive the industry and, being very impactful. more women, more younger folks, more diversity throughout. So between the diversity aspect, the digital aspect, I can see us becoming. Much more integral part of the conversation at the client level. So the facility management departments are gonna have much greater emphasis on the impact of their bottom line. And I see that ROI starting to be calculated in the future.
Sid: Perfect. Are there any rising trends in, um, consumer behavior or in technology or COVID related shifts that you think are here to stay?
Jaclyn Frenzel: You know, Sid, I don't even know if I have an answer for this question. , , I'm even looking at it right now and I'm thinking, you know, yes, I do think that there are rising trends in, in consumer behavior. I believe that while we all wanna be out there and be in person, we also wanna be entertained. And so I think your consumers are gonna want experiential. Um, Treatment, when they go into a store, they wanna see, they wanna touch. They wanna feel they wanna, they wanna experience it at the store before they experience it at home. Uh, I don't believe that we're gonna go totally away from brick and mortar. And you're seeing that right. You're seeing Amazon getting into brick and mortar and buying companies that are. have a physical presence and that's necessary, but I think we're also going to minimize that footprint a little bit. We don't need massive mega stores for all types of, consumer goods, but you're gonna wanna experience those. You're gonna wanna see it. You're gonna see technology leading towards that too. So if you wanna see what those clothes look like on you and not necessarily put them on, you could probably do that. So then that's gonna really shift the way facility manage. Manages the facilities, cuz you're dealing with a lot more digital, a lot more technology. You're gonna look at colors and, electronics and, and that sort of thing. So we're definitely gonna shift, but it's going to be experiential in, in concept.
Sid: Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I, I think that. Brick and mortar is definitely here to stay. I mean, and you said, even companies that were primarily, driven by eCommerce, are getting into this space. There's a reason for it. It's just that the nature of what was brick and mortar today is very different from what it was, you know, maybe a decade ago. and so the expectations of the consumer are also different. like you said, It's more experiential. you know, the concept of showrooming now exists. so that kind of physical space that, exists is different. And so that means that what you need to do to actually manage, maintain and preserve that space is also gonna change. to your point, I think data and technology. are gonna be one of the biggest, assets, uh, that these teams have, to stay ahead and make sure that, they're continuing to provide safe, pleasant, welcoming environments, for the consumer. What do you think about the cleaning space? are we going to continue to keep, The same focus on keeping our physical spaces as clean as we did in the past three years. I hope so. Right.
Jaclyn Frenzel: I think that's a million dollar question. And if you could, if we could have that crystal ball, I'd really appreciate it because I'm in the planning stages right now for my
Sid: yeah.
Jaclyn Frenzel: paying attention to the trends and even taking a look prior to the pandemic hitting, and, and certainly there's going to absolutely be a continued need for not just reactive, but for preventative maintenance, cleaning. And I, and I see that continuing even with, you know, a slowing economy, uh, looming recession or any of these other things that we hear on the news on the daily. So it's gonna need to be consistent because you're not going to have, and, and the stats tell us, you know, the majority of shoppers are moms or women, and they wanna go into an environment that is welcoming and clean and when, and is fully stocked, which is another, another concern that, you know, our customers have. So maintaining that environment through cleaning is gonna be necessary. You know, I wanna go back and touch on one more thing that I think we're gonna see. Um, because it's something we've seen over the last couple years as, you know, civil unrest and, and a lot of things that impact our industry because of that. And I think, unfortunately, that is something that is kind of here to stay much like preparing for disasters. It's, it's one more thing that we need to be prepared for. and further you might see, uh, customers. choosing who they shop with based off of the political environment. And so I think that these are all things that as a business leader and a business owner, I take into consideration when we're doing forecasting and looking at clients and prospects and that sort of thing, because it's going to be, it's going to continue to resonate, um, through folks in their pocketbook. And so paying attention to those trends is, is something that we should all be, you know, keeping in the back of our minds.
Sid: That's great. All right. So Jaclyn , before we, wrap up, what advice would you give to folks that are. that are in your shoes, 12 years ago, right. Folks that are entering into the space now, what would you tell them, whether it is the, trades space or just in facilities management? what advice would you like to impart.
Jaclyn Frenzel: I think that there's a little bit of, you know, if I were to take from a leadership role, it's, work for organization that leads with empathy that listens to you, that aligns with your values. And this is something that I, I tell young, you know, young, emerging business leaders themselves, like find. When you're going out there looking for a company, treated as dating and find a company that aligns with your values, cuz that's where you're gonna find satisfaction. If you're entering the trades or even thinking about entering the trades, it's a phenomenal choice and you need to take a look at it for your long term growth and success. It's gonna provide you with the means to earn a solid wage. Great benefits. That's health, medical, dental. Also, it's gonna provide you with great pension, and it's gonna allow you to raise your family and have that, you know, quote unquote American dream life. And so I think it's very important that we show you that that's a valuable career to go into. Um, I'm the oldest of five children. And. my family came from a very blue collar working class, environment. And my father was in the union. My husband is in a union. My brothers are in unions and they've all worked very hard, but I've also created one hell of a life for themselves because of it. And I'm a very strong supporter of, of trades. And if you're getting into facility management, I really like to tell my team and those that I'm speaking to in the space that are new to it it's a phenomenal, profession to be in. You are part of a global industry. You are supporting, the consumer base. You're con you're supporting brick and mortar, but also you have the flexibility. It's very demanding, but you find, you find so much success daily. The tasks at hand are never the same. You have new challenges just when you think you've got it, figured out something else comes up and you've gotta adjust and be agile. So if you're interested in learning and growing and, and being involved and impactful in that way, facility manages facility management is fantastic, but even more so. it has the flexibility. And I'm so glad that if we can say something came out of the pandemic, that was great. It was really illustrating that we can manage facilities no matter what side of the aisle you're on from literally anywhere in the world. So you can do this job and. Quite literally have it all. You can be at home with your family. You can be on vacation you can not that I'm advocating working on vacation, but it has the flexibility to provide you with the type of lifestyle that you wanna live.
Sid: That's great. Any advice to facility managers and how. They can be a good customer, like a good partner. How can they make their providers better?
Jaclyn Frenzel: transparency and communication and I know as simple as it sounds, but it's, you know, communicate and, you know, build that relationship and provide feedback because, you know, one of the hardest things as a service provider is to read minds. Like we can't, we can't fix a problem if we don't know about it, but also. Periodic kudos. You know, it's really sad. But one of the things I tell my staff is you're very rarely going to get appreciation and praise from the clients. What you need to do is acknowledge to yourself that you had to win. And so something that we do very regularly in the offices, We have our team express their wins and we all give ourselves kudos for those wins. So if I were to say, how could you be a better customer? It's periodically give both constructive feedback and positive feedback. And the more you can communicate to your service providers and generate a relationship, the harder they're gonna work for you.
Sid: I love it. well, Jaclyn , thank you so much for taking the time today. I really enjoyed our conversation. can you share with our audience where they can find you.
Jaclyn Frenzel: Absolutely. I'm on LinkedIn. our company is. Www dot onsite, fm.net. You can find us there and then all the links to our social media. Um, but I definitely welcome all the LinkedIn connections I can make. And if I'm ever in your town you'll definitely hear from me.
Sid: I love it. Perfect. Well, again, thank you Jaclyn. And to all those in our audience, thank you for, uh, listening. Really appreciate it. And we'll see you next time. Adios.