Media, Podcasts & Speaking
500+ episodes of Smart Business Moves, keynotes at ISSA and ARCSI conventions, the Disruptive Innovation Summit, and years of industry appearances - all in one place.
Featured Series
Smart Business Moves
Episodes from 2020 - present · Co-hosted with Liz Trotter
Description +
Launched in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Smart Business Moves was created to help cleaning business owners navigate the unprecedented operational, financial, and legal challenges of that time.
As the industry evolved, so did the series—expanding into broader management strategies and thought leadership aimed at reframing the value of home cleaning in a post-COVID world and beyond.
In May 2025, Smart Business Moves repositioned to respond to current events as the cleaning industry and the larger business world continues to evolve more and more quickly; SBM also began to offer longer events like Protecting Your Profit in a Shifting Market.
This page includes the archives as a rich source of practical insights and strategic guidance for running a smarter, more resilient cleaning business.
Special Edition
Smart Business Moves Podcast
June 2026
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Other Videos
Featured by industry associations, business media, podcasts, software companies, and educational organizations, Tom Stewart has spent more than 25 years helping professionalize the residential cleaning industry through leadership, technology, operational excellence, and business education.
Profit First Software & Smarter Operations
In this episode of the Five Door Media Podcast, Tom Stewart, CEO & co-founder of Maid Central, breaks down how modern cleaning companies win with profit-first software, not just scheduling tools. If you run a cleaning company, this is your playbook for building smarter, simpler, and more profitable operations.
Tom Stewart: AI Powered Decision Making
Tom Stewart explains how business leaders can leverage artificial intelligence to make better decisions, identify operational opportunities, and strengthen management without replacing human expertise.
Tom Stewart: Building an AI First Company
Tom Stewart explores how organizations can successfully become AI-first by integrating artificial intelligence into everyday operations, workflows, leadership, and long-term strategic planning.
Tom Stewart: Forecast Revenue and Profit
Tom Stewart demonstrates practical forecasting techniques using operational and financial metrics that help service businesses confidently project revenue, profit, and future growth.
Tom Stewart: The Future of Software Just Ask
Tom Stewart examines the evolution of business software toward conversational AI, where natural language replaces complex navigation to deliver faster insights and better decisions.
Tom Stewart: The Biggest Tech Barrier? Comfort
Tom Stewart explains why people—not technology—are often the greatest obstacle to innovation and shares leadership strategies for driving successful organizational change.
MaidCentral - The House Cleaning Software on Steroids - Tom Stewart
Angela Brown interviews Tom Stewart about residential cleaning software, operational systems, leadership, and proven strategies for building stronger, more profitable cleaning businesses.
Residential cleaning software-2nd company Interview Maid Central
Tom Stewart discusses selecting residential cleaning software, improving business operations, and using technology to support long-term growth, efficiency, and company scalability.
How Castle Keepers Started
Tom Stewart shares the entrepreneurial story behind founding Castle Keepers, offering lessons on leadership, persistence, and building one of the industry's most respected residential cleaning companies.
Published Works
Tom's Books
Tom has written two definitive industry texts drawn from 30 years of operational experience - not frameworks borrowed from other industries. The Professional House Cleaning Technician's Manual is the curriculum foundation for the IICRC HCT certification, and Modern Cleaning: The Evolution of Chemical Free Cleaning makes the scientific case for microfiber, engineered water, and ATP testing.