BSCAI President Janelle Bruland Shares Her Secret To Success

This is part one of a three-part article profiling BSCAI President Janelle Bruland.

In 1995, Janelle Bruland, CBSE, held her first team meeting as president and CEO of her company Management Services Northwest (MSNW), in the living room of her home in Ferndale, Washington.

“I knew little about the janitorial industry and told them so,” she says. “I let them know I was excited to learn, looked forward to their help, and together we were going to take great care of our clients and get referrals for more.”

Though Bruland didn’t have the background in the building service contracting industry, she was eager and ready to manage a “small cleaning company” while raising her family.

Yet the company grew, and, as their clients had needs, Bruland and MSNW added services.
 
“As time went on and I built relationships with our clients, they would ask for recommendations for professionals who could fix a leak in their roof or paint their building,” she says. “As our clients asked for these services, we added them, and I surrounded myself with an amazing team of specialists.”

Over the last 20 years, MSNW has grown from a small cleaning and landscaping business into a regional facilities management company, providing a one-call source for a full range of commercial services throughout the Northwest region. The foundation for this success was set by Bruland, who made sure to get as much hands-on experience as possible.

“In the early days, I wore many hats in the company from running the day-to-day business to answering the phone, performing the payroll and accounting services, and helping the team when needed out in the field,” she says.

She even recalls one experience — one of her first dealing with a snowstorm — when she headed out in her four-wheel drive truck to pick up team members who couldn’t make it to work because of the bad weather.

“Together, we cleaned the buildings, and [then I] delivered the team home safely at the end of their shift,” says Bruland.

This is just one example that describes the culture that Bruland works to cultivate.

“One of my most important jobs as CEO of MSNW is to create, enable and sustain our culture,” she says. “When starting out in 1995, I admit not giving a thought to our company culture. Our culture just was — influenced by my vision and values, and lived out through the small team I employed. It wasn’t until 2008, after our company experienced exponential growth — doubling in size in three years and going from 50 to 100 people — that I realized it could no longer be about me. Where I used to know every person on my team, I suddenly found myself not knowing everyone’s name. It was time to be intentional about creating a company culture.”

With the assistance of a branding consultant, the company identified its unique value proposition and core values, thus creating a culture that would allow Bruland and her team to provide the same customer experience throughout the Northwest region they served.

“Culture is critical,” says Bruland. “Enabling an authentic and sustainable culture has made our company extraordinary. Focus on bringing people alongside who value what you value, and live and breathe your company’s mission, and watch the amazing results.”