Rylie Hicks is the founder of Scrubbed Spotless — a window cleaning and power washing company serving the Treasure Valley in Idaho. What started with a squeegee has grown into a fully operating team across multiple markets, backed by capital he raised himself. He's also a partner in several other ventures and shows no signs of slowing down.
I asked Rylie what made him decide to build his own company.
He went to school for healthcare administration, worked in construction, worked in sales — and realized quickly that working inside someone else's structure wasn't for him.
"I'm just not that kind of guy. I'm driven to build something myself, or with a team, with partners."
I asked him what kind of guy he is.
"I'm the guy who likes to think of what could be and how to get there and then build the roadmap and start executing on that."
I asked him what's shaped how he leads today.
"Mistakes. Mistakes that I made and mistakes that I watched others make."
He talked about former roles where there were zero responsibility outlines, no SOPs, no real instruction — just an expectation to get stuff done.
I asked him what real leadership looks like to him.
"Leading by example and setting a standard and making very clear what the roles and expectations are. Outlining someone's lane, giving them all the tools they need to succeed in that lane, and then helping whenever they see a hurdle coming up and they're not sure how to jump it."
We talked about what the last couple of years have taught him.
Rylie described it as a pressure chamber — rapid growth, new partnerships, hard lessons, and having to confront his own mistakes along the way. Through all of it, one word keeps coming back to him.
"Alignment. Most people are good people. Most people just generally don't do things out of malice. But even still, there's a lot of damage that can be done. So, it's interesting to dive into what alignment actually means — on a person-to-person level, on a business philosophy level, on a scaling level. Communicating what alignment actually means and putting it on paper."
I asked how he keeps his team aligned now.
"Open communication. I wasn't always good at that. That's been a muscle to build. Realizing that we're aligned on the same mission, and if not, that's okay. We just need to part ways as amicably as we can."
I asked what he'd tell other founders.
"Everything is so much harder and takes so much longer than you think it does. But then when it starts taking off, it takes off. The climb is so much steeper and longer than you think it is. So, I would say buckle up, try and enjoy the ride, and surround yourself with good people because that's what it's all about."
Are you a home or business owner looking for professional window cleaning or power washing? Connect with Rylie Hicks and check out Scrubbed Spotless.