6 Questions for John Braun

1 | Who are you, and what do you do?

I’m John Braun, aka The Hitman. I’m the principal operator of Hitman Advertising, an ad agency for cleaners. I help carpet cleaning, janitorial, maids, restoration companies, and other cleaners get more clients through a wide range of online and offline marketing materials and strategies.

I am also an author. I’ve written articles for such trade publications as Cleanfax, Clean Informer, and ICS Cleaning Specialist magazines, as well as dozens of articles for various directories. I’ve had the pleasure of publishing a book that went No. 1 on Amazon in the category of advertising. It is titled “Killer Advertising for Cleaning Businesses.”

2 | How did you first get started in the industry?

In college, I worked part-time for a $10 per room carpet cleaning and pressure washing company. I didn’t learn much but learned enough to see the money-making potential. The entire goal of this company was to get in and out quickly, which often led to callbacks of musty-smelling carpet days later. I could tell we weren’t doing it right. But that job shifted my career focus. I was majoring in advertising at the University of West Florida and caught the entrepreneurial bug.

Within a year, I started my first business, a small carpet cleaning company named Premium Carpet Care, with just a Kirby shampooer. I wanted to practice my advertising skills and find out what worked. It seemed hypocritical to tell others how to advertise without putting the theories into practice with my own money. Through a process of trial and error, I eventually cracked the code and learned how to create highly targeted advertising. I built my carpet cleaning company to be one of the most well-known companies in my city. Now, my goal is to help others do the same.

3 | Who in your life has impacted you the most?

It’s hard to pinpoint just one person who has influenced me. In the industry, Howard Partridge has had a significant impact on my life. He taught me that success is attainable if you’re willing to work hard for it. Other industry leaders like Courtney Lee, Doyle Bloss, Cameron Mayville, Doug Heiferman, and Lee Pemberton have also shaped my life in various ways.

When I was starting my business, John Williams, a local cleaner and restorer, took me under his wing and imparted a lot of knowledge. Mentorship is powerful; it benefits both the mentor and the mentee by lifting each other up.

4 | If you could have dinner with one person from history, who would it be, and why?

It would have to be Jesus Christ of Nazareth. It may sound corny to some, but if he really is a historical person, which I believe he is, wouldn’t it be great to sit down for a long conversation with him?

5 | What music, movies, or books have inspired you?

John loves spending time with family. Pictured are his wife Sheryl, son Anderson, and daughter Mallory.

I’ve always loved Western movies such as Tombstone, Young Guns, 3:10 to Yuma, and, of course, old John Wayne movies. The themes are usually about the little guy winning over the big guy. In a sense, that’s what business is about.

As for some of my favorite books, four that come to mind are “Do It! Marketing” by David Newman, “Advertising Secrets of the Written Word” by Joseph Sugarman, “Free Marketing: 101 Low and No-Cost Ways to Grow Your Business, Online and Off” by Jim Cockrum, and “Ogilvy on Advertising” by David Ogilvy.

6 | What personal philosophy of life motivates you the most?

“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want,” Zig Ziglar said. Essentially, I think this falls back to the rule of giving. When you give, you receive. It’s important to remember that life isn’t just about getting things from people.