Photos & Video by Ryan Stopera
Meet Anna Tsantir, the founder of Two Bettys Green Cleaning Services. They’re one of the 12 purpose-driven small businesses that have come together in support of Pollen’s mission to change our collective story for the better. Together, they challenge Pollenites to raise $20,000 by Give to the Max Day on November 14, which they will match dollar for dollar.
Match the hive and donate today.
All About Two Bettys:
Two Bettys is a for-profit social enterprise that disrupts business as usual in the service industry. “Two Bettys works to model what responsible capitalism looks like and how you can have a healthy bottom line AND a healthy workforce and planet,” says founder Anna Tsantir. Their approach is getting noticed: They’ve been invited to Aspen Institute’s ThinkXchange in October, which will convene more than 200 innovators working to identify opportunities and solutions that reflect the voices and aspirations of families.
“We send eco-warriors disguised as cleaners to 1,700 homes repeatedly each month. We know what is safe for each home, and what we should and shouldn’t be putting down our drains into our water supply.” Two Bettys cleaners are paid a living wage with flexible work schedules. “We were paying $15/hr in 2007 when our cleaners were contractors,” says Anna. “Now we pay $20/hr and our cleaners are employees with benefits to choose from.”
Two Bettys isn’t just planet-friendly or worker-friendly: They’re dog-friendly, too. “Not only do we love our client’s pets, we also have a dachshund named Rufio in the office on Minnehaha that keeps our amazing HQ staff entertained, and a pit-mix, Xena, who adores people and greets every cleaner at our Refill Station on Lake Street with a smile and a cuddle,” says Anna.
POLLEN: How does Two Betty’s demonstrate a commitment to diversity?
We have always been a safe place to work. That is the feedback we have gotten, especially from our GLBTQ staff. However recently, upon learning of Minnesota’s terrible ranking on racial equity, we are now engaged in a contract with Ladonna Redmond and committed to a long term diversity and intercultural awareness training that we have only just begun. It is powerful, deep, and difficult work and I am grateful to be doing it. It is inspiring how committed my staff is to do this work together.
POLLEN: Where do you look for inspiration?
My kids. Especially my kids in public schools or the woods. I recommit to my principles every time I spend a minute with my kids because they are all of our kids. I do not want to leave them a big social or climate mess. #listentogreta
Connecting inspires me. Whether it is with Ladonna as I described above, or with our cleaners every week in our orientation every Tuesday, or with my rad cohorts who run businesses and social enterprises in the Twin Cities through The Business Women’s Circle.
Self-awareness. Growing myself as a leader. I have learned that while vision and creating are strengths of mine, it is the people and opportunities in front of my nose and with boots on the ground, that help me connect and communicate the vision to actual opportunity and change-making through collaboration. It’s been an inspiring process!
POLLEN: What are the critical stories in your community that need to be spotlighted?
I want to tell more stories about the amazing social enterprise in MN and the growing number of B Corps. I believe one of the key ways the middle class and working class can wield power is with their pocketbooks and as consumers.
POLLEN: What’s the culture of your team, and how have you worked to build and reinforce that culture?
We are a bunch of people that want to use our daily work to effect change. We all share that in common and work really hard — and so humor is another one of our Core Values — our GIF game is tight and we have as much fun as one can have cleaning toilets and homes. 🙂
I have tried to be honest, generous, and accountable to those who have built this ship with me, and that is what I have asked of others. And I am so grateful every day for the opportunity to lead that just sort of grew up naturally out of a desire to do good honest work, for a good living pay. My staff is amazing. A-mazing.
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