How One Entrepreneur Has Turned Cleaning Into Second Chances

While working for Project Return, a nonprofit helping formerly incarcerated individuals re-enter society, Leslie Crumpton saw an opportunity to turn her side hustle into something more. After one of the organization’s contracts ended due to the pandemic, Leslie was asked to take on the cleaning contract on her own. “I told them I wasn’t a real cleaning service” Leslie recalls, “but they gave me a shot, and that was my first client for Leslie’s Cleaning in 2020.” That one solo contract has since blossomed into a full-time business with 10 employees and 18 contracts in the Nashville area.

For Leslie, the impact goes far beyond the numbers. With over two decades of experience working in corrections, her passion has always been rooted in helping people rebuild their lives after incarceration. Now, she’s doing exactly that through workforce development programs tailored to women, particularly those who have been disenfranchised or involved with the justice system. “I teach them how to strip and wax floors, things that are typically male-dominated skills in the cleaning industry,” she said. “It’s all about training people to have a skill that comes with reasonable pay, and something they can always fall back on.”

Her business model is built on the idea of empowerment—equipping individuals not only with jobs but with the tools and confidence to thrive. She’s already hosted one successful class and is preparing for her second in April, this time partnering with the Tennessee Higher Education Initiative to recruit participants.

That mission-driven approach is one of the reasons she turned to Pathway Lending. A referral led her to Pathway for financing, and the relationship continued to grow from there, leading Leslie to come back as a repeat client. “I wasn’t a business expert, but Pathway helped me get the equipment I needed, hire more people, buy uniforms and PPE, and even build out my safety data sheets. It wasn’t just financial help, it was about support, honesty, and real guidance.” She describes her relationship with Pathway as a true partnership. “I’ve worked with other companies, but with Pathway, I felt like I wasn’t just getting a loan. I could call anytime with questions, and someone would be there to help. That’s rare.”

And while the cleaning side of her business continues to grow, her commitment to community is what truly sets her apart. Recently, Leslie’s work caught the attention of the Women Who Rock Foundation, who awarded her with their Community Activist of the Year award in 2025. “I consider myself a blue-collar worker,” she said. “But I believe in giving people a chance. This business—it’s about more than cleaning. It’s about restoring hope.”

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