Today we’d like to introduce you to Raquel Pacheco.
Hi Raquel, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
New beginnings are often challenging, yet profoundly encouraging.
At 47 years old, I found myself standing at a crossroads, choosing between staying comfortable and starting over with courage, humility, and clarity about what truly mattered to me. After a long career in the financial sector and in human resources, where I spent many years working closely with people, structure, and responsibility, that decision changed everything.
I started Grace & Gleam Cleaning Services in 2016 with the intention of building a business. What began as a practical decision gradually became a mission, one that allows me to create beauty, order, and a sense of calm in people’s lives, one home at a time.
As my professional journey unfolded, the privilege of helping homes become places of peace strengthened my belief that families are what hold the fabric of our society together. Every other job, in some way, begins and ends here, in the care of families and their homes, not just houses.
Over the years, serving the same families, some for nearly a decade, I came to understand that my work was never just about cleaning homes. It has always been about honoring life as it unfolds within them.
I have witnessed seasons of joy and seasons of loss: weddings, pregnancies, children growing up and leaving for college; nurseries becoming bedrooms, and later, empty rooms. Closets shifting through life’s transitions, pets arriving and saying goodbye, families facing illness, grief, and renewal. Through every phase, my role has always been to remain discreet, ethical, and deeply respectful, caring not only for the space, but for the life happening inside it.
As Grace & Gleam grew, I had to grow as well. What began as doing everything myself gradually became the responsibility of leading others. This transition taught me how to delegate, support a team, and build systems that allow the work to be carried out with the same level of intention, care, and excellence.
What never changed, however, was the connection. Even as my role evolved, my presence, values, and commitment remained constant. At its core, this journey has always been about building a shared story, one rooted in trust, consistency, and genuine care over time.
Today, Grace & Gleam is supported by a dedicated team, and my role is to lead, guide, and ensure that every home we care for continues to be treated with respect, discretion, and excellence, just as it was from the very beginning.
Grace & Gleam represents what I believe in: doing ordinary work with grace, and leaving behind a quiet gleam of care, dignity, and peace in every home we touch.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The path to sustainable growth is not always smooth, but each challenge has played an important role in shaping who I have become as a business owner and leader.
Starting over later in life required adaptability. I had to learn how to navigate a new environment, understand different expectations, and develop clear communication skills, while consistently maintaining high standards and a strong sense of responsibility.
One ongoing challenge has been ensuring consistency in execution. My clients place great value on receiving the same standard of service every time, and developing a work method that guarantees this level of consistency required intention, structure, and continuous refinement. Creating systems capable of sustaining the same quality, regardless of who is performing the service, became essential to earning and maintaining long-term trust.
Another significant challenge was transitioning from doing everything myself to trusting others with something deeply personal to me: my clients’ homes. This process taught me how to lead with clarity, empathy, and structure, by setting clear expectations and building systems that support long-term stability.
Each obstacle strengthened my resilience and reinforced my belief that growth happens when we choose responsibility over comfort. Today, these lessons are the foundation of how I lead my team and care for the homes entrusted to us.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Grace & Gleam Cleaning Services?
Grace & Gleam Cleaning Services is a residential cleaning company built on trust, consistency, and deep respect for the homes and lives we care for.
We provide high-quality residential cleaning for families who value discretion, reliability, and long-term relationships. Many of our clients have been with us for years, some for nearly a decade, allowing us to remain a steady and trusted presence through different seasons of their lives.
What truly sets Grace & Gleam apart is our philosophy. We don’t see our work as simply cleaning homes, but as caring for spaces that hold memories, routines, and transitions. Each home is treated with intention, attention to detail, and respect for the people who live there. Our work is guided by consistency, professionalism, ethical standards, and a genuine commitment to creating a calm and welcoming environment.
Today, Grace & Gleam operates with a dedicated team supported by clear systems and shared values. My role is to safeguard the standards that define our work, ensuring that every home we serve continues to receive the same level of care, discretion, and excellence that has been present since the very beginning.
Grace & Gleam represents grace in how we serve, and gleam in the care we leave behind. It is our way of honoring the trust placed in us and the homes, families, and community we are privileged to serve.
How do you define success?
For me, success is not measured solely by financial growth or visibility. It is found in consistency, in trust built over time, and in knowing that the work I do has meaning beyond the task itself.
Success means building something honest and enduring, something rooted in integrity, responsibility, and purpose. It is being able to show up consistently, to serve with intention, and to know that my work contributes to peace, order, and well-being inside people’s homes.
On a personal level, success means growth. It is having the courage to start over, the humility to learn, and the wisdom to evolve without losing my values. It is being able to lead with empathy, remain grounded, and make decisions aligned with what truly matters. It also includes receiving recognition that comes not only from public reviews, but from quieter expressions of appreciation, such as private messages, handwritten notes, children’s drawings, and personal gestures that reflect the impact of our work beyond visible results.
From a professional and brand perspective, success is reflected in the trust Grace & Gleam has earned over time. That trust has consistently led to new clients through word-of-mouth recommendations, allowing the business to expand naturally while preserving the relationships, standards, and care that define our work.
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