Steven Pajevic

About Steven Pajevic

I build businesses that last by designing scalable systems, leading teams with clarity, and ensuring growth is based on real-world results.I’m an entrepreneur and operator with over two decades of experience working with startups, established companies, and regulated industries. I’ve led through periods of rapid growth, downturns, and times when plans fell apart and needed rebuilding. My focus is where strategy intersects with operations, and where decisions truly impact people, processes, and outcomes.Currently, I oversee operations and strategy at Crystal Clean Green Cleaning, an award-winning residential service company known for robust systems, workplace wellness initiatives, and community leadership. The company started with just $100 in startup supplies and grew into one of the region’s most recognized service businesses through disciplined execution and a people-first culture.I’m also a Goldman Sachs Small Businesses Scholar and a Business Observer 40 Under 40 honoree. My work increasingly centers on helping organizations grow responsibly while enhancing employee well-being, operational resilience, and community impact.My leadership style is practical, steady, and people-focused. Some of my key strengths include:• Transforming chaotic operations into effective systems• Building teams that understand expectations and take ownership• Using data to minimize risk rather than just generating reports• Leading calmly through change, pressure, and uncertaintyOver the years, I’ve launched companies, navigated pandemic pivots, built workforce platforms, and learned—sometimes the hard way—what truly sustains a business: clear priorities, disciplined execution, and leaders who stay present during tough times.Today, my work bridges the roles of operator, advisor, and builder. I assist organizations in growing while maintaining control, culture, and common sense.If you value leaders who think strategically, act realistically, and keep things simple, we’ll probably get along.

Experience

1. Founder & CEO

   Crystal Clean Green Cleaning

   Mar 2013 — Present · North Port, FL, US

   Built Crystal Clean Green Cleaning from the ground up, scaling an award-winning residential services brand with a people-first culture, premium client experience, and community-forward leadership.Highlights:Grew from a bootstrapped start into one of the region’s most recognized residential cleaning brands, earning multiple community and workplace wellness distinctions.Built and led a service team and operating structure focused on trust, consistency, and long-term client relationships.Implemented documented systems across scheduling, training, quality control, and customer experience to improve consistency and scalability.Embedded sustainability as a business practice (not a marketing slogan), including operational decisions that have diverted nearly 8 metric tons of waste from landfills.Strengthened local brand presence through partnerships, community initiatives, and values-driven leadership that deepened client loyalty and referrals.Became the most awarded cleaning company in the Tampa Bay area.

Education

• Bluffton University

  Bachelor of Business Administration - BBA, Business and Pre-Med

  1998 — 2000

• State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota

  Business Managment

  2001 — 2004

• Brunswick High School

  A.A. Business Managment and Marketing, Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services

  1996 — 1999

• BITSPEC Lean Six Sigma certification

  Black Belt - Six Sigma, Black Belt

  2014 — 2016

• Babson College

  Executive MBA, Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services

  2020 — 2020

Skills

• Entrepreneurship
• SEO
• Social Networking
• Insurance
• Graphic Design
• Nonprofits
• Customer Service
• Negotiation
• Sales
• Training
• New Business Development
• Advertising
• Non-Profits
• Marketing Strategy
• Social Media Marketing
• Research
• Sales Management
• Coaching
• Small Business
• Management
• Team Building
• Online Marketing
• Public Relations
• Social Media
• Leadership
• Marketing
• Strategic Planning