Full Cycle

We are checking in with Tim Johnson and his progress as he builds Operation Laundry. This is the second conversation and a lot has changed since the first one two months ago. Johnson is building Operation Laundry in Holland, Michigan, and the project is moving closer to the finish line. Johnson joins host Matt DeWolf to talk about the current status.

The construction is ongoing but the theme of this episode is community engagement. The community response to Operation Laundry has been something Johnson could not have predicted. We discuss a Facebook post asking residents about their experience with local laundromats that drew hundreds of comments and likes. The Holland Sentinel even ran a front-page profile. Local television reached out to cover opening day. People stop by the job site to drop things off. Employees have applied without any job posting ever going up. Johnson shares the story of one morning, a stranger pulled his car up alongside Johnson's to block him in, just so he could ask about washer sizes and the kids zone.

Johnson talks through what it takes to build a brand before you've served a single customer, including lighting upgrades to the strip mall, co-marketing relationships with neighboring businesses, and the concept of making the laundromat a third space, somewhere people can gather rather than just a utility stop. He also talks about where the real pressure lives, and it is not in the marketing. It is in the financial decisions that happen every day on a construction site, where every call has consequences and there is no safety net.

The conversation also goes into what it takes to sustain yourself through a process like this. 

His advice: find something bigger than yourself, whether that is faith, community, or just putting energy into helping someone else. What you give, he says, comes back tenfold.

We are checking in with Tim Johnson and his progress as he builds Operation Laundry. This is the second conversation and a lot has changed since the first one two months ago. Johnson is building Operation Laundry in Holland, Michigan, and the project is moving closer to the finish line. Johnson joins host Matt DeWolf to talk about the current status.

The construction is ongoing but the theme of this episode is community engagement. The community response to Operation Laundry has been something Johnson could not have predicted. We discuss a Facebook post asking residents about their experience with local laundromats that drew hundreds of comments and likes. The Holland Sentinel even ran a front-page profile. Local television reached out to cover opening day. People stop by the job site to drop things off. Employees have applied without any job posting ever going up. Johnson shares the story of one morning, a stranger pulled his car up alongside Johnson's to block him in, just so he could ask about washer sizes and the kids zone.

Johnson talks through what it takes to build a brand before you've served a single customer, including lighting upgrades to the strip mall, co-marketing relationships with neighboring businesses, and the concept of making the laundromat a third space, somewhere people can gather rather than just a utility stop. He also talks about where the real pressure lives, and it is not in the marketing. It is in the financial decisions that happen every day on a construction site, where every call has consequences and there is no safety net.

The conversation also goes into what it takes to sustain yourself through a process like this. 

His advice: find something bigger than yourself, whether that is faith, community, or just putting energy into helping someone else. What you give, he says, comes back tenfold.

On this episode of Full Cycle, Matt DeWolf sits down with Tim Johnson, founder of Operation Laundry in Holland, Michigan, for a conversation unlike most on the show. Tim's laundromat is not open yet, and this episode follows his journey in real time, offering a candid look at what it actually takes to build something from scratch in this industry.

Tim's background is anything but traditional for a laundromat owner. A former Air Force officer and cybersecurity entrepreneur, he arrived at the Clean Show knowing no one and knowing nothing about laundry. What followed was a series of high-stakes moves: rolling over his entire 401k through a ROBS structure while unemployed, tracking down and purchasing 43 dryers and 42 washers from a shuttered franchisee near Detroit, hauling the equipment across the state in rented box trucks with his neighbor Rob, and securing a commercial space on a seller-financed land contract. He and Rob then spent 50 days demo-ing 5,000 square feet by hand, removing 22 tons of material, and uncovering a hidden tunnel running beneath the entire strip mall.

Tim speaks openly about the moments of doubt, the constant outflow of money with no income coming in, and the relationships, with his distributor, his builder, his neighbor, local businesses, and community organizations, that have made the project possible. His advice for listeners is simple: walk or exercise every single day. The mental clarity it provides, he says, is worth more than the time it takes.

We’ll be following Tim along his journey as he gets Operation Laundry open for business.

Thanks for giving us a turn.

Host: Matt DeWolf | Guest: Tim Johnson, Founder, Operation Laundry, Holland, Michigan

 

 

On this episode of Full Cycle, Matt DeWolf sits down with Tim Johnson, founder of Operation Laundry in Holland, Michigan, for a conversation unlike most on the show. Tim's laundromat is not open yet, and this episode follows his journey in real time, offering a candid look at what it actually takes to build something from scratch in this industry.

Tim's background is anything but traditional for a laundromat owner. A former Air Force officer and cybersecurity entrepreneur, he arrived at the Clean Show knowing no one and knowing nothing about laundry. What followed was a series of high-stakes moves: rolling over his entire 401k through a ROBS structure while unemployed, tracking down and purchasing 43 dryers and 42 washers from a shuttered franchisee near Detroit, hauling the equipment across the state in rented box trucks with his neighbor Rob, and securing a commercial space on a seller-financed land contract. He and Rob then spent 50 days demo-ing 5,000 square feet by hand, removing 22 tons of material, and uncovering a hidden tunnel running beneath the entire strip mall.

Tim speaks openly about the moments of doubt, the constant outflow of money with no income coming in, and the relationships, with his distributor, his builder, his neighbor, local businesses, and community organizations, that have made the project possible. His advice for listeners is simple: walk or exercise every single day. The mental clarity it provides, he says, is worth more than the time it takes.

We’ll be following Tim along his journey as he gets Operation Laundry open for business.

Thanks for giving us a turn.

Host: Matt DeWolf | Guest: Tim Johnson, Founder, Operation Laundry, Holland, Michigan

 

In this episode of Full Cycle, Matt DeWolf sits down with Alex Jekowsky, founder and CEO of Cents, to discuss the company's recently closed Series C funding round, The round finalized at $140 million, and it is the largest outside investment the laundry industry has seen.

The conversation covers what this capital signals about the state of the industry, how Cents plans to deploy the funds, and what operators at every scale should be paying attention to. Matt and Alex dig into the data Cents has gathered processing over $1.5 billion in annual payments across more than 4,500 locations, and what that data reveals about how the best operators run their businesses. They also discuss the rise of private equity in laundry, why consolidation should not be feared, and how independent owners can use agility as a competitive edge.

Thanks for giving us a turn.

In this episode of Full Cycle, Matt DeWolf sits down with Alex Jekowsky, founder and CEO of Cents, to discuss the company's recently closed Series C funding round, The round finalized at $140 million, and it is the largest outside investment the laundry industry has seen.

The conversation covers what this capital signals about the state of the industry, how Cents plans to deploy the funds, and what operators at every scale should be paying attention to. Matt and Alex dig into the data Cents has gathered processing over $1.5 billion in annual payments across more than 4,500 locations, and what that data reveals about how the best operators run their businesses. They also discuss the rise of private equity in laundry, why consolidation should not be feared, and how independent owners can use agility as a competitive edge.

Thanks for giving us a turn.

Host Matt DeWolf sits down with Brian Henderson and Ian Gollahon, co-owners of Liberty Laundry and founders of Wash Dry Fold POS, to explore what it takes to run and grow a laundry operation.

Brian Henderson went from studying chemistry to managing, and eventually purchasing, a chain of Oklahoma laundromats from his family. That journey led to the creation of a point-of-sale system now used by over 1,200 laundromats nationwide. Ian Gollahon shares his transition from sales into the laundry business, and together they cover operational systems, making big changes after a generational transfer, and lessons learned along the way.

This conversation gets into valuing a laundromat, financing a major acquisition, building a strong management team, and why documenting your processes matters for long-term success.

Thanks for giving us a turn.

Host Matt DeWolf sits down with Brian Henderson and Ian Gollahon, co-owners of Liberty Laundry and founders of Wash Dry Fold POS, to explore what it takes to run and grow a laundry operation.

Brian Henderson went from studying chemistry to managing, and eventually purchasing, a chain of Oklahoma laundromats from his family. That journey led to the creation of a point-of-sale system now used by over 1,200 laundromats nationwide. Ian Gollahon shares his transition from sales into the laundry business, and together they cover operational systems, making big changes after a generational transfer, and lessons learned along the way.

This conversation gets into valuing a laundromat, financing a major acquisition, building a strong management team, and why documenting your processes matters for long-term success.

Thanks for giving us a turn.

In this episode, host Matt DeWolf sits down with Cristina Iacobelli, owner of College Coin Laundry in Oceanside, Calif.. With over 31 years of experience in the laundromat industry, Cristina shares her journey from entering the business as a young mom, to running her laundromat solo for 25 years after buying out her family and navigating life as a single woman business owner.

The conversation covers the unique challenges and proud moments that come with being a woman in an industry that is heavily male, but Cristina talks about the importance of hands-on involvement, debunking the myth of passive income, and how building operational confidence and learning the technical side of the business changed her approach. 

Cristina offers practical advice for newcomers and industry veterans alike: don't be afraid to dive in, keep learning, and remember that in the end, it's all about serving people.

Thanks for giving us a turn.

 

Host:  Matt Dewolf

Guest:  Cristina Iacobelli

In this episode, host Matt DeWolf sits down with Cristina Iacobelli, owner of College Coin Laundry in Oceanside, Calif.. With over 31 years of experience in the laundromat industry, Cristina shares her journey from entering the business as a young mom, to running her laundromat solo for 25 years after buying out her family and navigating life as a single woman business owner.

The conversation covers the unique challenges and proud moments that come with being a woman in an industry that is heavily male, but Cristina talks about the importance of hands-on involvement, debunking the myth of passive income, and how building operational confidence and learning the technical side of the business changed her approach. 

Cristina offers practical advice for newcomers and industry veterans alike: don't be afraid to dive in, keep learning, and remember that in the end, it's all about serving people.

Thanks for giving us a turn.

 

Host:  Matt Dewolf

Guest:  Cristina Iacobelli