Team Member Spotlight: Catherine Meza

Born in Bogota, Colombia, Catherine joined our company in 2022 as our remarkable administrator. A resilient and enterprising individual, Catherine’s aim is to support other immigrant women in maximizing the opportunities this country has to offer.

Can you share with us a bit about your journey from Colombia to Los Angeles?

I had previously visited as a tourist but always envisioned coming to Los Angeles for a better quality of life. I had dreams that seemed impossible to accomplish in Colombia. The day after arriving to live here, I began working in the cleaning industry to start paving the way toward my goals. This line of work has offered me a vehicle to create the life I envision for myself.

How has this experience shaped your perspective and influenced your work at Anna’s Cleaning Service?

This experience has allowed me to meet people and connect with the culture of this city and country. It has been enriching to live among people from other countries. At Anna’s Cleaning Service, I found financial support, inspiration, and the opportunity to apply my expertise in the administrative area of a company.

As a bookkeeper and member of the cleaning team, how do you balance these two roles effectively?

Understanding the operations of Anna’s Cleaning Service and being part of them allows me to have a greater understanding of how a company is run. It enables me to support the innovation and growth of Anna’s Cleaning Service in a more effective and efficient manner.

Anna has been instrumental in helping you establish your own business. Can you tell us about your business and how Anna’s support has impacted your professional growth?

Through my business, I offer bookkeeping services, personnel management, quality control, and strategic planning for small and medium-sized businesses. Anna connected me with people who could support and guide me in opening a business. She is a mentor who motivates, inspires, and shares her experience with me. She has taught me the importance of character and the significance of being an honest and excellent professional, as well as shown me how and where to find needed resources.

Learning English while working must present unique challenges. How do you manage to juggle your responsibilities while also dedicating time to improving your language skills?

Working while receiving classes allows for continuous practice. Interacting with our clients motivates me to improve my English. It is important to be organized to fulfill all my responsibilities. Something that has helped me a lot is watching movies in English. It allows me to learn the language’s usage.

How do you think your cultural background enriches the work environment at Anna’s Cleaning Service?

I come from a country where studying is an obligation, and I believe this has allowed me to be a person focused on problem-solving. I consider myself to have good communication skills and problem-solving abilities. My culture has taught me to be very courteous and polite when dealing with others. This helps me to relate better to my colleagues and clients. Kindness and courtesy are values I practice.

Anna’s Cleaning Service promotes a vision of inclusion and empowerment. How do you personally contribute to this vision in your interactions with colleagues and clients?

With clients, my focus is on providing excellent service and friendly treatment. With my colleagues, I aim to promote teamwork, efficient problem-solving, and intelligent conflict management.

This interview was done by Lilian C. Alger