From Cleaning Toilets to an 8-Figure Empire: The Don Hett Story
Fri Jan 30 2026
What do you do when you spend 18 months with ZERO clients and your family tells you to quit? For Don, the founder of Clean Kings, you double down. In this episode, we sit down with serial entrepreneur Don to discuss his incredible journey from cleaning public toilets as an immigrant student in 2008 to managing a national workforce of 650+ staff.We dive into:- The 18-month "nightmare" start and how he finally landed his first client.- The "Partner Model": How Don scaled to 8 figures by giving away equity.- The COVID pivot: How he saved his business when 90% of his contracts disappeared overnight.- The 5-step "Six Silo" framework Don uses to evaluate every new ventureFollow Don:Instagram & YouTube: @donhettofficial www.6silo.com0:00 Intro: Who is Don?04:30 The Personality Wheel: Why Don left his financial analyst job.08:15 The 18-Month Struggle: Zero clients and living on noodles.15:40 The Breakthrough: Landing the Palace Theatre and scaling through St. Kilda.22:10 The Partner Model: How to manage 650 staff nationwide.28:45 Escaping the "Workaholic Trap": How to replace yourself as CEO.35:20 The COVID Pivot: Doubling the business when the world shut down.42:10 Earthy Tabs & Critiques: Building world-first products.48:50 The Six Silo Framework: How Don evaluates new businesses.55:10 Speed Round: Resilience vs. Self-Awareness.
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What do you do when you spend 18 months with ZERO clients and your family tells you to quit? For Don, the founder of Clean Kings, you double down. In this episode, we sit down with serial entrepreneur Don to discuss his incredible journey from cleaning public toilets as an immigrant student in 2008 to managing a national workforce of 650+ staff.We dive into:- The 18-month "nightmare" start and how he finally landed his first client.- The "Partner Model": How Don scaled to 8 figures by giving away equity.- The COVID pivot: How he saved his business when 90% of his contracts disappeared overnight.- The 5-step "Six Silo" framework Don uses to evaluate every new ventureFollow Don:Instagram & YouTube: @donhettofficial www.6silo.com0:00 Intro: Who is Don?04:30 The Personality Wheel: Why Don left his financial analyst job.08:15 The 18-Month Struggle: Zero clients and living on noodles.15:40 The Breakthrough: Landing the Palace Theatre and scaling through St. Kilda.22:10 The Partner Model: How to manage 650 staff nationwide.28:45 Escaping the "Workaholic Trap": How to replace yourself as CEO.35:20 The COVID Pivot: Doubling the business when the world shut down.42:10 Earthy Tabs & Critiques: Building world-first products.48:50 The Six Silo Framework: How Don evaluates new businesses.55:10 Speed Round: Resilience vs. Self-Awareness.