Meet Omar Mandozai & Yesenia Lopez | Founders

We had the good fortune of connecting with Omar Mandozai & Yesenia Lopez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Omar Mandozai &, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
Broom & Beyond is a family-owned cleaning company founded by Yesenia Lopez and her son, Omar Mandozai. Yesenia was born in El Salvador during the civil war and came to the United States in search of a better life. She started cleaning houses to support her family as a single mother, and her dedication and hard work quickly earned her a loyal clientele. Over time, her clients became like extended family members, attending important life events like her naturalization ceremony and Thanksgiving dinners. For Yesenia, cleaning was more than just a job. It was a way to help other families spend time together and create lasting memories.

Yesenia’s son, Omar, grew up watching his mother work hard and was inspired by her entrepreneurial spirit. He went on to graduate from Cal State Long Beach with a Master’s Degree in Business. After some of Yesenia’s customers moved away and others passed away, Omar decided to team up with his mother to legitimize the business and help it grow. With Yesenia’s 23 years of experience and Omar’s business acumen, Broom & Beyond is poised to become a safe, leading cleaning company in the Long Beach area & beyond. The company’s goal is to create a positive impact on the community over time, and they believe that providing fair employment opportunities and organizing community cleanup events are two ways to achieve this goal.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Broom & Beyond is not just any cleaning business. With an emphasis on building long-term relationships tailored to every household, we are a cleaning company that grows with you. Our philosophy is very people-first. With integrity at our core, we are proud to sport the honor of having 23 years of experience with no incidence of theft ever. A great reputation isn’t enough though, that’s why we are also insured & working towards getting bonded as we speak. We try & look at things from the customers perspective. That’s why we offer a clean & correct guarantee, so that clients can feel confident knowing that they are getting what they paid for. It’s all about making the client feel comfortable & happy. Long-term relationships require long-term thinking, that’s why we also use an expertly curated line of health & environmentally friendly cleaning products when cleaning your house. No one, from the clients to the house cleaners to the planet, wants long-term exposure to harsh chemicals. Our business is a reflection of our character. As a family company based out of Long Beach, CA, we owe a lot of our values to our upbringing and environment. Growing up in El Salvador during a civil war meant being extra careful with how you interact with people and showing everyone respect. With Long Beach being our home & where we’ve spent a majority of our lives, the diversity of people & thought has also been a defining factor in who we are and how we think. It has helped us be more accepting of everyone and attentive to distinctive needs.
Getting to this point was not easy but nothing of value ever is. For this company to exist, Yesenia had to travel to the Mexican border from El Salvador and cross over. She started this company to support her son as a single mother. Her son Omar had to work towards his MBA while growing up on the east side of Long Beach. While getting to this point has not been easy, we are still a small, family-owned and operated business with plenty of runway to go. Over the years, we just learned to keep pushing. We hope to advance our futures for ourselves and others, helping our family back in El Salvador as well as bettering our local community one household at a time.
We are a family of honest and hard working house cleaners. Life isn’t easy and we know that firsthand but there are no limits to where we can go. We know we aren’t the only ones fighting to better their lives and we hope to help everyone we meet along the way in their journey towards betterment. We want to show others that advancing is possible and doing so in an honest way is not only possible, it’s the best way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Being based out of Long Beach is a blessing. This city is a wonderful place to enjoy, filled with great food, great people, and great experiences. Whether you’re eating some delicious Thai food from Long Beach Thai, getting some late night tacos from El Sauz, trying our first Michelin rated restaurant Heritage, or calming your sweet tooth with a Milky Bun from Afters Ice Cream, the food options here are endless and delicious. Long Beach has a unique advantage in Southern California being in between LA & OC, being able to experience the best of both worlds while living in a city that can stand on its own glory. That gives your weekend plans quite a bit of leverage. Relaxing plans in Long Beach include going to the beach (obviously), taking a stroll at the El Dorado Nature Reserve, exploring the Queen Mary, catching the sunset at Hilltop Park, catching a break at Chronic, dining on 2nd street, thrifting on Retro Row, or having a drink at Joe Jost’s. For a more energetic time, consider visiting Pine Ave. in our downtown, partying at Sevilla or Hamburger Mary’s. Play some beach volleyball or get a drink at an energetic bar like Legends on 2nd. You could also go next door and marvel at Sunken City as well since it’s like a 10 minute drive from Long Beach. There are always events happening in Long Beach as well such as music festivals, car meets, live performances, and more. Plenty of fun to be had in the city. Whatever you decide, be sure to hire Broom & Beyond so you can come home to a clean house after a long day of fun.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Susan and Andy are more than just customers to Yesenia. Unable to pay for a babysitter & desperate for work, Susan & Andy opened the door to Yesenia 23 years ago. They were willing to let her bring her 3 year-old son to work and as a single mother, Yesenia was very appreciative of the opportunity. They became like extended family having never missed a birthday or Christmas. They always send a card every year, and they were even there for Yesenia’s naturalization ceremony. Their support has been integral and thanks to Susan & Andy, Yesenia was eventually able to buy her first car. To this day, the couple even has a picture of Omar and them on their fridge. The kindness they showed her motivated Yesenia to keep going and inspired her to pay that kindness forward through every interaction.

Website: broomandbeyond.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/broomandbeyond/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/broom-beyond-cleaning-services

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BroomandBeyondCleaningServices

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/broom-and-beyond-cleaning-services-long-beach

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BroomandBeyond/