Meet Devon Graham | Pressure Washing Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Devon Graham and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Devon, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
In late summer of 2023, my wife and I decided to homeschool our son Lincoln, who was 9 at the time. I was the General Manager for the MMA facility, American Top Team Team Lima in Duluth. This was a very fun job, taking care of members, teaching and training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Within 2 weeks of our decision to remove him from public school, he was admitted to the ICU at CHOA with diabetic Ketoacidosis. This was how we discovered our son had become Type 1 Diabetic. This prompted me to explore ways to provide for my family and also be present at home to help manage our sons diabetes and assist with his homeschooling.

I saw one of my close friends do odd jobs like pressure washing and he informed me that he was doing well. The original intention was to just pay some bills and survive financially, not necessarily becoming a successful business man, just a successful family man. So I decided to pursue a career in exterior cleaning and pressure washing because I enjoyed doing it growing up as a chore at my house. It was satisfying to see the before and after. I value clean, outdoor living spaces to enjoy with my family. We didn’t have much saved, and so I went for broke. I opened a credit card at a hardware store and nearly maxed it out to provide myself with enough basic equipment to pressure wash residential homes. The flexible schedule of owning my own business was paramount in my decision because it enabled me to be more present with my wife and son.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business was initially born out of a combination of things. I have had a lot of careers in my life and the one thing I was always struggling to find was consistency and quality. I have been reluctant in my life to hire many contractors or home exterior ANYTHING because i have seen too many jobs botched or details missed without regard for the customer or the great amount of money they are spending.

My business specializes in exterior cleaning. We do this through a combination of traditional methods and more modern solutions. Traditional home exterior cleaning involves high pressure water and small amounts of chemical to remove stains, algae, dirt and mold. We like to utilize gentle pressure and appropriate amounts of the correct chemical in regards with regard to the media we are cleaning. There are specialized solutions and detergents for each type of stain and each type of material that is being cleaned. We like to use this approach as much as possible in order to decrease the amount of force and pressure used on a home’s surface. Over time and multiple cleanings with high pressure, the materials will break down faster, so we avoid that with gentler pressure and appropriate, safe chemical applications. We are well versed in the details involved in cleaning many types of buildings, whether it be residential or commercial.

One of the things that I am most proud of in our company is attention to detail. Far too often I come upon recently completed jobs that have damaged the landscape, or some cases the integrity of the structure itself. We take great pride in making sure we not only leave your property with the job completed and beyond expectation, but ensuring that we leave it better than we found it. The only way this is possible is with integrity as core value of mine. Do the right thing, always… even when no one is looking. Practicing this virtue has brought me so many blessings and lessons learned. Another thing: I am part of the working class. Therefore when I spend money, I don’t want to waste it. I have this same approach when I give estimates and quotes for anyone. I don’t know your bank account and I wont ever presume to. I don’t aim to get rich off of a customer and will never price it that way. One of my favorite things about this adventure is the people that I get to meet along the way. I get a glimpse into some peoples lives and its refreshing, humbling and eye opening. I truly cherish being able to help someone who needs my services as much as or more than helping someone who wants my services.

I got where I am today from starting small. We began by taking out a second mortgage on our home and used a good portion of it to invest in the best equipment possible to get the job done. I avoided pitfalls by seeking guidance from those (who were willing) who have been successful in this industry for years before me. I didn’t immediately purchase fancy automated gadgets and time savers. I figured that I would use my intestinal fortitude, caffeine and Jesus to make up the difference. Putting faith in God and myself has paid off dividends for me. I live this out by making sure I am fair to my clients in more ways than just financial. I approach their homes with respect and presume that everyone is operating on a limited budget with many if not more life challenges and struggles than me. No, this was not easy. Throughout this last year, I was learning how to manage my son’s diabetes, which means no sleep. I often would come home from working 12 hours and see my wife so exhausted from working, homeschooling and Lincoln’s new diagnosis that she needed a break. We are a team and there is no 50/50. There is only who has the energy and who doesn’t have the energy at the time. Regardless, it gets done and without griping. My son and wife don’t deserve to hear complaints. Over time, if one complains enough, the other person will assume they are the problem. Life is hard, but my family is not. Throughout this process, I have become a more patient father, husband and friend. Another lesson I learned when i am thrust into a situation that I don’t want to be in… I ask myself: “why not me?” instead of “why me?” I believe that I don’t know God’s plan for me. But I am trying to be wise enough to be obedient when i am at a point to make a decision about whether to take the easy road or the hard one. The easy one is rarely filled with reward. One of my favorite verses from the bible is from Isaiah 6:8. “here am I, send me”. Now the context of this verse is meant for a separate lesson, however I have found no fault in using it for the majority of my decisions in life. I want the world to know that in my experience, you have to have a bigger picture in order to be successful. You have to believe in something greater than your own pleasure, happiness and wants. The general public should know that I can guarantee, we don’t take the easy way and we never will.

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?
We really enjoy nice restaurants! Truthfully, if I had a friend visiting Georgia from out of state, the first place I would take them is Waffle House. Don’t laugh. I grew up outside of Atlanta in Lawrenceville and the surrounding areas, so my suggestions will be more for that side of town. I truly enjoy taking the family to Stone Mountain. We are very into hiking and we lived in Dahlonega for a couple years when I was in the Army. So I would take them up to North Georgia and get some boiled p-nuts, hang out with the locals (always a good time) and swim in a few deep spots I know if in the rivers. I enjoy a good beer but I don’t have many drink recommendations. One of the best steakhouses that I have been to is actually a local one in Lawrenceville square called Perry Street Chophouse. We have never had a bad time and the service is always 10/10. Pro-tips: the lamb chops, aged ribeye and spinalis are guaranteed.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, I will shout out Jesus Christ. I have come to follow Jesus later in life as an adult. I spent most of my life agnostic or atheist. When I look back, God was always trying to speak to me and he never left me for dead or broke. He was there to whole time. He carried me through, many challenges including my 7 year Army Career and a deployment for OIF/OND in Iraq. Secondly, a massive shoutout to my wife, Shannon. Ever since day one of starting Kudzu, she has been my biggest fan, supporter and my rock. She sacrifices her own energy, time and wants on a daily routine in order to support us financially, and my son’s education and his healthcare. She is a full time public health analyst at the Center For Disease Control and her work is incredibly impactful, which means its demanding on its own and often stressful. In addition, My military experience and training as a Combat Medic prepared me to work. Very hard. It taught me humility, integrity and precision in all things. It taught me that we as humans are capable of more physically than we can ever imagine. We just have to believe it, keep our heads down and do the work. One foot in front of the other. My most recent job before owning Kudzu, enabled me to observe the details, risks and work involved in starting and owning a small business. I was afforded the opportunity to work closely with the owners of the gym. I am grateful for the opportunities to make impactful decisions and even impactful mistakes that turned into life lessons. I am thankful to Dhiego and Douglas Lima for encouraging my new business and letting me take care of their business for as long as I did.

Website: https://www.kudzupw.com

Instagram: @kudzupressurecleaners

Other: phone 678-848-3806
email kudzucleaners@gmail.com

Image Credits
Rocheal Matthews Photography
@rochealphotography

Will Matthews Photography
@willmatthewsphotography