🚽 Toilet talk—elevated. In this episode of Hard Refresh, hosts Karina Neff and Caden Hutchens dive deep (pun intended) into bathroom tech and brand psychology with Rob Poleki, Founder & CEO of Washie and self-proclaimed restroom revolutionary.

From his roots in government to a viral Shark Tank momentthat never aired, Rob shares how he turned a seemingly “crappy” problem into a category-defining smart toilet seat—and a cultural movement around restroom dignity.

In This Episode:

🔹 Clear Cache:

• • The absorbent lie about toilet seat covers—and what we’ve all been doing wrong

• • Washie’s origin story: from elected official to inventor of the first smart public toilet seat

• • Delta Sky Club’s 5-star restroom experience and how it started with a single customer complaint

• • The psychology of public restrooms (stall 3 is not the move)

• • How Washie is using data and IoT to reinvent cleaning operations, reduce waste, and boost customer confidence

• • The secret to sustainable restroom design—and why “sharticles” might be Rob’s greatest marketing moment

• • 🚨 Washie Home is coming. Yes, for residential use.

🔹 Quick Control:

• • Washie’s Free Trial Offer – For the month of June, facilities can try Washie free for 30 days

• • ISSA Business Growth Strategies – June 10–11 in Chicago

• Register here

• Use code BGS10! for 10% off

• • CLX: Robotics & Automation – June 24

• Register here

• • Last episode: AI, Autonomy & Robots with Brain Corp’s David Pinn

💡 Whether you're a facility manager, real estate operator, janitorial provider—or just a parent of teenage boys—this episode is for anyone who’s ready to rethink what clean really means in 2025.

🎧 Subscribe & Follow Hard Refresh on Spotify, YouTube, and your favorite podcast platform.

Connect with the Hosts & Guest:
Karina Neff – https://www.linkedin.com/in/karina-neff-01b0782a/
Caden Hutchens – https://www.linkedin.com/in/caden-hutchens/
Rob Poleki – https://www.linkedin.com/in/robpoleki/

🤖 It’s the most requested topic we’ve everhad—and we finally deliver! In this episode of Hard Refresh, hosts Karina Neff and Caden Hutchens welcome David Pinn, CEO of Brain Corp, for a deep dive into the future of robotics in the cleaning industry. From warehouse floors to Walmart supercenters, David shares how AI and robotics aretransforming facility management—without replacing frontline workers.

If you’ve ever wondered what the real impact of robots is on your team, your P&L, and your customer experience, thisconversation will reset your thinking.

In This Episode:

🔹 Quick Control:

• • CLX Event on Robotics – June 24

• 👉 Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/zHuyXqp4Ta2DnqTveoB1tw#/registration

• • ISSA Business Growth Strategies – June 10–11 in Chicago (Acquisition, Retention & Expansion Workshop + Live Podcast)

• 👉 More info here: https://events.issa.com/events/2025-business-growth-strategies/

• 💥 Use code BGS10! for 10% off

• • Recap: Funded or Fumbled with Brian Snow

• • Next up: Rob Pilecki from Washi—don’t miss it!

🔹 Clear Cache:

• • The myth of “full autonomy” and why robots aren’t replacing humans (yet)

• • Why floor care is the perfect starting point for robotics in cleaning

• • How Brain Corp partners with OEMs to create a premium experience

• • The role of data, telematics, and analytics in scaling cleaning operations

• • Building trust with frontline teams: training, motivation, and ongoing support

• • From floor care to shelf-scanning: how “Automate the Aisle” is shaping the future of facility management

• • ROI benchmarks: When does robotics make sense for your business?

🎯 Whether you’re a facility manager, BSC,or tech leader exploring the frontier of AI and automation, this episode offerspractical insights—and a vision for the road ahead.

🎧 Subscribe & Follow HardRefresh on Spotify, YouTube, and your favorite podcast platform.

Connect with David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpinn/
Connect with Karina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karina-neff-01b0782a/
Connect with Caden: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caden-hutchens/

💰 Ever wonder what it takes to get real venture capital in the cleaning industry? In this episode of Hard Refresh, co-hosts Karina Neff and Caden Hutchens sit down with Brian Snow, Managing Partner at Impala Ventures, to break down how VC firms assess janitorial tech—and why most startups fumble before they’re funded.

From AI-powered cleaning sensors to robotic scrubbers, this episode reveals what investors are actually looking for, why grit matters more than pitch decks, and how the next decade of cleaning tech will be shaped by capital, culture, and clarity.

In This Episode:

🔹 Quick Control:

• CLX returns June 24 — Topic: Robotics 🤖

• Join our live Hard Refresh podcast + workshop at ISSA Business Growth Strategies (June 10–11, Chicago)👉 Register here

💥 Use code BGS10! for 10% off

• Upcoming July 15 webinar led by Gerald from BrightGo

🔹 Clear Cache:

• Inside Impala Ventures: how a family office targets built environment tech

• Why “janitorial tech” still struggles to scale—and how to fix it

• The truth about unicorn founders and the myth of instant funding

• What makes or breaks a startup founder (hint: it’s not the slide deck)

• How AI, robotics, and sensor-driven models are changing the game for frontline work

• Why your customers won’t pay for tech—so bake it into your service

• The hidden power of synergizing your portfolio and turning clients into investors

🎯 Whether you're a service provider exploring tech, a startup eyeing BSCs, or just curious about how VCs think—this episode is your playbook for making smarter innovation bets.

🎧 Subscribe & Follow Hard Refresh on Spotify, YouTube, and your favorite podcast platform to stay ahead of the curve.

Connect with Brian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansnow/
Connect with Karina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karina-neff-01b0782a/
Connect with Caden: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caden-hutchens/