A Journey Through Education and Enrichment

Harmony Trujillo started in the commercial cleaning industry when she was 10 years old. Her mother worked for a law firm and cleaned the office on the weekend for extra income. Trujilo tagged along, and the pair would put on Madonna’s debut album and dance and sing their way through the job.

“Looking back, I can see the through-line. Being of service, respecting the work, and honoring the ‘why’ behind the people doing it,” she reflects.

Trujilo didn’t officially work in the industry until 2014, when she transitioned to the family business from being a maître d’ in New York City restaurants. She says the move felt surprisingly natural.

“Restaurant teams and cleaning teams have something in common. They give all of themselves and care about creating environments where others can thrive. That sense of service connects both worlds for me,” she notes. “I jumped in headfirst—scheduling, HR, client relationships—and eventually helped build a hospitality cleaning program to complement our building cleaning services.”

York Building Services (YBS), Moonachie, New Jersey, was a small office when Trujillo started. At that point, she picked up whatever needed to be done. While she and husband/business partner, Robert Rivadeneira, were driven and capable, she knew they needed to learn to truly grow. They began investing in education and enrichment, starting with free, small business education programs that later evolved into strong engagement in industry associations. Being a lifelong learner remains one of Trujillo’s core values.

“It’s in my nature to take on a challenge and figure out what I don’t know as I go,” she says. “But I also believe deeply that there is almost always a better way—systems and processes built by others who’ve done the hard work before us. I hold myself responsible for improving, and for sharing what I learn with others.”

A landmark moment in Trujillo’s career was YBS’ hospitality contract with Tavern on the Green, an iconic New York City restaurant in Central Park. After closing for a few years, Tavern on the Green’s owners were looking to bring it back to life. Trujillo describes sculpted gold leaf chandeliers and carved stone fireplace mantels, and how the responsibility to care for it felt enormous.

“I had spent years developing people-management skills in hospitality, and this was a moment to either rise to the occasion or learn that I wasn’t ready,” she shares. “I focused on curating the right team, I listened closely to the client, and I relied heavily on the emotional intelligence I’d developed in restaurants.”

For months, Trujillo stayed overnight with the team during the launch phase, overseeing training and learning the property’s details. It required intense dedication, trust, and respect for the work itself.

“Even now, thinking about that gets me jazzed with motivation,” she adds.

Trujilo is excited about the future for women in the industry. She hopes to see their voices more strongly amplified and respected, and for more women to be in leadership roles. Their strengths—intuitive listening, problem-solving, collaboration, and steady command in complex situations—she believes are key in leaders.

“When I think about the work of the women I work alongside, colleagues, teammates, professional friends, I want everything for all of us,” Trujillo says.

Elisa Miller serves as an Assistant Editor for the commercial cleaning group—made up of Contracting Profits, Sanitary Maintenance, and Facility Cleaning Decisions magazines, and CleanLink.com. In addition to tackling articles that profile various industry experts in the above brands, Elisa also specializes in the nuances of cleaning for health for the HealthcareFacilitiesToday.com brand. An award-winning writer herself, Elisa works closely with contributing authors to create quality content that these brands are known for.
Elisa is a people person, which is why she's comfortable in front of the camera interviewing attendees at industry events on the latest trends. Those trends are also easy to identify as she remains the point person for product innovation submissions from top industry manufacturers.

Follow Elisa on LinkedIn here.

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