From Navy Veteran to Entrepreneur: How Victor Enciso Built MarMaids Into a 180-Property Cleaning Business

Victor Enciso once spent an hour and a half deep-cleaning a stove for $30. After travel and supplies, he had earned almost nothing. Most people would have called it a bad day. Enciso called it the cost of keeping a promise.

That promise began in the United States Navy. Enciso served in a demanding and often toxic work environment that left him mentally and emotionally exhausted. He saw how culture shapes morale and how leadership can make people feel valued or invisible. He vowed that one day he would build a company where employees felt respected, heard, and motivated to come to work. That vow became MarMaids Cleaning Service, a veteran-owned company in Norfolk, Virginia.

An Entrepreneurial Mindset From Age 14

Enciso did not come to business as a beginner. At 14, he launched an online web hosting company. Through self-education and coding, he grew it into a cloud and server hosting operation with infrastructure in several countries. By 18, he had nearly 370 customers worldwide.

That experience taught him how systems, technology, and customer relationships fit together. It also showed him that determination and a willingness to learn could build something real. Years later, those lessons became the foundation of MarMaids.

The Airbnb Spark Behind MarMaids

Before founding the company, Enciso owned an Airbnb property and rented rooms to travelers. Guests left him more than 300 written reviews and notes. Many praised the cleanliness, the thoughtful organization, and the welcoming atmosphere. Several said they had rarely found the same level of care in other room rentals.

Those notes sparked a question. If he could create that experience in his own home, why could he not help other vacation rental owners do the same? In 2023, he founded MarMaids Cleaning Service to answer it. The company first focused on short-term rental cleaning and turnovers.

Starting With Almost Nothing

After leaving the Navy, Enciso committed fully to the business. He had no outside investors, no partners, and no steady income. He bought basic equipment with credit cards and searched secondhand stores for affordable supplies, including his first vacuum cleaner. He cut personal spending and gave up many of the experiences common in a person's twenties.

At times the pressure was severe. He borrowed money from family to cover his mortgage, promising to repay them within days once scheduled cleanings were complete. "I went from borrowing money to pay my mortgage and cleaning a stove for $30 to building a company serving more than 180 properties. None of it happened overnight, and none of it happened without sacrifice," Enciso says.

The early days tested his resolve, but he did not quit. "I knew the beginning was going to be difficult. I didn't have the luxury of giving up. I had already committed myself to building something, and I knew the only way forward was to keep going."

Building a Reputation One Property at a Time

Slowly, vacation rental owners began to call. Individual jobs grew into relationships with local real estate investors, agents, property owners, and short-term rental operators across Hampton Roads. His time as a host became a real advantage. He knew a good rental required more than a clean floor. It demanded reliable scheduling, clear communication, and an understanding of what guests expect.

He often shared hosting tips with clients and offered practical ideas for improving their listings. Satisfied clients referred other investors, and MarMaids grew through word of mouth. A one-person operation became a team handling vacation rental turnovers, residential cleaning, and commercial cleaning.

Leadership Built on Respect

Growth brought a new test: building a team without losing the values that started the company. Enciso trained early hires himself, worked beside them, and gave constructive feedback. As the team grew from one to three, then seven, then thirteen, and eventually about twenty, he learned that encouragement alone was not enough. People needed systems that made their jobs easier.

He prioritized transparent payroll information, accessible property instructions, organized scheduling, and clear expectations. His philosophy is simple. Employees should not have to fight disorganized systems just to do good work. "Anyone can call themselves a boss. But leadership is about creating an environment where people feel valued, supported, and motivated to succeed."

Technology Built Around Real Work

Enciso's early coding background shaped the next chapter. He began building digital tools to solve the daily problems of a growing cleaning business. Those tools started as modules on the company website. They later became a proprietary, custom-built MarMaids application.

The platform brings together real-time scheduling, crew assignments, and property calendars. It also covers payroll tracking, direct communication between cleaners and management, property-specific instructions, and inventory notifications. Photo documentation, damage and lost-and-found reporting, and maintenance requests are included as well. Property owners gain clearer visibility into service activity. For Enciso, the aim is to remove frustration and strengthen accountability. Technology, he believes, should support people rather than complicate their work.

Growth With Purpose

The numbers reflect that approach. MarMaids grew from approximately 30 properties in 2024 to 90 in 2025 and approximately 180 in 2026. Today, a team of about 20 serves vacation rental hosts, property managers, homeowners, and commercial clients across Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and nearby communities.

Enciso does not measure success by volume alone. "My greatest accomplishment isn't the number of properties we manage. It's knowing that I've created opportunities for people and built a workplace where their contributions matter." His long-term vision is for MarMaids to become one of Virginia's most trusted vacation rental cleaning companies while showing that profitability, innovation, and employee well-being can coexist.

Experience the MarMaids Difference

If you own a vacation rental, manage properties, or need a dependable commercial or residential cleaning partner in Hampton Roads, MarMaids offers something rare. You get a founder who has hosted guests himself, a team that is supported and recognized, and software that keeps scheduling and communication clear. Visit the MarMaids website to request an estimate and learn how the company can simplify your turnovers. Read the client reviews to see how the team earns long-term trust. Connect with MarMaids Cleaning Service, Victor Enciso on Instagram, MarMaids on Instagram, Victor Enciso on Facebook, and MarMaids on Facebook.