FACES of VETERANS Kristopher Brunelle

Kristopher Brunelle is a Navy Veteran turned local entrepreneur. In October of 2022, Kristopher started his own company, White Glove Janitorial Service. His motivation for opening his own business was that he knew that he could do better himself and teach others to do better for themselves as well.

by Kate Haggerty Glens Falls TODAY

Kristopher Brunelle and his team serve medium to large offices, medical practices, car dealerships, and day care centers. White Glove Janitorial provides office cleaning, carpet cleaning, interior window washing, restroom cleaning, sanitation and re-stocking, floor stripping, waxing and buffing and specialized disinfection services. Kristopher and his employees use proven techniques, proper tools and equipment, in-depth training, an intensive focus on team mentality and quality control to ensure that the client is pleased with their clean work environment.

Kristopher Bruenelle, as the owner of White Glove Janitorial, draws his professional expectations from his time in the military. Kristopher enlisted in the Navy for job security during the uncertain economic times of 2008 and the 'Great Recession.' His goal when entering the military was to have a stable job where he could learn skills that he would carry with him past his military career. Kristopher has been able to utilize the training that he gained in the military and apply it to both his business and to building his team. Kristopher is now separated from the Navy, which means that he has been released from active duty. During his time in service, he was a E-5 builder in the Construction Battalion, known as the Seabees - which is coined from the abbreviation "CB." During his tour of duty, Kristopher spent a lot of time cleaning and he found the activity to be cathartic for him. He found that having both his equipment and spaces in a ready state was comforting in a world of chaos. When he joined the Seabees, Kris found out that he was joining a battalion that "built where others couldn’t."

This concept of pushing forward, and succeeding where other people couldn’t, has helped Kristopher build his own business. The military taught him the importance of getting a job done, even if it seems impossible.

Through the military, Kristopher gained the tools he has used to be a good leader and, eventually, a good employer. During his time in the Navy, he learned a lot about people and about working together. On his tour he spent time in Spain, Croatia, Afghanistan, Japan and Africa.

He had the opportunity to lead increasingly larger groups of people and discovered that each individual team member brought specific strengths to the team while their weaknesses could be shored up from the strengths of other team members. Kristopher carries with him the experiences that he gained overseas. These experiences remind him to try and see the world from someone else's perspective.

As Kristopher grows his business, he often revisits the lessons that he learned in the military. As a unit, it was necessary for each individual to work as a team. “There wasn’t the option to fire someone if they weren’t doing a good job. So, I learned to find a way to motivate that person so that the unit could get the best results. As an employer I find myself using those same tools,” Kristopher said.

"I want to motivate the people who work for me to learn and grow. From my time in the Navy, I have gained the skills necessary to assess people and offer positions that they may have been previously overlooked. Everybody brings strengths and attributes, and as an employer I try to find what a person can bring to the table."

As an entrepreneur and a father, it has also been important to Kristopher to teach his little girl Lindsey life lessons. Kristopher and his wife Kealy are raising Lindsey to be an independent thinker when it comes to business. Lindsey gets to see her mom go off to work as a teacher every day and that sets structure in her young life. When she is home with her dad, he is often working out of his home office and she gets to see that you don’t have to work a 9-5 job and that it is ok to follow your own path.

As Kristopher sets goals for his business and watches his daughter grow, he is thankful for the community that came from his military career. He is thankful for the Veterans Business Network, The Adirondack Chamber of Commerce, and military friends and mentors Juan and Amy Gonzales, who give so much help and support to Veterans. For more information please visit 518whitegloveservice.com