Meet Mitch Thiem | Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Minor Chores

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

Hi Mitch, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
Originally hailing from Carmel, IN, I made the life-changing decision to relocate to southern Florida in March of 2018 to pursue a career at NextEra Energy. Prior to my move, I accumulated valuable experience working for several years at a solar startup and a small family-owned business in Indiana. However, what truly captivates me is the remarkable influence of my background, especially my childhood, which ignited the idea of establishing my app-based company, Minor Chores, in June 2022.

When I was just 10 years old, I kick-started a successful neighborhood venture called Poop Patrol, Inc., and our motto was “Make Every Step a Good One!” Over time, my business expanded to encompass a range of “Minor Chores,” such as trash can cleaning, mailbox painting, dog walking, lawn mowing, and more. Guided by my parents’ invaluable lessons on financial responsibility and saving, I grew into a financially stable and confident young adult. Now, almost 20 years later, I am thrilled to present an app inspired by my upbringing—one that aims to benefit young entrepreneurs, parents, adults, and future generations alike. Minor Chores is not just about earning money and business education; it’s about imparting essential life skills and fostering financial stability from an early age.

I envision Minor Chores as a pathway for children to start their pursuit of the American Dream. While some argue that money can buy happiness, my personal American Dream doesn’t revolve around wealth. Instead, I aim to express my gratitude to humanity by creating an app inspired by the principles that guided my own upbringing, fostering success. By sharing these values with more parents, I hope to empower them to raise their children in a similar manner. Personally, I have experienced firsthand the transformative impact of starting a business at a young age. I firmly believe that engaging in entrepreneurial endeavors during childhood significantly enhances the likelihood of becoming a successful entrepreneur in adulthood.

The end result of our success is the success of the entrepreneurs and customers using our platform. So, if we stay true to who we are, and remember what’s really important to us, that’s what’s going to keep Minor Chores, Minor Chores – is if we keep us, us!

What should our readers know about your business?

Minor Chores is revolutionizing the gig economy by being the first marketplace that allows children to participate in safe and profitable neighborhood businesses, while also offering educational resources and parental controls. Additionally, entrepreneurs of all ages can enjoy the unique advantage of retaining 100% of their earnings from each task. Unlike the majority of gig economy apps (i.e. Rideshare, delivery, pet care services, and freelance work apps), which heavily rely on service fees that diminish the profits of service providers and burden customers’ wallets, Minor Chores prioritizes a different approach.

Drawing from my dyslexic ‘Superpowers’, when pondering over the business model for Minor Chores, I examined it in reverse. I put myself in the shoes of the users and contemplated what kind of app ’10-year-old Mitch’ would desire for his neighborhood business. In this reflection, it became clear that I would not want the app to deduct a portion of my earnings each time I completed tasks like mowing my neighbor’s yard or scooping poop. I would want to retain 100% of the profits. Moreover, I would envision the app as an educational tool, equipping me with knowledge about business, financial management, customer acquisition, and marketing strategies. From the perspective of a chore customer, my expectation would be a seamless experience: free sign-up, effortless posting of chores, quick hiring of entrepreneurs, and straightforward payment of 100% of the agreed-upon price. As a result, we have devised an incredibly affordable and game-changing subscription-based business model that we firmly believe will revolutionize the app-based service industry for years to come!

Minor Chores is thrilled about developing a software platform, or potentially multiple platforms, specifically designed for everyday entrepreneurs who crave complete autonomy over their earnings. Our focus is to empower entrepreneurs to be their own boss and have absolute control over their business, profits, and customer relationships. We have an ambitious mission to create a two-sided marketplace that challenges the traditional notion of spending exorbitant amounts on marketing while generating revenue through service fees. We are determined to prove the skeptics wrong, particularly some venture capital firms who doubt our ability to be profitable by charging an affordable annual subscription fee of $75-$125 per entrepreneur (or service provider) to use our platform. We are determined to revolutionize the gig economy, demonstrating that it’s possible to build a successful marketplace without burdening our users with hefty service fees like many technology giants do.

The most significant challenge lying ahead revolves around acquiring customers for both sides of the marketplace. Through our crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo (see link below), earned media, social media marketing, and our customer-centric platform, we firmly believe that chore customers and entrepreneurs who leverage our services will wholeheartedly share the advantages with their families, friends, neighbors, and on social media. The reason behind this enthusiasm lies in the fact that they can maximize their profits while customers reap substantial savings. By empowering our entrepreneurs with tools to grow their business and become ambassadors for Minor Chores, we can reduce our expenditure on customer acquisition costs. This, in turn, allows us to offer an affordable and profitable subscription-based platform that creates a Win-Win-Win scenario for all parties involved.

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?
As someone who is not intimately familiar with Miami, I would embark on a week-long trip with my best friend starting from Jupiter, Florida, where I have resided for the past three years. Being an avid golfer and having numerous friends in the golf industry, I would treat my best friend to a few rounds at my favorite local courses like Frenchman’s Reserve, Jonathan’s Landing, The Park, and potentially others if we can secure tee times. I would also reach out to friends for a fun-filled day at the beach or out on a boat, followed by delightful evening dinners along the Jupiter Inlet.

If we have the energy to venture down to Miami, my first point of contact would be my college TCU buddies, Ben Degrosa and Chris McAlpin. I am confident they would have an excellent plan in place to showcase their favorite spots in town, including potential sporting events depending on the time of year. We would likely explore places like Key Biscayne, Bill Braggs State Park, and Wynwood, which they hold dear.

For our daily coffee, drinks, and dining experiences, we would kickstart the mornings at Ventanita, Chug’s Diner, or Panther Coffee. In the evenings, we would have the delightful dilemma of choosing between Joe’s Stone Crab, Mandolin, or River Oyster Bar. As someone who prefers early nights nowadays (unless I’m working), we would wind down with a cocktail at Smith & Wolenskys, The Cleat, Barracudas, or SipSip. And if I’m in the mood for some dancing, we might hit the dance floor at Bodega, letting our happy feet lead the way.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As a solo founder, my journey has been supported and influenced by numerous individuals. In the early stages of conceptualizing my idea, I sought feedback, ideas, and advice from a wide range of people, including family members, friends, mentors, companies, and even strangers. Throughout this process, there were a few individuals who played crucial roles as mentors, guides, and advisors.

First and foremost, I cannot overlook the immense gratitude I owe to my family, especially my parents, Gene and Beck Thiem. They went above and beyond to ensure that I received the most effective education, despite being diagnosed with dyslexia in the 2nd grade. It is thanks to their unwavering support and guidance that I am able to pursue my passion and create an app that empowers children to become neighborhood entrepreneurs in a safe and nurturing environment. Without their exceptional parenting, I doubt this endeavor would have ever come to fruition.

Another valued mentor of mine is Michael Sherrod, an Entrepreneurship Professor at TCU. Michael, in my opinion, is not only a serial entrepreneur and advisor but also an exceptional teacher. I vividly recall the advice he imparted during my time at school: “Don’t graduate and expect to launch a million-dollar business right away. Gain experience at small companies, startups, and corporate giants to learn the ins and outs of entrepreneurship and business.” Taking his words to heart, I followed his counsel, acquiring valuable experiences that have instilled in me the confidence to believe in my potential as a successful first-time founder.

During my tenure at NextEra Energy, I had the fortune of crossing paths with Ryan Reid, the former Founder and CEO of TerraSmart, and Gavin Boucher, the CEO of Supreme Industries. Both of these leaders not only demonstrated how successful “small businesses” operate but also emphasized the significance of hard work, dedication, and customer satisfaction. Their friendship and guidance served as a constant reminder of the qualities every founder and CEO should strive for.

Lastly, I must acknowledge the Distributed Generation group at NextEra Energy, where I spent the majority of the past five years. The leaders I had the privilege of working with exemplified exceptional guidance and composure while navigating the ever-changing landscape of the Solar Energy Industry. Being part of such an outstanding company and community provided a platform for personal growth and invaluable learning opportunities that I will be forever grateful for.

Website: www.minorchores.com

IndieGoGo: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/minor-chores/x/33955004#/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minorchores/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/minor-chores/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChoresMinor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083916131360

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgsnSfMh6yUYdBgkh1rS3pw

Other: Instagram (Chief Dog Officer – my dog Scooter): https://www.instagram.com/scooter_golden_girl/ Instagram (Mitch Thiem): https://www.instagram.com/whatsthethiem/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/minorchores TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@minorchores?lang=en