Tyler Salat, Rapid Pro Pressure Washing, on Soft Washing, Exterior Cleaning, and Building a Business at Age 18 (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 962)
In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Tyler Salat, founder and CEO of Rapid Pro Pressure Washing, serving Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Roswell, Milton, and surrounding areas. Rapid Pro handles residential and commercial exterior cleaning, including soft washing, pressure washing, and window cleaning.
Tyler started his first business at age 13 and launched Rapid Pro at 15, running it as a side hustle while still in high school. He went full-time after graduation and has grown the company to six employees, a warehouse, and multiple trucks, including a 16-foot commercial trailer rig. In the interview, he explains the difference between soft washing and pressure washing, which surprises many homeowners who call asking for a pressure wash on their siding. Soft washing uses a chemical solution to kill mold, algae, and organic growth at the source rather than just blasting the surface with water, and it is actually the method recommended by most siding and roofing manufacturers.
Tyler also makes the case for regular exterior cleaning as a business asset, not just maintenance. He points out that a dirty storefront, algae-covered sidewalks, or grimy restaurant windows lose customers to competitors whose buildings look clean and that dumpster pads left unattended can become a health code issue. His crews have had commercial clients pull up to a freshly cleaned building and fail to recognize it as their own location.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Key Takeaways from This Episode
- Soft washing uses a chemical solution to kill mold and algae at the source, rather than high-pressure water that washes the surface but leaves spores behind to regrow. It is the manufacturer-recommended method for most siding and roofing materials.
- Homeowners often mistake mold or algae for fading paint or naturally aging brick, but a proper soft wash can remove it.
- For commercial properties, regular exterior cleaning is as much about liability and customer perception as it is about appearance. Slick sidewalks, dirty windows, and grimy storefronts drive customers toward competitors.
- Tyler built Rapid Pro while in high school, juggling classes with a growing business, and went full-time after graduation. At 18, he has six employees, a warehouse, and multiple service vehicles.
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:20 John Ray introduces the show and guest Tyler Salat
01:52 Tyler describes Rapid Pro Pressure Washing and its service area
02:27 Soft washing vs. pressure washing explained
02:42 Tyler’s backstory: starting businesses at 13, launching Rapid Pro at 15
04:20 Influence of his father’s entrepreneurial and adventurous spirit
05:37 Why he chose business over other paths at 18
07:01 Growing from a high school side hustle to a full-time company with six employees
08:26 Problems exterior cleaning solves beyond aesthetics: paint protection, liability, and curb appeal
10:03 How soft washing works and why it outperforms pressure washing on most surfaces
11:35 What trained technicians see on a house that homeowners overlook
13:13 The quoting and service process, including satellite-based estimates
16:12 Commercial cleaning: restaurants, apartment complexes, dumpster pads, and maintenance plans
20:07 Standing out in business by maintaining a regular cleaning schedule
20:52 Signs it is time to call for a cleaning
22:08 Five-star reviews and what drives them: client walkthrough, transparency, no shortcuts
24:32 How to reach Tyler and Rapid Pro Pressure Washing
Tyler Salat, Founder and CEO
Tyler Salat is the founder and CEO of Rapid Pro Pressure Washing, based in the North Fulton area. He started his first business at age 13 and entered the home services industry at 15, when he launched what became Rapid Pro. After running the business through high school, he went full-time following graduation. At 18, he leads a team of six that includes sales staff, field technicians, and an admin and operates multiple trucks along with a commercial trailer rig. Tyler credits his father, an immigrant entrepreneur who left the Czech Republic at 18 to work and travel before settling in Georgia, as an early influence on his drive to build something of his own.
Rapid Pro Pressure Washing
Rapid Pro Pressure Washing provides residential and commercial exterior cleaning services across the North Fulton area, including Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Roswell, and Milton, and extending into Forsyth and Fulton Counties. The company’s core services include soft washing, pressure washing, and window cleaning, with soft washing used on most siding, roofing, and painted surfaces to remove mold, algae, and organic growth using a chemical solution rather than high-pressure water. Commercial clients include restaurants, apartment complexes, and parking facilities, and the company offers recurring maintenance plans with frequency options ranging from monthly to annual service. Rapid Pro provides satellite-based quotes, typically within minutes of a customer inquiry.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Nextdoor | Google Business Profile
Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio
Renasant Bank has humble roots, having started in 1904 as a $100,000 bank located in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown into one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, boasting over $26 billion in assets and more than 280 offices offering banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from the commitment of each banker to invest in the communities they serve, which in turn helps them better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, their banking professionals understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube
Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio
Whether you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.
Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.
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About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
Approaching 1,000 episodes and having featured over 1,400 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!
The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their respective markets, communities, and professions. There is no discrimination based on company size, and there is never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, which is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
The studio is located at 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
You can find the entire archive of shows by following this link. The show is accessible on all major podcast apps, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.
John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the author of the five-star-rated book The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.
