26/05/2026
The origin story - aka What does Tyrion Lannister have to do with Anna Freud?
As a founder and „business lady”, I shall introduce myself, since this is a business where trust comes first, and you cannot trust a faceless company. So, my name is Niobé, I am Hungarian, and let me share how it all started.
Once upon a time…
Alongside my university studies, I worked as a waitress in a restaurant for years, but after a while I felt like I needed a change. I wasn’t sure if I was fed up with the catering industry itself or just the restaurant, so first I went for a job interview at another place.
At the new place, I told the manager that I would graduate in a few months, but I had applied to another university as well to study psychology. Since I would like to stay long-term, if my studies would cause any issues, then I’d rather not change my workplace. He said, „No problem, we will solve the schedule problem.”
And they did – by firing me. And honestly, that was a huge blessing.
Why cleaning?
I realized that I didn’t want to deal with hundreds of customers daily anymore, but preferred to work in silence. I had a specific problem, one that Marx would have described as being alienated from my labor and its product: after a while I didn’t find the meaning in serving cappuccinos, but wanted a more visible proof of the outcome of my labor. Or to put it simply, I burned out, but I’m way too much of a snob to just say that.
What could be a more visible proof of work than a totally clean space? What was dirty, turned into super clean, because I made it clean. It gives a sense of agency over the outcome. And the best part, I didn’t have to smile at anyone, nobody was complaining that the lasagne was too hot or not salty enough. Just me, doing something useful, with an undeniable outcome.
So, in September 2025, I became my own boss and started cleaning to provide for myself (and my two cats – they eat a lot). Of course I had no specific experience, yet clients were coming. When I asked why they chose me and not someone else, the answer was always „well I don’t know, I just liked you / your vibe ” or „I had a feeling that you would be good.”
Moral of the story: it is the character that matters the most, not the experience. I might not have cleaned a million houses, but I certainly want to do my best with each home I am trusted with. Some call it virtue, but I call it anxiety.
So here we arrive at the explanation of the title of this page:
What does Tyrion Lannister have to do with Anna Freud?
To work conscientiously is pretty easy when one has a mild compulsive compliance. Not people-pleasing, but inner-critic-pleasing. The urge to do something perfectly, because I am that kind of person who is very dedicated. To do everything correctly, because that is the right way and I am a righteous person. That is my identity.
We must protect our identity, so we act accordingly. Being a perfectionist is draining, and very often unnecessary. Life would be easier without this trait, but it is what it is. And if I cannot change it, then I must turn it into something beneficial to tame it. So this transforming process of ruling oneself, what Anna Freud called sublimation, Tyrion summed it up by saying:
"Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you."
Which means…
There will always be someone more experienced, more professional, more perfect. But it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is the reason behind the actions. If I do something for an outside, extrinsic reason, then it is sensitive to the winds of change. But if I do something because that is just who I am, then I cannot do otherwise.
It is true for anything, but since it is a cleaning business, let’s apply it to that. The difference between a job merely done and a job well done is in the character of the person. That’s how I choose my colleagues. The character is the guarantee. And CleaNest has it.
https://cleanest.hu
