A determined man named Mario Kelly Rose, once homeless and living out of his van in Detroit, has defied all odds to build a multimillion-dollar cleaning and staffing empire in the United States.
Mario’s story is one powered by grit, belief, and extraordinary ingenuity.
Mario's Story and How He Did It
Mario’s transformation began after his life collapsed in one devastating moment. His marriage ended abruptly. He came home to an empty house and a “Dear John” letter, leaving him with only $1,500 to his name.
With nowhere else to go, Mario moved into his van, showered at Planet Fitness, and tried to rebuild his life from scratch. But even at his lowest point, he found a spark of hope.
Mario started selling simple rubber wristbands he bought for 3 cents each from China. He designed them with the words “Believe 313”, a message of hope inspired by Detroit’s area code.
Walking the streets of downtown Detroit, he would ask strangers:“Do you believe in yourself? Do you believe in this city?”
And people did not just buy the wristbands; they donated generously. City council members shared them on social media, and in six months, Mario made $17,000, stuffing every dollar into the spare tire in his van—his improvised “bank.”
At night, Mario drove through Rosedale Park, a neighborhood lined with luxury homes.
He would park in front of one and say to himself, “This is my house. One day, I will live here.”
One evening, he noticed a neglected property being stickered by the police. He tracked down the owner and bought it for $6,500 cash. With no furniture, he tarped off rooms, fixed the bathroom, lived with just an air mattress and a heater, and slowly rebuilt the place himself.
It was the first permanent step in rebuilding his life. During a visit to a watch factory, where Mario was pitching his wristbands, someone mentioned a dirty room. Without thinking, Mario replied: “I have a cleaning company.”
But he did not. He had $27 worth of cleaning supplies. However, he was able to pitch himself, and he got the job anyway.
Mario earned $1,500 from that first cleaning job, then secured another, then another. In two jobs, he made $4,500—more money than he had seen in months.
That was the birth of 313 Cleaning, a company that would soon become one of Detroit’s fastest-growing cleaning businesses. Mario did not just clean; he studied.
He taught himself CDC COVID-19 cleaning protocols, learned contract negotiation, researched business licensing, and studied how to scale operations.
His intellectual curiosity is what made his growth possible—proving that scholarship isn’t only in classrooms, but also in mastery, discipline, and applied learning.
In 2021, Mario expanded into staffing by launching Believe 313 Staffing, hiring ex-convicts, people from halfway houses, and individuals with no one willing to give them a chance. He hired over 2,000 returning citizens, including Willie Bass, a man freed after 40 years in prison.
Mario became a symbol of hope inside Michigan’s prisons—men would say “When I get out, I want to work for Believe 313.”
It became more than a business; it became a mission.By 2022, Mario’s companies were servicing major sports arenas in Detroit, Houston, and Seattle. “Believe in yourself. Even if no one else does. That’s how it all starts,” he said.
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