This is a company started by a very young couple that defied the laws of nature and made something, something big, from nothing. At the outset, what’s notable is the experience of communicating with the leadership. That would be Jacklynn, of Frank and Jackie Mendieta, the owners of Cisco Septic Service in San Antonio, Texas. She is like a breath of fresh air. Her bearing carries the ideal balance of passion and advanced insights.
Mendieta is one of those fully accomplished, yet constantly growing people who always seems to be fully engaged and having some fun with the proceedings, and learning something from pretty much everything. We enjoyed listening to her tell the compelling story of her husband and her uprooting from their hometown and moving long-distance in pursuit of a better life. They’ve built a great one, through all the challenges. Here, Jackie shares the compelling story of Cisco with us:
From Nothing to Great Success!
In the beginning, my husband worked for another septic company. He had a couple of years of experience in wastewater handling, in a portable toilets business in El Paso. We made the move to San Antonio in 2015. There was a septic business owner who had cancer. Frank started working with him to help him. He passed away. We were then without an income. But, people continued to call Frank at his cell phone number for service. He was so reliable and good at it, I said, “Why don’t you start your own business?”
In November 2017, we started Cisco Septic. We got the licensing, registration, and everything else we needed to start in septic pumping. It was kind of a rough start. We didn’t have a large amount of capital. Financially, it was especially rough. But, we put our faith in God that he would open those doors.
Starting out, we got quite a few “no”s. We were told we were too young, too inexperienced. But there were ones that gave us the open doors that led us to now — 8 years later.
Bootstrap Startup on Shoestring Budget
My husband was adamant that he didn’t want a used truck. We knew about Doggett Freightliner, so we walked into their sales center. The sales associate, oddly enough, was named Chance. Frank spent about 40 minutes with him, told him his vision, and what he wanted to do, and the spec out for the truck he needed. The manager told us, “If you come up with a $2,500 down payment, I will match you and help you get into a new truck”
A family member had some money in a CD, and we borrowed against that, and we got the down payment that way. We didn’t take out any other loans. It was my husband’s determination, my family member helping us, and faith that got us through that initial part. We started with that one truck. It got delivered. He was able to buy hoses and tools with the little money we had in our savings. Relying on our faith, the doors just kept opening, and we kept walking through them.
The Cisco Organization Today
The first job we got was a commercial one. That one job helped us make back everything we had invested and pay back our family member. From there, the blessings kept coming and still keep coming along. Now, we probably serve about 20 to 30 clients a week, as just a rough estimate. Our company hit a million dollars in annual revenue last year.
We’re trying to continue to grow the family business and provide for all sorts of needs of our customers. Some companies get into the business not knowing what they’re doing. They start just pumping and not cleaning tanks properly. They’re not doing quality work. We offer the right solution and exceptional work quality.
The Cisco Team, San Antonio
Our team trains extensively in the field. It takes a long time for Frank to let employees work independently on their own. We use before and after photos. So, we have those for customers as quality checks, to show that our operators are doing their job, to keep our records thorough and current, and to provide the customer with documentation for their own property maintenance files.
The photos help show our customers and employees that this is how we do things, and they help instill a vision of pride in our workers. When they go to clients’ properties, they know they’re set apart, by the quality they will deliver, from everyone else that has provided this kind of service for them.
[Hearing this exceptional young business owner speak, it’s easy to forget that she and her husband, after 8 years in operation, are only in their early 30s today.]
Equipment at Cisco Septic Service
Right now we have 3 trucks. (We sold another one recently.) Those are a 5,000-gallon, a 4,000-gallon, and a 2,000-gallon. The 2 larger ones are Western Star and the other one is a Mack. The 2,000-gallon is not a CDL, but the two larger ones do require a CDL.
We have Frank, Adam, and Dillon out in the field. Some jobs require all 3 of our pumper trucks, for example, at military bases, penitentiary facilities, at a lot of commercial locations, and other places.
My husband really likes the Western Star trucks, and he likes Peterbilt and Mack as well. As I mentioned, the first truck we brought was a Freightliner. It was great for the time we had it, but after we got the 4,000-gallon, he wanted the Western Stars from then on.
He likes the look of the Western Star, the components, the motor, and the overall quality he receives in the Western Star. He has said, “It’s like the Cadillac of pump trucks.” We weren’t able to get a Western Star for the smaller tank. They didn’t have that smaller cab, so we got the Mack, and we like it a lot.
All of our trucks are equipped with NVE [National Vacuum Equipment] pumps. They are great. They even came down to our office to help diagnose something in person. The tank that Imperial makes is excellent, and their quality of customer service is great. We know the guys from Imperial. We go to some of the conventions, and they recognize Frank on sight. They know our business. They understand what we’re doing and what we need. Plus, they answer the phone. [Imagine we’ve underlined, italicized, and highlighted Jackie’s comment that one of her company’s reasons for choosing an equipment vendor over others is that they answer the phone!]
For septic equipment, on the residential side, there are conventional and aerobic systems. We’re distributors of the Norweco brand. (We went to Ohio for the learning sessions with them.)
We also have two Mercedes Sprinter vans, fully equipped for repairs. Adam, one of our techs will go out to help with repairs as needed.
A Virtually All-Family Business
We’re really a family business. In field services, office management, accounting, data entry, community projects, social media, and other work, we’re fortunate to have family members filling key roles. We’re blessed to be able to work with family and be a family owned and operated business.
We do have a few individuals that work for our company that aren’t members of our family, and, with company’s growth, we welcome new hires to roles that will continue to service our community’s needs.
Future Cisco Leadership Prospects? My son was about 7 years old when we started the business. He’s grown with it. He’s 14 now. He’s out of school today and working with my husband for the day. He was able to spend some time during the summer with his dad out on the truck.
Today, they went to visit a site for a new install of a septic system, examining the soil on the property, the trees, and plans for how we will place the septic tank. He’s never been afraid. We have old videos of him as a little boy confidently explaining how things are done on the job. [Entirely adorable.]
Cisco Business Model
We pump out septic tanks, including all types, provide additional septic systems services, and related services for broader management of our customers’ needs at properties with septic systems, such as:
| Conventional residential system pumping
Aerobic system pumping Commercial lift stations system pumping Grease trap pumping |
Septic systems installation
Septic system repairs Commercial main contracts Aerobic maintenance contracts |
Cesspool waste management
Real estate inspections Riser installs Tractor services for trenching, leveling, shredding, etc. |
Jackie Mendieta On Septic Services Economy & Pricing
Our office is in Atkins [around 17 miles from downtown San Antonio]. Originally, when we started out in 2017, we worked out of our spare bedroom as our home office. Greater San Antonio and New Braunfels is our primary service area, though it has started to spread a little past that. But, those are mostly a lot of one-off jobs, like in Houston and McCallen.
We’ve experienced a few slow-downs. The slowest years were probably 2023 and 2024. Prior to that, it was very busy, even in 2020 during COVID. People were home more, so they were using their plumbing more. And the stimulus funds helped. I think people wanted to get things done [on their properties].
The economy has shifted so much. But, we didn’t increase our price in 2024 or 2025. For a business strategist looking at our prices, it might seem like, “Everything else is going up, why haven’t you raised yours?” Money is important, but helping our community is important too. I don’t want to think of people choosing between other necessities and this service. We’ve paid off our stuff years ago. We also want to make sure our employees have what they need.
A Company Culture of Giving Back
We want to give back to the community when and where we can. I think, in the future, we’ll be able to do more and more. At Thanksgiving time, every year, we put together a lot of meals for the school system. We started with 10 families and last year I think we grew to like 140. We’ll see how many families we can serve this year. Our son started it. He asked, “Can we do something?” And, we had it on our hearts, so we went with it. This year, we’ve extended it to all the elementaries, middle schools, and high schools in our district.
[At this point we asked Jackie about a rooster crowing in the distance. She laughed and shared a little about life at the Mendieta’s.] We have about 50 chickens. Some are roosters. We love it here. We’re thankful that we made the move. We grew up in El Paso, we came from very humble beginnings. Moving here offered prospects of earning a higher wage and not having the limitations of the smaller, less developed area.
Cisco Marketing and Branding
The majority of our business is still from word of mouth, about a good 80 percent. A lot of people find us on Google. We pay a small fee for ads on Facebook and Google. We also are listed on a lot of neighborhood apps and consumer sites where people review their experience with businesses and record their ratings and comments about it. We use a company for our SEO, and, internally, we have an employee who works on our Facebook posts. He and I sit down and discuss what to post.
Having our business on Google I think has helped people find us. We’re also very active in our church, and we sometimes end up making connections there. My husband is very good at talking with people, so he tends to make good acquaintances naturally.
Technologies and Operational Resources
The trucks all have a tracker that provides various data on the vehicles. But. as for tracking and managing maintenance on them, Frank is very meticulous on equipment upkeep, like routine oil changes, lubricating, maintaining fluid levels, cleaning filters, care of the tires, etc. He always says it’s better to be proactive than reactive.
Growth Plans for Cisco Septic
I know I have my vision of it. I’d like to see us open up a few more corporate locations in different rural areas. I’d like to see our company grow up to 500 people. Ultimately, it’s in God’s hands.
I think Frank likes the risk, and the challenge, and likes to see what could happen. But, at the same time, his concern is how to keep the standard of quality while you’re growing like that. My reasoning is, “But McDonald’s can do it, so we can do it.”
Advice for Aspiring Septic Business Owners from Cisco Owner, Jacklynn Mendieta, San Antonio TX
Well, I think what’s worked for us is trusting each other and supporting one another. I think having someone in it with you is great. If you’re not married, you’re in it on your own. But, if you’re married, you need to be on the same page, or it won’t flourish the way you want.
We are, and always have been, about our faith in it. I think, ultimately, that’s played a big part in our life. We realize that this is given to us — our skill and ability — by God. So, I’d say, giving to the community and tithing are important things to remember about that gift you’re receiving. Even when times get slow, remember your faith in how things are going to turn out to be, and trust in God.
Also, remember why you’re doing it, and that will help you. What’s your why? Are you doing it to make money, or just to prove something? Or, is it to be helpful to your community and your family? When you have a purpose you believe in, you’ll do things the right way, not cheaply, or halfway, or in a way that is taking advantage of people. You’ll find that your foundation is strong. Look back on that.
For information about Cisco Septic Service, San Antonio, Texas, you can call (210) 598-9090, or visit ciscoseptic.com/.
had a couple of years of experience in wastewater handling, in a portable toilets business in El Paso. We made the move to Antonio in 2015. There was a septic business owner who had cancer. Frank started working with him to help him. He passed away. We were then without an income. But, people continued to call Frank at his cell phone number for service. He told them he didn’t have a business. But, he was so reliable and good at it, I said, “Why don’t you start your own business?”
In November 2017, we started the business. We got the licensing, registration, and everything else we needed to start in septic pumping. It was kind of a rough start. We didn’t have a large amount of capital. Financially, it was especially rough. But, we put our faith in God that he would open those doors.
Starting out, we got quite a few “no”s. We were told we were too young, too inexperienced. But there were ones that gave us the opportunity to provide service. They gave us the open doors and led us to now — 8 years later.
Bootstrap Startup on Shoestring Budget
My husband was adamant that he didn’t want a used truck. We knew about Doggett Freightliner, so we ended up going through them. The GM sales associate, oddly enough, was named Chance. Frank spent about 20 minutes with him, told him his vision, and what he wanted to do, and the spec out for the truck he needed. The manager told us, “If you can come up with X amount of money, I’ll give you the rest for the down payment, and that way you guys can get into a new truck.”
A family member had some money in a CD, and we borrowed against that, and we got the down payment that way. We didn’t take out any other loans. It was my husband’s determination, and my family member helping us that made it possible for us to meet that initial part. We started with that one truck. It got delivered. He was able to buy hoses and tools with the little money we had in our savings. Relying on our faith, the doors just kept opening, and we kept walking through them.
The Cisco Organization Today
The first job we got was a commercial one. That one job helped us make back everything we had invested and pay back our family member. From there, the blessings kept coming and still keep coming along. Now, we probably serve about 20 to 30 clients a week, as just a rough estimate. Our company hit a million dollars in annual revenue last year.
We’re trying to continue to grow the family business and provide for all sorts of needs of our customers. Some companies get into the business not knowing what they’re doing. They start just pumping and not cleaning tanks properly. They’re not doing quality work. We offer the right solution and exceptional work quality.
The Cisco Team, San Antonio
Our team trains extensively in the field for long periods of time. It takes a really long time for Frank to let employees work independently on their own. We use before and after photos. So, we have those for customers as quality checks, to show that our operators are doing their job, to keep our records thorough and current, and to provide the customer with documentation for their own property maintenance files.
The photos help show our customers and employees that this is how we do things, and they help instill a vision of pride in our workers. When they go to clients’ properties, they know they’re set apart, by the quality they will deliver, from everyone else that has provided this kind of service for them.
[Hearing this exceptional young business owner speak, it’s easy to forget that she and her husband, after 8 years in operation, are only in their early 30s today.]
Equipment at Cisco Septic Service
Right now we have 3 trucks. (We sold another one recently.) Those are a 5,000-gallon, a 3,000-gallon, and a 2,000-gallon. The 2 larger ones are Western Star and the other one is a Mack. The 2,000-gallon is not a CDL, but the two larger ones do require a CDL.
We have Frank, Adam, and Dylan out in the field. My husband is the only one with a CDL. Some jobs require all 3 of our pumper trucks, for example, at military bases, penitentiary facilities, at lot of commercial locations, and other places. We have friends with CDLs who come in and help if those trucks need to be moved.
My husband really likes the Western Star trucks, and he likes Peterbilt and Mack as well. As I mentioned, the first truck we brought was a Freightliner. It was great for the time we had it, but after we got the 4,000-gallon, he wanted the Western Stars from then on.
He likes the look of the Western Star, the components, the motor, and the overall quality he receives in the Western Star. He has said, “It’s like the Cadillac of pump trucks.” We weren’t able to get a Western Star for the smaller tank. They didn’t have that smaller cab, so we got the Mack, and we like it a lot.
We also have two Mercedes Sprinter vans, fully equipped for repairs. Adam, one of our techs will go out to help with repairs as needed.
The tank that Imperial makes is excellent, and their quality of customer service is great. We know the guys from Imperial. We go to some of the conventions, and they recognize Frank on sight. They know our business. They understand what we’re doing and what we need. Plus, they answer the phone. [Imagine we’ve underlined, italicized, and highlighted Jackie’s comment that one of her company’s reasons for choosing an equipment vendor over others is that they answer the phone!]
For septic equipment, on the residential side, there are conventional and aerobic systems, and the lift system is a branch of that. We’re distributors of the Norweco brand. (We went to Ohio for the learning sessions with them.)
A Virtually All-Family Business
We’re really a family business. We’re now adding my uncle to the team. We have my cousin working with us. He does the social media posts. We also have my brother, Adam, and Dylan, who is my soon-to-be cousin-in-law. And, we have my mom, who is our office manager, and my aunt is temporarily doing data entry.
We have two employees who are not related to us: Danielle, who does scheduling and other admin tasks, and Gus, who handles maintenance contracts to make sure our audit reports are properly completed and accounted for. My uncle has been with us the longest of anyone. He retired from his previous job, and does accounts payable, invoices, etc.
Future Cisco Leadership Prospects? My son was about 7 years old when we started the business. He’s grown with it. He’s 14 now. He’s out of school today and working with my husband for the day. He was able to spend some time during the summer with his dad out on the truck.
Today, they went to visit a site for a new install of a septic system, examining the soil on the property, the trees, and plans for how we will place the septic tank. He’s never been afraid. We have old videos of him as a little boy confidently explaining how things are done on the job. [Entirely adorable.]
Cisco Business Model
We pump out septic tanks, including all types, from conventional residential to aerobic to commercial lift stations. We also perform septic system repairs, and we do grease trap pumping. We handle cesspool waste management. We also service commercial main contracts as well.
The State of Texas requires an aerobic system to have maintenance providers for that. My husband and I just got our Installer One License. We conduct septic tank inspections as well. Our inspectors are NAWT licensed.
As a related service, we also provide tractor services for trenching, leveling, shredding, etc.
Jackie Mendieta On Septic Services Economy & Pricing
Our office is in Atkins [around 17 miles from downtown San Antonio], and our home is in San Antonio. (Since 2018, we’ve worked in our spare bedroom as our home office.) San Antonio is our primary service area, though it has started to spread a little past that. But, those are mostly a lot of one-off jobs, like in Houston and McCallen.
We’ve experienced a few slow-downs. The slowest years were probably 2023 and 2024. Prior to that, it was very busy, even in 2020 during COVID. People were home more, so they were using their plumbing more. And the stimulus funds helped. I think people wanted to get things done [on their properties].
The economy has shifted so much. But, we didn’t increase our price in 2024 or 2025. For a business strategist looking at our prices, it might seem like, “Everything else is going up, why haven’t you raised yours?” Money is important, but helping our community is important too. I don’t want to think of people choosing between other necessities and this service. We’ve paid off our stuff years ago. We want to make sure our employees have what they need.
A Company Culture of Giving Back
We want to give back to the community when and where we can. I think, in the future, we’ll be able to do more and more. At Thanksgiving time, every year, we put together a lot of meals for the school system. We started with 10 families and last year I think we grew to like 40. We’ll see how many families we can serve this year. Our son started it. He asked, “Can we do something?” And, we had it on our hearts, so we went with it. This year, we’ve extended it to all the elementaries, middle schools, and high schools in our district.
[At this point we asked Jackie about a rooster crowing in the distance. She laughed and shared a little about life at the Mendieta’s.] We have about 50 chickens. Some are roosters. We love it here. We’re thankful that we made the move. We grew up in El Paso, we came from very humble beginnings. Moving here offered prospects of earning a higher wage and not having the limitations of the smaller, less developed area.
Cisco Marketing and Branding
The majority of our business is still from word of mouth, about a good 80 percent. A lot of people find us on Google. We pay a small fee for ads on Facebook and Google. We also are listed on a lot of neighborhood apps and consumer sites where people review their experience with businesses and record their ratings and comments about it.
We use a company for our SEO, and, internally, we have an employee who works on the Facebook posts. He and I sit down and discuss what to post. He’s working on a video that will drop in a couple of weeks. It’s like a little ad.
In the beginning, I did go to some real estate offices and see if they had clients who needed septic pumping. Having our business on Google I think has helped people find us. We’re also very active in our church, and we sometimes end up making connections there. My husband is very good at talking with people, so he tends to make good acquaintances naturally.
Technologies and Operational Resources
The trucks all have a tracker that provides various data on the vehicles. But. as for tracking and managing maintenance on them, Frank is very meticulous on equipment upkeep, like routine oil changes, lubricating, maintaining fluid levels, cleaning filters, care of the tires, etc. He always says it’s better to be proactive than reactive.
One of our clients has a mobile tire business. He’ll come out if there’s a flat and repair or replace it onsite wherever one of our vehicles needs that.
Growth Plans for Cisco Septic
I know I have my vision of it. I’d like to see us open up a few more corporate locations in the different rural areas. I’d like to see our company grow up to 500 people. Ultimately, it’s in God’s hands.
I think Frank likes the risk, and the challenge, and likes to see what could happen. But, at the same time, his concern is how to keep the standard of quality while you’re growing like that. My reasoning is, “But McDonald’s can do it, so we can do it.”
Advice for Aspiring Septic Business Owners from Cisco Owner, Jacklynn Mendieta, San Antonio TX
Well, I think what’s worked for us is trusting each other and supporting one another. I think having someone in it with you is great. If you’re not married, you’re in it on your own. But, if you’re married, you need to be on the same page, or it won’t flourish the way you want.
We are, and always have been, about our faith in it. I think, ultimately, that’s played a big part in our life. We realize that this is given to us — our skill and ability — by God. So, I’d say, giving to the community and tithing are important things to remember about that gift you’re receiving. Even when times get slow, remember your faith in how things are going to turn out to be, and trust in God.
Also, remember why you’re doing it, and that will help you. What’s your why? Are you doing it to make money, or just to prove something? Or, is it to be helpful to your community and your family? When you have a purpose you believe in, you’ll do things the right way, not cheaply, or halfway, or in a way that is taking advantage of people. You’ll find that your foundation is strong. Look back on that.
For information about Cisco Septic Service, San Antonio, Texas, you can call (210) 598-9090, or visit ciscoseptic.com/.