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“At an early age, while some people dream of being Superman or Wonder Woman or a fireman or whatever it might be, I really dreamt of running a business.”
Brian Scudamore started 1-800-GOT-JUNK more than 30 years ago with a single truck and a simple business plan. Today, he’s built his business into more than just a successful company. Rather, he’s created an entrepreneurial and franchise empire that empowers other business owners to build their own franchises and succeed.
“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built and more importantly how we’ve built it,” Brian says. “And if we can give a platform to others that’s what life’s all about to me.”
Brian built 1-800-GOT-JUNK slowly. It took him eight years to reach $1 million in revenue, and now, the company does $1 million in revenue on a daily basis. Getting to that point was not easy, though. It meant figuring out how to build franchises and then relay that knowledge to new franchise owners — a process that took 10 years to master and included many dark moments, like when he had to fire all 11 of his employees to save the business.
That experience taught him about the importance of company culture, and it is part of a trend for Brian. Throughout his life and career, he’s always been interested in learning and improving however he could, then passing those lessons along.
He does that on this episode of Mission Daily, touching on all those stories and so much more.
Quotes by Brian:
1:06 – “I’m an entrepreneur. I’ve always had a passion for building businesses. My first baby, so to speak, is 1-800-GOT-JUNK. I have built a company that started with one truck back in 1989, and 30 years later, we’re about a $370 million business in Canada, the United States, and Australia.”
2:09 – “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built and more importantly how we’ve built it. And if we can give a platform to others that’s what life’s all about to me.”
6:01 – “I think entrepreneurs today often spend so much time trying to figure out, ‘What is my idea? What’s the next big idea out there and how can I find it?’ I think a lot of times it’s much more about how do you quickly begin the execution versus spending so much time trying to catch lightning in a bottle.”
8:12 – “I really believe that in sports and business and anything in life we make mistakes, but as long as we’re able to embrace those mistakes, be grateful for that moment and learn, that becomes a springboard for bigger success.”
23:10– “I’m a student of life and I think things are always getting better. Have I learned something today? Will I learn something tomorrow? Of course. That’s what keeps things exciting.”
29:43 – “I’m not a material type guy, but I love just watching other people grow… And so, whatever success looks like to a franchise owner, if we can be just one little tiny part of helping them make their dreams happen that’s pretty fun stuff.”
39:26 – “I think at an early age while some people dream of being Superman or Wonder Woman or a fireman or whatever it might be, I really dreamt of running a business.”
