How Brian Scudamore Fired His Entire Team and Built a $700 Million Junk Removal Empire

What would you do if going to work filled you with dread? For Brian Scudamore, the answer was drastic: fire all 11 employees and start over from scratch. That bold decision transformed a struggling $500,000 company into O2E Brands, now generating nearly $700 million annually across multiple franchises.

Scudamore's journey from a $700 pickup truck to building the world's largest junk removal company offers powerful lessons for entrepreneurs about culture, hiring, and the willingness to fail.

The McDonald's Drive-Thru Moment That Started It All

In 1989, 19-year-old Brian Scudamore sat in a McDonald's drive-thru line in Vancouver when he noticed a beat-up pickup truck with a simple sign: junk removal services. The idea struck him immediately—he could haul junk to pay for college.

With just $700 from his savings, Scudamore bought his own truck and launched "The Rubbish Boys" with the tagline "We'll stash your trash in a flash!" He went door-to-door and patrolled alleyways for items the city wouldn't collect.

The business grew faster than expected. Scudamore found himself skipping classes to answer customer calls and realized he was learning more about business through experience than from textbooks. Despite being enrolled at Concordia University's business program—an impressive feat for someone who had dropped out of high school after failing a math class—he made another bold decision.

He dropped out of college to focus on rubbish full time.

His father, a liver transplant surgeon, was far from pleased. But Scudamore trusted his instincts.

From Success to Crisis: The $500,000 Wake-Up Call

By 1994, the renamed 1-800-GOT-JUNK? had grown to $500,000 in annual revenue with 11 employees. On paper, things looked good. In reality, Scudamore was miserable.

"I spent most of my day listening to complaints," he recalls. "My staff complained constantly—about working late, about the job, about the weather, about not making enough money. I found myself hiding in my little office all day just to avoid them."

The toxic culture had become unbearable. But instead of blaming his employees, Scudamore asked himself a question that changed everything: "What did I do wrong?"

He realized the problem started at the top. He had built a team based on availability and willingness to work, not on shared values or genuine passion for the business.

The Day He Fired Everyone

Most business advisors would suggest incremental changes—coaching, performance reviews, restructuring. Scudamore chose a different path.

He fired all 11 employees.

"I knew what I wanted the experience to be like for future customers," he explains. "I didn't know how I was going to get there."

What followed was a grueling six-month period where Scudamore operated the entire business alone. He drove the truck, hauled the junk, answered the phones, handled customer service, and managed every aspect of the company.

"Hauling away junk without a partner in the truck helping you is really difficult," he admits. But this painful period taught him invaluable lessons about what he actually needed in team members.

Rebuilding with a New Philosophy

During those solo months, Scudamore developed a clear vision for the company culture he wanted to create. His first hire was Dave Lodewyk—someone he genuinely enjoyed spending time with.

"I wanted someone who would be like a friend," Scudamore explains. "Someone I could have fun with out in the trucks, someone who cared about customers the same way I did."

This hire became the foundation for a new organizational philosophy built on one core principle: hire for attitude, train for skill.

Rather than prioritizing technical expertise or industry experience, Scudamore began screening for positive attitudes, genuine enthusiasm, and cultural alignment. He asked himself before every hire: "Would I want to hang out with this person outside of work?"

The "Willing to Fail" Mindset

Scudamore's willingness to make dramatic decisions stems from a philosophy he later detailed in his bestselling book, "WTF?! (Willing to Fail)."

"People love to point out and criticize leaders for making mistakes," he notes. "But the learning only happens when the leader can look and say, 'What did I do wrong?'"

He believes failure is a gift that entrepreneurs need to unwrap: "What did I learn? How does it make me better? What new opportunity that could be bigger and better will result?"

This philosophy was tested again when O2E Brands launched a moving company called "You Move Me." After eight years of operation with strong branding and passionate effort, the venture struggled.

"Moving is hard," Scudamore acknowledges. "The key is to know when something's not working and shut it down, sell it, or whatever that is. And then learn something from it."

A mentor had warned him that launching new businesses would distract from 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, predicting franchisees would "look to the new shiny object, and both businesses will suffer." She was right. Today, O2E Brands no longer awards franchises to people across multiple industries as a result of this lesson.

The Competitive Advantage That Isn't About Junk

Here's what's counterintuitive about 1-800-GOT-JUNK?'s success: their competitive advantage has nothing to do with how well they remove junk.

"Our success comes from customer interactions characterized by friendly service and respect," Scudamore explains. Anyone with a truck can haul away trash. The difference is in how customers feel during the experience.

This insight transformed what could have been a commoditized service into a premium brand. Customers pay more for 1-800-GOT-JUNK? not because the junk removal is fundamentally different, but because the entire experience—from the phone call to the final sweep of the driveway—exceeds expectations.

Building a Franchise Empire

The business model Scudamore developed became so successful that Harvard Business School turned it into a case study. Today, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? operates more than 2,000 trucks across three countries with over 250 franchise owners throughout North America and Australia.

O2E Brands expanded to include WOW 1 DAY PAINTING and Shack Shine, applying the same culture-first principles. The company set ambitious goals: 500 franchise partners with $500 million in system-wide sales by the end of 2025.

The recognition followed. O2E Brands ranked #3 on America's Most Loved Workplaces 2025 by the Wall Street Journal and earned placement on the 2025 Best Workplaces in British Columbia list.

Key Lessons for Entrepreneurs

1. Vision Before Logistics

Scudamore's advice to entrepreneurs: "First have that vision, build some confidence around that vision, and then rally a team around that vision before you figure out the 'how.'"

When he fired his entire staff, he knew what he wanted the customer experience to feel like. The operational details came later.

2. Culture Drives Everything

A toxic culture nearly destroyed a profitable business. A healthy culture became the foundation for a $700 million empire. The lesson is clear: culture isn't a nice-to-have; it's the engine that drives sustainable growth.

3. Slow and Steady Capital Management

"Slow and steady wins the race—overspending is not a strategy," Scudamore advises. "As an entrepreneur, when you start to grow and expand, you realize it's risky to take on debt and risky to take on equity—there's a cost. Build with a conscious strategy to manage the capital you have."

This approach forces entrepreneurs to think about more efficient, effective ways to operate rather than throwing money at problems.

4. Trust Your Gut, But Listen to Mentors

"As an entrepreneur, you have to trust your own gut," Scudamore says. But he quickly adds that "trusting mentors is an incredibly important part of my journey."

The balance between confidence in your instincts and openness to outside wisdom is crucial. His mentor's warning about the moving company proved correct—even when Scudamore initially didn't want to hear it.

5. Check Your Ego

"Ego got ahead of us," Scudamore admits about certain failures. "We, as entrepreneurs, fail when we put ego in front of anything."

Acknowledging mistakes openly and discussing the path forward with stakeholders leaves people with a better impression than trying to hide or minimize failures.

The Human Element in an AI Age

At TED 2025, Scudamore reflected on how artificial intelligence will reshape business. His takeaway wasn't fear about automation—it was optimism about human connection.

"AI will make space for us to have more time to show up where humans matter," he observed. "More time for heart-to-heart connections with people. AI should take some of the tasks away that we don't like doing while bringing personal connection time to a greater level."

For a business built on customer experience and workplace culture, this perspective matters. Technology can handle scheduling, routing, and administrative tasks. But the friendly interaction when the truck arrives? That remains irreplaceably human.

From $700 to $700 Million: The Numbers

The growth trajectory is remarkable:

• 1989: Started with $700 and one truck
• 1994: $500,000 revenue with 11 employees (all fired)
• 1997: $1 million in revenue
• 2025: Nearly $700 million in revenue across O2E Brands
• 2025 Goal: 500 franchise partners, $500 million in system-wide sales

The junk removal franchise market itself is projected to reach $2.41 billion in 2025 and grow to $6.12 billion by 2034—a 9.6% compound annual growth rate. Scudamore positioned his company to capture a significant share of this expanding market.

The Takeaway

Brian Scudamore's story isn't really about junk removal. It's about having the courage to make hard decisions, the humility to acknowledge mistakes, and the vision to build something meaningful.

Firing 11 employees and starting over sounds extreme. But Scudamore's willingness to do what felt impossible—combined with a clear vision for what he wanted to build—created a business model that thousands of franchisees have replicated successfully.

The question isn't whether you'll face a crisis that tests your leadership. It's whether you'll have the clarity to recognize what needs to change and the courage to act on it.

Keep Your Finances Organized as You Scale

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