People often ask how we grew 1-800-GOT-JUNK? from $2 million to $106 million in just six years.
The answer surprises them.
It wasn’t because one leader worked harder than everyone else.
It was because Brian Scudamore and I built a partnership where each of us stayed in our lane while pushing toward the same vision.
That alignment became our competitive advantage.
One Vision, Two Leadership Roles
Brian focused on where the company was going.
I focused on building the operating systems that would get us there.
Neither role was more important than the other. They were simply different.
As our company grew, we learned that vision without execution creates frustration, while execution without vision creates motion without direction.
The real leverage came from combining both.
Why the Partnership Worked
Looking back, several principles made our partnership successful.
- Brian spent his time creating opportunities, strengthening the brand, and communicating the vision. I concentrated on building the processes, accountability, and leadership systems that allowed the business to scale.
- We trusted each other’s expertise. That trust reduced unnecessary debate, accelerated decision making, and gave the rest of the company confidence about who owned what.
- We constantly refined how we worked together as the company evolved. The structure that helps a company reach $10 million is rarely the same one that takes it to $100 million.
- We understood that protecting the partnership was just as important as growing the business. When the relationship stayed strong, execution stayed strong.
The company benefited because leadership stayed aligned.
Great Partnerships Continue to Evolve
One lesson became clear as the business matured.
The leadership model that creates rapid growth is not necessarily the one that supports the next chapter.
Strong CEOs and COOs recognize when the business has changed. They redefine responsibilities before old habits become bottlenecks. Their goal is never to protect titles.
Their goal is to protect growth.
The Bottom Line
Growing 1-800-GOT-JUNK? taught me that scaling is rarely about finding a better CEO or a better COO.
It is about building the right partnership.
When vision and execution reinforce each other, companies grow faster, leaders stay focused, and teams execute with confidence.
If you want to build that kind of CEO and COO partnership, read The Second in Command. I share the lessons, mistakes, and frameworks that helped us scale one of the fastest-growing companies in North America.
