The Junkluggers

When people hear that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-mejia-junkluggers?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=lucy-mejia-junkluggers-franchise-2730769" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Lucy Mejia</a> owns a location of&nbsp;<a href="https://junkluggersfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=lucy-mejia-junkluggers-franchise-2730769" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">The Junkluggers</a> junk removal franchise, they often do a double-take. “When I say I do junk removal, people look at me like, ‘How did you get into this business? You?’” she said.&nbsp;Before she became a business owner, Mejia worked as a GIS technician at Southern Company Gas. “I loved my job,” she said. “But then, you know, I wanted to start a family. Once I had my son, I decided, ‘You know what? I’m going to stay home.’ So I stayed with him, had my daughter, and then I just knew that I would always go back to work one day.”That desire to return to work eventually turned into something bigger — entrepreneurship. “My husband was like, ‘What if you start your own business?’” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh gosh, that’s a lot to think about.’ My dad’s an entrepreneur. I know what it’s like. It’s very stressful to have a business. You have your ups and downs. But ultimately, the pros outweighed the cons — the flexibility — I could be with my kids during the day and take them to school and go to their games and have family life — not the nine-to-five.”<h2>Finding the Right Fit</h2>When Mejia and her husband began looking at franchise opportunities, one brand stood out immediately. “We did decide on The Junkluggers,” she said. “They checked every single box — from sustainability to being community-oriented, to the people at headquarters, to the other franchisee owners. The culture was solid, and it really hit all my passions and checkpoints.”Founded in 2004, The Junkluggers is an eco-conscious junk removal franchise that donates, recycles and repurposes items to keep them out of landfills. The brand’s mission is to make junk removal more sustainable with a growing network of over 75 locations across the country. For Mejia, that mission wasn’t just appealing — it was personal.“My day-to-day, I do the business and the marketing for my locations,” she said. “I hired a chief of ops and he’s handling the day-to-day with the crew. I’m out there being the face, connecting with the community, finding all our resources for recycling. We have eight different recyclers that we work with and over 15 different donation partners that we work with that need and recycle different kinds of items.”<h2>Leading With Heart</h2>Whether she’s networking at business association meetings, collaborating with local nonprofits, or jumping in to help her crew on a clean-out, Mejia’s leadership is hands-on and values-driven.&nbsp;“I couldn’t do it without my team,” she said. “They show up every day, no complaints. They get the job done. They work hard and they take care of us, and we take care of them. I don’t expect them to do anything that I wouldn’t do.”As a woman in what’s often considered a male-dominated field, Mejia doesn’t see barriers — she sees opportunities. “I don’t really see it as a roadblock,” she said. “I just show up like I need to, and they give me respect. It actually gives me a point to stand out, which I think is an advantage.”<h2>Building a Legacy and a Message</h2>Today, Mejia’s business continues to thrive — and so does her family.&nbsp;“To have my kids watch me growing a successful business, it just means the world to me,” she said. “Having that business, growing that legacy, helping the community and then educating people that we can do better — bringing that circular economy into the mix of our everyday lives is my ultimate goal. And I hope to pass that trait on to my kids.”Learn more about The Junkluggers franchise here:&nbsp;<a href="https://junkluggersfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=lucy-mejia-junkluggers-franchise-2730769" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://junkluggersfranchise.com/</a>.

image of Lucy Mejia from Atlanta Georgia junkluggers franchisee owner mom

From Stay-at-Home Mom to Entrepreneur: Lucy Mejia & The Junkluggers

1851 Franchise

After leaving her corporate career to raise her children, Lucy Mejia discovered a new path to purpose and flexibility through The Junkluggers franchise.

This brand page has been paid for by THE JUNKLUGGERS. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

How This Stay-at-Home Mom Found Her Calling With The Junkluggers Franchise

lucy-mejia-junkluggers-franchise

FRANCHISE INFORMATION

Why Junkluggers

A Frictionless System Built For Scale

Top 5 Reasons To Buy

Deep Dive

Franchisee Story

Learn

Visit Website

THE JUNKLUGGERS

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

TikTok

YouTube

SOCIAL MEDIA

How Technology and Market Shifts Are Transforming Home-Service Franchising in 2026

Top 5 Reasons To Buy a Junkluggers Franchise in 2026

Junkluggers Franchisees Win the Fast-Growing, Eco-Focused Junk Removal Market With Mission, Momentum and a “Frictionless” System Built for Scale

THE JUNKLUGGERS MOST READ STORIES

1851 LOGIN

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

ABOUT THE JUNKLUGGERS

CONTACT THE JUNKLUGGERS

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

First Name

Last Name

Email

Phone

City

State / Region

Postal Code

Amount Available to Invest

Tell Us More

Terms and Conditions

Ready to be part of a company that is changing the way the world treats junk?

For&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-jones-28b041222/">Dana</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/terri-jones-a91a86221/">Terri Jones</a>, the path to business ownership didn’t start in an office building. It started at a summer camp for children with cancer. Meeting as counselors, the pair established a foundation of service that has defined their personal and business relationship for 25 years.&nbsp;When they decided to leave their lives in Texas and relocate to Pittsburgh in 2020 to be closer to Dana’s father, they weren't just looking for a change of scenery. They were looking for a way to continue weaving that lifelong commitment to helping others into a sustainable career.The couple found their answer in&nbsp;<a href="https://junkluggersfranchise.com/">The Junkluggers</a>, a franchise dedicated to keeping items out of landfills. Today, as owners of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.junkluggers.com/pittsburgh/">The Junkluggers of Pittsburgh</a>, the Joneses operate four territories and recently expanded their footprint by opening a physical location of&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/the-junkluggers/info">The Junkluggers’</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.junkluggers.com/about-us/remix-market/">Remix Market</a>, a secondhand concept breathing new life into the items they haul.<h2>A Shared Mission</h2>Pivoting from corporate finance and high school education into the world of junk removal might seem like a leap. But for the Joneses, the mission was a familiar one. Dana, who also holds a Master of Divinity, had previously founded a nonprofit in Fort Worth aimed at providing furniture to those in need."We met the owner of Junkluggers through a friend of a friend in Austin," Dana said. "He told us about a company started in Connecticut that did work similar to what we were doing through the church: procuring furniture and home goods for people coming out of shelters or arriving as refugees."The ability to provide high-quality items to local nonprofits while giving employees a second chance at a career resonated with the couple. They opened in October 2021, starting with just one truck and a single employee.<h2>The Power of Partnership</h2>Running a business as a married couple requires a delicate balance of shared vision and divided labor. From the start, the Joneses played to their individual strengths to manage the complexities of running a new business in a new place.Dana handles the daily operations, managing the crews and the fleet of trucks. Terri oversees the back office essentials, including HR, technology and billing. This division of labor allows them to move quickly without second-guessing one another."I don’t know how solo owners do it," Dana said. "We both work full time. It’s nice not having to question whether the other person is doing what needs to be done."Terri noted that while the work is constant, the trust they share is the business's greatest asset. "When you own a business, you bet on yourself — and your partner," she said. "One thing I’ve learned is not to wait until everything is figured out. Roll it out and figure it out as you go."<h2>Growing the Brand</h2>That mentality helped the Joneses successfully launch Remix Market Pittsburgh. What began as the online selling of items from a storage unit quickly became a 12,000-square-foot facility. The Junkluggers sister brand serves as a hub for rehoming furniture and home decor with a portion of proceeds benefiting local nonprofits.The expansion has turned the Joneses into multi-brand franchisees, a growth spurt that has come to involve the entire family. Their children have worked on the trucks and behind the registers, witnessing firsthand the grind required to build a business from scratch in a new city."Whether I was in a conference room in a suit or getting trucks out the door, it’s work ethic," Dana said. "Any success we’ve had isn’t because we’re smarter than anyone else. We just work hard with the idea that five or 10 years of effort will pay off."As they look toward the future, the couple hopes to add more routes and eventually step back into leadership roles that allow their employees to grow. But for now, they’re content building a business that reflects their values."We want to be profitable. But we also want to serve people," Terri said. "That thread has been woven through our relationship for 25 years."About The JunkluggersFounded in 2004, The Junkluggers provides sustainable junk removal services. This team of big-hearted professionals revolutionizes the hauling and removal industry by focusing on eco-conscious, community-oriented practices as they remove your furniture and junk. For more information, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.junkluggers.com">www.junkluggers.com</a>. For franchise opportunities, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.junkluggersfranchise.com">www.junkluggersfranchise.com</a>.

Photo of The Junkluggers franchisees Dana and Terri Jones

By combining four Junkluggers territories with a physical Remix Market storefront, the Joneses have turned a career change into a mission-driven operation serving the Pittsburgh community.

Husband-and-Wife Team Grow a Mission-Driven Junkluggers Franchise Focused on Local Service

dana-terri-jones-franchise-husband-wife-team

How This Stay-at-Home Mom Found Her Calling With The Junkluggers Franchise

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS