How This Franchise Founder Quit His Corporate Job and Started an Emerging Junk Removal Brand

It’s a story you often hear in the world of entrepreneurship: someone in the corporate world gets tired of working for someone else, and a fire lights under them to start their own business. That’s exactly what happened to Eric Myers, who was in sales, tech and insurance before “quitting, buying an old truck, hustling and making something happen.” Myers began offering junk hauling services around his local area of Massachusetts North Shore, and the concept of Junk Junk Baby! was born. 

He started the junk removal brand in 2010, helping friends, family and acquaintances with their projects, and then grew to advertise online. Then last year, the company announced that it was entering the world of franchising. Myers has powerful visions for the brand’s future and hopes to capitalize on the $75 billion waste industry by prioritizing customer care and support.

“What I found early on was that people who are moving or need junk removed from their homes are going through a transition, and transitions are, at best, uncomfortable. At worst, they are among the most difficult periods of people’s lives,” he said. “We show up ready to mitigate the chaos. You can see the relief on people’s faces. So we’ve made that part of our model — we are focused on care and support. We help people. I’ve always said I’m more of a therapist than a trash man.”

Junk Junk Baby! has significant momentum with double-digit revenue growth for two consecutive years, growing 47% in 2021 and 39% in 2020, and revenue in 2021 was nearly 500,000, BizJournals reported. Myers now has about 10 employees and is excited to grow more through franchising. The brand is looking to develop franchises first in the Northeast region of the United States, including Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. 

“I want people to come in and know what they’re getting into 100% and know that it will take work. There’s no secret sauce. It’s going to take work to start, but it’s a rewarding industry,” said Myers. “Our strategy is to grow out in concentric circles,” he said. “That ensures that every new franchise owner is never too far from a territory that is already up and running and finding success. That means we can provide hands-on support for any situation at any time.”

With his ambitious work ethic and focus, Myers will help Junk Junk Baby! thrive as it transitions to franchising. A true entrepreneur himself, he can relate to franchisees and serve as a model example of how successful one can be in the junk hauling business. 

“Our company is all about treating people as people. Our teams are out there every day, working directly with clients to help them through what are often difficult transitions. That prioritization of relationships has increasingly made us popular not just among consumers but also among prospective franchise owners who are looking for an opportunity to take control over their careers and do something meaningful.”

And Myers knows from experience that owning a junk hauling business is a great way to exit a corporate job and build a career for oneself. 

“People are leaving the corporate world in droves right now, and they are looking for opportunities to make money by doing something meaningful — interacting with their neighbors and providing a service with results they can actually see,” he said. “I think people see the value in what we offer both in terms of its lucrative business model and its lifestyle benefits. We’ve seen increasing demand for our service everywhere we look, and we know there are passionate and talented entrepreneurs who can execute this model all over the country.”