Brian Scudamore, founder and CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK, is no stranger to taking risks. But even for someone who’s built a career on diving headfirst into new ventures, there are still moments that push him out of his comfort zone. “This summer, in Greece, I found myself standing on a boat, staring at the water, thinking, ‘No way,'” he recalled. “I’m not a strong swimmer, but everyone else was jumping in, so I did too. And you know what? It ended up being one of the highlights of the trip.”
It’s a fitting metaphor for a man who, at 18 years old, dropped out of high school, bought a $700 pickup truck, and started a one-man junk removal service in Vancouver. Thirty-five years later, that small business has grown into the world’s largest junk removal organisation. Scudamore didn’t stop there — he expanded his franchise business model to include WOW 1 DAY PAINTING and Shack Shine. Now, as the newest Dragon on Dragons’ Den, premiering Thursday, September 26 on CBC Gem and CBC TV, he’s encouraging a new generation of entrepreneurs to take the leap too.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
You’ve been described as an entrepreneur, CEO, author and now a Dragon. How do you see yourself?
When you say ‘Dragon’, it’s still surreal to me, and it feels awfully strange that I was chosen because there was really tough competition. But when I look at my journey, it makes sense. I identify as someone who makes space for possibility. I help people see that you can do anything if you set your mind to it. And I know that’s very cliché, but it’s something I firmly believe. While I was nervous, of course, filming Dragons’ Den, once I got it, I knew I could bring something different. And that is, as a high school dropout, college dropout, I can say: if I can do it, you can do it.
Empowering others to succeed is clearly important to you, and I’m sure it has been great for business. But what do you see as the non-financial rewards?
I’ve always been someone who prides myself on making big things happen, whether it’s getting us on Oprah, or seeing people that came from the call centre now running their own franchise.
On the financial side, yes, we’ve grown a large business that’s doing almost $700 million. But I drive a pickup truck. Money doesn’t buy happiness. I think most people know that — you want some security, comfort and freedom — but on the flip side, it’s the non-materialistic things that get me fired up, like watching others achieve their dreams, especially when they thought it was impossible.
What was your dream before 1-800-GOT-JUNK? What did you envision for yourself?
Growing up, I always knew I wanted to run my own business. My grandparents had an army surplus store in San Francisco, and I remember watching how they ran that business. They had this amazing culture, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I didn’t know what kind of business I would start, and frankly, I felt pressured by my parents to go to college — I went to four different ones and never finished. Back then, I expected I would work my way up the corporate ladder, do something in business, and then maybe go out on my own. But going out on my own happened a lot sooner, and there’s no looking back.
Speaking of not going to college — a lot of small business owners in Canada don’t have formal business training. What advice would you give to entrepreneurs who are starting from scratch?
So, it’s strange advice. My dad was a liver transplant surgeon and he did more school than anyone I know. But for entrepreneurs, I believe you shouldn’t spend too much time learning from books. I’m all about learning by doing. If you want to be a doctor, of course, get all the training. But if you want to start a business, get out there and do it. Work for an entrepreneur, start something small and learn on the streets. I dropped out of school, but I never dropped out of learning. I’m always asking questions, meeting new people and trying to solve problems.
This sounds like your “willing to fail” philosophy. Can you explain it?
Absolutely. The “willing to fail” mentality is all about embracing failure as part of the learning process. It hurts to fail, in business or in life, but we should be looking at what lesson we get that will allow us to be better. People look at 1-800-GOT-JUNK and think it was an overnight success. Are you kidding? It’s been 35 years, and if I told you about all the times we almost went bankrupt, how I lost key employees and how my best friend went into competition against me — these are hard lessons to learn. But every one of those failures made us better and made us who we are today. So, I try to inspire people not only to not be afraid of failure, but also to get excited about it, so that when it happens, you’re like, OK, here we go.
But failure must be tough, even for you. What strategies do you use to stay motivated and overcome self-doubt?
I do a simple thing where, when I fail or face a challenge, I pull out a sheet of paper and write down one seemingly big opportunity that could come from this failure. You have to be patient and trust that failures are just part of the journey. It takes time, and you’ve got to ask, ‘OK, what’s going on here?'” This tough situation will actually lead me to a better situation. Just be patient and be smart about reflecting.
Season 19 of Dragons’ Den premieres Thursday, September 26 at 8 p.m. (9 p.m. AT/9:30 p.m. NT) on CBC and CBC Gem. Seasons 13 — 18 are available to stream on CBC Gem.
