Steve Friedman
When Brian Scudamore was 19 years old he was in a McDonalds parking lot trying to figure out how to pay for college. He saw a dirty pick-up truck advertising a junk removal service. Realizing that he could pay for college by hauling junk, Brian invested $700 in his own junk-removal-service. With that initial investment, he built an unlikely empire: 1-800-Got-Junk. Today 1-800-Got-Junk serves 200 locations across three countries. His story is full of ups and downs. Including dropping out of college, his decision to fire his entire staff early on in his career, to living with depression and ADD.
He's a regular contributor to Forbes and has a new book out, called WTF?! (Willing to Fail): How Failure Can Be Your Key to Success.
In addition to 1-800-Got-Junk, Brian is the founder and CEO of O2E Brands, the parent company behind 4 different home service companies.