In short
Building Vets Junk Removal and Dumpsters with “no plan B,” emphasizing customer service, delegation, hiring character, and scaling constraints for a service business.
Guests
Andy Hegg, owner of Vets Junk Removal and Dumpsters in upstate South Carolina; started about two years ago after Army Reserve service (transportation officer; later training/operations) and a job in an ag co-op/energy wholesale fuel/propane. John Stein, business development representative focused on commercial sales to property management and apartment communities.
Key claims
Growth comes from “sucky days” and hiring the right people; character and coachability beat resumes. Sole proprietors hit a financing bottleneck until two years of tax returns. Donating/recycling isn’t always feasible—most junk is trash after sorting and facility acceptance issues. “Stop focusing on money; focus on who you’re becoming” and trust God.
Notable examples
Andy working 16-hour days while trying to match corporate income; injuring his back lifting a wet mattress and deciding to stop doing jobs himself; using referrals instead of Indeed/LinkedIn; expanding trucks/trailers for faster turnaround and veteran-owned service.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOWhat is Vets Junk Removal and Dumpsters?
1:16 to 2:12
Andy explains the core services and target customers of their business.
“Stein and what is Vets Junk Removal and Dumpsters?”
Personal Interests and Hobbies
2:12 to 3:24
Andy and John share insights into their personal lives and hobbies.
“So, hey, I'm John Stein and I'm the business development representative for Vets Junk Removal.”
The Journey to Entrepreneurship
3:24 to 6:10
Andy shares his background, military service, and the inspiration behind starting his business.
“so we do that i like sports i like you know kind of all the basic dude stuff uh like work with my hands.”
Overcoming Challenges in Business
6:10 to 7:48
Discussion on personal investment and risks involved in entrepreneurship.
“I'm starting this business and I'm starting that particular business in this industry.”
The Decision to Commit Fully
7:48 to 8:32
Andy reflects on the moments he felt close to quitting and the importance of commitment.
“He's not my direct boss, but he kind of like ran the staff.”
Advice for New Entrepreneurs
8:32 to 11:10
Andy shares lessons learned and advice on starting a business.
“But he would send me some jobs here and there.”
Reflecting on Entrepreneurial Identity
11:10 to 14:02
Andy discusses whether he feels more like an entrepreneur or an employee.
“and things like that to make this possible to get to the point where I am now.”
The Struggles of Starting a Business
14:02 to 17:42
Learn about the challenges of solo entrepreneurship and the importance of delegating tasks.
“And, um, I would have quit my job sooner.”
Finding the Right Team
17:42 to 20:08
Discover the key traits to look for when building a strong team.
“And eventually, you know, the cog becomes set and you've got your systems and you like, I could make that, that jump to step away and, you know, do something outside of work.”
The Power of Referrals in Hiring
20:08 to 23:07
Understand how referrals can lead to better hiring decisions and team cohesion.
“I would say that the number one thing I'm looking for is character.”
Show all 23 chapters
Creating a Positive Work Environment
23:07 to 24:22
Learn how to foster a supportive and motivated workplace culture.
“So like for me, like Indeed or LinkedIn or wherever you would post a job could certainly do something great.”
Bottlenecks in Business Growth
24:22 to 27:39
Examine common bottlenecks businesses face when scaling and how to overcome them.
“at least my employees know that I've got their back and I know that they've got mine if it came down to it.”
Quickfire Round: Insights on Business
27:39 to 28:03
Hear quick insights on business challenges and the correlation between growth and struggle.
“So we're going to head into what's called the quickfire round.”
The Growth Journey: Embracing Struggles
28:03 to 29:05
You will learn how embracing challenges leads to personal and business growth.
“Some insight into why you, why you chose that and what you mean by it.”
The Importance of Hiring for Character
29:05 to 30:13
Understand why hiring the right people with the right character is crucial for business culture.
Navigating Stress as an Entrepreneur
30:13 to 31:29
Explore how stress can be a sign of commitment and care in entrepreneurship.
“the spot where I came to and starting my business and quitting my job to do this full time came from a place of stress.”
Leadership and Daily Hustle
31:29 to 32:48
Learn why consistent leadership is vital to avoid business stagnation.
“And if I don't lead out that every single day, I mean, we can just plateau.”
The Reality of Entrepreneurial Freedom
32:48 to 34:28
Discover the paradox of freedom in entrepreneurship and the hard work it entails.
“And for me, as a follower of Jesus, the risk is evidence of my faith that God is going to provide for me, my business, my family, my employees.”
The Controversial Reality of Junk Removal
34:28 to 36:35
Uncover the truths and misconceptions within the junk removal industry.
“I appreciate that for the quick fire round.”
Advice for Stuck Entrepreneurs
36:35 to 39:02
Gain powerful insights on focusing on personal growth rather than immediate financial concerns.
“So, you know, as much as I'd love to keep as much out of the landfill as I can, which I do, it's not always possible.”
Future Plans for Vets Junk Removal
39:02 to 42:00
Learn about the exciting expansion plans and future goals of Vets Junk Removal.
“I mean, the, I mean, if really, I mean, it's, it goes back to like what he ended with.”
Connecting with Vets Junk Removal
42:00 to 43:09
Learn how to reach out for junk removal services and the importance of social media for business.
“get to my landing page on our website, but you can find us at thatseasytrash.com or you can email me anytime at it's greenville at that's easy trash.com where you can text or call me at 864-326-5767.”
Reflections on the Conversation
43:09 to 43:34
Hear final thoughts from Andy and John on their journey and sharing their story.
“So Andy and John, yeah, this has been fantastic.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:02John Stein:Hi, and welcome to this week's episode of the Epic Entrepreneurs Podcast, where we are all about helping business owners just like you achieve success. So we don't do fancy smancy. We don't do flashing lights. We don't do a lot of things that a lot of podcasts will do. These are just real stories about real people and their entrepreneurial and business experiences. as we go into their wins, their challenges, and their learnings. So we hope you enjoy it.
0:40John Stein:Hi, everyone. Welcome to this week's episode of Epic Entrepreneurs. I am Cliff McRae with Action Coach Business Growth Partners, where we work with local business owners who turn big ideas into real, scalable growth. today i'm excited to be joined by andy hegg and john stein with vets junk removal and dumpsters so andy and john thanks for being here how are you all doing today yeah hey uh thanks for the
1:05Andy Hegg:invite we really appreciate the opportunity to talk with y 'all and uh we're doing good doing good excited to be here excited to be here all right perfect yeah we're excited to have you so
1:15John Stein:let's go to jump right in so yeah for those who may not know it yet who is andy hegg and john Stein and what is Vets Junk Removal and Dumpsters? Yeah.
1:25Andy Hegg:So yeah, I'm Andy. I'm the owner of Vets Junk Removal and Dumpsters here in upstate South Carolina. And I started the business right around two years ago, a little shy of two years. And we've been going since then. And so Vets Junk Removal, it's pretty straightforward. We're a junk removal company. So So somebody will call me. They have junk. We remove it. And we provide safe and legal transportation and disposal of the items and trash that the client has. And so we kind of serve a handful of avatars as far as who's calling us, whether that be commercial or residential. And yeah, that's pretty much it.
2:10Andy Hegg:And I'll let John introduce himself and kind of what he does.
2:12John Stein:So, hey, I'm John Stein and I'm the business development representative for Vets Junk Removal. So with a main focus in commercial. So I focus on going to property management companies, apartment communities, and basically soliciting our services in a way that we can help them to make sure that their communities are cleaner and looking fresh. and so yeah, that's basically what I do. Perfect, perfect. Now to get on the personal side, other than the work stuff, who are you all as people? You guys got any interest or hobbies or anything?
2:51Andy Hegg:Yeah, absolutely. So I've got a beautiful family, my wife, Lauren, my son, Ben, and then we've got a baby girl due this May. So we're in. No, thank you. I appreciate it. We're really excited to meet her. and uh yeah we we live like an hour south we're in the middle of moving right now like we just got moved in and we're unpacking everything but we live about an hour south of greenville still an upstate just a little kind of little ways out but we uh we kind of have a small farm out there with uh a mini zoo pretty much is what i kind of describe going on out there and uh yeah so we do that i like sports i like you know kind of all the basic dude stuff uh like work with my hands.
3:37Andy Hegg:And, and yeah, that's a little bit about me.
3:40John Stein:Clemson fan.
3:41Andy Hegg:Yeah, go Tigers. I kind of I'm from Chicago land originally, but I was never really into college football as much as that's hard to admit. But once I once I moved down here, I kind of adopted Clemson seeing as I didn't really have a college team that I rooted for. So being that everybody here watches the Tigers, I just kind of adopted them. So yeah, go Tigers.
4:05John Stein:Nice. Yep. So John, yeah. Yeah. My name is John. So yeah, my, my wife and I, we live over in Greer towards the Lake Robinson area. And we actually have no kids right now, but we actually have one on the way, a baby boy and really excited about He's coming in September. And we basically, I mean, we like to hike. We like to walk with our dogs. We've got a golden retriever and a lab pit mix. And they have been our world up until we've gotten pregnant. So really excited. But, yeah, we like to watch football. Go Tigers. Nice. A bunch of our family has gone there. and one recently graduated this past year and others is going to be graduating in the next year and a half so really love watching football I like watching basketball I'm a Lakers fan been that way since a little kid and and yeah I played soccer and rugby in college and so like a lot of sports trying to get into golf right now but not very good It's a slow process on that one, but we'll get there eventually.
5:24John Stein:Yeah, yeah. Go LeBron and the Lakers, man. Do you think they got a chance to win it all this year? I think they're definitely going to do well. I don't know. I think they may get to the finals. But LeBron's still playing at a high level. I think that he just needs to needs to just not keep putting his body on the line. And like he did the other night and, you know, he's diving for balls and like, dude, you're 40 something years old. Yeah. But but I think they have a decent shot for sure. OK. All right. So, yeah, take us back to the very beginning. You know, what made you say, yep, I'm doing this.
6:12John Stein:I'm starting that. I'm starting this business and I'm starting that particular business in this industry.
6:17Andy Hegg:Yeah. So I for a little bit of background, I did eight years in the Army Reserve. And so Army Reserve, for those who don't know, is is pretty similar to the National Guard where you you serve one weekend per month and then you have like, you know, once per year training that you do. And so I did that for eight years from 2016 to 2024. I was a transportation officer and then moved kind of into training and operations towards the last few years of my military career. All the while, I worked for a large ag co-op in the energy wholesale, basically wholesale, you know, refined fuel and propane to distributors.
7:03Andy Hegg:And so I did that for a while, had a nice like kind of work from home job and was kind of loving it. And then about right around two years ago this time, something I don't know. The way I describe it is like God put something in my heart to start my own business. And I didn't really know what that looked like, what that meant, what I was going to do with it. And because, you know, I was always security minded, like I have very security minded parents, Like they both had really well-paying, you know, corporate type jobs. And so that was kind of how I was raised, but had just like this kind of itch to do my own thing.
7:42Andy Hegg:And I couldn't figure out what it was going to be until one of the guys from my unit who is, it's hard to describe. He's not my direct boss, but he kind of like ran the staff. His name is Zach Wiley. He approached me and was like, hey man, like I've, he found out where I lived and was like, I've been trying to start a location for junk removal up in that area for, for some time. I just haven't found the right person to do it. And, uh, I was like, man, I junk removal just doesn't really sound like my cup of tea. So I think I'm, I'm good. And he's like, all right, well, if you change your mind, let me know.
8:14Andy Hegg:And he, he reached out again, was like, Hey, I just job, job request popped up. I wanted to see if you wanted to give it a shot. And, uh, you know, I did it and he came down and helped me out. Just kind of show me the ropes a little bit. We did it. And, uh, And I was like, man, you know what? I could kind of see this working. And so I didn't form any sort of official agreement for a little while still. But he would send me some jobs here and there. I got a small truck and trailer. Was hauling junk before work and after work for a little while. And eventually it was just kind of sticking. And I was like, man, the supply and demand's here.
8:49Andy Hegg:The need for it's here. Logistically, this could make a lot of sense for this community. and I could see a niche need for it here. And so I just, I jumped in kind of headfirst. I would say that would be December of 2024 was when I signed my official like franchise agreement, which that's junk removal is a franchise based model. So we have locations kind of throughout the Southeast and a couple of different areas in the United States. But yeah, so I just jumped in and started doing it about a year ago is when I quit my job and started doing it full time. So that's kind of how we got started.
9:30John Stein:Nice, nice. Now, were you confident on betting on yourself or?
9:35Andy Hegg:Yeah, I would say so. I've always had a passion for customer service and customer care. You know, I never had sales experience. I never had, you know, I never knew how to like generate demand for a business, but I've always known, like I had a handful of customers who would call in and like request for me specifically over the phone, or they'd have an issue that I would solve that somebody else couldn't solve. And so, you know, problem solving with customer service will get demand. It'll keep demand and it'll, it'll, uh, help grow the business too. So I was betting on myself to be able to eventually figure that out.
10:16Andy Hegg:Um, and that's kind of how it played out.
10:19John Stein:Nice. Nice. And it sounds like, like you said, you're, you know, you're a problem solver. You like to get to the root of the problem and solve it for, for every customer.
10:27Andy Hegg:That's right. The root man. Yeah. Yeah.
10:29John Stein:All right. So what would you say is something people don't understand about a business until they're in it?
10:37Andy Hegg:I would say, especially starting out, and I'm speaking from somebody who's not quite two years in. So, um, take this for what it's worth. I can't speak for somebody who's 10 years in, but as somebody who's almost two years in, I never understood really just how much of personal risk and investment was involved as a entrepreneur and a business owner. You can kind of think about it from that perspective, but once you're really in it, you see how much I've had to front personal cash, finances, and things like that to make this possible to get to the point where I am now. And, you know, going into it, I didn't really understand that that would have to happen per se.
11:21Andy Hegg:But the more you grow in scale, the more the operational need grows, the more you have need for, you know, more money. And so you just kind of figure out the next step as you go. But that's that's kind of where I'm at with it.
11:34John Stein:okay okay have you ever been close to to quitting and going back to your your previous job i wouldn't say quitting um i i think they filled my spot so i'm not sure i've got somewhere to go
11:46Andy Hegg:okay uh my situation was unique i sort of created my own remote role and i i think they were eventually gonna um they wanted they wanted people back in the office so let's put it that way i don't know that spot to go back to so i kind of burned the ship so let's put it that way If you ever heard the story of you want to take an island, burn the ships, give no way out. So, you know, I certainly I think I'm a marketable person as far as employment, but I wouldn't say I've considered going back. I would say there's times where it feels nearly impossible to get out of a situation and then, you know, God pulls you out or the right thing kind of aligns to make it happen.
12:27Andy Hegg:And so there's certainly times, you know, where it's four or five in the morning and, you know, I don't want to get up because my body hurts from the day before. I can remember very specific days where, you know, I started work at eight o 'clock Eastern. And so I'd have to get up at four to drive an hour to do three hours of work and then drive an hour home just to work my full time job and then finish and go back to finish what I was the junk work I was doing that morning. And there were certainly days where it felt like, man, why am I trying to kill myself here? But I don't think I've considered this point, you know, almost two years in returning to like my, you know.
13:07Andy Hegg:Some sort of like company position, that's if that makes sense.
13:11John Stein:Yeah, no, it does. It does. So, you know, and obviously this is hypothetical. But if you had to start again from absolute scratch, you know, let's say you had no brand, no clients and no safety net. What would you do differently the second time around starting your business?
13:27Andy Hegg:I, I would have quit my job sooner. As weird as that sounds, I was really trying to, I was trying to like almost side by side my, my corporate salary income with like my junk income to where I could sort of step out of that right into the same salary I was making. And that's just not realistic. I was trying to have all sorts of like, you know, subscription what we call subscription basically recurring like once a week once every other week type of work lined up before I made that jump and what it did was basically kill me because I was working I was doing you know 16 hour days for you know far too long I couldn't I couldn't focus on growing my business because I had to to focus on doing the jobs that were available you know I didn't have the money to employ anybody yet and so it was just me doing the work and me doing everything.
14:20Andy Hegg:And, um, I would have quit my job sooner. So I had time to like focus on actually growing my business and not doing the physical work of it. And then I probably would have started sooner. Um, I mean, I didn't do this and I'm 31 coming on 32 here in May. And, uh, you know, it's certainly a lot harder at this point than it was when I was 18, 19, 20, when I had, you know, no mortgage and, um, bills and all that stuff. Like I would have certainly started sooner had I, could I redo it? Okay.
14:53John Stein:Now, are you naturally more of an entrepreneur or an employee at heart?
14:58Andy Hegg:I think I've changed. I think I started very security minded. And then I really think God was just trying to get me out of my comfort zone. And so, like I said, about two years ago, that switch sort of just flipped unbeknownst to me. Like I wasn't, I wasn't seeking it. It just something hit me one day and I was like, I need to, I need to get out of this and start my own thing. So naturally I think I would lean security, but I've pushed myself more towards the entrepreneur mindset, which is, I just think where God has me right now.
15:32John Stein:Yeah. Yeah. So when did you realize you couldn't do everything? You have any particular stories?
15:38Andy Hegg:When I, when did I realize I couldn't do everything?
15:42John Stein:Yeah.
15:43Andy Hegg:as in that you had to delegate oh okay yeah yeah okay um that i couldn't do everything um i was at a customer location now i'm a disabled veteran as well so like my i have um you know basically my service caused physical injuries to my body that you know the department of veteran and affairs says that, you know, cause my disability. And so I'm not the biggest guy, not the strongest guy, but I also have some physical limitations just of my own body. And I was at a job. This was when it was just me still, no employees, had some people that would occasionally help me here and there, but I was picking up like a wet mattress, which if you don't know, because you've never picked up a wet mattress, they're incredibly heavy and difficult to maneuver into a trailer.
Read the full transcript
16:36Andy Hegg:And I just tweaked my back the right way. And I could feel it when it happened. And I basically just got stuck at this property because I couldn't move. I couldn't climb in and out of my truck. It took me probably an hour to get it back in the truck. Thankfully, that mattress was like the last thing I had. So I was able to finish the job. But like physically, I was like, man, I can't keep doing this to myself. And so like, that was the day I made the decision to hire, to hire or to never work on my own again, because I don't want to, you know, keep doing that to myself. That was me personally, it was more physical limitation than anything, but we're a service industry that, you know, it requires the ability to lift heavy stuff.
17:21Andy Hegg:So different industry may have a different type of scenario, but for us, for my story, at least, you know, I just physically could not do the work on my own anymore.
17:32John Stein:So how do you personally handle stepping away from the business, like taking a vacation?
17:39Andy Hegg:I haven't taken a vacation in quite a few years. I think I took a, I took like a weekend trip two years ago with some friends, but this was, I didn't have any clients at this point that I had a responsibility to at least at that point i mean this early on i just kind of the way i describe it is like i've got my notes to the ground and i'm i'm working incredibly hard right now and i'm okay with that you know i work pretty much seven days a week to some degree um to just to get this thing keep this thing afloat and i think that's probably the case for most people starting out is it just it requires that because if you're not going forward, you are going backward.
18:22Andy Hegg:And eventually, you know, the cog becomes set and you've got your systems and you like, I could make that, that jump to step away and, you know, do something outside of work. But for me at this point in time, I'm just not, I'm not thinking about, yeah, when can I, when can I take a week vacation without looking at my phone? It's just not realistic.
18:46John Stein:yeah yeah so yeah so i get it i get it you're at that point in there you know and it's still fairly new i mean looking back you know and hopefully you can answer this question but if you can't just let me know but looking back what do you attribute most to your growth so far
19:00Andy Hegg:and you're fairly new but yeah i would say 100 my people my employees like without them i would be i'd be square one i mean these guys set they set my and i say these guys because i have just my team right now at this point is all is all males but these guys work incredibly hard for us for our customers um they um you know that they know my customers on a first name basis like they my customers know them um and they're the ones like you know as much as i'm the one doing like the behind the scenes stuff these guys are our boots on ground for me and that's my my labor and also John included like these guys they show up wearing our logo our brand and they represent us so if if you know I can walk the walk and talk the talk all I want but when it comes down to it the guys who represent our brand are the ones who are making it so that we get that second third fourth fifth call and without them I'd be I'd be nowhere okay okay so let's dig into that
20:07John Stein:a little bit more. So, you know, as far as your team, and then you said you have, you know, all males, but when you're building a team and let's say you're getting ready to hire somebody to come work for you, what traits matter more to you than what's on someone's resume?
20:21Andy Hegg:Yeah, that's a great question. I would say that the number one thing I'm looking for is character. And then number two is coachability. Because if I have those two things, I can, I can train you to do just about anything. But if you come in with, you know, a hot resume, but you can't work on a team or you are selfish, or you're not able to be coached in the way that I want things done, like then, then that's not really any help to me. But what I looked for in the guys that were, you know, I was bringing on was, can you show up on time? Can you have a positive attitude? Can you have a smile on your face when you're dealing with my customers?
21:06Andy Hegg:And can you be coached when you do something that is not in line with the service standards we have? Can you be coached through that and accept that and not just fight with your ego? And I've had good hires. I've had great hires. I've got really great hires and I've got bad hires. And, you know, I just made those mistakes along the way to learn what to look for and what not to look for. You know, resume certainly gives a bit of a picture. But until you get out there and meet somebody face to face, see what time they're showing up and how they work. For me, that's what I was looking for. And so I just had my guys start referring people like, hey, this person will be a great fit.
21:52Andy Hegg:And then that's how, you know, I've got, you know, this, this crew of guys who basically it's a chain reaction of they've, well, I started with one, I got a referral for another and then a third referral. And so like, I've got a truck full with people who want to work with, with each other, which is awesome.
22:10John Stein:Nice. Nice. So that's true. That's everybody's referrals. Yeah.
22:15Andy Hegg:I mean, really at this point I've had, like I said, I've had some come and go that were not that case. but what I love about referrals is I'm not going to get a referral from somebody unless they want to work with them right so you're you know a crew member is not going to want to bring on somebody who's lazy and slow and has a bad attitude right so if somebody says hey this person would be a great fit it's like okay well let's you know if you think that that means you're willing to work with this type of person and that that seems to work out better than you know putting something on Indeed where somebody is going to call me that I don't know or apply that I don't know.
22:53Andy Hegg:And John was the same way. John and I met at a trade show and he just had a great personality and he reached out to me after and there just seemed to be like a really good fit for his personality, his character with what we needed to. So like for me, like Indeed or LinkedIn or wherever you would post a job could certainly do something great. But at the end of the day, networking is a great way and referrals is a great way to find the right people too.
23:22John Stein:Yeah, no, I agree with that. So, you know, and then digging into that a little bit more, what's, do you have anything that you do intentionally to keep your workplace positive, motivated and productive, you know, especially like during like a stressful time or season?
23:37Andy Hegg:yeah no mind you i'm not perfect but i do i do my best but uh the the thing i try i've tried to instill in my business is that i'm not just using my employees to make money i actually i want them to make as much money as they can i want their lives to be improved and to be changed and to to uh you know be be for the better because they worked here and and so i i do everything that i can to invest in their personal lives and help them with things outside of work and be available to talk to them and be accommodating and flexible because I know as much as I work, you know, at the end of the day, everybody's got a life outside of that's junk removal.
24:21Andy Hegg:And so, you know, I'm not saying it doesn't get stressful, but, you know, when it does, at least my employees know that I've got their back and I know that they've got mine if it came down to it. OK.
24:36John Stein:Now, digging into your business a little bit more, what, you know, and I'm not sure if you know this, but let's see if you do. What would you say is your biggest bottleneck from stopping your business to grow or get to the next level?
24:49Andy Hegg:Oh, yeah, that's a great question. um so as far as when you're scaling especially in the service industry as a sole proprietor which is what what we are right now um you know this early on lenders don't look at you as legit until you're two years in they want to see two years tax return they want to see steady growth And so when you're a sole proprietor, all the financing is on you. And so my personal, the way I look at things is I'd rather not buy used equipment. And number one, look sloppy. But number two, have to pay for maintenance. Number three, not represent the brand well. And so I like to find good equipment, new equipment and stuff that is going to keep us on the move.
25:48Andy Hegg:But there is limitations with that because lenders will look only so far. Until I've got two years tax returns, which is what I'm coming up to, I've started having some conversations, which are going to be super, super helpful for us scaling coming into our third tax year. But when you're just getting started in the service business, you know, you have to work with what you got. So when I first started, I bought a 1500 GMC Sierra and got a little five by seven cage trailer. And I was hauling that way. And but the bottleneck there was I was going to the dump every after every job, pretty much, because I didn't have the I didn't have the size trailer to fit multiple jobs into one trailer.
26:30Andy Hegg:and so now we're kind of getting to the same spot on a next level where it's like I've got you know one to one to two trucks and trailers out at a time and sometimes I'm not I don't have enough space in the day to get to what I need to get to so uh there's sort of like a bottleneck of there's a good amount of supply coming in and then meeting the demand is is tough at this stage but this is kind of, I think a spot where a lot of businesses get to where you're just getting to that two-year mark and, you know, I got to pay my bills at home and I got to also grow my business. So finding that balance between how do I, how do I scale and how do I, you know, how do I grow?
27:17Andy Hegg:If I was, if I was, you know, 18, 19 years old, I'd probably find a floor to sleep on somewhere and, and just, you know, grind away, have no personal expenses, you know, keep my costs low. But, you know, I'm 31. I've got a family. I've got a mortgage. And so that stuff has to be considered as well. So it's certainly situational. But for us, it's definitely like where we're at in the scaling process.
27:39John Stein:Yeah, no, I love that. Love that answer. All right. So we're going to head into what's called the quickfire round. So basically how this works is I'm going to give you one word and then I want you to tell me the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear each word in regards to run your business and then expand upon what you chose and, you know, explain it a little bit more. Does that make sense?
27:58Andy Hegg:Yeah. So just one word answer and then kind of give a little bit of an expounding. Yeah.
28:03John Stein:Some insight into why you, why you chose that and what you mean by it.
28:07Andy Hegg:Can I have John popcorn in with me like every other? Yeah.
28:10John Stein:Yeah. That'd be great. All right. Perfect. Yes. I'm just going to throw the answer out and And whoever answers, that's fine. Or throw the word out. I'm sorry. All right. First word is growth.
28:24Andy Hegg:Struggle. And I think when you say the word growth, I think of like going to the gym and working out. Is that the growth doesn't come until the muscle struggles and until the muscle is torn. And so I think the most growth has come on the crappy days for us where it's soaking wet, raining. We've been working 12 hours and I'm exhausted and I know I have to do it the next day. Or, you know, we get a flat tire and we got to pull over and change it. And I really think the good days are good and they make you feel good. But the real growth comes from the sucky days. Hiring.
29:08Andy Hegg:Do you want me to take that one? Yeah. Okay, I'm going to take this one. so hiring um and i'm going to say this word again character um for me it's all about finding the right fit because they're the people who are on the front lines for you are are going to set your culture um eventually you know i'll be i'll be removed from the direct customer interaction on a day-to-day basis in a lot of cases so if i'm not hiring the right people based on how they fit, how their character is, then my customers are going to paint us with a picture of what their experience is. Stress.
29:50Stress.
30:03Andy Hegg:Let me take this one. Yeah. Okay. I'm gonna take this one. Healthy. And if for me, the spot where I came to and starting my business and quitting my job to do this full time came from a place of stress. And if you're, if you're not stressed or you're not, you know, constantly thinking about as far as an entrepreneur goes, thinking about your business, you probably don't care. And for me, I have four full-time employees that I need to think about that they got to pay their bills and they're relying on me to be able to do that. And so if I'm not stressed about that, then do I really care is the question I should be asking.
30:59Andy Hegg:Leadership.
31:20John Stein:I would say leadership frontline. For me, I'm always customer facing. So every single day I'm taking the charge to make sure that we are gaining new business every single day. And if I don't lead out that every single day, I mean, we can just plateau. And so if I'm not hustling and leading that charge, then we could just hit like a plateau point. And so if I'm not out there constantly pushing myself to gain us more business and make more connections and kind of leading that charge, then we can hit a stagnant point.
32:22Andy Hegg:That's a great one. I didn't expect that.
32:33Andy Hegg:it's fleeting. And, uh, you know, obviously we, we have, I have a business to make money. I plan to make, you know, a lot of money, but I'm more focused on who I'm becoming in this journey than I am making money. Okay.
32:53John Stein:I like that. Next word is risk.
33:03Andy Hegg:Necessary. And it's necessary for growth. Without risk, there's no growth. Without risk, there's no reward. And for me, as a follower of Jesus, the risk is evidence of my faith that God is going to provide for me, my business, my family, my employees.
33:30John Stein:And the last word is freedom.
33:52Andy Hegg:I think there's a free. So the one word I would use is limited. And I think there's, there's, we talk about freedom for entrepreneurs to not have to answer to somebody. Right. I no longer have a boss who I directly report to because I work for myself, but I have less freedom now than I ever did working in the corporate world or working a normal job. And sure, I set my own hours, but I have never worked harder. I've never worked longer and I've never cared more about my work than I do now. And with that requires less freedom at the end of the day, because I need to make sure that I'm doing the right things to be able to grow this business and, you know, take care of my guys and their families and my family.
34:41John Stein:OK, I love that. Love that. It's a great some great answers. I appreciate that for the quick fire round. So. So what would you say is a controversial opinion in your industry?
34:53Andy Hegg:Specifically in my industry?
35:01Andy Hegg:controversial opinion in junk removal.
35:10Andy Hegg:I'll throw this out there. Not that I necessarily ascribe to it, but because my guys are actually doing this right, right as we speak here. But I think, I think selling or recycling or, you know, donating items that you get in junk removal is less, less possible than a lot of people think. I actually used to buy, you know, junk, I used to buy stuff off Facebook marketplace all the time and flip it and sell it. Um, and I used to buy from guys who did junk removal and things like that. And, um, you know, I'd show up and they'd have stuff kind of like all over the lawn or like, and then you got to consider, you know, your, your time, Oh, sorry.
35:57Andy Hegg:You have to consider your time that it takes to then reload all of that and then take it to either a recycling center, disposal facility, things like that. And so I know a lot of people, every time I tell people I'm in the junk industry, people tell me like, oh, you probably get a lot of stuff that's worthwhile or valuable or whatever. And honestly, the vast majority of it is just trash. I've taken a lot of stuff to donation centers that don't take it. And then I've wasted, you know, an entire hour to two hours of, you know, driving around and paying people to drive around to then have to go, you know, dispose of it anyway.
36:35Andy Hegg:So, you know, as much as I'd love to keep as much out of the landfill as I can, which I do, it's not always possible. And it's not something that I look to do every single job we're doing. Okay.
36:48John Stein:Okay. So, and I want you to be as candid in this, you know, as honest as you can with this answer, because I feel like this is a really, really important one. But let's say, you know, let's say a small business owner is listening to the podcast episode today and listening to you, both Andy and John, and, you know, maybe they're not having a great 2026 so far. They're feeling stuck or overwhelmed. You know, the first quarter of the year is not going out revenue wise like they would expect. What's a piece of advice you would give to them today?
37:21Andy Hegg:I would say stop. Stop focusing on the money and start focusing on who you're becoming. and the less you think about every penny every dollar and the more you think about how is this forming me into a better person into a better friend into a better husband wife son daughter father mother whatever the the more opportunity you're going to have to grow and then overcome that situation right and when you're in the gym you can't bench 100 pounds until you can bench 100 pounds. And then suddenly you can bench 100 pounds and then you can bench 120 pounds, 150 pounds, whatever you name it. You can't overcome it until you overcome it and then you overcome it and suddenly you're on to the next challenge.
38:16And so don't focus on the money.
38:19Andy Hegg:Yes, the money is important. It's how you pay your bills, how you operate the business. If you focus on who you're becoming and the goals you have of the person that you want to be, the money is going to work itself out. And I mean, I will always, I'll say this unapologetically, trust God, put your faith in Jesus and trust that God is going to provide for you. And he will. Matthew 6, 33 says, seek after the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. And Jesus is telling his followers that they need to not worry about the things of this world, but to focus and put their eyes onto God and seek after him and God will provide.
39:01Andy Hegg:And, you know, I live my life by that.
39:06John Stein:Nice. Anything you want to add, John? Connor?
39:13I mean, the, I mean, if
39:21John Stein:really, I mean, it's, it goes back to like what he ended with. It's just, you know, when you're stuck in a challenge, you know, and it's the, you know, first quarter of the year and it's kind of not going super well. It goes back to what he ended with is, you know, your faith in God, I believe, because the money's going to come again. And it's just about, you know, again, who you're becoming, but also says in scripture that God gives food to the sparrows and birds of the air and things like that. So why not? And he loves us more than the birds of the air. So why would he not provide for us? So I think that's just what I would add to that is, you know, we're more of value to God than the birds of the air and he's going to provide for us.
40:24John Stein:And so whatever tough season that you're in, tough quarter that you're in, just keep pushing, focusing on who you're becoming and trusting that the Lord is going to take care of you. And I love that. I love that. Thank you for that answer. So what's next for Vets Junk Removal and Dumpsters? What should people be excited about coming up in the near future for your business? yeah so we are kind of in that like i said the that expansion where we're working on you know
40:52Andy Hegg:putting more trucks on the road more trailers on the road and more more uh crew members out there to um hit our service standards and for me it's really important that we can provide you know a quick turnaround a smooth process and and simplicity to junk i think there's a a lot of times it gets complicated when you're dealing with junk companies because really anybody with a truck and a trailer suddenly can do junk removal, right? And so I want to be able to provide a smooth process, an easy process, and a fast turnaround to clients who want to use us and who want to use veteran-owned companies.
41:30Andy Hegg:And so that requires expansion, that requires the, you know, more wheels on the pavement. So we're working to do that. We're going to kind of expand into other facets of the market here in upstate South Carolina. And so, yeah, looking to just keep that up.
41:50John Stein:Nice, nice. And finally, what's the best way for someone to connect with you or learn more about what you all do?
41:56Andy Hegg:100%. Yeah, so you can find us. There should be a link in the show notes to get to my landing page on our website, but you can find us at thatseasytrash.com or you can email me anytime at it's greenville at that's easy trash.com where you can text or call me at 864-326-5767. And I will love to talk to you personally, get connected with you, whether you're looking to have junk removed somewhere in upstate or really anywhere in the Southeast, I'd be happy to connect you with one of our other market owners as well. Or if you just want to connect and, you know, make contact. Yeah. Feel free to text or call me anytime.
42:39John Stein:Perfect. Any social media?
42:42Andy Hegg:That's on the horizon. I've managed to, I've never been a social media guy. That's just a outright, I'm just open and honest about that. I have social media, rarely use it, but it's something that, you know, it's free marketing. So why am I not doing it? It's on the horizon. I've created the website or the pages forum. I just haven't begun, you know, actually uploading content. So it is on the horizon here for 2026. Yeah. For, for now, nothing at this point.
43:11John Stein:That's right. This minute. Okay. All right. Perfect. Yeah. So Andy and John, yeah, this has been fantastic. Yeah. Thank you so much for coming on and sharing your story, your perspective and your real behind the scenes of building the business. Really appreciate you coming on today. This was an excellent conversation.
43:25Andy Hegg:Yeah. Thank you all so much for having us. We really appreciate it. It's been a privilege to just kind of, you know, put our story out there. We hope it helps somebody.
43:34John Stein:Yeah. Thank you so much for your time.
43:39John Stein:Hey, thanks for listening to the Epic Entrepreneurs podcast. Here's three things that you can do. Number one, remember to subscribe to the podcast. It takes very little effort on your part. It's going to help you and your fellow entrepreneurs. Plus, you guys know how it works. the more subscribers we get, the more cool things we can offer to you. Second, to learn more about growing your business, just download my book, The Coach Approach. It's free for you at giftfrombill.com. That's giftfrombill.com. Hey, and if you'd like more info about growing your business and what we can do to help you grow your business, send me an email directly just send it to williamgilliland at actioncoach.com that's my personal email that i read no one else reads it first there's it's not screened it's my real email just send it to me i can't wait to talk to you hey and until then all the best
From the publisher
Tune in Today.🎧
In this episode of the EPIC Entrepreneurs Podcast, we sit down with Andy Hegg and John Stein of Vets Junk Removal & Dumpsters to talk about what it really takes to build a business from the ground up.
Andy shares his journey from the Army Reserve and corporate life to taking a leap into entrepreneurship—starting with side jobs, grinding through 16-hour days, and ultimately going all in. Together, they break down the realities most people don’t see: the financial risk, physical demands, and relentless commitment required to grow a service-based business.
They also dive into the importance of hiring the right people, building a strong team culture, and why character and coachability matter more than experience. Plus, they offer honest insights on scaling challenges, leadership, and the myth of “freedom” in entrepreneurship.
If you’re thinking about starting a business—or are in the thick of building one—this episode delivers real, unfiltered perspective on what it takes to succeed.
If this conversation helped you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review with your favorite takeaway—we read every one.
Guest contact info:
VETS Junk Removal and Dumpster Rentals - Bulk Trash Service
Blog - VETS Junk Removal & Dumpsters
Thanks for Listening. You may contact me or our team at https://billgilliland.biz/
All the best!
Bill
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