Devin, Darrel and Javier were enjoying their time working on the 1-800-GOT-JUNK? trucks, but they all shared a dream of owning their own business. So when the possibility of opening their own franchise within a business framework they were so familiar with presented itself, they jumped at the opportunity! Now? They are making plans to take over Brooklyn with WOW 1 DAY PAINTING and build something that they can call their own. Here, Devin shares the story of their journey and their dreams for the future.
What made you want to own a business?
The three of us worked for 1-800-GOT-JUNK?. I (Devin) was there for about a year and some change, and Javier and Darrel were there for a long time. Javier was there for, I believe, 5 years and Darrel was there for 4 years. So we know the system pretty well. We’ve dealt with a lot of different things as far as understanding what the overall goal of the business is. We were all working the trucks and we were probably the top guys in 1-800-GOT-JUNK? as far as revenue goes. So we approached Evan, one of the franchise partners for 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, about what’s next for us, where’s the growth, what could we do? He said, “You know, you guys could just try getting into the franchise if you want? The sister companies are called WOW 1 DAY PAINTING and Shack Shine.” We just jumped in. We did our research, of course, and then we just bought into it because we understood the goal of all the brands and that just jumped out to us. We just took a shot and we’re heading out! We want to make WOW 1 DAY PAINTING the biggest thing in New York!
Why did you decide to go down the franchising route?
Mostly because we understood the systems already and were already involved in the brands. It was all pretty familiar. Initially we wanted to get into 1-800-GOT-JUNK? but that’s kind of hard as they have been sold out for a while. So we just did a lot of research into the other franchises. We all knew that a franchise is what we wanted to do. So this was an understandable first step. And the good people! Everyone has just been so helpful. We haven’t met anyone that hasn’t be willing to help and make a clear path for us.
Why now, what was it that made you take the leap?
I’m 28 now. I think it was time for me to take the next step in my life. I was interested in finding something that I could really invest in, something that I know is my own and I can build into something great.
What are you looking forward to most about being an owner?
Just being a business owner! That's all we keep saying to ourselves - “Wow, we're franchise business owners!” We're all around the same age, we’re pretty young, we all come from a Caribbean background. We work very, very hard. We bought into it, we just wanted to be business owners. It’s a big thing in our community, especially Brooklyn.
What's your big goal - where do you see yourself taking this business?
A few years ago,1-800-GOT-JUNK? just had a few trucks, not too many workers, but they’ve grown to where they are now. We really want to emulate that and feel like we can create another big O2E brand in New York City, that’s what drove us. A lot of new properties are going up in New York and in Brooklyn, there is so much opportunity. In the future, we see ourselves growing to more territories outside of Brooklyn, and providing jobs for our friends, families and community. We want to create an opportunity for everyone.
Tell us about your territory - what makes it unique?
Brooklyn is so unique! There's just so many different people, just great people around you. You meet so many good people, and different cultures. There is so much development going on out here, so many new buildings going up, so many new homes. People are moving out of New York City and they're coming to Brooklyn, so it's just a vast change that's going on right here. They built the Barclays Center, a couple years ago now, and that just struck something in Brooklyn. Now everyone is coming out here and it’s just great. There are so many things to do and so many people to meet, restaurants everywhere, whatever cuisine you want. It's a great culture!
What do you like to do outside of work - what are your interests and passions?
I like to take a lot of trips and travel. I like to just take in the sites, you know? I may play a game of basketball or football or something, just anything sports related. I’m very competitive as well, which is a good quality to have in a business owner!
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