There are two distinct types of contractors in the field service world of today. There are the client focused contractors, who align closely with what a clients vision is, prioritize his requests and specifications, no matter how trendy or predictable they may be. And they are very, very compliant. And then, there is Simon Beames, of the BRITISH REMODELER and GLASS ACT MOSAICS in Colorado Springs, CO, who doesn’t do trendy AT ALL. Or predictable. What he does instead is prioritize that which is different, exciting, and above all else, unique. In this episode of SWIVL SESSIONS, Simon explains why he refuses to chase “Instagram moments,” instead focusing on creating work that is elegant, durable, and deeply personal for each client. From the fulfillment of doing things his way, to hearing about his latest venture, Glass Act Mosaics, where he’s reviving ancient artistry with a modern twist, his advice to future entrepreneurs is simple but powerful: “Don’t be afraid to make the jump.
The Brutal Truth About Home Services No One Tells You
David Cardenas , owner of American Junk Removal in Marietta, GA took the unusual route from tech to waste management and junk removal. David tells a story of setting an example for his children while building a successful field service business. Coming to us from the Fulton County courthouse (on the good side of that), David's journey is a fascinating and inspiring one.
About the Guest
David Cardenas
Owner of American Junk Removal
David Cardenas is the founder of American Remediation Pros and Junk Removal in Marietta, Georgia. After 20+ years in technology sales, David extensively researched acquisition entrepreneurship before deciding to start his own venture in Home Services instead of waiting for the perfect company to acquire. Approximately 18 months in, he's expanded from junk removal (average ticket: $400) to restoration services (average ticket: $5,000), leveraging his tech background, AI tools like ChatGPT, and IICRC certifications. His motivation extends beyond financial freedom-he's building a business to show his children that ownership beats employment.
Connect
Company: American Remediation Pros and Junk Removal
Location: Marietta, Georgia (Greater Atlanta Metro Area)
Services: Junk removal, water restoration, trauma/biohazard cleanup, light demolition, debris hauling, recycling services
Company Overview
American Remediation Pros and Junk Removal specializes in waste management and restoration services throughout the Greater Atlanta metro area. Services include:
Services
- Residential and commercial junk removal
- Water damage restoration
- Trauma/biohazard cleanup
- Light demolition services
- Debris hauling and disposal
- Recycling and sustainable waste management
- Flood cuts and flooring demolition
- Full-scope restoration projects
Core Mission
Building a recession-resilient portfolio of Home Services that provide essential, need-based solutions while maintaining environmental sustainability through strategic recycling and waste diversion from landfills.
Business Model
B2C-focused with strategic B2B partnerships including property managers, plumbers, and insurance agents. Business philosophy centers on expanding service offerings within adjacent industries (junk removal → restoration → potential plumbing) to increase average ticket size, create recurring revenue streams, and build recession-proof revenue diversity.
Episode Summary
David Cardenas , owner of American Junk Removal in Marietta, GA took the unusual route from tech to waste management and junk removal. David tells a story of setting an example for his children while building a successful field service business. Coming to us from the Fulton County courthouse (on the good side of that), David's journey is a fascinating and inspiring one.
On Misplaced Expectations
"I thought I was pretty smart-good credit, strong sales background. I figured I could spin up some digital marketing and scale demand fairly easily. That expectation wasn't quite on target. Home Services is 15% operations and 85% marketing, and the operations is the easy part."
On Why Hard Things Are Worth It
"There's a reason entrepreneurship has a high failure rate-it's really hard. But anything worthwhile in life, whether it's being a parent or building a career, is probably damn hard to achieve. The difficulty doesn't make it less valuable; it makes it more so."
On The Power of AI for Entrepreneurs
"I think it's a great time to be an entrepreneur because anything you don't know, you've got a smart helper that can literally be in your pocket. My technology background helped me understand the power of AI, and I'm relying on it heavily as I venture into this new world."
On Setting an Example for His Children
"Another thing that's been important to me is the example I'm setting for my kids. If I could architect their future, I'd want them to be owners, not employees. Growing up, my engineer father taught me to find a good job and work it-but there's a whole other world out there, and entrepreneurship can be so much more rewarding."
On Building for Recession-Resilience
"My desired end state is a portfolio of businesses focused on recession-resilient services within Home Services. Restoration work is a need, not a want. When there's an accident or water loss, the work has to get done. My number is $2 million in EBITDA-then I can pat myself on the back and consider what's next."
The Marketing Reality: It's Harder Than You Think
- Home Services businesses are "15% operations, 85% marketing"-operations is the easy part, marketing is the real challenge.
- You can't just "dial up digital spend" and expect demand. Finding good marketing partners is extremely difficult with no licensing requirements and lots of overpromising.
- Consider developing marketing as a core competency yourself. Many successful operators eventually pivot to starting marketing companies-that tells you something.
Expand Strategically for Higher Ticket Sizes
- Start with one service, then expand into adjacent offerings that dramatically increase average ticket size (David: $400 junk removal to $5,000 restoration).
- Services that bundle well together allow easier upselling. Demolition sells better as a line item in larger projects than as standalone work.
- Focus on recession-resilient offerings-needs over wants. When there's an accident or loss, the work must get done regardless of economic conditions.
Leverage Technology and AI Relentlessly
- Use AI tools like ChatGPT for business support in areas where you're not an expert. AI apps now estimate reconstruction costs from photos-it's "a great time to be an entrepreneur."
- Field service software centralizes operations. Use technology to create leverage and handle tasks beyond your expertise.
- Get proper industry certifications (IICRC, etc.) and plan your certification roadmap before expanding service lines-credentials build trust and open doors.
Set an Example Worth Following
- Consider what example you're setting for your children. Teaching through action is more powerful than words-if you want them to be owners vs. employees, show them how.
- Entrepreneurship is difficult but offers the best path to financial and time freedom. The emotional rollercoaster is normal-keep moving forward regardless of temporary feelings.
- Set a clear exit target ($2M EBITDA for David) and build toward it. Think portfolio, not single business, and remember that proving scalability matters for eventual value.
Entrepreneurship as Intergenerational Gift
The episode's most powerful theme centers on David's motivation to model ownership for his children, breaking the traditional employment pattern his engineer father taught him. This reframes entrepreneurship from individual achievement to family legacy and generational wealth-building.
The Marketing-Operations Paradox
David's "15% operations, 85% marketing" framework challenges conventional wisdom about Home Services businesses. The revelation that operations is the "easy" part while marketing remains perpetually difficult reframes where entrepreneurs should focus their energy and where they'll face their greatest challenges.
Strategic Service Expansion
The episode explores thoughtful business evolution from low-ticket, non-recurring services ($400 junk removal) to high-ticket, need-based offerings ($5,000 restoration), demonstrating how adjacent service additions can dramatically transform business economics without requiring entirely new capabilities.
Recession-Resilience as North Star
David's consistent focus on "recession-resilient" services-those based on needs rather than wants-provides a framework for portfolio building and service selection that transcends any single industry, offering a decision-making filter applicable to all entrepreneurs.
Technology Background as Unfair Advantage
The episode illustrates how seemingly unrelated career experience (20 years in tech sales) creates leverage in new industries, particularly David's comfort with AI tools, software platforms, and understanding of technological capabilities that many traditional Home Services operators lack.
Aligned Incentives: Profit and Planet
David's discussion of recycling economics reveals how financial optimization and environmental responsibility often align perfectly in waste management, challenging the assumption that sustainable practices require profit sacrifice.
The Acquisition Alternative
David's journey from researching acquisition entrepreneurship for years to ultimately starting from scratch demonstrates that sometimes creating your own opportunity is faster and more aligned than waiting for the perfect acquisition target.
Reality vs. Optimism Gap
The candid admission that David's expectations about easily scaling demand were "not quite on target" captures the universal entrepreneur experience of discovering that intelligence, capital, and good credit don't guarantee easy success-execution is everything.
Marketing's Unlicensed Chaos
The exploration of marketing partner challenges-an industry with no licensing requirements, full of companies making bold claims-reveals a systemic problem across Home Services where finding quality marketing support remains a persistent obstacle.
Freedom's True Cost
While David articulates clear goals around financial and time freedom, the episode honestly addresses that the path requires accepting extreme difficulty, time consumption, and stress before achieving those freedoms-challenging oversimplified "passive income" narratives.
Learning as Reward
David's transition from feeling "stagnant" in corporate sales to being energized by constant entrepreneurial learning suggests that intellectual growth and challenge can be as motivating as financial outcomes for certain personality types.
The Courthouse Reality
Recording from Fulton County courthouse while handling collections matters grounds the entire conversation in entrepreneurial reality-the unglamorous, legally complex, frustrating aspects of business ownership that glossy entrepreneurship content typically ignores.
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