Joseph Lambert went from a Sandy Springs teen doing lawns and construction to building a premium junk-removal company by learning fast from failures, studying proven models, and executing better—scaling from rented trucks to ~$2.8–2.9M revenue with 8 trucks and 30–35 staff. He sold the business in early 2024 with a team-first deal that gave employees life-changing bonuses, later left his VP role in Oct 2024, and now invests in manufactured housing while exploring waste-industry opportunities—his mantra: take imperfect action and keep moving.
Moving with Purpose: AP Hauling’s Field Service Journey
Fear can be crippling, especially for someone wanting to start a business. But for Peters Pierre-Louis, owner of AP Haulers in Philadelphia, PA — fear was the fuel to help him start a moving and junk removal company built on hustle, adaptability, and a priority on customer service. From being a private chef in New York to managing real estate and eventually hauling full-time, Peters embodies the entrepreneurial spirit. He shares how he turned a side hustle into a growing business, why fear kills more dreams than failure, and how staying consistent, managing expectations, and finding creative ways to pivot have been key to his success. In this episode of Swivl Sessions, his message is simple but powerful: just start, and keep getting better every day.

About the Guest
Peters Pierre-Louis
Owner of AP Haulers
Peters Pierre-Louis is the owner of AP Haulers, a moving and junk removal company serving the Philadelphia metropolitan area. After losing his private chef contract in New York (where he was making "pretty liquid" money working just three days a week), Peters turned a side hustle into a full-time business. With entrepreneurship in his blood from his grandparents and mother, Peters had already invested in Philadelphia real estate starting in 2018 and moved friends for free countless times. When his contract terminated right before his birthday-and with a wife and newborn daughter on the way-he rented a cargo van from a friend and went all-in on hauling. Now running AP Haulers full-time for over a year, Peters embodies adaptability and hustle, having worked as an Uber driver, DoorDash courier, real estate investor, and chef before finding his lane in moving and junk removal.
Connect
Company: AP Haulers (All-Purpose Hauling)
Location: Philadelphia Metropolitan Area and Delaware Valley
Services: Residential moving, junk removal, delivery services
Company Overview
AP Haulers (All-Purpose Hauling) provides residential moving, junk removal, and delivery services throughout the Philadelphia and Delaware Valley area, built on quality service, competitive pricing, and solving problems quickly.
Services
- Residential moving (primary focus due to low homeownership rates in Philadelphia)
- Junk removal services
- Delivery services
- Potential expansion into storage solutions and dumpster rentals
- Started as side hustle in 2022, went full-time in 2023
- Initially rented cargo van weekly for 2-3 months before purchasing own truck
- Uses multiple lead generation platforms (Dolly, GoShare, etc.)
- Employs team for social media marketing
- Residential focus due to high rental rates and constant moving in Philadelphia market
- Long-term goals include storage facilities, dumpster rentals, and U-Box style services
Core Mission
Solving problems faster and better for customers while maintaining quality service at the right price point-not too cheap, not too expensive, but in the "sweet spot" that rewards good work.
Episode Summary
Fear can be crippling, especially for someone wanting to start a business. But for Peters Pierre-Louis, owner of AP Haulers in Philadelphia, PA — fear was the fuel to help him start a moving and junk removal company built on hustle, adaptability, and a priority on customer service. From being a private chef in New York to managing real estate and eventually hauling full-time, Peters embodies the entrepreneurial spirit. He shares how he turned a side hustle into a growing business, why fear kills more dreams than failure, and how staying consistent, managing expectations, and finding creative ways to pivot have been key to his success. In this episode of Swivl Sessions, his message is simple but powerful: just start, and keep getting better every day.
"Fear has killed more businesses before they've ever really got started. Fear of failure, fear of the unknown. People just tend to build a wall of what-ifs that they just can't quite get past. But the beginning is always scary-just don't overthink it. Start wherever you are."
"I was doing it for free, so why not get paid for it? I've moved tons of friends before, even myself. I knew the market, I've been doing it for the past couple years, but not full-on."
"Entrepreneurship has just been in me and my blood. I guess starting from my grandparents to my mom. If something doesn't work, I just go pick up the next thing and make that work."
"The number one person that's going to get in your way is yourself. You got to manage people's expectations-whether it's your client, even yourself, or the people you work with. It's not easy, but we do it."
"My approach is like whatever is mine is mine, no matter what it is. You got to have faith. You have to believe what you want to achieve. It sounds so cliche, you just got to go out there and strive for it."
1. Just Start-Don't Let Fear or Overthinking Paralyze You
- "The beginning is always scary. Just don't overthink it. Start wherever you are." Fear kills more businesses before they start than failure ever will. People build walls of what-ifs that prevent action. Peters rented a cargo van before owning a truck, drove Uber to learn neighborhoods, and worked multiple hustles simultaneously. Waiting for perfect conditions means never starting.
2. Grow Within Your Business Before Scaling with More Equipment
- "Don't be too quick to get another truck. See how you can actually grow your business within the business." Instead of immediately buying a second vehicle, Peters suggests reselling items customers give you, providing moving supplies (boxes, materials), and offering complementary services like power washing. Maximize revenue from existing operations before expanding infrastructure.
3. Build Your Network First, Then Invest in Branding
- "You got to create a network. Once you have the network, the next step is to create branding-but that takes time and money." Start with grassroots marketing: Craigslist, flyers, door hangers, church parking lots. Network with bigger companies so "if you're on the shark as a little fish, you will eat." Partnerships and referrals sustain growth more than expensive branding when starting out.
4. Stop Beating Yourself Up-Ask Daily "How Can I Be Better?"
- "You're gonna make mistakes and you can't beat yourself over it. How can I do this better? That's the number one question you got to ask yourself." When Peters' team made mistakes on a Lugg job, instead of blaming, he asked how to improve. Focus on being a better service provider daily rather than dwelling on failures. Business is about solving problems faster and better than yesterday.
1. Fear as Entrepreneurial Fuel Rather Than Barrier
Unlike most entrepreneurs who must overcome fear, Peters used fear of uncertainty-losing his chef income with a new family to support-as motivation to go all-in on hauling. His contract termination became the catalyst for commitment rather than retreat, demonstrating how survival instinct can override paralysis when stakes are high enough.
2. Multi-Hustle Mentality and Income Diversification
Peters exemplifies the modern entrepreneur working multiple income streams simultaneously: real estate investor, private chef, Uber driver, DoorDash courier, moving helper-all running in parallel before consolidating into AP Haulers. This diversification provided market knowledge (neighborhoods), cash flow, and risk mitigation while building his primary business.
3. Strategic Market Selection Through Local Intelligence
Rather than guessing about pricing or targeting, Peters intentionally used Uber, DoorDash, Dolly, and GoShare to learn Philadelphia neighborhoods, understand demographics, research competitor pricing, and identify the "sweet spot" between too cheap and too expensive. Market intelligence gathered through boots-on-ground hustle beats theoretical business planning.
4. Managing Expectations as Core Business Skill
Peters identifies "people" as his biggest challenge-not logistics, competition, or capital. Managing expectations of customers, team members, and especially himself determines success more than operational excellence. This emotional intelligence and self-awareness distinguishes sustainable entrepreneurs from those who burn out blaming external factors for internal struggles.
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