Can you walk us through your career journey and how you transitioned from sales and distribution management into digital marketing?
I started my career in sales and distribution management in the surfing and snowboarding industry, where I learned how to drive results and build strong customer relationships. I was always drawn to the marketing team, watching them create brand stories really sparked my interest. In my own time, I began self-learning everything I could about digital marketing through online courses, reading, and hands-on projects. That curiosity turned into a passion, and eventually led me to transition into marketing.
You’ve been with 505-Junk for nearly 8 years. What drew you to the company, and how has your role evolved over time?
I knew one of the co-founders from high school and had seen 505-Junk grow into something special. When I was ready for a career change, I joined the team—starting in the trucks, hauling junk for 10-hour days, knowing I could build my own path. Over time, I worked my way up and today, I’m proud to be the Director of Marketing.
What are the key marketing challenges you see in the junk removal industry, and how do you think junk removal companies can tackle these challenges?
One big challenge is competing in the same market as the head office of one of the world’s largest junk removal franchisors. It’s a crowded space with low average job sizes, so standing out and being profitable takes real strategy. The key is building local trust, investing in reviews and SEO, and telling a story that sets your brand apart. Long-term consistency wins.
505-Junk serves both B2B and B2C audiences. How do you tailor your marketing strategies for these different customer segments?
For B2C, we focus on urgency, trust, and convenience—using Google Ads, SEO, and reviews to capture high-intent searches. For B2B, it’s more relationship-driven. We use account-based marketing, personalized outreach, and content that speaks to long-term value and reliability. It’s about meeting each audience where they’re at.
How do you handle seasonality in junk removal? Do you adjust your marketing strategy during peak and slow seasons?
Seasonality is a big factor in junk removal. During peak seasons, we increase our ad spend, focus on high-converting campaigns, and push quick-win promotions. In slower months, we shift to brand-building—like SEO, content, and community engagement.
Many service-based businesses rely on word-of-mouth. How do you encourage customer reviews and referrals?
Word-of-mouth is huge for us. We use NiceJob to automate review and referral requests after each job, which makes it easy for customers to share their experience. On top of that, we run email and text marketing campaigns to encourage reviews and referrals.
What marketing trends do you see having the biggest impact on local service-based businesses in the next few years?
Personalization and trust-building will have the biggest impact. As AI and automation grow, local service-based businesses that stay human through personalized content, authentic reviews, and community presence will stand out.
AI is becoming a part of digital marketing. How do you see AI tools affecting the way marketers approach SEO or paid advertising?
AI is a powerful support tool, and we’ve definitely adopted it—but it’s not the be-all and end-all. Thousands of companies have access to the same AI tools, so using it alone won’t make you stand out. It’s how you combine AI with strategy, creativity, and human insight that really drives results.
