FROM DEAD-END JOB TO OWNING A BUSINESS: HOW THIS MILLENNIAL REWROTE HIS FUTURE:

At 23 years old, Adam Powell wasn’t where he wanted to be. He was in a dead-end job and wanted a change, but he felt like he was going nowhere — fast.

Then, an unexpected opportunity set him on the path to realizing a lifelong dream: entrepreneurship. He didn’t know if he could do it but he took a chance on himself and purchased a moving franchise. Here’s how Adam took control of his future as a franchise owner with You Move Me.

O2E: WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU JOINED YOU MOVE ME?

AP: Honestly, not a lot. I left college and was working in a factory, but I hated the job. I moved to Madison and was looking to get hired quickly, so I took a temp job as a mover with a local company called You Move Me. A week later, they offered me a full-time job.

O2E: TELL ME HOW YOU WENT FROM MOVER TO BUSINESS OWNER.

AP: I was a mover for less than a year before I was promoted. We were growing quickly, so I stepped in to do onsite estimates. That was three years ago.

At the time, the business wasn’t running with a hands-on owner. They had a general manager who left so they had me take over. At first, I thought, “There’s no way I can buy a business.” I didn’t have savings or a degree, but I wanted it and had the drive to make it happen.

I decided to ask my parents, unsure if they would help. They’re highly principled people and believe you have to work hard for yourself. But they believed in me and my passion; they could see that this was the perfect opportunity for me. They ended up putting their vehicles on loan as collateral to help me buy the business. My mom even works for me now! She does our admin and welcome phone calls.

O2E: WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST PART SO FAR? THE HARDEST PART?

AP: I’m a very competitive person so I love the grind. I’ve also been surprised by how easy it is to stay motivated. I love the work, it’s fun, and I’m excited to get up in the morning.

My biggest challenge has been balancing work with my personal life. We’re still in start-up, so it’s a lot of work to get off the ground. I’ve had to prioritize my business over my personal life but I know it’s a marathon, not a race. I’ve only owned the franchise for five months. Eventually, it’ll all balance back out.

O2E: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE LOOKING INTO A FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY?

AP: If you’re going to own a business, you need to be hands-on and lead from within. You need to get your hands dirty to understand how the process works. Since I started as a mover, I can see the perspective of everyone on my team. Being on the frontlines and working with customers can be stressful; it’s a tough thing to understand unless you’ve actually been there and done it.

O2E: HOW HAS YOUR LIFE CHANGED?

AP: I finally feel like I have a purpose. Other jobs are just about making money to survive. Now, I feel as though I’m making a difference.

I remember the first move I ever did and the relief I saw on our customer’s face. Moving is such a stressful time, but we showed up with smiles on our faces ready to help. We truly care and seeing our customers’ reactions is so rewarding.

My parents raised me on the belief that if you do the right thing, good things will happen. That is completely aligned with what we do at You Move Me. We take care of our customers, treat them right, and everyone walks away happy.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® moving and storage solutions to prepare for the holiday season!

December is in full swing, the snow is falling (for some of us), and the holiday cheer is abundant which can only mean one thing – Christmas is near!

If you haven’t already, it’s time to get a jump on your Christmas preparation! Get those decorations out of storage, get your furniture ready and arranged for your holiday parties, and make sure you are ready to spread that Christmas spirit. While TWO MEN AND A TRUCK is known for our outstanding local moving services, we also specialize in home moving, and can help assist you with anything you may need as you prepare for Christmas.

Having your home looking festive and ready for the holidays is a must, and there’s a lot more into decorating than you might think. From getting the lights and trees out of the attic to making sure you have your furniture in the right place – and enough furniture for everyone – there’s a lot of moving involved.

What better way to prepare for all of this than with a special, Christmas-themed TWO MEN AND A TRUCK song on how to prepare for holiday moving?

We’ve also put together an expert list of moving tips for you to follow to make sure everything is on track and ready to go. If you need help with your home moving during the holiday, be sure to reach out to your local TWO MEN AND A TRUCKfranchise and see how they can help move you forward this Christmas!

Rearranging your furniture

This comes as no surprise, but your Christmas tree and other holiday decorations can take up additional space you don’t normally have to account for during the rest of the year, which can lead to your furniture needing to be shuffled around to make room.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK’s professionally trained moving teams can come to your house and help get that large couch or table in exactly the right spot so you’re able to properly accommodate your guests.

Have extra furniture available!

Christmas parties can include a lot of extended family and extra guests, and making sure everyone has a place to sit is important. If you have extra furniture in an attic, storage facility, or out in the garage, our movers would be more than willingly to help bring it inside and place it accordingly.

Make sure to have extra boxes

Storage is at a premium during the holidays, and you want to make sure you have enough boxes to safely put everything away. It’s better to have the boxes and not need them then to need them and not have them, so make sure you’re prepared to put away all of your lights, ornaments, and other Christmas decorations.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK offers a wide variety of moving and specialty boxes, and we can deliver these right to your home at your convenience!

Gift delivery

Did you make a special gift purchase for someone this year such as a large piece of furniture, appliance, or other heavy object that you aren’t sure how you’ll transport? You’ve come to the right place!

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK now offers a pickup and delivery service to handle this very problem. We can pick up the large object you’ve bought, deliver it right to your home (or wherever needed), and help bring it inside and set it up.

This eliminates the hassle – and potential danger – of trying to do it yourself, allowing you to shift your focus elsewhere!

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.

5 Simple Alternatives To Living On Pizza While Preparing For Your Move:

One of the biggest struggles during the moving process is balancing real life against the temporary but very disruptive packing/moving stage. The kitchen, as we all know, is the most time consuming room to pack, but it’s also the most necessary for day-to-day life. Thankfully, there’s takeout, but unless you live in a major city, you’re pretty much limited to pizza and Chinese food — and then there’s the cost and the calories.

Featured image via Pizza Queen/Flickr.

The good news, though, is that you don’t have to live on pizza and Chinese food. You can keep eating normal (and healthy) food right up until moving day.

Pack everything but the microwave

Before you start packing, prepare some of your own microwavable dishes. Pasta dishes heat well, as do soups and casseroles. Freeze them in single use serving sizes (or refrigerate them if we’re talking days instead of weeks) and microwave them when you’re ready. A pre-made salad mix from the supermarket will make it a well-rounded meal.

Make sandwiches

Nearly everyone loves a good sandwich, and they can be surprisingly nutritious. If your sandwich repertoire includes the basics like turkey, tuna and PB&J and would like a little more variety, a quick Google search will give you thousands. Real Simple has several that I’ve tried and definitely get my seal of approval.

Barbecue

Who says you can only barbecue during the summer? People who aren’t in the process of moving, that’s who. While cleaning the grill can be a pain, it’s nothing compared to cleaning pots and pans, the stove (or oven) and counters.

Buy and instant pot

Instant pots are the newest hot things in cooking tools and for very good reasons. In minutes, you can whip up a meal that would otherwise take hours. Not only that, the cleanup is simple. Here are several recipes to get you started.

Ask for help

Odds are you’re past the age of enlisting your friends for the backbreaking work, but if a kind friend offers to help, take them up on it. Ask them to bring you some leftovers.

HOW MANY MOVERS DO I NEED?

The experts at Elite Moving Labor want to help you be prepared for your do-it-yourself move. That is why they created this handy moving guide to help you choose the right number of movers and estimate how long your move will take to complete.

 Don't need the movers to complete the entire move? No problem! You can reserve movers to help for the minimum time only.

• By Home Size
• By Amount of Space

• Home Size/SqFt	Load Only	Unload Only	Load AND Unload
  Studio Apartment (400-600 SqFt)	2 Movers / 2 Hours	2 Movers / 2 Hours	2 Movers / 3-4 Hours
  1-2 Bedroom Apartment (700-1200 SqFt)	2 Movers / 3 Hours	2 Movers / 2 Hours	2 Movers / 4-5 Hours
  2-3 Bedroom Home (1100-1600 SqFt)	3 Movers / 3-4 Hours	3 Movers / 2-3 Hours	3 Movers / 5-7 Hours
  3-4 Bedroom Home (1500-2200 SqFt)	3 Movers / 4-5 Hours	3 Movers / 3-4 Hours	3 Movers / 7-9 Hours
  4+ Bedroom Home (2000-3000 SqFt)	4 Movers / 4-6 Hours	4 Movers / 3-4 Hours	4 Movers / 7-10 Hours
  Mansion or Royal Palace (3000+ SqFt)	4-6 Movers / 5-8 Hours	4-6 Movers / 4-6 Hours	5-6 Movers / 8-10+ Hours

HELP WITH ESTIMATING

Every move is unique and your move could take more or less time than we estimate. Ultimately, there are many variables that contribute to how long you move takes. It's important to understand how these variables may affect your total move time to help you plan accordingly.

Elevator, Long Carry and Stairs: In a perfect world your truck or container would be sitting just a few feet from your home. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world and it's usually much more complicated than that. When the movers have to climb stairs, use an elevator (reserved or not) or walk a long distance (long carry) it can substantially increase the time it takes to complete your move.

Packing, Assembly and Disassembly: Our time estimates are based on the assumption that your items are already packed and there is minimal assembly/disassembly required. Your moving help can absolutely provide these services for you, however, it will impact your move completion time.

Drive Time: Travel time to and from your location is included in your rate and the movers won't begin billing until they arrive. However, if you've booked a single moving crew to both load and unload on the same day, then the drive time between your origin and destination is billable time.