Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Meadows.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jason. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Born and raised here in Georgia, I grew up in the Marietta area with great parents and two younger brothers. We grew up playing a lot of sports and had a pretty normal family life. I graduated from Sprayberry High School in ’96, and later graduated from Kennesaw State University with a BA in graphic design. Prior to graduation, 9/11 happened. Like many others, that terrible event inspired me to want to serve my country.
In 2005, I enlisted in the Army as an Infantryman and paratrooper. After basic training and airborne school, I was assigned to the 4th Brigade 25th Infantry Division out of Ft. Richardson, Alaska. We deployed in 2006 to Iraq. During our 14 month tour we spent several months in the Babil Province but were quickly redeployed to Fallujah for most of the rest of our deployment. The time in Fallujah was difficult, truly challenging us as we lost brothers and depended on each other more than I can begin to explain. After those 14 months, I left with a Purple Heart, thanks to a sniper, and a life changing experience I thank God for seeing me through.
I left the Army in 2009 and came back home to Georgia, specifically Woodstock. Almost immediately I met my future wife, a 1st grade teacher at Little River Elementary. Another blessing and an amazing woman. Over the next few years I worked in the corporate world at two fortune 100 companies. I didn’t find any satisfaction in this type of environment and was looking to do something more. While my wife was 8 months pregnant, I found a video on a news outlet titled, “Veteran puts Veterans to work”.
The video was an interview with the owner of JDog Junk Removal & Hauling, Jerry Flanagan, and several of his franchisees. I was immediately drawn to the idea of starting our own franchise and being my own boss. After we had our beautiful, perfect little girl, we met with Jerry and JDog up in Philadelphia and knew we liked what they stood for and valued: Family. JDog is the only company in the country that exclusively franchises to veterans and direct family members of veterans, something we really liked about JDog. Their goal is to help put veterans to work and they’re doing it every day.
We went through the process and eventually opened our business in February 2016. Never owning a business before, we’ve learned a lot over the last year and a half and have continued to grow at an amazing rate. I truly love what I do now and get to serve and help people every day with a task that can be very overwhelming. In just an hour or two we can accomplish what it would take someone days if not weeks to complete. We come in and declutter and remove unwanted items that most homeowners have no way of getting rid of. Whether it’s a single piece of furniture like an armoire or a full garage, basement or whole home, we take care of it. The best part of what I do now is the gratitude my customers have. It’s very rewarding to be able to help someone with this kind of service, and I truly appreciate and enjoy it every time.
As we continue to grow, we become a larger and larger part of our community, and we look forward to what this year and the next will do for us and our neighbors. We are blessed to have such amazing parents and family and could have never done this without their tremendous support.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A big challenge for us was understanding what it takes to actually create and become an actual business entity. There isn’t a how to guide for it so diving in and taking on each requirement as they came was challenging.
Please tell us about JDog Junk Removal & Hauling Woodstock.
JDog Junk Removal & Hauling – Woodstock is exactly what the name says. We get rid of almost any type of junk someone may have: Furniture, appliances, hot tubs, yard debris, antiques, construction debris, playsets etc. If someone wants it gone, we can get rid of it for them.
As veterans, we are looking to change the image most people have of junk removal companies. We show up on time, have the best prices and treat our customers and their families with respect.
I’m most proud of my community and the way they support a veteran owned business. I’m proud of my service to this great country and am reaffirmed by the way so many call us because we’re veterans and they love being able to support us.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from childhood is hanging out with my parents and my brothers at neighborhood events many years ago. I also fondly remember my brothers and I running around the woods and creeks behind our house all summer long.
Pricing:
- For new customers: $25 off a half trailer or more and $50 off for a full trailer.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jdogjunkremovalwoodstock.com or www.jdog.com
- Phone: 770-362-9335 or 844-GET-JDOG
- Email: jmeadows@jdog.com
Image Credit:
Lindsay Meadows
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
