I Turned Down a $100M Offer. Here’s Why It Was the Best Decision I’ve Ever Made

In 2007, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? was at the top of the world: we were sold out of franchises across North America and our expansion to Australia had gone off without a hitch. We had already been more successful than I’d ever imagined, and I didn’t know how it could get any better.

Then my biggest competitor whisked me off to a private island and offered to buy my company for $100 million.

They say you never know what you’d do in a certain situation until it happens, and it’s true. I ran through a million different scenarios in my head — but deep down, I knew I wasn’t ready to let go. It wasn’t an easy decision, but the WTF (Willing to Fail) attitude inside me pushed me to keep going.

If you ever have to make the choice to walk away from your career or your business, ask yourself these three questions. They helped me make that split-second decision 11 years ago, and maybe they can help you too.

1. What Would You Do Instead?

As I mulled over the offer, my mind was swimming with visions of what I’d do with $100 million. I could take my family and travel the world, or start a whole new bigger and better business. The options would be endless!

But then I tried to picture my life without 1-800-GOT-JUNK?. The business had been my primary focus for literally my entire adult life. What would I really do if I moved on? Simply put, I had no idea.

Yes, I could (and probably would) start a new business; I’d always imagined bringing another brand into the mix. But I didn’t see why I had to give up on my first one to make that happen. Leaving my business didn’t feel like the next step to making my dreams a reality.

2. How Do You Feel After a Day at Work: Exhausted or Energized?

This wasn’t the first time I’d considered cashing out. About five years into the business, I almost walked away because I wasn’t having fun anymore. I was still figuring out how to be a strong leader, and I’d made some errors in judgment with who I hired. As a result, the environment in our offices became toxic. Work transformed from something I was obsessed with into something I avoided like the plague.

It wasn’t easy but I’d found a way to renew my love affair with my business — and it hadn’t slowed down since. But this made me put everything on the table. I reflected on my day-to-day and considered how work made me feel. The answer was obvious: it lifted me up and fuelled my optimism for the future. I knew immediately that if I walked away this time, I wouldn’t be doing it for the right reasons.

If the thought of walking away fills you with relief, it might be time to sign on the dotted line. But if you’ve still got fuel left in the tank, it’s probably because you’ve got a lot more miles to go in your business journey.

3. Have You Accomplished Everything You Set Out to Do?

On the outside, it might’ve looked like we’d achieved everything we’d wanted and more: we gave a household name to a fragmented industry, we franchised a business no one believed could be franchised, and our revenues were stronger than ever. But I had bigger and wilder dreams for the company — like a second, third, and fourth brand, and hundreds more opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs. In my mind, we hadn’t even scratched the surface.

I told my competitors I was flattered and honoured that they wanted to buy my company, but I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the business I’d put so much heart and soul into. It was scary to turn down so much money, but I’ve always believed in the motto “willing to fail.” It means going all in and turning away from the easy road, even when failure is staring you dead in the eyes. I knew in my heart we were only just getting started — and I was right.