We recently had the chance to connect with Reid Husmer and have shared our conversation below.
Reid, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What battle are you avoiding?
My current battle is the wall. After 17 years and four franchises, what is the next step? I’m avoiding the battle of risk again. I currently do not have my own Gone for Good. I am the franchisor of the 4 franchises in Colorado. Royalty fees will not support my family and help pay off debts from building up the company.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Finding new homes—or new purposes—for unwanted items is what inspired Reid to create Gone For Good®. Since 2008, his eco-friendly junk removal company has helped families throughout Colorado responsibly repurpose, recycle, and donate the items they no longer need. By partnering with local charities and community organizations, Gone For Good keeps usable goods out of landfills and puts them back into the hands of those who need them most.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
The moment I started going to church. It’s not what the world wants me to become, but what Jesus wants me to become. That is what gives me energy to keep Gone for Good growing. Helping people and helping the environment.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
It seems like every winter when we slow down I feel like giving up. It’s so hard to watch others not worry about winter and continue to go to work and get paid. You think by now I would trust that we will get through the winter, but it is a season I do not look forward to.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest lies about this industry is recycling. I have seen so many times our recycle dumpster go directly into a trash truck. I feel it is a constant battle that there is not a market for recycled products and the recycle centers are getting overfilled with baled product. I also feel it is an education issue. My parents still don’t know how to recycle. They throw paper towels into the recycle bin. Or they throw a plastic bag around all the recycle material. This can cause the driver of a recycle truck to flag the whole truck as contaminated and goes to the landfill. Another question I have. Where can one drop off material if they are overloaded with recycled? Have you ever moved and want to find a location to drop off your cardboard? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could drop off all your cardboard and shipping material at an Amazon warehouse??
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope there are some fun and hopeful stories out there. I would like to hear the funs stories of how someone bought an item from our thrift store and found out that it was worth thousands of dollars. This could have been when we had no idea what art was worth. We would clean out nice houses and had no clue about the art. I also want to hear about the family that was starting over and was grateful to get some furniture from us to start a new life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://goneforgoodstore.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goneforgoodstore/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gone-for-good/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/goneforgoodllc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goneforgoodstore/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/gone-for-good-denver
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rhusmer
- Other: vimeo.com/goneforgood
https://www.tiktok.com/@gone.for.good.denver?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
