Fred Tolerico bet everything on the American dream. He spent $30,000 of his own money to move 1,800 miles across the country and launch his junk removal business, Junk-N-Haul. Then, just months later, a global pandemic threatened to wipe it all out before it even began. In this episode of the COS Business Podcast, Fred reveals the unfiltered, brutally honest truth about entrepreneurship that most gurus won't tell you. From the desperation of facing failure to the systems required to scale to over nine employees, this is a masterclass in resilience, sacrifice, and what it truly takes to build a successful blue-collar business from scratch. 🔥 Subscribe for more stories from Colorado Springs' most innovative entrepreneurs: https://www.youtube.com/COSBusinessPodcast In this episode, you will learn: - The real cost of starting a service business (and why you need more money than you think). - The "glamorized" lie of entrepreneurship that leads most people to fail. - How Fred survived the pandemic when he had no choice but to succeed. - The marketing secrets to getting leads when ad costs are skyrocketing. - How to build systems that allow your business to run without you. - The single most important piece of advice for new entrepreneurs. ➡️ Learn more about Fred Tolerico & Junk-N-Haul: Website: https://junknhaul.com/ Phone: 719-652-5775 🕒 TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - My Honest Advice to New Entrepreneurs 1:29 - The $30,000 Bet & Moving 1,800 Miles 6:42 - Why Entrepreneurship is Dangerously Glamorized 19:05 - "I Don't Care If I Die of Covid, I Have to Make This Work" 28:07 - How to Scale From 1 to 9+ Employees 38:55 - The Marketing Secret When Ad Costs Are Insane 46:44 - The Most Shocking & Difficult Jobs We've Ever Done 1:01:40 - The Brutal Truth You MUST Hear Before You Quit Your Job Listen to the full COS Business Podcast episode: ► Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jSQ8OQSi0rprCcxTGx0KB?si=hpkxA-nkQOWSs6uBf7dYbg&nd=1&dlsi=6a5996bc19e449b4 ► Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/colorado-springs-business-podcast/id1492740546 CONNECT WITH US: ► Website: https://cosbizpodcast.com/ ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cos.bizpodcast/ ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/COSBusinessPodcast 🤝 SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS: Junk-N-Haul: https://junknhaul.com/ EnviroLawn: https://www.envirolawn.net/ Pioneer Rodeo: https://www.pioneerrodeo.com/ Proud American Electrical and Solar: https://proudamericansolar.com/ Bolton Co: For Purpose-Driven Executives. https://www.boltonco.net/ ProLift Garage Doors: Lifting Your Expectations. https://www.proliftdoors.com/ Be Our Guest Getaways: Making Magical Memories. https://beourguestgetaways.com/ Planet Duct: Your go-to cleaning service in Colorado Springs. https://www.planetduct.com/ Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care: Hassle-free healthcare. https://www.pinnacleapc.com Epoch Eyewear: Timeless Quality, Modern Edge. https://epocheyewear.com/ HomeDay : https://gethomeday.com/ Exponential Impact: https://www.exponentialimpact.com/ Fast Signs: https://www.fastsigns.com/ Cars Helping Charities: https://carshelpingcharities.org/ Dream Accounting - https://dreamaccountingsolutions.com/ Awesome Home Services - https://www.awesomeservice.com/ Reveal Med Spa - https://revealmedspas.com/ #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusiness #JunkRemoval #BusinessPodcast #ColoradoSprings #StartingABusiness