How Aaron Steed Turned a High School Side Hustle Into an 8-Figure Moving Company

On this week’s episode of the Area of interest Pursuits podcast, Aaron Steed and I talk about how he turned Meathead Movers from a highschool aspect hustle into an eight-figure transferring firm. He began the enterprise at 17 and has since grown it to 9 areas and two mini-storage services.

The expansion got here by years of setbacks, cautious growth, and a particular service mannequin constructed round athletic movers. Aaron confronted disconnected cellphone strains, a licensing hurdle, and failed promoting offers, but stored pushing ahead whereas defending the corporate’s status and buyer expertise.

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Beginning With a Easy Alternative

Aaron grew up in San Luis Obispo, California, the place wrestling was one among his fundamental priorities. He wanted a method to earn cash that would work round college and athletics, so he started asking buddies’ dad and mom whether or not they wanted assist round the home or with transferring.

He was solely 17, but it did not take lengthy for him to acknowledge that there was a bigger enterprise alternative. Inside roughly his first 10 strikes, clients repeatedly informed Aaron that his service was one of the best transferring expertise they’d ever had.

Additionally they shared tales about movers who failed to point out up, broken belongings, modified costs after loading vehicles, or offered little recourse when one thing went improper. Aaron’s unique supply was remarkably easy:

Prospects might determine what the work was value after the transfer.
The group dedicated to exhibiting up on time and finishing the job correctly.
Prospects who weren’t happy might scale back what they paid.
Aaron prolonged belief to the client earlier than asking the client to belief him.

The idea additionally paired naturally with Aaron’s athletic background. He was captain of his highschool wrestling group, whereas his brother performed soccer. Aaron might recruit fellow athletes who had been already accustomed to bodily work, self-discipline, competitors, and working as a part of a group.

San Luis Obispo additionally gave the younger firm a good house base. Aaron described it as a group of roughly 50,000 to 60,000 residents, alongside roughly 30,000 school college students from Cal Poly.

Surviving the Disaster That Modified the Firm

Throughout the firm’s first two or three years, Meathead Movers began attracting consideration round San Luis Obispo. Aaron reinvested no matter cash he might into the model. One early advertising and marketing tactic concerned shopping for cheap magnets and placing them on his automotive and his buddies’ vehicles.

Then established opponents took discover. Aaron says a number of native transferring corporations challenged whether or not Meathead Movers might function and not using a skilled transferring license. His firm was primarily supplying labor whereas clients rented and drove the vehicles themselves, but regulators in the end sided towards him.

In the summertime of 2000, the corporate’s cellphone strains had been disconnected. That was an unlimited drawback in a pre-internet native service market the place clients relied closely on cellphone books.

Anybody discovering Meathead Movers within the listing would name and listen to that its quantity had been disconnected. The stakes prolonged nicely past Aaron himself:

Roughly 30 to 40 of his buddies relied on Meathead Movers for work.
Many had been utilizing that revenue to assist pay their method by college.
Aaron was solely round 19 or 20 years outdated.
He estimated that he wanted $25,000 to collateralize the required insurance coverage coverage.
He additionally wanted an accounting system and needed to go California’s licensing take a look at.

For Aaron, this grew to become the second when Meathead Movers stopped being merely a method to earn cash whereas attending college. He determined to prioritize the corporate even over his school wrestling profession.

Discovering Prospects Whereas Saving $25,000

With the corporate’s cellphone line gone, Aaron wanted one other method for patrons to succeed in him whereas he labored towards the $25,000 he wanted.

He approached New Instances, a neighborhood weekly newspaper, defined what had occurred, and requested to promote with them. Aaron anticipated that regulators would possibly ultimately come after these ads too, so he warned the publication that the enterprise may need new names and cellphone numbers.

That is precisely what occurred. Aaron cycled by a number of variations of the enterprise as cellphone numbers had been shut down:

The Meatheads
Meathead Loaders and Packers
Meathead Helpers
Useful Meatheads

After three or 4 iterations, he had saved sufficient cash to maneuver ahead with licensing.

Aaron secured the required insurance coverage, established the mandatory accounting system, took the take a look at, obtained his allow, and turned Meathead Movers right into a licensed skilled transferring firm. The enterprise might now hire vehicles itself as a substitute of working purely as a labor service.

Financing the First Fleet

One other essential monetary resolution adopted roughly a 12 months later. Meathead Movers was spending roughly $8,000 to $9,000 on truck leases. Aaron calculated that financing its personal fleet might save the corporate round $2,000 each month.

He took that case to Mid-State Financial institution & Belief. Regardless of having restricted credit score and no co-signer, Aaron secured the financing he wanted. Meathead Movers bought a fleet of 5 new vehicles, giving the corporate one other piece of the infrastructure required to compete immediately with established transferring corporations.

The event additionally represented a dramatic reversal from the cellphone shutdown. Meathead Movers had gone from preventing to maintain clients from listening to a disconnected cellphone message to working as a totally licensed firm with its personal fleet.

Aaron says a number of the opponents that had fought to place his firm out of enterprise ultimately went out of enterprise themselves a number of years later.

Constructing a Model Prospects Keep in mind

The Meathead Movers title was by no means the product of a proper branding train. In highschool, members of the women’ volleyball group known as Aaron and his wrestling buddies “meatheads” as a result of they would depart the load tools sweaty earlier than freestyle wrestling follow. The nickname ultimately grew to become the corporate’s title.

Over time, Aaron obtained loads of recommendation to vary it. He stored it as a result of the title sticks in individuals’s minds. The corporate then constructed a service mannequin that makes the athletic positioning seen to clients. Meathead Movers differentiates its crews in a number of methods:

Movers are anticipated to jog every time they are not carrying something.
Staff full a 400-point, military-inspired coaching program.
Movers are W-2 staff.
Staff endure background checks and are anticipated to stay drug-free.
Pay can enhance when crews keep away from harm.
Excessive customer support scores may also contribute to increased worker compensation.

The jogging coverage is particularly essential as a result of it connects the corporate’s title on to the service.

Aaron estimates {that a} transfer Meathead Movers completes in three or 4 hours would possibly take a typical firm 5 to seven hours. Since transferring providers generally cost based mostly on time, that distinction in tempo can have a significant impact on the client’s expertise.

Making Accountability A part of the Service

Aaron additionally constructed Meathead Movers round one other recurring grievance he heard as a teen: clients typically felt transferring corporations weren’t accountable when issues went improper.

One response was the corporate’s truthful refund assure. If a buyer believes one worker offered solely 50% of the anticipated worth, Aaron says Meathead Movers can substitute that worker and supply a 50% refund on what the client paid for that employee’s time.

The corporate backs its service in a number of different methods:

Property harm to the house might be coated as much as the worth of the contract.
Full-value safety is out there at completely different ranges reaching as excessive as $100,000.
The corporate emphasizes resolving official claims reasonably than dragging them out.
Staff have a monetary purpose to restrict breakage and preserve excessive service rankings.

Aaron contrasted this with a standard moving-industry valuation of $0.60 per pound for broken belongings. Beneath that method, a 50-pound tv that will get destroyed might end in solely $30 of compensation. That comparability helps clarify why accountability has change into such a outstanding a part of the Meathead Movers positioning.

Increasing With out Rising Too Rapidly

Meathead Movers has been working for 29 years and now has 9 transferring areas, but Aaron does not view the corporate as having grown significantly shortly. That is intentional.

He has seen intervals when restricted capital, lawsuits, market situations, or inner capability made growth a poor resolution. Aaron’s choice is to attend reasonably than put staff into roles they are not ready to deal with or place pointless pressure on the corporate’s funds.

The primary growth got here in 2005. Meathead Movers opened an workplace in Santa Maria, solely round 30 miles from its San Luis Obispo base. The quick distance meant the unique operation might step in if the brand new location skilled logistical issues.

The corporate spent roughly two years working by the problems related to working a second location. In 2007, it made a a lot larger transfer into Camarillo, roughly two to two-and-a-half hours away. The situation allowed Meathead Movers to serve Ventura County and elements of northern Los Angeles County.

Recovering From a Main Growth Setback

The Camarillo growth was purported to obtain a significant advertising and marketing push by AT&T Yellow Pages. Aaron negotiated an settlement for full-page ads all through Ventura County and northern Los Angeles County. He then signed a lease for a 7,000-square-foot constructing and commenced transferring six staff into the market.

A couple of month earlier than the cellphone books went to print, Aaron says AT&T informed him it would not honor the settlement. The cellphone books arrived with out Meathead Movers.

This was nonetheless 2007, when many purchasers looking for an in-home service supplier relied closely on the Yellow Pages. Aaron had dedicated vital cash and personnel to a brand new market with out the client acquisition channel on which he’d deliberate.

The group responded with an aggressive native marketing campaign:

Movers wore box-shaped costumes that Aaron in comparison with SpongeBob SquarePants.
Staff handed out flyers close to freeway exits.
The group knocked on nearly each accessible door in Ventura County.
Door hangers had been left at houses when no one answered.
Staff attended group festivals and chamber occasions.
Meathead Movers confirmed up at ribbon cuttings and different native gatherings.

It was demanding work. Aaron even remembers Slurpees being thrown at group members whereas they had been selling the enterprise.

Redirecting Tens of 1000’s Into Digital Advertising and marketing

There was one benefit to shedding the Yellow Pages settlement: Meathead Movers might redirect the promoting price range. Aaron says the deliberate Yellow Pages spend was within the tens of 1000’s of {dollars}, even after the low cost he’d negotiated. The corporate invested that cash into its web site as a substitute.

Aaron additionally moved to Ventura County for roughly a 12 months so he might personally deal with the brand new operation. It wasn’t a fast or snug growth, but it labored.

The group started recognizing the corporate, phrase unfold, and the brand new location gained traction. Aaron credit that interval as one of many developments that helped propel Meathead Movers into an eight-figure enterprise.

Future expansions grew to become simpler as the corporate gained entry to extra scalable advertising and marketing channels. search engine optimisation, Google Adverts, a longtime status, and the corporate’s rising model presence meant every new market did not need to repeat the identical door-to-door marketing campaign.

Making Neighborhood Service A part of the Mission

Certainly one of Meathead Movers’ most distinctive packages has little to do with producing instant income. Since its early days, the corporate has offered free transferring providers to individuals leaving abusive relationships.

When Meathead Movers enters a brand new group, the corporate contacts native girls’s shelters and provides its providers. The shelter helps affirm the scenario and set up acceptable security protocols.

This system has change into a part of the corporate’s mission reasonably than an occasional charitable mission. For workers, it additionally offers transferring work one other goal:

Crews will help somebody relocate into transitional housing or one other protected residence.
Native shelters achieve entry to skilled transferring assist with out passing the associated fee to victims.
The initiative accompanies Meathead Movers into every new group.
Staff can immediately take part reasonably than merely watching the corporate make a monetary donation.

Aaron describes the work as serving to individuals get a recent begin after home violence. It is also an instance of how Meathead Movers has created an identification that goes nicely past its athletic title.

As we speak, Meathead Movers depends far more closely on digital advertising and marketing. The corporate makes use of search engine optimisation, Google Adverts, native touchdown pages, and expanded FAQ content material. Aaron says the corporate can be including info to its website to change into extra referenceable by AI programs.

On the similar time, a number of the firm’s most attention-grabbing advertising and marketing efforts occur offline. One initiative is known as a “Meathead Second.”

Salespeople have a price range they’ll use to shock clients with one thing private. When the corporate found that one buyer collected Dr Pepper memorabilia, the group introduced over a six-pack of Dr Pepper.

It price roughly $4. That small buy grew to become memorable exactly as a result of it wasn’t one thing the client anticipated from a transferring firm.

Different buyer expertise ways embrace:

Offering a VIP chair with a cup holder whereas the truck is unloaded.
Giving personalised objects to clients going by main transitions.
Leaving branded coasters behind after the transfer.
Sending clients referral hyperlinks they’ll share by textual content.
Paying a small referral incentive when somebody sends new enterprise.
Parking unused vehicles in seen areas the place they function cell billboards.

Aaron says most referrals for in-home service companies happen inside roughly two weeks of the service. That makes the interval instantly following a profitable transfer significantly essential for staying seen and inspiring suggestions.

Responding Quicker to New Leads

When requested what’s working significantly nicely for Meathead Movers in 2026, Aaron instantly pointed to hurry to steer. He believes clients have change into a lot much less affected person. The corporate’s personal numbers illustrate the distinction.

Meathead Movers closes round 50% of prospects it efficiently reaches. The shut charge for prospects the corporate cannot join with falls into the low 20% vary, creating a spot approaching 30 proportion factors.

That has led Meathead Movers to rethink how shortly its gross sales operation reacts. Latest adjustments embrace:

Extending call-center hours from 6:00 PM till 9:00 PM.
Lowering the quantity of knowledge required to provoke an inquiry.
Assigning an entry-level workplace worker to acknowledge inquiries when salespeople are busy.
Attempting to make preliminary contact inside seconds.
Following an unanswered name with a right away textual content.
Calling the prospect a second time after the textual content.

Aaron refers to that final strategy as a “double faucet.” Many shoppers do not reply the primary time as a result of they do not acknowledge the cellphone quantity.

As soon as they obtain a textual content figuring out Meathead Movers, they know who’s behind the second name and have a purpose to reply. For Aaron, that responsiveness has change into probably the most vital advertising and marketing alternatives throughout all 9 areas.

Making a Path From Mover to Proprietor

Meathead Movers can be altering how its particular person areas are structured. The corporate presently operates 9 transferring areas alongside two mini-storage services, with plans so as to add extra storage capability.

Department normal managers now obtain revenue sharing throughout their first few years. After a number of years, they’ll use these amassed income to buy an possession curiosity of as much as 40% of their respective department. That creates a profession path Aaron is especially enthusiastic about:

Somebody can enter Meathead Movers as a mover.
They’ll progress into management and administration.
A normal supervisor can take part in department income.
These income can ultimately fund an possession stake of as much as 40%.

Aaron sees the mannequin as a method for workers who could not come from rich households to achieve entry to enterprise possession. It additionally retains possession nearer to the workers and clients at every location.

Meathead Movers plans to make use of this construction because it continues increasing throughout the West Coast. Aaron’s present goal is to open two new places of work per 12 months for the foreseeable future.

Remaining Ideas

Aaron’s story reveals what long-term entrepreneurship can appear to be when development comes by persistence reasonably than one dramatic breakthrough. Meathead Movers survived disconnected cellphone strains, a $25,000 licensing hurdle, a failed Yellow Pages settlement, and a dangerous 7,000-square-foot growth earlier than ultimately turning into an eight-figure firm.

Alongside the way in which, Aaron turned an athletic identification right into a service mannequin supported by a 400-point coaching program and a community that now spans 9 areas. Practically 29 years after its launch, the corporate remains to be discovering methods to enhance the identical primary promise Aaron made as a teen: work laborious and deal with clients nicely.