Meet Matt Brennan | Small Business Owner, Family Man, Veteran

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matt Brennan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matt, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think about risk like I think about driving a car… It is necessary to get where you want to go. Everything we do in business, family, fitness and other hobbies, risks must be identified, given a value based on personal beliefs and experiences, then acted upon in accordance with those factors. In my world, family is first (behind my faith, although I fall short) in all I do. If I were to take on a new project, job or business, the risk of doing so is weighed against my household and what direction my wife and I are taking our family of five. If that new project, business or job would likely do more harm than good for our family, I would classify it as too risky, not worth the time and/or money necessary to pursue it. Endeavors like this also need to be considered over time. What seems too risk heavy in the beginning could have a huge benefit later. To some extent, this rule of risk changing over time applies to our current business we started in March of 2021, ASL Dumpsters LLC. My life, up to a certain point, had been mostly risk adverse when it came to large life decisions and pursuits. I had a subconscious way of avoiding activities that were risky or required me to expose my shortcomings to others. For the most part, up until I joined the Army in 2011, I usually took the easy/safe route. That way, I did not have to put myself out there and risk losing or challenging myself in new ways. After joining the military and discovering new levels of capability within, my confidence grew.
I can identify this moment in time as the point where I looked at risk differently. I was more willing, almost eager, to put myself out there. I looked for challenges in the professional field and personal goals. Risk was no longer something to avoid, but sought out in order to grow.

What should our readers know about your business?
ASL Dumpsters LLC started as an idea I got from Youtube. Other entrepreneurs around the country were recording their success within the dumpster rental space with relatively small buy in costs. I began my venture on the side as I worked fulltime as a superintendent for a general contractor in Denver. I quickly realized the network of family, friends and professionals my wife served in her career gave me an opportunity to expand. In April of this year, we will double our inventory of rental units while being able to offer a wider variety of sizes to accommodate more projects. It is my mission with this company to provide the highest level of customer service and care to the completely underserved residential market of dumpster rentals in and around Denver. Most large companies do not have the infrastructure to successfully serve these people. That’s where ASL comes in. We answer the phone every time, never miss a deliver or haul date, and charge flat rates based on rental duration. I would not say any of this process has been easy, and on days I think it is, I am always reminded I have so much to learn if I want to scale my operation. In our current situation, there are many ways to obtain funding. SBA, family/friends, HELOC and many others can sometimes be overwhelming knowing which route to take. Currently, we have self-funded most of our equipment and other costs. I am not interested in surrendering equity in the business for investment money. At least not right now.
Moving forward, I would like the market to think of ASL as a concierge experience. We take care of all aspects of the rental process and offer the highest level of care throughout. We are also expanding in the junk removal side of the business. This brings on many new challenges as I navigate labor, quotes and scheduling. I am excited to apply our original values to junk removal in the future and grow our brand.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Assuming this friend is interested in outdoors and visiting the mountains, first stop would be Idaho Springs to visit Beau Jo’s for a mountain pie. Then we’d spend a couple days between Dillon and Vail, visiting Keystone, Copper and Breckenridge along the way. Back in Denver area, we would probably visit Sam’s #3 for breakfast and Whiskey Row bar in downtown. There’s a chance I would drag them through Casa Bonita to grab a quick sopapilla and see some diving. Finally, Red Rocks for a concert and finish them off in Manitou Springs for the Incline.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are four people I credit most with making me who I am today. My wife, Marissa, my mother, Louise, father, Scott, and my brother, Rob. My wife always challenges me to be better in anything I do. She also provides the foundation of support to pursue my dream of owning a successful business.
My parents laid the groundwork for me to always fall back on. Hard work and honesty were never questioned.
My brother was, and still is, an example of the family centered man I wanted to be.

Website: ASLdumpster.com

Instagram: @asl_dumpsters

Facebook: @asldumpsters

Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC9EXGf2r_X4HD0trWvaYjvQ

Image Credits
Matt Brennan