How a vivid vision turned 1-800-GOT-JUNK into a cult company

Executive overview

Most companies hire for skills. 1-800-GOT-JUNK hired for belief. By filtering every candidate through a written vision of the company three years in the future, they only attracted people already aligned with where they were going.

The result: two consecutive years as the #1 company to work for in British Columbia, and $2M to $40M in revenue in three years.

Build cult-like culture by design, not by accident — the vision is the filter.

The vivid vision as a hiring filter

• Every resume response included a 4-page description of what the company would look, act, and feel like in 3 years
• Candidates were asked to submit a 2-minute video explaining how they could make that vision come true
• Only candidates who replied were interviewed — self-selecting for alignment
• This ensured they only spoke with people "vibrating like we were vibrating"

Speaking about the future as if it had already happened

• When media asked questions, the team described the future company in the present tense
• Never said "we're going to be" — spoke as if the vision was already real
• Media picked up that energy and communicated the same way
• This amplified external belief in the vision and accelerated cult status

Results of the vivid vision approach

• Became one of only three companies in British Columbia everyone wanted to work for (alongside Lululemon and the Vancouver Olympics)
• Ranked #1 company to work for in BC two years running; #2 in all of Canada
• A candidate once picketed outside the office with a sandwich board asking for an interview
• Went from $2M to $40M revenue in approximately 3 years
• Vivid vision was one of "four corners" of the company's foundation