The Meathead Movers Way

We've Moved our Blog

2011-08-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

We have moved our blog to MeatheadMovers.com/Blog

We look forward to continuing to provide you with valuable packing and moving tips as well as a peek behind the scenes at Meathead Movers.

-- Please stay in touch --

Creating a Unique and Sustainable Company Culture: Part Two

2011-05-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

It’s been a while since our last blog about creating a unique and sustainable culture. To get ready for this blog, I sat down and started jotting down aspects of our Meathead culture to identify what I was going to focus on for Part Two. As the thoughts poured onto paper, I started noticing a common thread: Positive, permanent change comes from win-win-wins. A new initiative (Princess Packers), process (EXTREME Pad Wrapping), or incentive program (Injury Prevention Parties) will only work if it TRULY benefits the employees, the customers, and the company. If one of the three groups does not benefit, the new initiative/process/or incentive just won’t stick. No matter how good of an idea it is, no matter how HARD you work to make it happen, it just won’t.

So how can you make sure that new efforts at your company meet this three prong test?

It’s pretty easy to see if something new makes sense for the company. Financial projections and analysis of whether it’s a good fit with non-monetary resources of the company (staff, equipment, systems) should always be done thoroughly and as a first step. If it passes this analysis, move on to the next to prongs of the test. These are more ambiguous, and require a more thoughtful pondering.

While I can never speak for my customers, I do know that if our focus is to incentivize employee behavior and create services that customers will appreciate, I can’t go wrong. An incentive that makes your employees excited and makes financial sense for the company still isn’t worth anything if your customers don’t see the value or benefit of the incented behavior. For example, sometimes it doesn’t make sense for our customers to use a full service move with packing and un-packing, therefore, we don’t incentivize our sales team based on gross revenue dollars sold. This means customers can expect sincere and genuine advice from our Move Coordinators, and will not get a high ticket move shoved at them in a high pressure sales situation. This is reinforced by one of our Meathead Philosophy points: “Inform customers of the facts for they will make the best decisions for themselves.” I also know that by paying attention to the needs of our customers—specifically—the needs we can fulfill in a practical sense when creating new services, we will always make them happy. That is exactly how Meathead Mini Storage and Princess Packers came to be, and trust me, our customers are LOVING both!

Finally, how do you make sure you are creating something that your employees will be excited about and work hard on? A couple ways: create a path for promotion. The more clear and defined promotion is for the employee and, the more an employee feels he/she is empowered to get promoted the better performance a company will get from the RIGHT EMPLOYEE. We look for strong, competitive, capable achievers with great attitudes then we train them to become expert movers and packers. You can bet from the very first interview for Princess Packers, we laid out the path to promotion. That makes a solid difference in getting your employees to buy in on a new service or process.

Another way is bringing a little fun into the day to day. It’s the little things that make a big difference. Every month, the studliest Meathead from each branch is selected by the Operations Manager based upon customer reviews, attitude, no damage to items and reviews from other employees. The winner gets a coveted “STUD SHIRT” these shirts are earned, not sold and never handed out. Only 12 shirts a year are received and anyone working at Meathead Movers can earn it (managers, workers and everything in between). It creates a fun competition that breeds excellence.

I’d love to hear how YOU create positive, permanent change in your life and/or company.

Presenting Princess Packers!

2011-03-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

We are so thrilled to introduce the sister company to Meathead Movers: Princess Packers!

Princess Packers is just one more way we can give our clients an exceptional moving experience. Let’s face it, who would you rather have pack your valued belongings? A beefy jock, or a careful, meticulous Princess? Based on the feedback from our clients, it’s definitely the latter! Hence, the birth of Princess Packers. A Princess Packer is a professionally trained packer and organizer who has been through the extensive and time tested training at Meathead University. Our Princesses are the perfect complement to our strong, capable Meatheads and together we provide the PERFECT moving experience!

We’ve completed over 20,000 moves and the majority of our clients drastically underestimate the time and effort it takes to pack and prep their home for a move. When juggling work, family responsibilities, and the impending transition, who has time for taking on packing of an entire home? It’s not uncommon for our movers to show up on move day and the clients are either not ready (resulting in a longer, more expensive move) or completely sleep deprived and drained from being up all night packing. This results in unnecessary additional stress during what is already a very stressful time.

But why? Let a Princess pack your treasures! We show up prepared and ready to work, with all the materials and supplies needed to professionally and carefully pack your belongings. Your items will be packed so that no damage occurs during the move, and also in a neat, organized fashion that makes it easy to find things once you are in your new home. You can also expect the same award-winning service that you get from Meathead Movers. Our Princesses are punctual, polite, and eager to help you have the best pack and move possible.

Besides the relief of having a professional carefully pack up your home, we also offer white glove service. We literally wear white gloves when handling silver pieces, brass serving ware, crystal, and photographs. We also leave all shelves and surfaces clean and dust free. We can even tuck in a dryer sheet when packing linens to keep it all fresh and smelling great! Besides all of that, our clients have the neat experience of giving back to the community just by using Princess Packers! Check it out:

For every single box packed by our Princesses, we are proud to donate $1 per box to The Cinderella Fund on your behalf. The Cinderella Fund provides grants to children whose families are suffering hardship. Whether it’s the child of a single mom who escaped domestic violence with the aid our local women’s shelter programs or one with a parent stricken with cancer, we aim to help these children fulfill their dreams by providing resources to nurture their development in athletics, the arts, and education. We donate $1 per box packed by our Princesses, and the fund is administered by non-profits in the communities we serve.

If you like what you see, please like us on Facebook!

Business Partnership Program

2011-02-22T12:14:00.000-08:00

Through technology we have made a big step towards making businesses' moves and facility management easier and more streamlined. We are pleased to announce the Business Partnership Program.

Our goal is to become the logical option for our corporate clients when they need movers and moving supplies at a moment’s notice. We empower the businesses who sign up for the Meathead Business Partner Program to control when they need movers, how many movers they need, and if they need an estimate--all from the convenience of their computer or Smartphone! We feel this will become an increasingly valuable resource for Facilities Managers who are faced with an ever growing task list, but limited by hours in the day and budgetary constraints. Each business has their own profile and designated account manager. Through our website, with just six clicks, our corporate clients can have movers or packing supplies arrive within hours. How cool is that?! This idea was inspired by feedback we received from several of our corporate clients who expressed the frustration of calling in and having to re-explain their moving needs over and over again to our different customer service team members. This proprietary technology allows our clients to bypass the phone call and connect directly to solutions, faster and on their terms. The same way a VIP gets the cut in line at a concert!

Other perks of the Business Partner Program are that each employee of the member company receives a discount on their personal move and the businesses enjoy favorable billing terms. Again, we at Meathead Movers are the only moving company that has this robust technology all designed with one goal in mind; to make our clients move as easy as possible.

Learn more about the Business Partnership Program or sign up, it's easy and free.

Entrepreneurial Internships

2011-02-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

The smart professors at Cal Poly have clearly “struck oil” with the just recently launched, Cal Poly Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. The center was created by my friends Dr. Louis Tornatzky and Dr. Jon York to accomplish a few very important objectives:

1. Bridge the gap between local entrepreneurial businesses and local community and the aspiring entrepreneurs at Cal Poly by fostering internships and mentoring relationships.

2. Promote entrepreneurial activity, scholarships and dialogue across the university.

3. Build a pipeline of entrepreneurs and supporting start-up ventures.

Fortunately, a buddy invited me to the first public launch of the center and we got to learn about the mission from the founders, learn about a few businesses from Cal Poly students and discuss becoming a “Founder’s Circle” member. In year one, over 100 students from Cal Poly have joined forces and the positive word is spreading like wild-fire amongst business owners in San Luis Obispo County. For us at Meathead, the launch of this great initiative could not have come at a better time. Those who know us well can attest that we’ve had aspirations to go national for quite some time with our business model. We face similar challenges that most small businesses with goals of this scope face, and this group gives us a local resource which broadens our existing circle of entrepreneurial knowledge, experience and support. As a founding member of this great organization, we can now leverage the great talent of like minded Cal Poly students with the experienced leadership of the professors/founders.

At the moment, we are about half way through our internship with some incredibly bright future entrepreneurs who are passionate about contributing towards Meathead’s success. Every Wednesday morning at 7:15am, Evan and I are excited to meet with the group to tighten up our expansion vision, review collected data and challenge each others’ perspectives. I truly cannot say enough great things about this exciting and wonderful group and we are incredibly thankful for being involved.

For more information, log on here: http://www.calpolyentrepreneurship.com/

Falling Back in Love

2011-01-27T10:27:00.000-08:00

As an executive at a growing business it’s easy to find yourself busier than you have ever been working on all the complicated, high-level aspects of your business: dealing with financial analysis, banking relationships, developing and implementing new brands, processes and training. You find yourself behind your computer screen and stuck in your office from morning to night. There are endless tasks, issues and opportunities, all of which require intensive research, analysis, discussion, feasibility evaluations, etc. It’s exciting most of the time, but of course, as anyone in business knows, it can also be frustrating and sometimes nerve-wracking.

But something I have learned is that it’s important to step back, close the door on the executive suite, and walk down into the day to day operations of the company. As I write this, I am sitting at the reception desk of our main headquarters. I have spent the day greeting customers, talking to them about storage sizes, answering phone calls varying from questions about everything under the sun to fielding comments about how impressed a client was watching our guys “run their fannies off”! It’s definitely different than what I do daily, but here is why I think it’s so important:

UNDERSTANDING

The most important lesson a manager gains from working in the day to day operations of his or her business is an understanding of what their employee’s day and positions looks and feels like. Of course we know what their job description is, and what tasks are required of them, and what their day consists of on a macro level. But actually doing their job is a great way to understand how they have implemented the processes they were trained on, where there might be bottlenecks in the procedures, what parts of the day are fun and what parts are frustrating. This gives a manager a perspective from which they can do many things: streamline or improve processes and training as needed, help eliminate the frustrating aspects, and simply understand what the employee’s day is like.

APPRECIATION

I’m currently working side by side with someone who does all of these things on a daily basis. I get to see how she knows almost every single client that walks in the door by name, and how many of them have shared their life stories with her, and they have chats catching up on things. I see how she handles the vast amount and variety of phone calls coming in from perspective clients, current clients, our sales people, our movers, and people in the community who are simply intrigued by our trucks or that they saw our guys running on a move, with amazing dexterity, professionalism, and friendliness. We all know our employees are fantastic, right? Otherwise they wouldn’t be here. But I get to see how she takes her training, and then embellishes it in creative ways that delight our customers. When I’m stuck upstairs, I know that things are running smoothly downstairs, but it’s really neat to see the work personalities, and how each person creates the Meathead “spirit” that our clients love.

FALL BACK IN LOVE

One of the unforeseen aspects of working in the front office and answering phones is the large amounts of direct client interaction. I mean, everyone in this company is always focused on the end goal of a satisfied customer, but that doesn’t always include actually getting to speak with them during the move process when you are focused on updating safety procedures or sales training. Sitting down here in the lobby today I have really fallen back in love with the amazing service we provide to so many people. Behind every move there is a story, and we get to hear them all! By the time we complete a move for a customer, we have, on average spoken with them a dozen times—literally. We’ve also spent time with them before the move, and then hours on move day. I get to hear and see so many cool things: stories about new jobs, babies, funny anecdotes about teenage daughters INSISTING on using Meathead, listening to a new widower explain softly about wanting to move closer to his kids and knowing we can help him not only logistically, but being confident that this move will be handled with compassion, tact, and kindness.

PROMISES

Well, we all know falling in love usually results in promises, right? As this new year starts, I have promised myself to more consistently close the door to my office, leave all the very important, can’t-wait tasks behind, and work with one of my fellow team members in the day to day of the business. I am also going to encourage all the other managers at the company to do the same. Are you a business owner or manager? I can’t recommend enough that you do the same. Not only will you learn valuable lessons, you will have FUN!

Moving Concierge Service

2010-12-16T16:22:00.000-08:00

While composing an email earlier today about providing moving resources to a large local institution, I found myself focusing quite a bit on our concierge service. It’s so outside of the spectrum of what a normal moving company provides, that it often needs more explanation than our basic moving services do! See, the moving industry doesn't have a very good reputation, but we pride ourselves as being the knight in shining armor that helps and protects our clients during one of the most stressful transitions of their life: moving.

One of the ways we do this is the afore-mentioned concierge service. It’s free of charge and available to anyone who is interested, regardless of whether they are a Meathead client. In an industry so rife with fraudulent, unscrupulous movers, we are happy to help anyone who is in the process of moving, even if we cannot personally service their move. We've pre-screened other moving companies’ licensing, reputation, and practices in cities and states that we don't service, and provide recommendations customized to your specific moving needs. We do this because we have a sharp eye honed from years in the moving industry, and truly want to help people have successful, and, dare I say, pleasant moving experiences.

In addition to providing counsel to those seeking moving services, the other huge benefit of our concierge service is that over the last 14 years, we have developed relationships with high-quality and trustworthy moving related vendors (cleaners, storage facilities, auto-transport companies, etc) which we leverage to your advantage. These service providers offer preferred treatment and pricing to our Meathead clients, and your friendly Meathead Concierge is happy to research and coordinate whatever services you may need in the course of your move.

Whether moving locally, across the county, or the state, we're here—and happy—to help.

Creating a Unique and Sustainable Company Culture: Part One

2010-12-09T16:18:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest challenges that comes with running a successful, growing business is maintaining a company culture that is vibrant, dynamic, and productive. Business legends from Paul Orfaelea (Kinko’s) to Tony Hsieh (Zappos) have written books about creating and maintaining a unique and positive culture that quickly become best-sellers. Consultants charge exorbitant fees to try to figure it out and create it for you. But it still remains an elusive and constantly evolving thing, and any CEO who doesn’t consistently keep his finger on the pulse of his company’s culture is ignoring one of the most important facets of his business.

Over the next few weeks, I am going to expand a little on some of my favorite aspects of Meathead’s culture. We may not be Zappo’s-sized yet, but I am very proud of the fact that people aspire to work at Meathead, as evidenced by the cream-of-the-crop employees we are consistently hiring. And once people are part of the Meathead team, more often than not, their fellow employees become their best friends.

The first aspect of our culture that I want to share with you is a cornerstone of our business. It is Community Involvement. One of our founding principles at Meathead is to improve the lives of our employees, customers, and our community.

The main way we do this is providing free moves to women in domestic violence situations. Too often, these women feel cornered and helpless, and are lacking a support system to help them leave. Providing a strong back and helping hand can remove one of the biggest barriers to fleeing an abusive situation. We have been offering these moves since 2001 and will do so in every location Meathead opens, always.

We also find other ways to help, and have fun at the same time (fun at work being another part of our culture I will speak to in a follow-up post). Our Girls’ Night Out events are legendary, and have raised over $60,000 for abused and underprivileged children (through both CASA and the United Way).

And in Christmastime, our macho Meatheads suit up in Santa hats, and visit Assisted Living Residences all over San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties. It is so touching to see our big, strong jocks earnestly singing their hearts out and seeing the kick the elderly residents get out of it. Let’s just say the music isn’t ready for American Idol! But that’s OK, it results in a lot of laughs all around, and sometimes a smile can be hard to come by at holiday time for those who don’t have family to visit them. And, if you are so inclined, you can even hire them (all money goes to the United Way) to deliver carols to a loved one of your choice!

What makes community involvement such a crucial aspect of our culture isn’t simply that it benefits people in need in our community. It’s that it reinforces to every single person at Meathead the importance of looking for ways to help those who may not be as strong, or as comfortable. That lesson continues on throughout the organization. It makes us all a little more charitable with each other, and eager to offer a helping hand to a co-worker. It reinforces that we are a team and a family, and we have each other’s back. That mindset also carries over when our guys are in front of the customer. Because they have volunteered in sensitive situations, they are able to pick up on the nuances of a customer’s stress or anxiety about the move, and can deal with it with compassion, creativity, and professionalism. Even if it means grabbing the vacuum out of a harried mother’s hand, and taking over the task for her so she can tend to her children.

For many of our young student athletes, it is the first time they have done volunteer work. We hope that this builds a foundation for them that will carry on throughout their lives. Speaking from my experiences doing the same caroling and moving women in abusive situations, it is intimidating the first time you enter a situation like that. Walking into a huge dining room at an Assisted Living Residence with 300 pairs of expectant eyes staring at you (meanwhile knowing you aren’t gonna belt out carols Justin Bieber-style, more like William Hung-style) is scary!

But 30 seconds into the first song, you feel the warmth and genuine joy radiating from the audience, as they clap along. And even though you are emotionally drained after doing your first move for an abused woman, it’s also inspiring to go home feeling just a bit stronger than when you woke up that morning, because you realize that your muscles do more than look good in a fitted tee; they can actually make a difference in someone’s life. I genuinely hope that my guys grow from these experiences just as I have.

So there’s my first entry about what makes up the incredible culture we have here at Meathead. What I want you to think about is how you can give back, whether personally or by instituting a culture of volunteerism at YOUR business. I’d love to hear your ideas. And I guarantee you, this is one business change you will never regret implementing!

Is Entrepreneurship Teachable?

2010-12-03T17:02:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite aspects about leading Meathead Movers is watching our driven student-athletes evolve from college students into young professionals. I am frequently asked for my opinion on their various business ideas and career paths, as well as what it is like to be an entrepreneur. As we’re having these sort of discussions, I can sense they are mentally pondering; “Can I do this? Can I own my own business?”

I think the word “entrepreneur” often conjures up a mythical image from the outside looking in, but to me, entrepreneurship is fundamentally simple. Entrepreneurship is about creating a sustainable competitive advantage and value for all involved, coupled with the dedication to do whatever it takes to make it work. I believe that person must have a burning desire to achieve, and that desire usually stems from the one's past experiences and the way that one is mentally wired.

My brother and I both knew from early on that we had to be self-reliant in order to live the life we wanted. We also feel a deep passion to provide an honest, safe and enjoyable moving alternative to the typical low-cost, bait-n-switch tactics that the moving industry is riddled with. Having personally spoken with thousands of clients who have felt wronged by other moving companies' business practices, it reaffirms my desire to do good for our customers, our Meatheads, and the community. We want people to know that not all moving companies are going to put criminals in their home, hold their items hostage for more money, and make moving worse than it has to be. Knowing our competitors, the moving process, and the Meathead Differences; it is easy to see that Meathead Movers offers a great service for even the most discerning customer. Want honest moving reviews; take a look at what our previous customers have to say.

It's not whether one can be taught entrepreneurialism, rather the question is "how do I find my sustainable passion? " I hope everyone can find it someday, because it turns your mindset from 'having to go to work' into 'the privilege of being involved in building something great'.

--Aaron Steed

Top 10 Things Meatheads are Thankful for

2010-11-24T09:53:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to reflect and say thanks for the blessings that we all have in our life. With that said, here are the top 10 things that we at Meathead Movers are thankful for:

10. Protein Shakes

Because lifting heavy furniture everyday breaks down muscle fibers, Muscle Milk helps us rebuild that muscle quickly so we’re refreshed for our clients the next day.

9. Shirt sizes that are one size too small

Look, we’re proud of what we earned; what else can we say?

8. “Jack N’ Tan”

A jack n’ tan is when you work out followed by a 20 minute session tanning. As long as you don’t get Jersey Shore orange, muscles just look a little better bronzed!

7. 24 Hour Fitness

Because working out should never have time limits, and after a long day of class and moving, sometimes it’s 10 pm before we can fit a workout in.

6. Sleeveless shirts

You get it.

5. Old Spice

Cause it makes us smell good. And, well, look at your man, now look at me.

4. George Foreman Grills

Express grilling, especially great for grilling chicken which is high in protein, low in fat and cheap at Costco.

3. Text messaging

Who doesn’t love quick communication where you don’t have to burn up cell phone minutes and you don’t get judged for your grammar?

2. UFC

The ultimate sport of any Meathead.

1. Customers who need Meatheads to move

Because without you, we wouldn’t be here! Thank you for supporting our Meatheads as they work their way through college in pursuit of their own American Dream! We love you and are thankful for you!

Moving the Animals You Love

2010-11-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

Meet Max, a Cat on the Move!
Max is our Himalayan cat that my wife and I love from the bottom of our hearts. He has the best personality, lets you hold and hug him like a rag doll, and purrs whenever Daddy is nearby. He loves mom, too, but everyone knows that he has a very special place in his heart for his dad. Anyways, everyone who comes to our house becomes obsessed with Max, so his uncle Evan created Max’s own Facebook page: check it out!

Max knows he is one of the cutest animals on the planet and we (as his parents) would do anything to preserve his great quality of life. With that said, and myself being a moving expert, I am compelled to share some tips on how you can move our furry little friends with the least amount of stress.

Getting there:
Car travel is the most common means of pet transportation to your new home. It provides a feeling of security for your pet (as well as for you), and it is less expensive. If your pet is not used to car travel, take it on some short rides before the trip to help accustom it to the motion of the car. If your pet is prone to motion sickness, consult your veterinarian about medication to reduce or eliminate the symptoms.
Do not feed or water your pet for a few hours before you leave. After you are on the road, feed only once daily. Take a supply of water from home; different water on the road can cause upset stomachs for pets. Make frequent stops to water and exercise your pet, and keep your pet on a leash for its protection — and yours.

I don't want to move

Arriving At Your New Home:
Like people, pets need time to become accustomed to a new house and new faces. Using your pet's favorite food bowl, bedding and toys will aid greatly in getting your pet to feel right at home. It is also smart to confine the pet to one room at first, so that it can adjust to the new sounds, smells, and sights of the new home. This will lessen the change that your pet will want to “escape” back to their old home. If your pet will have free-roam of your new home, let the animal come out of its room or cage when it is ready by leaving the door open—this allows exploration at its own pace.

I'm staying right here and not moving a darn thing

General Reminders:
Keep your pet's routine as regular as possible during the pre-moving stages and the move itself. If you normally feed, exercise, or play with your pet at certain times, continue to do so. During the final crunch of moving, you may find it is better if your pet stays at a friend's home or kennel. This may help reduce the chances of it getting upset and running away, or hiding in one of the moving boxes, as cats are prone to do.

At any stage of your move, please feel free to contact the Meathead Concierge or your personal Meathead Moving Coordinator. Also, try to avoid your animal from being present during the move or, have the animal safely placed in a secured bathroom with a sign on the door saying “DO NOT OPEN!”

Max enjoying his new backyard

--Aaron Steed

All or Nothing

2010-11-15T15:22:00.000-08:00

A group of Meathead Movers approached me this year and wanted the company to sponsor them for to play in the San Luis Obispo Parks & Recreation Adult Male Softball league. My first question to the group that was soliciting my sponsorship was, “Well, will we take first place or what?” At first the group wasn’t sure, but proceeded to explain how they are more competitive and athletic than normal people, etc. I replied, “Yeah, yeah, I already know about all that--but I only want to sponsor you guys if you are totally committed taking first place in the league of twelve teams.“ Then I proposed the following terms: “If you take first place, Meathead Movers will reimburse all expenses and throw a big party--do we have a deal?” We all shook hands and then Team Meathead proceeded to lose their first two games. Needless to say, things weren’t looking so good. Then, like any group of champions, this rookie team started practicing and most importantly felt the burning desire to succeed. Hopefully my heckling at the office helped a little bit too J Fast forward a few months, Team Meathead knocked off the back-to-back champions (Morris and Garritano), won the championship and likely posted the most dramatic comeback in adult softball league history. We had our party and Team Meathead was on Cloud 9.

Good Job Team Meathead Softball- I am so proud of you guys!! This year’s starting line-up was: Adam Peterson, Isaac Rush, Cody Faust, Evan Miller, Anthony Morlino, Sean Patty, Cameron Wardlaw, and Joe Pridmore.

--Aaron Steed

Don’t think competition, think partnership

2010-11-13T11:33:00.000-08:00

About five years (2005) ago I had a meeting with Steve Yapp (the franchise owner for PODS California, Central Coast) and we figured out that we could look at each other either as competitors or partners. Fact is, together, we provide a value-added service to certain niche customer. Quite simply, Meathead Movers provides the best possible loaders/un-loaders, which is ideal for PODS clients, since PODS only provides the container, and not the labor to load. Conversely, PODS is far superior alternative vs the Van Lines for all moves out of state (since we don’t have a nation-wide network, yet). We also refer PODS to clients who need a specific type of storage (staging home, remolding home/office, emergency situations, etc).

What helped us move past the inevitable conflict/awkwardness ("will you steal my customer away from me" concern) was our shared desire to offer the best service option for the customer and to encourage our employees to offer what is truly our best advice on how to accommodate their moving and storage needs. Per our philosophy, our job is to inform customers of the facts, and if that includes the client choosing another service, then we have faith our honesty and integrity will show and Meathead will earn their business next time (when the time is right). Besides, from what I’ve observed having conducted thousands of interviews, companies that ask their employees to mislead inadvertently kill their own culture and credibility in themselves. Meathead Movers is proud to be the official loaders/un-loaders of PODS and we thankful for the opportunity to serve their clients.

Party in the USA (for the kids!)

2010-10-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

This year’s Girls’ Night Out (GNO) in San Luis Obispo was off the hook! It was our 8th GNO and, on average, we raise over $10,000.00 per event. In Ventura County, our beneficiary is the United Way’s Women’s Leadership Fund and in San Luis Obispo County our beneficiary is CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). I’m proud to announce that with our most recent Girls’ Night Out on October 19th, we raised a record breaking over $13,000 for CASA and at the same time had an incredible evening!

What is GNO you might ask? Imagine this: you and your girlfriends enter the trendiest restaurant in town and are immediately greeted by tuxedoed Meathead Movers. One Meathead offers you a rose while another Meathead hands you a glass of champagne. Within the first few steps into the event, your group takes a Hollywood style picture with 4-5 photographers as you’re cuddled up by a group of 6-7 Meathead Movers in front of a custom designed step-n-repeat. After a few glamour shots, another Meathead Mover asks for your arm and guides your group to your reserved table. By this time, your head is rocking back and forth swinging to the upbeat tunes carefully selected by our professional DJ. You get settled in to your table, order a few cocktails for the table and mingle. Before you know it, Meatheads are serving you food, tastefully dancing with your group and doing whatever they can to earn money in their tip jars (all of which goes to the charity). That’s not all, but if I went into all the detail, there wouldn’t be any room for surprises.

This particular evening was special, everyone came to party in the spirit of raising money for a great cause and the energy level was euphoric from the first song on. I would like to thank our generous sponsors: Phase 1 Mobile DJ a.k.a. DJ BOB, Native Lounge, Bloom n’ Grow, California Star Limousine Service, Eufloria and Taylor Rentals. It is so refreshing to raise money and work with a group of wonderful people to do good for the communities we serve. Also, let it be known that our Meatheads also donate their time to these event.

Here's a link to the entire photo album for this year's event!

Join our local Facebook pages for updates for our next Girls Night Out near you!

Used moving boxes and bed bugs

2010-10-22T00:41:00.000-07:00

Most of us have fond memories of making forts in our living room as children with our old moving boxes, right? Perhaps that's just me. Either way, there is nothing like the comfort of having an array of new cardboard boxes for packing your belongings leading up to a move. It's kind of like opening up a new pair of shoes; they have that new, fresh, clean feeling to them. When you purchase a supply of new cardboard boxes and new moving supplies you actually know that you are the first person to be using them. The issue with used cardboard boxes is that you don’t know whose items or what kind of things were packed into them before you or the cleanliness of their home. Were they a smoker? Did they have pets? Or even worse: PESTS. This opens the door to a recent hot button topic: disgusting and rampant bedbugs.

Bedbugs have long been an issue in motels and hotels. But it doesn't end there: many residences across the US are sadly afflicted by these persistent little blood suckers. The scariest part is that they transfer to a new victim easily and hitch a ride home, whether you are unlucky enough to sit on a friend's infested couch or use a contaminated moving box. What's even worse, they can stay alive without food for up to one year and in temperatures ranging from 14 ̊ F and up to 115 ̊ F, meaning they can cling to used boxes and packing materials for much too long. Once active they feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals and are blamed for causing skin rashes, psychological effects and allergic symptoms. The ramifications of an infestation are so horrible that the psychological damage can persist for months after the infestation. We’re not kidding! Check this out recent article from the New York Times.

If that isn't gross enough, once bed bugs get into your home they are very difficult to exterminate as some species are becoming immune to ever increasing forms of chemical pesticides. Not exactly the persistent houseguest you want after moving into your new home, right?

Occasionally clients have asked us to lend them wardrobe boxes for their moves, but unlike other moving companies who will reuse wardrobe boxes up to 100 times before being thrown away, we have opted to only sell new moving boxes and moving supplies because the health and safety of our clients is our top priority. On a green note, we do remove and recycle 100% of the boxes we unpack.

Oh, and because we like to help, if you are worried that you may have bedbugs from another moving company’s used boxes, here is a helpful tip on how to check: Turn off the lights in the room. Grab a hair dryer, and aim it at an area of your mattress along the seams. Aim hot air at the area for 20-30 seconds and then run and quickly turn on the lights. If you had bed bugs, they will have congregated where the heat is. Works at a hotel, too!

Here’s to sanitary, bug-free moving and traveling!

5 Apps that will make your move easier

2010-10-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

Whether you're planning a local move across the street or a long distance move across the state you have a lot to keep track of. We've scoured the web to bring you the best apps to help with your next move...

1.) Dropbox
Dropbox is the easiest way to store, sync, and, share files online. There's no complicated interface to learn. The Dropbox team give you tons of storage space for free and while you're computer is being moved you can access your files from any other desktop computer or mobile device (iPhone, android, etc.). I'm constantly using this app to move files back and forth from my home and office.

2.) Pizza Hut
Let's face it, after moving all day the last thing you want to do is cook dinner. The team over at Pizza Hut have made a fun app where you add toppings and watch your pizza come together on your phone. With a click of a button they'll deliver it your new home! Pretty cool.

3.) Moving Van
Moving Van allows you to easily identify the contents of every box you pack when moving your house, relocating or putting items into storage. We all know that unpacking after moving your house can be a long, slow process, but this app will help you find a specific item which is still not unpacked, you can simply search for that item and immediately identify the box you need to look in. Don't forget, you could always have out Meatheads out to unpack for you as well.

4.) My Recycle List
This app is great for both before or after a move. This app quickly finds recycling locations nearby that accept a whole variety of different items, for example unpacked moving boxes! Using My Recycle List to find places to recycle unneeded items before you move will save you money. And we all know after a move there's usually a ton of packaging material, cardboard boxes and perhaps a few pieces of furniture which aren't quite fitting into your new home. Use My Recycle List to find a place to dispose of all such items in an environmentally friendly way.

5.) TurboScan
TurboScan turns your iPhone into a portable scanner for receipts, documents, whiteboards, etc. With TurboScan you can quickly scan your documents and email them as PDF or JPEG files. Very useful when your scanner, computer, or filing cabinet all are packed up. When using TurboScan I was surprised about how high quality the scan turned out, and how you can scan a full letter size sheet of paper, email it as a PDF and have it actually print clearly on the other end. Comes with an excellent cropping tool for when you've taken a picture of the scanned item at an angle, the interface moves your finger out of the way so you can match up the corners just right.

We know moving is never an easy task, but these are few apps which will help smooth that transition. Now we don't have an app for Meathead Movers, yet, but another great resource is our moving concierge service. We are very proud to offer this FREE service to our clients, an experienced move concierge open 7 days a week, who will help you screen and arrange for all the related vendors needed to make your next move a success!

Make Moving Easier

2010-09-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

“Is there anything we can do to make this move easier for you?” is a question I started asking as a teenager when Evan and I first started Meathead. I would ask it from the first time I was paged (yes paged! I had a pager back when the company started!) by a client right up to the end of the move.
Since then, asking that same question has been trained and ingrained in every subsequent Meathead who wears our shirts. How and when to ask this simple question is even on the test for employment here at Meathead Movers. The underlying intent and focus on the customer and their experience is integral to this company. We are not a product business, we are a service business (we do sell boxes, but very small compared to moving SERVICE). What makes Meathead special is not how we move the refrigerator, but how we make the customer feel when while we’re moving the refrigerator. It’s emotion.
Our challenge is to figure out how to get customers to want our service on an emotional level. It starts with employees aka “Meatheads” who are bought-in to our unique and proprietary way of business. Getting any employee to truly believe in and live the brand, especially a large group of employees, is not an easy task. We continue to strive to understand what makes our employee tick, and figuring out what excites them so that we can properly incent them to focus that on providing exceptional service. At the end of the day, it’s all about making our customers move as easy as possible- and that starts with the Meathead who’s making that happen.

Positioning to go national.

2010-08-24T11:38:00.001-07:00

In 1998 I was a senior at San Luis Obispo High School, and in my yearbook I stated that my goal was to have a national moving company called Meathead Moving Service. 13 years later and with a lot of hard work behind us, and much more ahead, this high school goal is about to become a reality. We have been very cautious about expanding the brand knowing that if we ever compromised quality our business would come to a screeching halt.

In 2000 we separated our call center/administrative office from our dispatch center in San Luis Obispo. Both offices were on Broad Street and less than 2 miles apart, but we wanted to feel how running a remote dispatch center would be before we expanded. Then, in 2002 we opened up our first branch office in Santa Maria (30 miles away), launched a marketing campaign, hired a new group of employees, etc. We opened up a new office very close by because, we figured no matter what happened, our established San Luis Obispo office could step in and accommodate any short coming the Santa Maria office was experiencing. Then in 2007, we opened up our second branch office in Camarillo (132 miles away) which expanded our service region from being able to service 375,000 people to 1.8M people. The Camarillo branch is growing by leaps and bounds, and we are proud to celebrate our five year anniversary of serving Ventura County next year!

While maintaining quality as our #1 objective we’ve slowly expanded to now becoming the largest moving company on the Central Coast of California completing 3,000+ jobs a year with all company owned stores. Now, and in order to create opportunity for our employees and unlock the true potential of our brand and captured knowledge, we’ve decided to best way to maintain quality while growing is to structure a highly controlled franchise model available for a very specific type of franchisee/business owner. Staying true to our model of “promoting from within”, we are looking inside and have identified individuals to open up offices in the Orange County, San Diego and the Bay Area. We are diligently adjusting our processes and internal structure to become a support staff for our future franchisees. And, just like we’ve been doing from the beginning, we will take a cautiously optimistic approach to growth and I pledge as long as I am CEO of this great organization to never forget what got us to where we’re at- quality.

Meathead Mini Storage is Online!

2010-06-07T18:17:00.001-07:00

Big week for all of us at Meathead! Our three year project and largest milestone to date has been completed: the creation of Meathead Mini Storage and corporate headquarters for Meathead Movers and Meathead Movers Operations for San Luis Obispo County. The building totals 114,000 square feet and is located at the highly visible 3600 South Higuera Street location in beautiful San Luis Obispo (our hometown). Staying true to the Meathead tradition, everything at Meathead Mini Storage is high quality matched with unparalleled service. It seems like with in most things in life, the more you are willing to sacrifice, invest, work on the front end, the more upside on the back end. Just like renting vs. buying a house, working out, going to college etc. In my experience, the longer you are willing to delay gratification, the more gratification you will receive (another analogy comes to mind, but let’s move on). It’s funny, because the perception from the public, the Meatheads, and our customers is something like, “Wow! You guys made it.” I beg to differ- the reality is we feel more like, “Wow, it’s really time to perform NOW more than ever.”
Moving our offices, getting our storage facility ready for the public, dealing with dozens of contractors each day, training employees, heading into our busy moving season, launching a new business has shown our true commitment, aptitude, and most importantly, the ability to succeed within our system. Most of our teammates share our adrenaline with this growth phase and show it by their willingness to work hard, treat our customers with exceptional service, and take on more responsibility. And then others think we’re all nuts. Who do you think will get the next promotion?

If you need a storage unit or not, please stop by for a tour of our building and Meathead offices; just ask for me! If you are willing to make the time, then so am I.
--Aaron

Sustainable relationships for "strivers"

2010-03-10T19:09:00.000-08:00

When I was in my young 20s and in the early stages of developing my business, the women who I would sporadically date would constantly nag me for working too much, not spending enough time with them, etc. Although their intentions were--I assume--"good," the reality of having a long-term relationship with them was abysmal because they were trying to distract me from my goal: to grow a business.It was unfortunate, distracting, and discouraging.

I've also had people tell me that my priorities should be family and friends, not business. Additionally, we've all heard "Nobody on their death bed wishes that they worked more." I don't know what I will be thinking on my deathbed, nor do I disagree that relationships with friends and family are hugely important in life. If some insane situation were to occur, and I had to choose between the continued existence of my family or my business, I'd ask "Who in my family?" Haha, kidding! The choice is obvious. But on the other hand, in order to be the best brother, husband, friend, and person I can be, I must be fulfilled and challenged with some sort of goal in mind. How can I be a role model or someone to help a friend, brother, or spouse if I don't develop myself and my ability to provide the best that I can? Think about it. Does the son or daughter who is now in their 40's and still lives at home and being supported by their parents have the "right priorities in life" because they spend more time with their parents? Or, is it the son or daughter who became successful and who found fulfillment his/her own life and can later provide for their parents in their elderly years who "got it right in life?"

For some reason, I enjoy the process of struggling to succeed- folks who are "wired" like that (you know who you are) were born with both a blessing, or perhaps, a curse depending on who you ask. If you are wired to be a striver, do yourself a favor, surround yourself around positive people who support and applaud your efforts- it makes the fight of striving, well, easier.

At 29 years old, a large percentage of my friends are married or engaged. I've been married for 1.5 years and have been "together" with my wife, Erin, for five years now. Ever since I was a little kid, I've always heard, "Who you marry is the most important decision you'll ever make." I don't know if it's the same for everyone, but I can say with absolute certainty that who I married was the biggest and best decision of my life. And, I can't image a bigger decision than marriage. Anyway, from the get-go, Erin knew (yes, we are Erin and Aaron) that being with me meant that she was going to partner with someone who wants to grow a local business into a nationwide brand. She accepted the life decision and resulting life style and has been my biggest cheerleader, teammate (along with Evan) and the best supporter I could have ever hoped for. I NEVER get crap for working late, taking phone calls on vacations, or being so consumed within my own head that some nights after work I can barely hold a conversation. She supports me and trusts me, and because of that, it motivates me and frankly has made me more productive and not feel guilty to strive.

Some of my friends aren't so lucky. I don't understand how a spouse can desire the finer things in the life, respect from family members, job security or a bright future if they aren't supportive in the effort it takes to secure those ambitions. It's like wanting eggs and milk, but not wanting to drive to the store to get them. I think it comes down to entitlement- something my generation has a lot of. Sammie Henson (world champion wrestler, Olympic finalist and personal friend) told me, "We don't deserve anything in life, we only deserve what is earned." A bit of advice for folks whom are considering marriage AND starting a business; don't start a business unless you have support from the spouse. Succeeding in business is challenging enough as it is, I couldn't fathom doing it without the unconditional support that I have. If you have the support, watch out world!

My goal with this blog.

2010-03-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

After my first post, I asked myself what I hoped to accomplish with this blog besides having it be my personal online journal. I realized that there is a large community of people who also have similar life interests and passions as I do, i.e., grow a business, overcome challenges, and be financially free. In my business, I work with many motivated, passionate, and driven people who are using Meathead Movers as a stepping stone to excel into the next phase of their life, and I am proud to be associated with such individuals.

One of the many things I love about entrepreneurs is that they don't look back; they look forward. They rely on themselves, others, and pure faith to get to where they want to go. Recently, my brother, wife, and I attended the IFA (International Franchise Association) annual conference in San Antonio, TX. I describe the event as the Super Bowl of entrepreneurs. Never have I been surrounded by more optimistic and driven people who were still pragmatic and proven. It was so motivating to have found this community of business leaders whose mission and focus was defined by what they produced and developed, and how their product or service can change and influence the world. They hope to not only benefit consumers but also assist others in unlocking the "American Dream" of financial and personal freedom and genuine pride of ownership.

Ever since I was a young kid, I wanted to be a state champ wrestler: growing up in San Luis Obispo, people always kinda smirked at me when my (at the time) scrawny body and frizzy haired, zit faced passionate self would say, "I am going to be a state champion wrestler!" But, like John Lennon said, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." The IFA conference quite frankly made me feel like I wasn't the only one, in fact, I am now entering a community of individuals who not only believe they can have a national brand, but are living and doing it!

In case you were wondering, I never did win state. I took second place twice behind one of my best friends, Dan Martinez. But, I'm certain, had I not believed that I could have won state, I would have never made it to the state finals. As Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're usually right." This notion segues into why who you hang out with is so important; are your friends going to encourage your dreams or doubt your dreams?

I want this blog to be a place where dreams are welcomed and discussions are created and friendships formed. We all can learn from each other and with how busy we all are, this seems like a efficient way to communicate, share, and learn. I look forward to continuing this blog, and what journey may transpire from it. Any thoughts, please share!

First Post

2010-02-27T10:42:00.001-08:00

Dear Meatheads: Did you know that back in 2001 Meathead's Number One "Top Gun" Dave Hansen was the guy who suggested we start requiring completion of "observation jobs" before an employee was allowed to start moving? Did you know that it was Greg Bentley (a former Meathead now in law school) who suggested that we get VIP chairs for our clients to sit in as they watch us work? Those are just two of hundreds of examples of ideas that we have implemented based upon the feedback from our Meatheads. As you continue your journey at Meathead Movers, and in this stage of your life, I encourage and challenge you to make your own mark on Meathead Movers. Help us make Meathead Movers better in any way, and our combined efforts will ensure that we continue to evolve into something phenomenal.

Hello! I decided to start this blog today because I feel compelled to share the experiences I am going through. In some ways this blog is going to be my journal, in others, a way for folks who are interested in keeping an eye on what we are doing. Regardless of the application, I feel like sharing this very special feeling I have about what is going to be happening at Meathead Movers.

We are in the midst of forever changing an industry that is ready for a serious facelift. We are in a unique position; my brother and I are in our 20's and we have total support and encouragement from our home town community to be the best that we can be. As I am continuously reminded, the best we/Meathead Movers can be is only realized when we attract a certain type of individual who strives to be the best he or she can be. We don't just rely on our training programs and high expectations to produce the award winning service our company is known for- we rely on our employees' parents to have raised them right.

If you have worked at Meathead Movers for any length of time, you will notice that we are continuously changing and always improving. Our goal is to create the best possible work environment that will attract the best employees, resulting in the highest level of service for our clients. Pure and simple, this is what we are trying to do.