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Women Millionaires Tell How They Did It

The Millionaires’ Club

Judy Briggs will join the millionaires’ club this year. She is a franchise-owner in the metro-west area of Massachusetts through 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, a junk removal service headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, which recognizes franchisees that hit the million-dollar mark.

“I never had the goal of becoming a millionaire,” Briggs said. “I wanted the business to be successful. Just having passion for the brand and business itself drove me.”

Before starting her franchise in 2003, Briggs held several different jobs in the Worcester, Mass. area. She worked as a provider relations manager at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, as an ancillary contracting manager at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and as the director of human resources at Three-C Electrical Co.

In the fall of 2002, Briggs and her then-husband read an article about GOT-JUNK and “thought it was a great idea.” They launched the business with one employee and one truck: today she has eight trucks and 22 employees.

Briggs credits part of her success to accurate financial planning.

“I knew when the time was right to put on an additional truck. It’s all about timing. You don’t want [to have] 10 truck payments and not have revenue to support them,” she said.

Briggs also emphasized the importance of education for women.

“I believe that an education is key to being financially independent. A lot of companies won’t look at women or men that don’t have a college degree. … In terms of women, if you have drive and want to get ahead in life it’s very important you get a degree. A lot of times women don’t have the self-confidence and that prohibits them from getting ahead,” she said.

Briggs has an associate’s degree in accounting, a bachelor’s degree in business, and a master’s degree in business administration.

“I feel very privileged to be part of the millionaires’ club, but being in a male-dominated field. Trash and junk has always been predominantly a male industry,” Briggs said. “By having education, drive and passion for business, any woman can succeed at anything, regardless of the industry.”

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