003: Authentic Family – Highlighting Muscular Moving Men and Petsmart

Culture Crush Business Podcast

This was definitely a full house, but a fun show highlighting Muscular Moving Men & Storage, M3 Commercial Moving & Logistic, and PetSmart. This conversation highlights very different revenue generating companies that have one common focus- growing companies with a strong culture.

Whether founded in 1986 like Petsmart or 2008 like Muscular Moving Men, growing a company with a great internal culture can be imperative in company growth. The culture of these two companies helped them both succeed and continue to grow through the pandemic as well.

We wish the listeners could see the guests picking up their dogs to share with the camera, but the conversation (even without the dogs) is worth listening. Although puppies and kittens are of course a perk of Petsmart, there are other parts of the culture that Dani and Lauren discuss. Petsmart has continued to progress through the pandemic, support their staff through working from home, and continuing to have passion for people and pets.

Jennifer and Justin gave insight into the culture of Muscular Moving Men from the beginning and through the pandemic. They have been able to keep a strong family culture, continuing to support the staff through motivation, while keeping the customers accountable and safe as well. Both companies have growth plans for the future that also include doing good for the community as well.

Founders Josh Jurhill and Justin Hodge started Muscular Moving Men to be leaders in the moving industry. Arizona natives, initially just local moving company, MMM added long distance moves, storage, commercial moving & storage and this year Junk Removal.

Over the last 12 years Muscular Moving Men & Storage has expanded and seen tremendous growth focusing on amazing company culture and advancement. The staff at MMM has grown with the company with most office members initially starting in the field. According to Justin Hodge Co-Founder, “Its important that our entire staff understand how a move works and how important it is we take care of our customers on moving day.”.

Fast forward to 2020 MMM has expanded into a 20,000sf warehouse, 20 trucks, a commercial & junk removal division and a staff of around 70 hard working and very talented individuals. The core values of the company have and always will be “Outstanding Service, competitive rates, Muscles for a Move Made Easy!”

Justin Hodge is a 2018 Phoenix Business Journal 40 Under 40 Inductee and graduate of the Walter Cronkite School at Arizona State University. He is an Arizona native and Co-Founder of Muscular Moving Men & Storage which opened their doors in 2008.

With sights set on nationwide expansion, Justin and his leadership team work to change the culture of the moving industry and stay in touch with the small business feel that made the company successful out of the gate. Justin is a Husband to an amazing wife and father of two beautiful kids.

Jennifer Villalobos is a first generation Latina who graduated graduated from the University of Arizona & received her MBA from the University of Phoenix.

Today, as an industry executive, Phoenix Business Journal 40 Under 40 recipient & board member of multiple non profits, and now VP of Marketing for Muscular Moving Men & Storage, Jennifer inspires others to achieve beyond boundaries, never forgetting to return gratitude to those who helped lay the foundation and being a role model to her community.

Follow Muscular Moving Men on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Founded in 1986, PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they can live more fulfilled lives.

This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates, and how we give back to our communities.

We operate approximately 1,650 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart PetsHotel dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products and offers unique pet services including training, pet grooming, boarding, PetSmart Doggie Day Camp and in-store pet adoptions.

Expert veterinarian care is available in many of our stores, where Banfield Pet Hospital®, operates full-service pet hospitals. These in-store pet hospitals operate independently of PetSmart and employ veterinarians who provide a full range of health care and emergency services.

PetSmart, together with non-profits PetSmart Charities and PetSmart Charities of Canada, partners with nearly 4,000 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home. Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated more than 9 million adoptions – more than any other brick-and-mortar organization.

Lauren Givens is the Manager of Emerging Talent at PetSmart. Lauren has more than 9 years of progressive and strategic experience in learning, leadership and talent development, and talent acquisition. Lauren attended the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee where she received both her BA and MA in Communication.

Lauren has worked for both for profit and not for profit retailers before she found herself at PetSmart. She is responsible for the end-to-end early career talent recruitment process that begins with development of the recruitment strategy, design and development of program content, execution of non-traditional recruitment strategies and new hire onboarding for early career talent. She is passionate about helping others see their potential and developing internal and external talent.

Dani Kaufman has been with PetSmart for 5 years and currently leads the employment brand and recruitment marketing team. She is passionate about PetSmart and loves to give others a peek into #lifeatpetsmart. She also loves being a dog mom to Ace and Gizmo.

Follow PetSmart on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Resources / References

Muscular Moving Men

Petsmart

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