Brian's Dragons' Den Journey: Inspiring Entrepreneurs Everywhere
We’re excited to announce that our Founder and CEO, Brian Scudamore, is joining the panel of investors on CBC’s Dragons' Den! Brian is known for pioneering the professional junk hauling industry, when he started a one-man junk removal business with a $700 pickup truck at just 18 years old. He’s since grown 1-800-GOT-JUNK? into a global success with 174 franchises across Canada, the US and Australia, and started two other successful home services brands.
A lifelong passion for entrepreneurship
Being on Dragons' Den is the perfect fit for Brian. He has always been passionate about helping others pursue entrepreneurship and has helped many people do just that through his franchise brands 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, WOW 1 DAY PAINTING, and Shack Shine. He’s also written two books (WTF?! (Willing to Fail): How Failure Can Be Your Key to Success and BYOB: Build Your Own Business, Be Your Own Boss) about entrepreneurship, highlighting stories from his own journey and offering road-tested advice about how to create a successful business.
Being on Dragons' Den has been a longtime goal of Brian’s. In fact, he auditioned twice before without making the cut. While it was difficult to face rejection after his first two auditions, upon reflection, he realized that it was because the timing had never been quite right. This year, Brian knew the right time had finally arrived, noting, “I’ve never felt more passionate or clear around how I can help other entrepreneurs.”
With Brian’s leadership, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? has become dedicated to fostering innovation. Dragons’ Den gives him the opportunity to continue this focus on innovation by investing in new businesses who are disrupting other industries, while also creating a positive impact in communities everywhere.
A season full of surprises
While he expected to see some exciting and fresh new concepts, Brian was surprised and blown away by the 100 pitches this season. The quality of the ideas and the presentations were truly incredible. He was also impressed to learn that every pitcher pays their own way to filming in Toronto—these people are motivated!
One story in particular stood out to Brian. Two women from Vancouver, who were pitching a pet product, found out the night before their flight to Toronto that they couldn’t bring the star of their pitch (their pet!) on the flight. So, they got in their car and drove the 45 hours to get to Toronto in time for their pitch.
Of course, he was also beyond excited to get the chance to work with a special celebrity guest star, Simu Liu! The Marvel star joined the panel this season alongside Brian—we can’t wait to see how the new kids on the block shake things up.
We’re beyond excited to see what happens this season and we hope you’ll tune in! We’re so grateful for the support and enthusiasm of our customers—it’s because of you that we’re able to continue to grow, innovate, and support other entrepreneurs on their journeys to success. In Canada, you can tune in to watch Brian and the other Dragons on CBC and CBC Gem starting Thursday, September 26th. In the US, you can follow along on TikTok, where new pitches will be added every week.
As a bonus, you can find behind the scenes action, sneak peeks, and other fun extras, by following @cbcdragon and @brianscudamore on Instagram. We’ll see you in the Dragons’ Den!
