Today we’d like to introduce you to Judah Stone.
Hi Judah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, tell our readers some of your backstories.
NO MORE 9-5. Let me tell you about how I quit my 9-5. I started in the moving industry in the summer of 2020. I was 22 years old and finishing my senior year at UCF. My college bud Lucas Gibson told me about a job at Two Men and Truck in Casselberry; he told me it pays decent and tips pretty well. So, I left the rowdy construction job I had at the time. I remember my first week. I loved it; customers would give away free stuff. The day before I started the job, I bought a 2018 Tacoma; it would make me a lot of money for a college student. I could haul everything customers threw at me and sell it on apps. It got to a point where my little studio apartment in Altamonte Springs got overwhelmed with furniture and appliances. So, I opened 3 storage units at US Storage in Longwood there. I started to up my sales and delivered items, sold all across central Florida. While my co-workers went home after work, I would collect furniture and haul it away to my storage units or make deliveries. I soon realized how prosperous it was. I was making money on my own time with my hectic schedule. That’s when I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur full-time because I could leverage my time and make more than a 9-5 could ever give me. While working the 9-5, I saw the customer’s bill, and my mouth dropped; people would pay for a quality service. The ambitious man I am, I knew this was my opportunity to get rich and build generational wealth. The Hustle began late nights, long hours. In the summer of 2021, before I graduated from UCF, I sat down with Lucas again and started to come up with names for my business; after 15 names, we settled for Tactical Moving Company (TMC). It stuck. It was clever—one of the best decisions I have made since. I went legit in the spring of 2022 and put my crew on the payroll. So far, we have 5 furniture stores we deliver for, approximately 50-70 storage units that refer us, co-marketing with Personal Mini Storages in the Greater Orlando area, and Crunch Fitness perks partners. Created our website on several online platforms, including 8 employees on the payroll. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. I remember I had no hope; I remember the dark times when I didn’t think I would have a purpose. I had to trust God; some doors closed, but he opened new ones. This journey has taught me to have faith, determination, relentlessness, and, most of all, resiliency. Hebrews 11:1 ” Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” When it comes to business, there are no guarantees; nothing is for sure, especially for Start-up businesses. About 90% of start-ups fail. I was left with no choice but to have faith and not listen to the stats, not to listen to the doubters, and to not listen to the negative thoughts. Besides the pressure, it’s gratifying. It allows me to have financial freedom and impact others around me. I have not worked for anyone since March of 2021, one of the best decisions of my life.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has sometimes been challenging. I had to get the right pieces and team around me to grow, So I let some employees go and surrounded myself with individuals that shared the same vision. Another thing I learned is to be Sturn, blunt, and confident when it comes to business; the customer isn’t always right.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
I tell my guys all the time your Network equals your Networth, and Relationships equals Revenues. It’s important to be creative when it comes to marketing; it can make or break you.
What do you think about luck?
I don’t believe in luck. I worked hard for everything I got, even being in good favor. Word of mouth goes a long way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tacticalmovingco.com/
- Instagram: @tactical_moving_co
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tacticalmovingco/
Image Credits
Thank You Randy and Eddie at Hotel Liquidation Warehouse in Casselberry, Thank You Ron at US Storage of Longwood, and Thank You Frances Stone my mother.
