From Junk to Riches: How Kirk McKinney Built a Million-Dollar Business Collecting Junk

For Kirk McKinney, the idea for starting a business “was an accident.” One a bicycle trip to the dump in his hometown of Westwood, MA led to the business concept for Junk Teens, a youth-led junk removal business he founded at age 15. Five years after their launch, Junk Teens is now making over $1.3 million in annual revenue, and Kirk has been featured in places like the Boston Globe, CBS News, and Entrepreneur Magazine. On the Build to Last podcast, Kirk shares his junk-to-riches story. He also talks about his long-term vision for Junk Teens, the values that propel his business forward, and (as a student at Babson College) the dilemmas and challenges of a student-entrepreneur. Find Junk Teens on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.