Diane GardnerFounder, Adept Business Solutions · Profit First Professional

Podcast Highlights- Brian Scudamore Gives Up Millions To Focus On His Dream #EEP Podcast #278 Clip

19 Nov 2019 · 1 min

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In this podcast excerpt, Brian Scudamore recounts a pivotal moment when two Waste Management executives took him on a fishing trip to discuss buying his company. While they offered a staggering $75‑100 million—far beyond what he ever imagined—Scudamore declined, explaining that his motivation was not money but a clear, compelling vision for the future of his business. He emphasizes that his ‘painted picture’ of what he wanted to build was stronger than any financial incentive, illustrating a core entrepreneurial principle of prioritizing long‑term purpose over short‑term gain.

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I was out on a fishing boat with two executives from Waste Management. And I talk about this in the book. And Waste Management had approached me and wined and dined me and took me on this amazing fishing trip. I'm in the boat, two garbage company executives. We're in the middle of nowhere. They're trying to get me to sell my business. And I said, no, sounds like you're about to get killed by the— Exactly. Exactly. So there I was saying no. And I thought maybe I would say no to a future of any type. But these, these guys basically, you know, they were talking $75 to $100 million, which would have been more money than I could have ever imagined. And I said no. Yeah, because I didn't believe I was motivated enough by money to want to take that money. But even bigger, I saw a vision. I knew what I wanted to build. I had my painted picture clearly in my mind, and I wasn't done.