She Throws Stereotypes Out With the Trash: Self-proclaimed ‘trash-talker’ Becky Duncan explains her entrepreneurial journey
Written by Tabnie Dozier | Provided photo
Recent statistics show that almost 97 percent of solid waste collectors are men. Those aren’t numbers that frighten Becky Duncan: “I didn’t really consider the fact that I was once again going to be in an industry where I was the minority,” she says. Yes, once again. Back in the day, this Air Force Veteranworked on the flight line in the areas of communication and navigation systems on various aircrafts, like C-130 rotary winged airplanes. She says that out of almost 200 people in her squadron, she was one of only five women.
Becky is the CEO and Owner of Redbox+Dumpsters in Louisville. There are nearly 80 franchisees in the nation, Becky launched her entity in June 2019. “When I started looking into opportunities in Louisville, I was looking at dumpsters primarily as something that’s always needed,” she says. “No matter what’s going on, like death and taxes, there’s always going to be waste.”
Redbox+ Dumpsters is a temporary, roll-off rental company offering a number of different size standard dumpsters to choose from for yard waste, household junk or even to serve real estate investors and commercial construction businesses who are renovating and remodeling. The patented ‘Elite’ models offer two portable toilets attached, which provides two waste solutions in one for a smoother delivery and pickup process.
“One of the most rewarding aspects has been meeting other women in construction. There are a lot of great orgs and community and solidarity in that…”
“One of the most rewarding aspects has been meeting other women in construction. There are a lot of great orgs and community and solidarity in that,” she says “I do still get some chauvinistic attitudes, but I can kill it with kindness. It’s never too late to learn and by being in an industry where you’re surrounded by men; it’s almost like an extra challenge. I want to prove to my drivers who are actually all men and to most of my customers who are men, that I can do it all. Sex really doesn’t play a role in how I’m doing my job.”
The mother of four credits her most important position as a marvelous teaching tool : “Being a woman helps me to adapt to situations and be situationally aware, and, even more, the emotional IQ comes into play because I can tell when contractors are type A personalities, they’re stressed out, things aren’t going well on their job site and I can be a little more empathetic and try to make sure what I’m doing on my end is frictionless to the point where they are grateful to have a dumpster on site and they are going to refer me to other contractors.”
While the majority of female franchisees run their companies with their husbands, Becky does not. She’s tripled the growth of the company in three years. “Out of my four kids, two are daughters, and my daughters have gotten to see me on this rollercoaster of a journey, starting from the ground up, seeing the big jobs come my way and seeing me when I doubted myself,” she says. “But, above all, they got to witness how strong I am and how I wasn’t intimidated by the fact that I was a woman in this industry and, hopefully, that gives them the confidence to do whatever they want to do.”
If you or your company wants to ‘talk trash” with Becky and her team, go to www.redboxplus.com or email bduncan@redboxplus.com.
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