Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesus Monge.
Jesus, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in Pleasant Grove in Dallas, Texas. Like a lot of kids, I had dreams and ambitions, but I also made some poor decisions along the way. Those choices eventually led me to prison, where I spent nine years of my life.
While incarcerated, I was fortunate to be accepted into the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP). That experience challenged me to think differently about my future and helped me realize that my story didn’t have to end with my mistakes. It gave me a foundation for personal growth, accountability, and leadership that would shape everything that came after.
When I came home, I started over like many people with a criminal record do. I earned my CDL and went to work, grateful for the opportunity. After losing that job, I found another door open through Cornbread Hustle, an organization dedicated to helping people with barriers to employment. I became their first recruiter and eventually moved into operations. For the first time, I wasn’t just rebuilding my own life—I was helping others do the same.
From there, I had the opportunity to work with a nonprofit that brought personal development and reentry curriculum into prisons, helping prepare incarcerated men and women for life after release. Later, I entered the building materials industry and eventually became COO of a growing company. Each step taught me valuable lessons about leadership, business, and the impact that employment can have on someone’s life.
Today, I serve as President of Junk Hustlers. On the surface, we’re a dumpster rental, waste management, and construction cleanup company. But at our core, we’re a company built around second chances. Our mission is to create meaningful employment opportunities for people who are rebuilding their lives after incarceration, addiction, homelessness, or other setbacks.
Junk Hustlers is personal to me because I’ve lived the struggle of trying to start over. I know what it’s like to have doors closed in your face and to need someone willing to take a chance on you. That’s why our work is about more than hauling debris or delivering dumpsters. It’s about creating opportunities, restoring dignity, and proving that a person’s past doesn’t have to determine their future.
Looking back, I never could have imagined this journey—from Pleasant Grove, to prison, to entrepreneurship and leadership. But every chapter of my story has helped shape the mission we’re pursuing today: building a successful business while helping others build a better future for themselves.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges has been learning to adapt. Entrepreneurship requires constant problem-solving. Just when you think you have something figured out, a customer changes direction, cash flow gets tight, equipment breaks down, or a new challenge appears that you didn’t see coming.
But if I’m being honest, many of the hardest challenges have been internal. As the company has grown, I’ve had to do a lot of self-reflection and personal development. I’ve had to confront things like impostor syndrome, passive-aggressive tendencies, avoiding difficult conversations, and understanding when certain decisions were being driven by fear rather than confidence. I’ve learned that the biggest bottleneck in a growing company is often the leader’s own growth.
As the company grows, I’ve had to grow with it. The skills and mindset that got me to one level weren’t enough to get me to the next. Learning how to lead people, have hard conversations, make difficult decisions, and stay focused during uncertainty has been an ongoing process.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Junk Hustlers ?
Junk Hustlers is a waste management, dumpster rental, and construction cleanup company serving residential, commercial, and construction clients throughout North Texas. We provide dumpster rentals, debris removal, ongoing jobsite cleanup, and waste management solutions for builders, contractors, property managers, and homeowners.
What sets us apart is that we’re building more than a service company—we’re creating opportunities. Our team includes people who are rebuilding their lives after incarceration, addiction, homelessness, and other difficult circumstances. We believe meaningful employment can be one of the most powerful tools for changing a person’s future.
We’re proud of the fact that our customers don’t have to choose between great service and social impact. We focus on being reliable, professional, and responsive while also creating second-chance employment opportunities for people who simply need someone willing to believe in them.
At the end of the day, we’re in the business of solving problems. Whether it’s helping a builder keep a project clean and on schedule, providing a dumpster for a renovation project, or removing debris from a property, our goal is to make our customers’ lives easier. If we can do that while creating opportunities for people to rebuild their own lives, that’s a win for everyone involved.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I would want readers to know that people are capable of far more than their worst mistake.
I’ve been blessed to have people invest in me, believe in me, and give me opportunities when I didn’t necessarily deserve them. Those opportunities changed the trajectory of my life. Today, through Junk Hustlers, we’re trying to do the same for others.
I also hope people understand that second-chance employment isn’t charity—it’s good business. Some of the hardest-working, most loyal, and most resilient people I’ve met are individuals who simply needed someone to give them an opportunity.
Pricing:
- Dumpster rentals available for residential and commercial projects
- Construction cleanup services available on a one-time or ongoing basis
- Waste management solutions tailored to contractors, builders, and property managers
Contact Info:
- Website: https://junkhustlers.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/junk_hustlers?igsh=MTIzZ3Byd2ZmbTc0NA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14geYT48Msd/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/junkhustlers/
