Ep. 536 - Ally Waste COO Harrison Crum - Profitable Growth in the “Trash to Treasure” Industry

Ever felt overwhelmed by relentless growth, leadership friction, or the challenge of building teams that actually scale? What if you could gain proven, insider strategies for multiplying operations by 20X while keeping chaos at bay?

In this bold episode, Cameron Herold sits down with Harrison Crum, Chief Operating Officer of Ally Waste, to unpack the rarely-told story behind scaling a national waste-services brand—now operating in 40 states, with over 1,500 employees and a mission to dominate a niche few understand.

They dig deep on developmental leadership, acquisition integration, ruthless prioritization, and using tech and AI for surprising advantage. If you want to dodge burnout, outpace competitors, and solve execution pain now, don’t wait—this conversation reveals real advantages you won’t find anywhere else.

Timestamped Highlights

[00:00] – Harrison spills how sales intelligence and regional structure turn cold prospects into loyal clients

[02:31] – Why the “doorstep to dumpster” model wins in multi-family and what luxury tenants secretly value

[04:33] – The ugly side of apartment junk and how subscription junk removal flips the profit script

[07:03] – Ally Waste’s national play: how to dominate fragmented markets and win big contracts

[09:29] – Commercial expansion temptations: the real use cases for “waste leveling” in strip malls

[13:58] – Navigating hauler relationships, unions, and the anti-mafia garbage wars in New York & New Jersey

[16:51] – How 20X growth nearly broke the company—and the relentless focus that turned chaos into margin

[21:43] – Acquisitions decoded: finding the right people, fixing culture, and building tech that actually scales

[26:04] – Are robots or AI coming for waste? Harrison’s thrilling vision for how tech could flip the industry

[32:01] – The Ally Way: promoting leaders from within, tough-core values, and intentional development

About the Guest

Harrison Crum is the Chief Operating Officer of Ally Waste, a fast-growing, multi-state waste services provider specializing in multifamily and commercial property solutions. With deep experience in Fortune 500 and private sector operations—including past roles at Republic Services and Ford—he’s known for scaling Ally’s operations by 20X in four years, championing high-retention business models, and building game-changing technology for dirty jobs. Harrison is a seasoned leader in acquisition integration, organizational development, and culture-driven execution.

🔗LinkedIn | Website

Mentioned Resources

• 1-800-GOT-JUNK
• Republic Services
• GFL
• Waste Connections
• National Apartment Association (NAA)
• Babson College (Harrison’s MBA alma mater)
• How to Win Friends and Influence People (book)
• Dare to Lead by Brené Brown (book)
• Leadership and Self-Deception (book)
• The One Minute Manager (book)
• Claude (AI tool)
• ChatGPT (AI tool)
• Fyxer (AI email tool)

Important Links

• Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn
• Explore the COO Alliance - The World’s Leading Community for Seconds in Command
• Get Cameron’s book: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO Book
• Take his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off)
• Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi

The Second in Command Podcast is an original production hosted by Cameron Herold. Brought to you by COO Alliance. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.