Talk about a pivot…

Kirk’s Story

Everyone has their own unique story; we’re no exception. I moved to Atlanta in 1997 to become “SkyHawk”, the Atlanta Hawks dunking mascot. During my 12 wonderful years with the Hawks, God brought into focus my love for encouraging young people. I certainly enjoyed performing in front of huge crowds, but I found much greater joy in our elementary school program. From teaching students to say “no” to drugs & helping them make wise choices, I found great purpose. Biblical-encouragement became part of my mission.

Connie’s Entrance

As filled up as I was with my path, “It is not good for the man to be alone". (Gen. 2:18) I met Connie in Jan of 2006…she lived in Orlando so we dated long distance and we spent many hours on the phone. We married in July of 2007 and we’ve been on a wonderful adventure ever since. I’m a better, happier, more thoughtful man with Connie in my life.

Gutsy the Flying Fox

In 2009, the Hawks & I parted ways…nothing but good times and I still have many friends in that organization. About that same time, our local school system eliminated a large group of part-time employees…so Connie lost her job. After many hours of prayer, we decided to create a new mascot that would visit schools & churches, bringing fun with rock-solid messages. “Gutsy the Flying Fox” performed for the first time in Sept 2009. Soon thereafter Connie became the emcee for the show and we’ve spent the last 12 years traveling the country visiting schools, churches, libraries and fairs.

Jeremiah & Andrew

We welcomed Jeremiah into the world in 2011 & Andrew joined the festivities in 2014. They’ve grown up sitting through years of Gutsy shows. Connie homeschools the boys and we’ve spent many hours on the road…but always together.

Age and Covid

As I approached 50, we’d been looking at transitioning into something a little less physically taxing. I didn’t have any clear direction, so we continued to put on shows. Covid-19 has impacted all of us. In our case, all of our live events shut down in March 2020. Everything we do is in front of a large group of children…so, we had to find a pivot. We had an existing trailer, so I posted something on our neighborhood’s social media about hauling junk. Boom…I received 5 or 6 responses. As I began to help neighbors clear their clutter, word began to spread. It seemed that one job translated into 2 more.

Our Current Mission

We’ve always enjoyed helping others & meeting new people. Additionally, God’s blessed me with the gift of organization. We found that junk removal is a great fit for how we’re wired. Not only do we get to meet others, we get to help organize their lives by clearing unwanted clutter. We’ve been able to pray for our customers and be an encouragement during difficult times. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

Please let us know how we can serve you! - Kirk & Connie Johnson