Fix It Or Junk It

Ideas always sound good in theory. Especially business ideas. That’s the deception of entrepreneurship. Even the simple stuff gets complicated. Take my guests today. One started a business hauling junk. The other lends tools out for free. Simple, right? But as they’ll tell you, there’s a lot more to it once you pop the hood.

Anna Kojevnikov is co-founder of the Lafayette Tool Library, a nonprofit that lets members borrow tools for home, yard, or auto projects—at no cost.

Anna Kojevnikov, Co-Founder of the Lafayette Tool Library where you can borrow a tool for a week or two and, like the book library, it’s totally free

Anna moved to Lafayette in 2018 with her husband, a math professor at UL Lafayette. They bought a new home and realized they didn’t have enough tools for all that upkeep — or really enough space to keep them. Volunteering with disaster relief after Hurricane Laura showed her how widespread that need really was. Partnering with co-founder Alison Nederveld, she helped launch the Lafayette Tool Library to solve a community problem one tool at a time.

Anna is originally from Australia, where she worked in film and TV, but found her footing in Lafayette helping others create. She’s also the Community Engagement Director at the Acadiana Center for the Arts.

Coty Bergeaux, Owner of Acadiana Haul Away & Junk Removal. When he discovered what he could accomplish with a truck and a trailer - and get paid to do it - he fell in love with the junk removal lifestyle

Coty Bergeaux, Owner of Acadiana Haul Away & Junk Removal. Hauling away junk “is better than going to work”

Coty Bergeaux was working in law enforcement when he took a family vacation that changed his outlook. Watching people living the high life in vacation homes along the Florida coast, he realized he wanted to be his own boss. He looked into storage units and ran across another idea: junk removal. He filed for an LLC one month before his son was born and started small, hauling his first king-size mattress with a rented trailer.

Coty Bergeaux is now the owner and operator of Acadian Haul Away & Junk Removal. Coty hauls everything from mattresses to hoarder houses—running lean with just his truck, his trailer, and a strong back. He does about 50 jobs a month.