From Liver Transplant to a $1M Septic Business: Josh Ommen’s Circle J Septic Story

At 37 years old, Josh Ommen was told he may not live to see the next month. A liver transplant changed that. It also sharpened the way he sees work, risk, family, and the opportunity in front of him. Today, Josh is the owner of Circle J Septic in Arizona, a growing septic company approaching the $1 million mark with two pump trucks, a service van, equipment, a reputation for doing things right, and a business still very much powered by the owner himself.

In this episode of the Excavation & Septic Profits Podcast, Josh joins Scott Andreasen to share the path from a used pump truck to a full-service septic company. The conversation is not a polished overnight-success story. It is a practical look at how an excavation or septic contractor can build trust, earn Google reviews, answer the phone, protect repeat business, and face the real work of growing beyond the owner-operator stage.

Watch the full interview:

From a Life-Saving Transplant to a New Business

Before Circle J Septic, Josh was dealing with a health crisis that changed the way he thought about time. After becoming seriously ill, he spent months pursuing answers, facing a transplant list, and preparing for the possibility that he would not make it. He ultimately received a liver transplant and began the slow work of recovery.

That experience gave Josh a different perspective. He did not want to spend his life waiting around for the perfect plan. Once he rebuilt his strength, he went back to work, spent time driving truck in Alaska, and eventually looked for a way to build something of his own. A septic business opportunity he originally pursued fell through, so he borrowed against his RV, found a used pump truck, brought it home, painted it, and went to work.

“If you enjoy it and like it, just go for it and keep working for it.”

Why Septic Became the Right Opportunity

Josh did not begin as a septic-industry expert. He grew up around rural systems, farm equipment, and the kind of hands-on work that teaches a person how to solve problems. But he saw a local need, recognized that not everyone wanted to do this kind of work, and learned the business one tank, one inspection, one repair, and one customer at a time.

That is a useful reminder for septic contractors and excavation contractors. Growth does not always begin with knowing every answer. It often begins with finding a need, showing up consistently, and being willing to learn the work at a deeper level than the people around you.

The Marketing Lesson: Answer the Phone and Earn the Review

Circle J Septic has earned a strong reputation in the Arizona market, including a 4.9 Google rating and more than 150 reviews. Josh credits that reputation to a simple approach: take care of customers, explain what is happening, and make it easy for a homeowner to respond.

Early on, Circle J used review QR codes on business cards. Today, the company uses Housecall Pro to send review requests after service. Just as important, Josh and his team educate customers about what their septic system does, why maintenance matters, and what can happen when a tank or drain field is ignored for too long.

For emergency services, Google remains a major source of demand. When a homeowner has a backup, they are not casually browsing social media. They want help now. That is why answering the phone and making the next step easy can be more valuable than another complicated marketing tactic.

“This is how we built this company. We answered our phone.”

Turn Emergency Work Into Repeat Service

One of the most practical lessons in the interview is the value of a planned maintenance relationship. Josh explains that Circle J aims to keep customers on a roughly three-year septic service cycle. That approach protects the system, gives the homeowner a reminder before a crisis, and helps the company reduce the number of weekend emergency calls.

For septic businesses, a service reminder is not just a marketing message. It is customer care. It helps a homeowner avoid a stressful backup, makes the company easier to trust, and builds a more predictable book of business. The same thinking applies to inspections, repairs, and the follow-up that happens after a home sale.

The Hardest Part of Growth Is Not Always More Leads

Circle J is approaching a major transition. The business has demand, equipment, and a growing local reputation. The constraint is people. Josh is still involved in pumping, repairs, installs, customer service, estimates, equipment maintenance, and the decisions that keep jobs moving. When he is on an install, the pump truck can slow down. When a dependable employee is unavailable, a full schedule can quickly become an owner-only schedule.

That challenge will sound familiar to many excavation contractors and septic contractors. More leads do not automatically create more capacity. Growth requires trained people who can show up, operate equipment, understand the work, communicate with customers, and follow a repeatable process.

Josh is now building the systems that help a company move beyond the founder. He is developing standard operating procedures, improving dispatch and estimating, documenting the work that used to live only in his head, and looking for the right people to operate trucks and equipment.

Build the Business That Can Run Without You

Josh does not want to step away from the business completely. He wants to be more useful in the areas where an owner can make the biggest difference: customer relationships, bids, equipment maintenance, quality control, and the long-term direction of the company. The goal is to have crews pumping, repairing, and installing while he manages the system instead of carrying every part of it alone.

That is the real jump from a one-truck operation to a scalable service company. It is not only more trucks or more revenue. It is a business where the work gets done correctly, customers are treated well, employees have what they need, and the owner is no longer the only person who can keep the operation moving.

Is Your Septic or Excavation Business Hitting the Same Ceiling?

If your business has leads coming in but you are still carrying every call, estimate, job, and customer relationship yourself, Josh's story is worth hearing. His advice is simple: answer the phone, take care of the customer, do not work for free, and stay focused on the next problem worth solving.

Excavation Marketing Pros helps septic contractors and excavation contractors build the visibility, follow-up systems, review strategies, websites, and marketing processes that protect more opportunities and support healthy growth. Send us a message today to find out how Excavation Marketing Pros can help your company earn more calls, respond faster, and build a system that supports the next stage of your business.