This episode of ToiletTalk is all about differentiating your portable restroom business by building a unique brand. Matt Vetter is the owner of Tushee’s and our guest speaker. He’s clearly created a very unique brand with his branding and Marty persona, so let’s jump in and learn about Tushee’s Portable Toilets and has one of the best phone numbers we’ve seen, 855-Pee-Poop. Tushee’s approach to branding and marketing their portable sanitation business is quite unique and in this episode, Matt introduces us to Marty, the mascot of Tushee’s, and shares how they built a unique brand. Be sure to checkout Tushee’s Portable Toilet’s Instagram page if you’re ready to lol: https://www.instagram.com/gotushees/

Transcript:

Matt A:
What’s up guys? This episode of Toilet Talk is all about creating a unique brand for your portable sanitation business. Today we’re welcoming Matt Vetter from Tushee’s Portable Toilets out of Maryland. He’s created a very unique brand—and even a mascot named Marty. I’m going to run a quick clip here to give you a taste of Marty.

Marty (Matt V):
If you want the best spot to squat, call 855-Pee-Poop.
If you want a fresh pot, 855-Pee-Poop.
You want a clean pot? 855-Pee-Poop.
We have 125 brand new potties ready for your tushies. 855-Pee-Poop.
You could be the first person to pee or poop in one of these. That’s like getting Willy Wonka’s golden ticket.
Who’s buying brand new potties for you? I am—Marty.
Marty loves you, and he loves your tushie. Turn around, let me see that thing.
855-Pee-Poop.

Matt A:
Clearly they’ve created a unique brand for their portable toilet business. I want to ask Matt some questions that’ll help you make a unique brand for yours.

Welcome everyone to this episode of Toilet Talk. As you can see, we’re dressed a little different today because we’ve got a special guest—Mr. Marty! Welcome to the Toilet Talk stage.

Marty (Matt V):
How’s it going? Everything’s real good. Thanks for having me—glad to be here.

Matt A:
I’m excited for this one. Now, just to be clear—this isn’t really Marty. Marty is a persona, and this is Matt Vetter, the owner of Tushee’s. He’s created this awesome character to represent the brand. Let’s jump in—Matt, how did you get into the porta potty rental business?

Matt V:
So Alex Woodall, our business partner—aka “The Big Cat”—had just graduated from Towson University, playing lacrosse and professionally in the MLL. He wanted to start something of his own. One day, he was at Firefly Festival in Delaware, saw a mess of porta potties, and said, “The guy who owns that business is making bank.”

He came to my brothers and me. We did some market research into porta potties—we came from the salad dressing world, so this wasn’t our background. But it worked great for me operationally—I’ve been doing ops for 15 years. Alex was just starting out, and I’ve been able to help teach him things I wish I knew starting out. It’s been a cool experience.

Matt A:
What specifically did you look into during that market research?

Matt V:
We focused on the unit economics. The more pots you have, the more margin you make. It’s all about running efficiently: keeping overhead low, being flexible, controlling costs. Alex joined a bunch of Facebook groups where people shared things like their monthly cost to service a potty—that helped a lot.

Matt A:
How many porta potties did you start with?

Matt V:
We started with 20, then did a second purchase of 60, then another round. We quickly got over 100. We partnered with Corrigan Sports Group and expanded based on their events. Alex’s job was to get the new inventory rented for long-term construction.

Matt A:
I’m guessing having that inventory gave you more confidence with each purchase?

Matt V:
Totally. And our number—855-Pee-Poop—gets attention. Someone saw our truck and called just because of the number. That’s what we want.

Matt A:
It’s one of the best phone numbers I’ve ever seen. Your marketing is really creative, and that’s what today’s episode is all about—how operators can market in a unique way. Tell us how humor became such a big part of your brand.

Matt V:
It’s a porta potty business—you can have fun with it. Once you get into this industry, you notice porta potties everywhere. We wanted to be loud and stand out. My brother Greg came up with the phone number and branding ideas. Our graphic designer, Gogo Mo, does the visuals and edits the videos. The orange with light blue really pops. And the name “Tushee’s”? That was their idea too.

Matt A:
And how did Marty come to life?

Matt V:
Marty started out as a character I made for funny videos to send to my wife and family. I used to run a manufacturing plant in Maryland, and Marty became my creative outlet. The character evolved over time—part Baltimore accent, part redneck college roommate—and when we launched Tushee’s, we knew Marty had to be the face of it.

Matt A:
Can you switch into Marty real quick and give us a little flavor?

Marty (Matt V):
Marty been around a long time. First came out to my wife, Crystal, and the family with some meteorologist videos. I ran a plant with Ronnie and Donnie in Essex. Got the Baltimore twang. Then I had a roommate named Dirt—real redneck vibes. Mixed it all up, and boom—Marty.

Matt A:
It’s so memorable. The number, the videos, the voice—it all works. Has it helped you land customers?

Matt V:
Definitely. Kids sing the phone number. People remember us. And now we’ve even had private equity groups reach out because of the brand. Marty’s just the cherry on top—we want people to call 855-Pee-Poop.

Matt A:
How do you market the business? What channels do you use?

Matt V:
Mainly Instagram and word of mouth. We’re big in Annapolis. Everyone knows Alex from lacrosse. He’s out meeting people, cold calling, building relationships. People give him a shot because he’s the owner.

Matt A:
Have you seen the humor and branding directly lead to new business?

Matt V:
Absolutely. The branding works. And it’s scalable. We’re not trying to be a small regional player. We want to grow and expand beyond Maryland.

Matt A:
And you switched to ServiceCore for software, right?

Matt V:
Yeah. We started with a different software—it was a mess. Billing was terrible. We heard great things about ServiceCore, so we made the switch. It’s helped us stay organized as we grow.

Matt A:
What advice would you give to someone who only markets by word of mouth?

Matt V:
Get discoverable. Set up your Google Business Profile. Post behind-the-scenes content. Show your team. People love that. And be willing to look a little silly.

Matt A:
That personal touch goes a long way. And your team sounds awesome. I love hearing about your dad helping out as the mechanic.

Matt V:
Yeah, we’ve got a great team. My dad’s the secret weapon. He drops what he’s doing when we need help.

Matt A:
Last question—what advice would you give to someone trying to create a unique brand?

Matt V:
Start by building your network. Talk to other operators. Figure out what works. Know your personality and build your brand around that. Culture matters—who you hire, how they work, it all becomes part of your brand.

Matt A:
That’s so well said. Your brand is more than your logo—it’s your people, your voice, your phone number, your customer experience. You’ve nailed that. Thanks again to both Matt and Marty for joining us today!

Marty (Matt V):
If you need the best spot to squat, call 855-Pee-Poop!

FAQs