Lisa Paley’s Lifetime of Opportunity with Two Men and A Truck

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Photo courtesy of Two Men and A Truck

Lisa Paley

Lisa Paley

For over 25 years, Lisa Paley has been driving growth and expansion at Two Men and A Truck, the Michigan-based moving company with branches all over Wisconsin. Having risen through the company ranks, Paley is president and partner of five Two Men and A Truck locations in Madison, Milwaukee, Racine, Fond du Lac and Waukesha. Her tenure is a testament to how women are shaping trade industries that have historically been heavily male dominated, taking every step as a learning opportunity.

“A lot of people can be intimidated by it,” Paley comments on being a woman in a male-dominated workforce. “I never came in with the assumption that I knew what a day in the life of a mover was like.”

She is a firm believer in the servant leadership style of teamwork, where an authority figure works alongside a team rather than in front of or behind it. “It’s really the approach that moves us forward, taking that gender bias out of it and sharing that we’re all taking each step together.”

Hard Work (and Kind of Fun)

In a day in her life at work, Paley studies market trends in the moving and junk industries, visits locations and meets with teams, and she makes sure that employees are recognized for their hard work. She remarks, “It’s fun! I like my job - most days (laughs).”

Over the years, Two Men and A Truck has won a number of “best of” and “achievement in excellence” awards under Paley’s oversight. Giving back to the community is a company priority, which is why Two Men and A Truck participates in Wisconsin’s largest food drive with Second Harvest Foodbank, supports local children’s hospitals through donating diapers, bikes, Christmas presents and the like, plus they donate furniture to community members getting a fresh start.

Born and raised in McFarland, Wisconsin, Paley started at Madison’s Two Men and A Truck in 2000 as a part-time bookkeeper with the intention of working her way through college.” It was meant to be a short-term gig,” she recalls. “I had aspirations of becoming a CPA.”

From day one, Two Men and A Truck owner Tim Lightner acted as a mentor to Paley, taking her under his wing and showing her the ropes. “I became interested in not only the numbers but how to work with people to impact the numbers,” Paley continues.

Finance and Sales

Paley was promoted to finance manager once she acquired her associate’s degree in accounting. At the time, she oversaw the Two Men and A Truck location, a residential construction company, and several real estate holding companies. When the 2008 recession hit, not only did the other entities fold, but Two Men and A Truck was forced to downsize to align with the troubled housing market.

“We needed a sales manager,” Paley says. “I had zero experience in sales and zero experience in managing people. It was a frightening idea for me at the time it was presented as an opportunity, but the owner believed in my abilities and saw things in me that I didn’t see in myself.”

Accepting the position, Paley’s role as sales manager helped her realize that she loved working with people. From there, in 2011, Two Men and A Truck acquired their Racine location and Paley was promoted to General Manager. Their Waukesha location opened in 2020, one month before COVID hit.

“That was really fun,” Paley jokes. “Getting a brand-new location where nobody knew us or what kind of team we led, while trying to get to know people from behind a computer screen, brought on all sorts of challenges, but we made it work.”

President and Partner

The Two Men and A Truck branch in Milwaukee, the largest under Paley’s jurisdiction, opened in 2021. That same year, Paley became president and partner of the company. “We doubled our size in less than 12 months,” Paley adds. “It didn’t stop there.” 

Indeed, Paley spearheaded the implementation of the company’s junk removal service,  Two Men and A Junk Truck, at their Madison location in 2023 and Milwaukee in 2024.

“We became one of the first 11 locations across the country to take the leap into the world of junk,” she explains. “We’re very proud of the journey we’ve made for ourselves so far and continue growing.”

Paley strives to stay humble yet confident through every obstacle that she and her teams at Two Men and A Truck may face. “I’m most proud of the small details each day that provide excellence to our teammates, our customers, and the community at large,” she reckons. “Our core purpose is to move people forward, and it fulfills us to fill others’ cups. It’s been an honor to watch.”