In a world of instant and fleeting gratification, Zak and Colleen have built their lives around preservation. Whether stories, memories, furniture, advertising, trinkets, vehicles, plants, or homes—you name it—they want to save it from the landfill, both literally and figuratively.

With some experience in real estate, Zak began offering one-man haul-away gigs in 2018 after noticing valuable items being tossed into dumpsters at project sites. His goal was simple: rescue what he could, lend a hand to industry friends, and maybe find a few treasures to bring home and share.

Zak’s easygoing, professional demeanor quickly gained traction, and word spread—so much so that he was soon juggling more jobs than he could handle while still working full-time at a popular bar in downtown Milwaukee. That’s when his wife, Colleen, stepped in, along with a rotating crew of helpers willing to assist with the heavy lifting.

In 2020, Colleen lost her job and decided to pour her energy into the growing business, transforming it from a one-man operation into what briefly became a one-woman show. Over the following years, Zak and Colleen combined their lifelong passion for preservation with their love of all things unique and secondhand—and Cream City Clean Out began to formally take off!

Today, Zak and Colleen take pride in helping both friends and strangers with their clean-out projects. They offer a sensitive, compassionate approach for those navigating emotional transitions and a quick, no-nonsense attitude for those simply ready to let go.

They are humbly and eternally grateful to all of their clients - the ones who have been around since the beginning, the ones they learned their biggest lessons from and the ones they have yet to meet. Most of all, they thank God for blessing them with a series of opportunities and circumstances that have allowed them to navigate and offer this important service to their community.