“College Hunk” founder to speak in Kiva

Submitted+photo.

Submitted photo.

Lyndsey Sager

Nick Friedman was one of the 30 Most Influential CEO’s Under 30 in 2010.

The year before, his company, College Hunks Hauling Junk, was ranked #156 on INC. 500’s Fastest Growing Private Companies list.

Friedman will talk to Kent State students and community members Tuesday in the KIVA at 6:30.

Registration is encouraged, but not required, for the event. To register, students can go to the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation’s webpage.

Friedman said the title of his speech is “Out of the Stands and on to the Playing Field,” and it is based on the book he and his business partner wrote, “Effortless Entrepreneur.”

“The first goal is to help inspire and motivate the audience to take action on their ideas and put them into motion, whatever they may be,” Friedman said.

“The second goal is to provide lessons that we’ve learned as business owners and entrepreneurs that will hopefully prevent the audience from making the same mistakes that we’ve made throughout the course of our business,” he said.

Friedman, who said he usually speaks at five or six events throughout the year, is the president and co-founder of College Hunks Hauling Junk. Friedman said his company, which he started as a student in 2003, is now a national franchise and the largest employer of students nationally.

“If I had gone to my own speech when I was in college I would be a lot more successful and would have made a lot more money than I have right now,” Friedman said. “This isn’t something you should miss if you have any interest or inquiries in the concept of being your own boss.”

Julie Messing, CEBI director, said she invited Friedman to do the Solomon Speaker Series after hearing him speak a couple months ago at a conference.

“I was quite impressed with his story and approach,” Messing said. “He’s a quite useful, young entrepreneur.”

Friedman said he tries to make his presentations very entertaining.

“I was in college just a few years ago and I can still identify with what [students] are going through in not being quite sure of what their feature will hold,” Friedman said.

Messing said the Solomon Speaker Series is named after KSU alumnus Michael Solomon. Beginning in 2001, Solomon has donated money for the university to bring in professional, inspiring entrepreneurs like Friedman. For example, last years Solomon speaker was Jeff Hoffman, the founder of priceline.com.

“This presentation isn’t just for business students, it’s for anyone with an entrepreneurial interest,” Messing said. “Entrepreneurship is more of a mindset and a way of looking at the world and solving problems.”

Contact Lyndsey Sager at [email protected].