This collaboration is a major step forward in how we support campus housing teams and streamline the moving experience for students.

About StarRez

StarRez is the primary software that undergraduate students use to manage their college life. It is where they go to pick their meal plans, choose their roommates, and receive their housing assignments.

By partnering with them, we are able to integrate Storage Scholars directly into those essential decision making moments.

Integrated Housing

We are now an added question within the student’s housing agreement process. As students move through their checklist, they will see options for their meal plans and residence halls.

Now, they will also be asked if they want their items moved and stored by Storage Scholars. This integration makes the transition in and out of the dorms much more seamless for everyone involved.

Full Recorded Webinar

StarRez recently hosted a webinar that provides a full overview of this partnership and the new integration options available. We explore common pain points in campus moving and storage, such as liability and administrative burden, and demonstrate how Storage Scholars offers a seamless, no cost solution.

Webinar Takeaways:

• Discover how Storage Scholars solves major pain points around liability and campus moving logistics.
• Understand the value of the partnership and what it means for your institution and the student experience.
• Learn how to easily integrate Storage Scholars into your StarRez portal to save staff time and eliminate administrative burden.

Register and view the full webinar recording.

Conclusion

This partnership allows us to be right where the students are when they are making their biggest campus decisions. By being a part of the StarRez ecosystem, we can provide a more organized and stress free experience for campus housing teams and their residents.

We are looking forward to seeing how this integration helps more students handle their storage needs with ease.

To learn more about how we work with universities, visit the Storage Scholars website.

Our dedicated team of student movers worked tirelessly to make the end-of-semester transition as smooth as possible for everyone involved.

Smart Planning

If the thought of packing, shipping, and hauling everything back to school in a few weeks sounds like a nightmare, we’ve got you covered. Our Ship-to-School program lets you pack from home, send your stuff ahead, and have it waiting in your dorm when you arrive.

Easy Solutions

No rental vans, no sweating it out in August, and no begging your parents for another Target run! This program eliminates all the traditional hassles of getting your belongings back to campus for the new semester.

See y’all next semester!

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Over the years, I've discovered that my physical health directly impacts my business performance—from clearer decision-making to better stress management to higher overall productivity.

Why I Treat Fitness as Part of the Job

Running a fast-growing logistics company that moves thousands of college students can feel like juggling chainsaws.

Exercise is how I keep my head clear and my energy high. The endorphin rush after a workout sharpens my focus, calms stress, and pushes every other habit in a positive direction.

It's a wonderful stress reliever, as I often say. If you go and work out, you feel your endorphins for the hour afterward—you feel amazing; you feel inspired to work.

The Compounding Effect of Healthy Habits

I believe strongly in what I call the "compounding effect" of healthy choices.

Unlike some people who might use a workout as justification for unhealthy choices later ("Now I can go eat a cookie"), exercise actually motivates me to double down on good decisions:

I go work out, and it makes me want to double down—I should go eat something healthy. And when you're healthy, you want to work and be productive.

This creates a powerful positive feedback loop: Train hard → eat well → work productively → sleep early → repeat.

Each choice reinforces the next, building momentum that carries through both my personal and professional life.

My Weekly Training Split

For the past four years, I've maintained a consistent routine at The Collective gym in Austin, which offers both quality facilities and the community atmosphere I value.

My schedule typically looks like this:

Day — Focus

Mon — Push (chest, shoulders, triceps)

Tues — Pull (back, biceps)

Wed — Legs

Thurs — Repeat push

Fri — Repeat pull or legs, depending on recovery

Sat — Active recovery or extra cardio

Sun — Rest

I lift weights 4–5 times per week, sticking to a push-pull-legs rotation. The consistency matters more than fancy programming.

Additionally, I incorporate two distinct cardio sessions:

1. High-intensity circuit with sleds and assault bike sprints
2. Steady 3-5 mile run for mental reset and endurance

This balanced approach helps me maintain both strength and cardiovascular health without burning out.

Finding the Right Time of Day

I've experimented with workouts at different times, from early morning to late evening.

Currently, afternoons work best for me—I feel stronger, more alert, and more motivated at that time.

Plus, my friends train then, which adds a social element I enjoy.

However, for those with less schedule flexibility, I recommend morning workouts.

If you have a boss who's a real pain, I believe they can't really take your morning time as easily as they can take your afternoon time.

The bottom line?

The "best" time to work out is whatever time you can consistently stick to.

How My Approach Has Evolved

My health journey hasn't always been this structured.

When I was 22, I would party, I admit. It was just a different type of health expenditure. We'd go out drinking, stay out all night, and have a lot of fun.

Over the years, my priorities naturally shifted.

Now, I limit social outings to roughly once a month or every six weeks, and they look quite different from my earlier days.

Everything's just slowed down, which is good.

This shift mirrors how my business philosophy has evolved—from chasing quantity to embracing quality, both in my personal habits and business operations.

Making Fitness Part of Your Identity

The single most important insight I've gained about maintaining fitness alongside entrepreneurship is that it must become part of your identity.

I think it has to become a bit of an identity.

You have to decide at some point, 'I am a person who is fit. I am a healthy person.'

And I think that cuts out a lot of the motivation and challenges.

When fitness becomes who you are rather than just something you do, the daily motivation battle disappears: I don't want to think, 'Oh crap, it's five, I need to work out.'

It's not even a thought. I'm just like, I have to. That's who I am.

Three Take-Anywhere Tips for Fellow Founders

1. Make it part of who you are. Decide you're a healthy person; the actions will follow.
2. Book workouts like investor calls. Block the calendar and protect that time slot religiously.
3. Choose progress over perfection. Missing a day isn't failure—just get back to it tomorrow.

Conclusion

Balancing trucks, teams, and the logistics of moving 10,000 students flows more smoothly when my own engine runs well.

The mental clarity I gain from regular exercise helps me make sharper decisions during our peak seasons, stay composed under pressure, and maintain the sustained energy needed to lead our team effectively.

For those building something big, my advice is simple: start by building yourself first.

A healthy founder creates the foundation for a healthy business—and both require consistent habits, smart choices, and a long-term perspective.

Just as you wouldn't run your trucks on empty, you shouldn't run yourself that way either.

The East Coast empties in early May, while the West Coast typically wraps up in late June.

This staggered timing allows us to deploy our crews strategically rather than stretching them thin.

Between now and mid-May alone, we’ll relocate approximately 10,000 students—about 500 moves per day—before shifting our trucks westward for the California exodus later in the summer.

Regardless of location, students typically enjoy a three-and-a-half to four-month break, and we’ve structured our nationwide operation to service both coasts effectively.

This year, we’ve already completed move-outs at five or six of our partner colleges, with many more scheduled in the coming weeks.

Preparation Beats Game Day Every Time

After nine years in this business, I’ve discovered that the real work happens long before the first box is lifted.

Throughout spring, I refine our playbooks, train crews, and stress-test our technology so that when May arrives, I can be the calmest person in the room.

This year stands out dramatically—it’s the least stressed I’ve been during peak season in all my years running this operation.

In previous seasons, I’d be severely sleep-deprived, constantly putting out fires and bracing for the next crisis.

This change didn’t happen by accident; it’s the direct result of building an exceptional team of capable leaders and implementing robust systems.

My role has evolved from hands-on crisis management to ensuring our systems and standards are consistently upheld.

We pursue excellence, which we define through clear, measurable metrics: minimizing missed moves, ensuring punctuality within promised delivery windows, and dramatically reducing damage rates.

Simply telling our team to “be careful” doesn’t work.

Instead, my job is to equip every single person with the systems and training needed to make excellence an everyday reality.

Experience Over Hyper-Growth

This year, we’ve made a deliberate decision to prioritize quality over rapid expansion.

Last year, we served 152 schools; this year, we’ve slowed our growth significantly, adding only 40-50 new campuses.

The reason is straightforward: no campus is run by a first-time manager anymore.

Proven Leadership at Every Campus

We made a firm decision that every single campus would be overseen by a proven leader with prior experience.

We’re willing to fly these managers in—paying for plane tickets, hotels, whatever it takes—because the cost of one bad week far exceeds the expense of travel.

This investment in quality is essential, especially after experiences where new hires quit right before difficult work began or became unreliable when we needed them most.

Before deployment, each lead manager gets a personal 30-minute video check-in with either me or my co-founder, Sam.

We use this time to pressure-test their plans, and personally thank them for their commitment.

I’d rather challenge them during these preparation sessions than have them face difficulties unprepared during the actual move week.

Three-Person Crews, Twenty-Minute Moves

Our operational data has remained consistent over many years: we average three moves per hour per truck, with each move taking approximately 20 minutes.

This efficiency stems partly from serving primarily on-campus residences, where students have relatively few possessions.

The average order consists of about seven total items—typically five boxes plus one or two bulky items like a mini-fridge, microwave, TV, or bicycle, rather than large furniture pieces.

Our standard crew includes a minimum of three people: one driver and two helpers. The driver manages navigation, customer communication, and the crucial digital inventory process, while the helpers handle the physical loading onto dollies and into the truck.

For any normal peak day, this three-person team structure is our minimum.

Our resource allocation follows clear data patterns: one truck handles up to 30 moves daily, two trucks for up to 60 moves, and a minimum of three trucks for anything above that threshold.

We primarily use 26-foot box trucks for our operations.

Real-Time Inventory and Technology

Our technology platform is central to managing this scale and complexity.

Every item is photographed and tagged with a unique label before leaving the dorm, then verified again at the warehouse.

The driver captures photos of all items and logs them meticulously in our online system, creating a digital record that follows these possessions throughout their journey.

Our Labeling System

Our labeling system is thorough—each box receives a unique code and name for identification, with specialized labels for items like suitcases.

For surfaces where labels don’t stick well, such as felt couches or certain luggage types, we train our staff in secure labeling techniques—wrapping around chair legs or creating “label sandwiches” that attach to themselves and connect to luggage tags.

These photos act as a crucial backup if a label falls off.

When items arrive at the storage facility, our team must verify what they see by checking each item against the digital inventory.

This confirmation step remains essential for maintaining our high standards of service and accountability.

Protect First, Bill Later

Our approach to fragile items like televisions has evolved dramatically. In the past, we required students to use original packaging and wouldn’t insure items packed otherwise.

Televisions particularly caused concerns since students rarely keep factory boxes, leading to potential damage claims.

This year, we’ve equipped every truck across the country with specialized TV boxes and extra packing supplies.

If a student hasn’t properly secured their fragile items, we now offer to repack them safely for a small fee.

I prefer billing customers to protect their belongings rather than having their items damaged and telling them it’s their fault.

To align our team with this vision, we’ve created incentives by paying them more each time they repack something.

This gets them excited about protecting customer possessions, making careful handling a shared priority.

Fragile items arrive intact, customers feel satisfied, and word-of-mouth handles a significant portion of our marketing.

Why Slower Growth Leads to Faster Success

Pausing our hyper-growth initially felt counterintuitive, but we’ve discovered that quality compounds faster than mere headcount.

Each delighted student becomes a walking five-star review; each stress-free manager multiplies next year’s training and operational effectiveness.

The payoff already shows: lower damage rates, fewer emergencies, and—perhaps most importantly for me personally—full nights of sleep during May.

This investment in quality creates positive word-of-mouth that ultimately builds a stronger business long-term.

Slowing down now creates something that will eventually grow even bigger through reputation and reliability.

The Storage Scholars Difference: Quality and Precision

Moving 10,000 students in three weeks will never be “easy,” but with disciplined preparation, experienced leadership, and a culture that values care over speed, it becomes predictable—and even enjoyable. That’s the Storage Scholar’s way.

Our multiple safeguards protect against lost items, while our technology-driven inventory system ensures accuracy.

We incentivize our team for proper packing and take a strategic approach to growth. All these elements reflect our commitment to excellence in student moving and storage.

By prioritizing quality today, we’re building a foundation for sustainable success and developing an impeccable reputation that will drive our business forward.

Originally from North Carolina, I dreamed of becoming an orthopedic surgeon.

Today, at just 26 years old, I co-own Storage Scholars, a company that has grown from an $18,000 startup in 2017 to generating $7 million in top-line revenue while serving 150 colleges nationwide.

My entrepreneurial journey proves that sometimes the best opportunities come from unexpected directions.

Value of Hard Work

My entrepreneurial foundation began early, though not through my own initiative. My father, recognizing the importance of financial literacy, required me to work for my own money rather than simply asking for it. This philosophy shaped my approach to everything that followed.

Starting in fourth grade with Jump Rope for Heart fundraising, I learned the art of cold calling. Instead of my parents emailing their workplace contacts, my father handed me a list of 25 phone numbers and insisted I call each person multiple times until they answered. This early training in sales and communication would prove invaluable throughout my career.

By age 11, I had started my first real business venture: a car detailing service. What began as washing my parents’ cars for $10 evolved into a full detailing operation charging $100 per car by the time I was 14. The business taught me about quality control, customer service, and the value of continuous improvement – lessons that would serve me well in my future endeavors.

The Football Boosters Achievement

My entrepreneurial instincts truly emerged during high school when I sold football booster cards – discount cards featuring local business offers. While most students sold modest numbers, I approached the challenge differently. I systematically targeted wealthy neighborhoods, knocked doors during optimal hours (5-7 PM when people were arriving home from work), and even employed creative tactics like wearing a muddy practice jersey to appear more authentic.

The results were remarkable: I sold 88 booster cards while the next highest seller managed only 12. This experience taught me that with the right approach and dedication, exceptional results were possible. More importantly, it showed me the power of systematic thinking and strategic execution.

The Birth of Storage Scholars

When I arrived at Wake Forest University, I remained committed to my pre-med track while working various jobs to pay my way through school. My path changed when I met Sam Chase, a fellow student who had started a storage business for international students who couldn’t afford expensive shipping costs home.

Sam’s business, Storage Scholars, began when international hallmates asked him to store their belongings over summer break for a fraction of shipping costs. Sam went door-to-door in freshman dorms, collecting $50 deposits and using that money to fund the first month of storage. When Sam approached me about joining the operation, I was working as an intramural referee for $7.25 per hour.

My entry into the business demonstrated my natural sales ability and systematic thinking. During winter break, I created group chats with Boston-area students, had them add their mothers, and cold-called these parents to sell the storage service. My approach of getting financial commitment upfront ($50 deposits) rather than just interest proved crucial to the business model.

Building Through Adversity

The early years of Storage Scholars were characterized by extreme dedication and sacrifice. Sam and I worked grueling schedules during move-out periods, often staying up all night to load trucks, drive to storage facilities an hour away, unload everything, and repeat the process. These 100-hour weeks tested our commitment but also built the foundation for our future success.

For the first four years, neither Sam nor I took significant salary from the business. We lived on $5,000-$10,000 annually while reinvesting everything back into growth. This period taught us financial discipline and proved our dedication to building something larger than ourselves.

Strategic Growth and Scaling

As Storage Scholars grew, Sam and I learned to transition from a scarcity mindset to strategic investment. Early on, we did everything as cheaply as possible – using chalk for marketing, printing flyers on school credits, and paying minimal wages. As the business matured, we recognized that time became more valuable than money, requiring larger budgets and more intentional planning.

The business model evolved to include comprehensive moving, storage, and shipping services for college students. Students receive packing supplies, professional moving teams pick up items from dorm rooms, store them during summer break, and redeliver them when students return to school. This systematic approach to a common student problem created a scalable, repeatable business model.

Personal Growth

One of the most valuable lessons I learned was the importance of starting a business while in college. The resources available to students – free software, minimal living expenses, extensive support networks – create an ideal environment for entrepreneurship. More importantly, the financial risk is minimal when you’re already living on a tight budget.

When we graduated, Sam and I faced a crucial decision about compensation. With the business generating around $300,000 in owner earnings, we chose to pay ourselves just $40,000 each in our first year post-graduation. This discipline allowed us to reinvest in growth, hire our first full-time employees, and expand our marketing efforts.

Our financial strategy also included smart hedging through maxing out Roth IRAs and investing in real estate in our familiar college market. We purchased eight houses in Winston-Salem, leveraging our knowledge of where students wanted to live to build a complementary revenue stream.

Partnership Dynamics

My partnership with Sam has been fundamental to Storage Scholars’ success. We treat our business relationship like a marriage – it requires constant communication, mutual respect, and clear boundaries. We’ve learned when to work closely together and when to give each other space.

Our rule is simple: business comes first. If we both perform our roles effectively, the friendship and celebration naturally follow. We FaceTime each other every time we have good news, creating shared moments of victory that strengthen both our business and personal relationship.

Future Vision

If I could give advice to my 18-year-old self, it would be to maintain the same work ethic and dedication but approach challenges with more positivity. I spent too many years fueled by anger and frustration rather than finding joy in the process. Learning to laugh about difficult situations and share crazy customer stories made the journey much more enjoyable.

Looking ahead, I envision Storage Scholars transforming the entire moving industry. The moving industry is plagued by poor service, broken promises, and unethical practices. We want to prove that a service-focused, technology-enabled approach can create a better experience for everyone involved.

The Philosophy

My core philosophy is captured in the quote: “How you do anything is how you do everything.” This mindset creates opportunities for what others might call luck. When you approach every task with excellence – whether it’s studying for exams, working a part-time job, or building a business – the right people notice at the right moments.

I reject the notion that poor academic performance somehow qualifies someone for entrepreneurship. You can excel in school AND build a successful business. The discipline and work ethic required for both are fundamentally the same.

Full Podcast

Watch the full interview below, or watch it on YouTube.

Storage Scholars: Matt Gronberg (26)

Conclusion

Storage Scholars represents more than just a successful business – it’s proof that combining systematic thinking, relentless execution, and genuine care for customers can create extraordinary results.

Here are my key takeaways:

1. Start Early: College provides the ideal environment for entrepreneurship with minimal financial risk and maximum resources. Don’t wait until you have more experience or capital.
2. Focus on Systems: Success comes from systematic approaches rather than random effort. Whether selling booster cards or building a storage business, having a repeatable process is crucial.
3. Embrace the Grind: The early years require sacrifice and extreme dedication. Living below your means and reinvesting profits creates the foundation for sustainable growth.
4. Partnership Matters: Choose business partners carefully and treat the relationship with the same seriousness as a marriage. Clear communication and shared values are essential.
5. Financial Discipline: Resist the temptation to extract profits too early. Strategic reinvestment during growth phases creates exponential returns later.
6. Customer-First Mindset: Building a business around solving real customer problems creates sustainable competitive advantages.
7. Excellence in Everything: Approaching all tasks with high standards creates opportunities for advancement and recognition.
8. Adaptability: Be willing to pivot from your original plan when better opportunities emerge, but don’t abandon ship at the first sign of difficulty.
9. Long-term Vision: Building a meaningful business takes years, not months. Patience and persistence are more valuable than quick wins.
10. Enjoy the Journey: Find ways to celebrate wins and maintain perspective during difficult periods. The entrepreneurial journey should be challenging but not joyless.

The journey from pre-med student to successful entrepreneur taught me that the best opportunities often come from unexpected directions, and success comes to those willing to work harder and think more strategically than their competition.

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My journey to becoming the co-founder of Storage Scholars began with a chance opportunity but was solidified through dedication, trust-building, mistakes, and ultimately, facing a global crisis together with my business partner, Sam.

Showing Up When Others Don't

When I first joined Storage Scholars as a mover, I saw something in Sam that others missed. I believed he was going to succeed, and I wanted to support him fully.

My approach was simple: work harder than anyone else. I committed to proving my dedication by working every available hour.

Earning Leadership Responsibilities

My dedication paid off when Sam went to study abroad in New Zealand, leaving me to run operations.

Taking this responsibility seriously, I stepped up and managed the business in his absence, proving I could handle leadership roles.

Over time, I moved from being just a hard worker to becoming a true second-in-command. I would call Sam daily to learn everything he knew, trying to essentially clone his abilities.

Once I mastered his skills, he started offering me new challenges. The key was showing that I cared about the business just as much as he did, even though I had no ownership stake.

A Moment of Broken Trust

Despite this growing trust, I nearly derailed everything during my sophomore summer.

While staying on campus to work on the business, our group would play poker for small stakes in the evenings. Having practiced card tricks since childhood, I made a terrible mistake one night.

After drinking, I got cocky and started cheating – stacking the deck to give myself the best cards.

I thought it was harmless fun for five-dollar hands, but Sam and another colleague saw me from across the room.

The next morning, Sam confronted me: "How could I ever trust you with being my co-founder if I can't even trust you not to cheat our friends out of money?"

I was spiritually crushed, realizing I'd done something completely unethical.

I apologized to everyone, but two weeks later left to study abroad in Denmark, without proper time to rebuild that trust.

Absence Reveals True Value

While I was away, Sam tried bringing in other students to fill my role. Every one of them disappointed – they quit, didn’t deliver on their work or promises, and prioritized partying over commitments.

By the time I returned in January, Sam had gained a new appreciation for what I brought to the table.

Our working relationship was special, something he only fully realized after experiencing its absence – much like in personal relationships, sometimes you don't know what you have until it's gone.

Forged in Crisis: The Pandemic Test

The true test of our partnership came during the COVID pandemic in my junior year.

When the pandemic hit during spring break, students left campus thinking they'd return the following week. Instead, they were told to stay home indefinitely, leaving their belongings behind in their dorms.

We had to completely rebuild our business model. Instead of just moving packed items, we now had to pack everything ourselves.

What normally took us 3-4 days to move hundreds of students stretched into a hundred-day marathon.

We worked without breaks, physically exhausted and mentally challenged beyond anything we'd experienced before.

Partners at Last

After this crucible experience, our bond was unbreakable.

Having weathered multiple challenges together and proven our mutual dedication through the most difficult circumstances, Sam finally said the words I'd been working toward...

"I want you to be my partner – we've been through so much together; I trust you with my life."

Great business partnerships aren't formed through contracts or convenience.

They're built through shared challenges, proven trust, and mutual dedication to a vision bigger than individual ambitions.

When you find someone who matches your commitment and complements your abilities, you've found something truly valuable – a partnership that can withstand any crisis.

Storage Scholars

wasn’t what I’d planned when I entered college. But looking back, it’s clear how my priorities shifted as I discovered a different way to make an impact.

The Long Road to Medicine

In my freshman year, I was fully committed to becoming an orthopedic surgeon. I’d mapped out the entire journey: four years of undergrad, possibly a gap year, four years of medical school, four years of residency making minimal income, and potentially another year or two for a fellowship. That’s a 13-year process before realizing a full salary. The financial burden worried me. What if after all that time and debt, something happened? What if I broke my hand at the very end and couldn’t perform surgery? I wanted at least to cash flow my way through school to minimize that risk.

A Halloween Night That Changed Everything

Everything changed on Halloween night my freshman year. My friend Sam picked me up for a party where I was dressed as a doctor – fitting for my career aspirations. When Sam asked about my costume, I explained my medical school plans. His response changed my trajectory: “How are you going to pay for all that? Why don’t you join my company?” Sam promised I could make more working for him in a week or two than I’d make in a whole semester at my campus job as an intramural referee. It felt like a “Wolf of Wall Street” moment when I decided to quit my job and join him. I started as a mover for his

student storage

company, then moved into sales, personally bringing in about 40 clients that year. When Sam left to study abroad in New Zealand, he trusted me to run operations in his absence. That was my lucky break – a chance to prove myself in a management role.

The Fruit Fly Moment

During my sophomore summer, I was conducting genetic research – separating male and female fruit flies under a microscope for eight hours daily. It was necessary for medical school applications, but I was miserable. That’s when it hit me: Why spend nine more years doing things that didn’t fulfill me, waiting for someone else to tell me when I was ready to make an impact? I was already making a difference through the storage business. I didn’t need to wait until my thirties to start helping people. I realized I could make a meaningful impact by hiring people, training them, becoming a mentor, and being generous with my time and resources. Entrepreneurship offered immediate impact without requiring more certificates, applications, or interviews. The only person it depended on was me.

Taking the Leap

By senior year, I’d made my decision. I told Sam, I don’t want to be a doctor. I want to do this full-time. I made it clear that I hoped for equity because that was my motivation, but regardless – I was committed. My timing was fortuitous. When the pandemic hit, we worked a hundred days straight without breaks. We completely rebuilt our business model to adapt to students suddenly leaving campus, calling them on FaceTime to show their abandoned rooms and arrange for storage, shipping, or donations of their belongings. That intense period solidified our partnership. After we’d weathered this crisis together, Sam finally said, “You should be my business partner. I trust you completely. Let’s do this together.”

Finding My True Path

I still believe I would have been happy as a doctor. Medicine remains fascinating to me – I love the idea of helping people and being at the forefront of treatment innovations. It’s one of the most amazing parts of our society. When I first joined the storage business, entrepreneurship wasn’t on my radar. I didn’t know the term and certainly didn’t aspire to it. But through this unexpected journey, I discovered I could make a meaningful difference without waiting years for a degree to tell me I was qualified to help people. Sometimes the right path isn’t the one you’ve planned but the one that allows you to make an impact right now.

Sam Chason and I had the opportunity to talk about Storage Scholars‘ growth story these last few years on Fox Business Network.

The Question

Going live in front of a big audience is intimidating.

What questions will they ask?

What if I say something stupid and piss off a big group of people in my life?

What if we come off as arrogant or ungrateful?

I’m thankful that we were asked a question that I feel qualified to speak on.

“What advice would you give to college entrepreneurs out there?”

Sam and I answer this question more than all others combined.

In fact, every time we speak publicly or to a class of students, we center our presentations around one message.

Full Episode

Watch the full episode on our entrepreneurial story and insights from our appearance on Fox Business Network.

watch the full clip.

Conclusion

Just get started and let time under tension do its thing.

It’s okay to look stupid at the beginning, and it’s okay to be wrong.

Find a group of people who are also willing to put themselves out there to start a business and learn from each other’s mistakes.

Eight years later, you might wake up to an appearance on national TV being asked the same question.

learn more about Storage Scholars.

Here's how adopting an ownership mindset before having actual equity transformed my career path.

Learning From My Father's Example

My approach to work was shaped by my father's influence.

He was an incredible worker with an entrepreneurial spirit – though he never scaled his businesses, just maintained self-employment.

What set him apart was his extreme attention to detail. He made self-proclaimed perfectionists look amateur. When I washed cars as a 12-year-old, he would inspect under the bumpers for bugs.

He taught me to appreciate craftsmanship and pour love into my work, always aiming to create "wow" moments for others.

Unlike many entrepreneurs, I wasn't drawn to business because I disliked school. I actually enjoyed academics, maintained close to a 4.0 GPA, and worked hard in my classes.

But I applied that same dedication to everything I pursued – including my first job at Storage Scholars.

All-In From Day One

When I joined as a mover, I committed fully to proving my value. I believed in Sam's vision when others didn't.

While fellow students mocked his venture, I saw something special in his charisma and determination. I decided to support him by becoming the best mover possible. This meant grueling days during moving periods.

With just a handful of workers to move 150 students, we'd work on campus the entire day, then spend the rest of the night packing away the storage at a warehouse an hour away.

I didn't approach the job with an hourly worker mentality.

I treated every task as if this business was already mine, taking pride in our service and pushing beyond normal expectations.

Becoming Indispensable

Over the next four years, I steadily built on that initial trust. My first goal was to essentially clone Sam's abilities – I called him daily to absorb his knowledge and replicate his skills.

Once I demonstrated I could handle his responsibilities, he began offering me new challenges.

"I've never done this next step, either. Want to try it?"

This created a division of labor that benefited the business. Sam could focus on certain areas while I developed others.

The key was showing that I cared just as deeply about outcomes as he did, even without an ownership stake.

This made him realize something important…

"This guy cares about the business just as much as I do, and it's not even his."

Treating It Like Mine Before It Was

If there's one lesson from my experience, it's this: treat the business like it's yours before you get it.

It's a form of foreshadowing your future role. From day one, I approached Storage Scholars with owner-level dedication.

I didn’t clock out mentally when my shift was over; even after working all night, I’d still tackle tasks at 4-5 AM as needed. This wasn't calculated career advancement.

I couldn't articulate exactly why I cared so deeply, except that I truly believed in what we were building.

The Commitment That Changed Everything

By senior year, I made a decisive move. I told Sam, I've decided I don't want to be a doctor.

I want to do this full-time. I don't know if you're ready for a co-founder, but I'm all in whether you're ready or not.

To demonstrate this commitment, I switched from biochemistry to biology, allowing me to graduate a semester early and dedicate myself to the business sooner.

I made my expectations clear: I hope you give me equity because that's the only reason I'm doing this – but regardless, I'm all in.

The pandemic became our ultimate proving ground.

Working a hundred consecutive days without breaks, we completely rebuilt our business model to accommodate students who had left campus suddenly.

This intense shared experience convinced Sam it was time.

"You should be my business partner. I trust you completely. Let's do this together."

Conclusion

My path to co-founder wasn't due to exceptional skills or brilliant ideas.

It came from consistently approaching a job with owner-level care and commitment. By treating the business as if it were already mine, I helped create the future I envisioned.

If you aspire to ownership or leadership, don't wait for the title to act accordingly. Show through your actions, decisions, and dedication that you already think like an owner.

When you care about outcomes as deeply as the actual owner does, you become more than an employee – you become indispensable.

And when that happens, actual ownership often follows.

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We’ve now grown to serve 23 campuses, across 9 states, and have done over 7400 moves while employing hundreds of students a year.

On October 14th, 2023, Sam Chason and I step onto the Shark Tank stage, taking on one of the world’s biggest entrepreneurship platforms to share our story and mission.

Our company

Shark Tank

My whole life, I’ve tried to choose the hardest path I can see.

I’m addicted to finding challenges and reaching new heights.

Memories like being on Shark Tank are rare but special.

Me and Sam Chason on Shark Tank

Looking back on the last few years of hard work, it all culminates into an unforgettable moment.

Watch the full episode below:

Or you can watch the full episode Shark Tank episode anytime on ABC.com🦈

Conclusion

We have been incredibly blessed by the overwhelming love and support we have received for Storage Scholars.

This has been the best chapter of Storage Scholars yet.

I'd like to say thanks to one of the world’s most renowned business leaders behind us. And of course, the biggest thanks to Mark Cuban.

Let’s continue to blow this up.

Visit our website to know more about Storage Scholars.