Specifically, Chris explained how to get a handwritten letter from your favorite celebrity. Whether it’s Justin Bieber, Tim Tebow, George Clooney or anyone else, Chris knows all the tricks to getting a response.

During the interview, Chris even shares some of his own experiences, from working with Nathan Lane and talking shop with Jay Leno to trying to get his own letter from Harrison Ford. He even tells us a little about his work as a voice artist on MTV’s Celebrity Death Match (my personal favorite)!

And, with Chris’s book now available, you can get EVEN MORE tips, tricks and secrets to hearing from the stars.

The best part about it is that, since the HUNKS are now partnered with the Actor’s Detective, Chris is going to take 50% of the proceeds from every book sold and donate it to Goodwill on behalf of College Hunks!

To check out the book, click right here!

To watch the interview, click the image below (enjoy!):

Nick Friedman and Omar Soliman, Co-Founders of the College Hunks brand, contributed to the official #FixYoungAmerica book, which can be purchased on the #FixYoungAmerica website by clicking right here.

In anticipation of the book release, the New York Times newspaper wrote an article discussing the movement. The article, which features an interview with College Hunks‘ own Nick Friedman, can be viewed on the New York Times website by clicking right here.

For more on the #FixYoungAmerica movement, including some background information, check out our previous blog post about it by clicking right here.

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Well the College Hunks Summer Fun Guide is the best, most fun, and College Hunkiest guide in town. We’re going to break down different ways for you and your kids to have fun this summer on a reasonable budget.

In this edition, we know the kids are still probably in school and you still have a ton of work, so we’re going to give you the 4 steps you need to be a true WEEKEND WARRIOR!

Step 1: Pick a spot. There are tons of places near you. Yes, there are. Stop arguing with me! Just be creative. Do something different. Instead of going to that same movie theater and restaurant, go on an adventure!

If you live in the city, get out of the smog. If you live in the suburbs, get out into the country.

The point is, there are tons of state parks, hiking trails, affordable canoeing trips, rope swings, and more ALL OVER THE

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COUNTRY. Pick a weekend and be an explorer instead of a movie-goer.

Step 2: Plan it! No matter what your destination, the businesses in that area are probably counting on your lack of preparation. Be smart. Take the essentials with you, but be careful not to lug around more than you need. Do a little research, as most parks and attractions have guides to tell you exactly what to bring.

When you get there, talk to random people and find out if there are any cool, off-the-beaten-track type activities you should check out.

Step 3: Do it. I know that one seems simple, but things come up, plans get pushed, and we sometimes forget that having fun should be a priority and take precedence over everything else from time to time. Let your friends or family help plan so that everyone is held accountable for NOT backing out.

Step 4: Take a picture. This one might seem kind of abstract, but hear me out. If you take a picture at some point during your trip (and I’m not saying to experience the whole trip from behind a camera lens… that’s why I said a [single] picture), then, post it on your fridge when you get home.

This way, every time you see it, it won’t just remind you of the fun you had, it will also remind you to go on more adventures in the future.

That’s probably the most important step, because weekend warriors don’t just do battle one weekend each year. A true weekend warrior is more likely to only stay HOME one weekend each year.

Now, get out there and have some fun!

Recently, we stumbled across an interesting article about NASA’s effort to clean up space junk.

According to the article, scientists working with the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program are now saying that by blasting a pulsating stream of air into Earth’s upper atmosphere, we can “de-orbit most low earth debris.”

To translate that fancy mumbo jumbo into simpler terms:

Basically, we might be able to blast air up into space and knock space garbage back down to Earth.

Unfortunately, there are a few hurdles involved in making this solution a reality (Click Here to read the full article).

But don’t fret.  The HUNKS have a solution, so listen up NASA.

College Hunks Hauling Junk wishes to make the following pledge:

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College Hunks hereby officially declares that if NASA will build us a spacecraft of some kind (any kind, really, it doesn’t have to be too fancy, we’re not picky, it doesn’t even need to have power windows), then we will volunteer to drive said spaceship into outer space and scoop up all the space junk we can fit into the trunk.

BOOM! Did we just blow your mind?

Well we’re sorry, but that’s how committed we are to saving our planet and hauling junk, on Earth and throughout the Galaxy.

Your move, NASA.

If you’d like someone to pick up the junk in or around YOUR home planet, check out our website right here. Our service is out of this world!

The Washington Post recently decided to give their readers some expert advice on moving.

So, naturally, they called the HUNKS!

The article discusses everything from finding the right mover to what type of boxes to use. It even talks about some of the stranger things people try to move or throw out…

All in all, if you’re looking to move any time soon, or even if you just want to learn some cool facts about the industry itself, it’s definitely a worthwhile read.

So click the picture below to check out the full article from The Washington Post:

If you’re looking to move and want to find out more about the HUNKS, check us out right here!

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It’s Spring. It’s that time of year when the temperatures are just warm enough to tempt you into summer activities (hmm, jumping into that pool seems like a good idea) but not quite warm enough to truly enjoy it (AGH! I JUST SWALLOWED MY TONSILS! WHY IS THE WATER STILL SO COLD?!?!).

Summer is on the way, make no mistake, but in the meantime, you’ll need to find ways to walk that line between the hot fun of Summer and the luke-warm reality of Spring.

College Hunks Hauling Junk and College Hunks Moving knows the perfect way to get the most “Spring” out of your space.

It’s simple, really. All you have to do is open a window or door… and leave it open.

The weather is perfect during certain hours of most days. Take advantage. You might wake up shivering if you leave the windows open over night, but why not pop those bad boys open during the day if the temp is right?

As long as you have a screen, this is the perfect way to get the most “Spring” out of your space.

“How,” you ask?

Okay, Diane Sawyer, I’ll tell you.

I took the liberty of compiling this list of 5 reasons why you need to open your windows and doors. Enjoy!

1. Circulation. You’ve been stuffed up inside your home all winter… and so has the air. You’ve been sitting in a pool of stagnant, cough-and-sneeze-filled air for the past five months. What about that sounds healthy to you?

2. Bills. Turn off your a/c or heater and let Mother Nature handle it. It’s free. Plus, she does good work.

3. Psychology.  They call it the “Winter blues,” not the “Spring blues.” So CHEER UP!

When you crack the windows, you invite all the smells and sounds of spring and the outdoors into your cozy abode (provided you don’t live right next to the highway). Plus, you make your space seem much bigger since there is no boundary between the inside and outside of your home.

All of this will put you in a better mood, almost instantly.

As I said before, just make sure you have screens up, otherwise you’ll also invite bugs into your home.

4. Motivation. Once you’ve opened your home and yourself up to the outside world, you’ll notice that you’re more motivated to get things done. On your days off, you’ll get dressed a little earlier, get things done a little quicker, and maybe put down the remote control and decide to go explore the world beyond your doorstep.

5. Acclimation. Don’t wait until summer gets here to get used to the warmth. The more time you spend outside, the easier it will be to stay out there. If you wait until it’s already hot, you won’t want to deal with the heat. Don’t be a hermit. Enjoy life.

As with most things in life, one good decision leads to the next. Put three or four together, and you have a good habit. As the saying goes, you are what you repeatedly do. So, even if you can’t get outside as much as you’d like, now is the time that you can bring the outdoors inside to you. It’s as simple as that!

Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane / Freedigitalphotos.net

While we understand that not everyone celebrates Easter, often times the kids still want a basket with some goodies in it. Whether it’s candy or toys, you can find plenty of affordable options for putting a smile on your son or daughter’s face.

Here are the Official College Hunks Top 3 Easter Basket Fillers:

3. Doll / Action figure. My older sister’s face used to light up when she’d get a new doll on a holiday. My face would light up as well because I knew I wouldn’t have to sit through an afternoon tea party at Little Miss Muffet’s Cafe. Instead, I’d be left to my own vices, rocking out with Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers (obviously, much cooler than playing with dolls).

While a lot of our former favorites are long outdated, there are still plenty of lovable characters that your kids will go nuts for. Instead of buying them the dvd, get them the toy to really stimulate their imagination.

2. Nerf gun. They’re fun, they shoot soft styrofoam darts, extremely lightweight ping pong balls, or water, and they are the PERFECT gift for an active child who would otherwise spend his or her time destroying your house with heavier objects. Plus, you don’t have to break the bank to get a top-of-the-line Nerf product. There are plenty of affordable choices starting at around $20. Check them out right here.

1. Cadberry chocolate mini-eggs. Growing up, these eggs were my absolute favorite Easter candy and I turned out fine! Okay… maybe not the best example. Still, I know that health is extremely important, especially in this day and age and particularly when it comes to your kids.

But, that doesn’t mean you have to ban sweets forever. In fact, if anything, children’s chocolate intake should be monitored throughout the year so that they’ll appreciate it more on holidays and special occasions. This is definitely one of those occasions, so let them indulge a little.

Everything in moderation.

Now, more than ever, with the economy as battered and broken as it is and with such a high unemployment rate (that is astronomically higher among younger job-seekers), it’s important to realize that the problem lies with the system, not the kids themselves.

The “system”, however, affects all of the children in the younger generations, including yours. This is not a problem that will affect only “other people’s kids.” Unfortunately, your children will be among those suffering (if not already) from the lack of opportunities and resources allotted by the current educational/legislative system.

That’s why College Hunks Hauling Junk is proud to be a Featured Partner of #FixYoungAmerica, a movement created by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) in order to affect real change on behalf of the younger American generations. Here’s how it works:

While raising awareness across multiple platforms and stirring the conversation, the YEC plans to create a book of actionable ideas for ending youth unemployment and getting young Americans back to work.

Moreover, the reach of the movement extends beyond Generation Y, as the ultimate goal is to ensure economic opportunity for future generations to come.

Subsequently, the YEC wants to get that book into the hands of every decision maker, political leader, and innovative thinker in the country. The hope is to have the concerns of young America realized by those with the power to help.

College Hunks Hauling Junk Co-Founders, President Nick Friedman and CEO Omar Soliman, are slated to contribute to the book, having submitted an essay specifically outlining why and how we can creatively and realistically affect change to benefit future generations.

For parents, supporting this cause is a way to help ensure your own children’s future.

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic / freedigitalphotos.net

As Soliman puts it, “I’m a father of a young child myself, and I can say honestly, the time to act on behalf of our children’s future is now. Not 20 years from now when they’ve given up looking for a job. Not 10 years from now when they’re starting to consider career paths. The time to act is right now.”

And since the problem is systematic in nature, the system must be fixed in order for the children to eventually thrive in a rejuvenated job market. Otherwise, even the best parenting might not be enough to ensure your child’s future success.

Friedman echoes this sentiment, noting, “It’s the system, not the young people themselves that need fixed. Generation Y is by no means lazy. They’re systematically disadvantaged from the start.”

And College Hunks Hauling Junk is confident that, when the system is finally fixed, young people will prove their worth many times over.

As Friedman puts it, “Give our youth a real and accessible opportunity to shine and get your sunglasses out. You’ll need them.”

To learn more about #FixYoungAmerica and how to help, click here.

So, College Hunks Hauling Junk wants to make sure you get moving! Not literally “moving” because that would be more on the College Hunks Moving side of things. Agh, you know what I’m trying to say!

Anyway, here are the OFFICIAL Top 3 College Hunks Helpful Hints (that’s a lot of H’s) for “springing” into action (oh, I’m so punny, I know).

1. RALLY THE TROOPS! Get your kids, get your spouse, get Granny and Pap-Pap. Get your dog and tie a wet sponge to her nose (joking! Although, if she’s anything like my precocious puppy who sniffs at everything, she’ll have the whole house looking clean in a few hours). The point is, get whoever you can and bribe them with pizza for little Timmy or a doggy treat for Fido (just don’t give the wrong reward to the wrong helper).

2. Organize your strategy. It would be great if spring cleaning was a one-day project, but it’s not. That’s why there’s a whole week devoted to it nationally. Instead, pick a room each day and go nuts! If you can get one room each day after work, you’ll have the place looking spiffy without losing your mind.

3. Have fun! Remember, these aren’t your great-grandparents’ cleaning tips, these are the College Hunks Helpful Hints. If you’re not having fun, then you’re doing it wrong. Blast some music while  you work and dance while you clean! Why not? After all, the monotony of cleaning and de-cluttering is why you haven’t started yet anyway, right? So liven things up while you work!

If your clutter is too much for your army of cleaners to handle, call the College Hunks. We’ll be there in a hurry and we’ll haul all the clutter away for you! Check us out right here!

My Search for How to Truly “WOW” Our Clients

An 8-Part Blog Series by Omar Soliman, Founder and CEO of College Hunks

Part 8: Undercover Boss

I spent a few days answering the phones last week and talking to our clients directly. Here’s how it went, and here’s what I learned…

First, let me say It’s been a great journey for me, personally. All throughout this series, I’ve given you insight into what we do at College Hunks, how we do it, and, most importantly, why we do it.

In keeping with the theme of this “WOW” series, last week I tried something different. I wanted to step outside of my normal day-to-day tasks in an effort to really understand what our clients are saying. I figured, “What better way to understand what our clients are saying than to actually talk to them?”

So, I walked into the Client Loyalty Center and picked up a phone. 

I sat there for hours over the course of a couple days, answering the phone. Some people wanted to schedule a service, others just wanted to compliment our guys in the field. And, naturally, a few of them were calling the help desk to have various issues or problems resolved. Not too many, but let’s be honest, things happen, especially in a service-based company. The real test is whether or not the company makes it right (and believe me, our help desk is the best in the business at resolving those issues).

Anyway, I listened to them all.

I talked to people from all walks of life and in all sorts of situations.

By the end of the week, having spoken to so many different types of people with wide-ranging personalities and motives for calling, I learned a few things. Here are the two biggest things I gleaned from it all:

1. I have an even greater respect for our CLC than I already did. I love talking to our clients, but there are a million things going on behind the scenes in addition to the conversations they’re having. Trying to gather information while maneuvering the computer system and working together as a cohesive CLC team all at once isn’t easy, but our Client Loyalty Associates do a great job.

2. I gained an even better understanding of the voice of our clients. All too often, CEOs look at their clients like numbers and stats on a piece of paper. By talking to our clients, person to person, voice to voice, I re-enforced what I already knew: Every client is a unique person with unique circumstances. 

I talked to people from all over the country. Still, one phone call stuck out above all the rest.

Obviously, I won’t use her name on this blog, but she told me about some unfortunate events that led to her having to move out of her apartment. Without going into it too much, she had fallen on tough times and, though she didn’t want to move, she had to.

My heart went out to her. I could hear the worry in her voice. I felt awful for her and I wanted to help. Then, I realized I could.

I spent more time on that call than any of the other calls I took that day. I tried to comfort her and let her know it would be okay, even though the economy is pretty unpredictable right now. Still, the one thing I knew I could say with absolute certainty was that her experience with us would be 100% stress-free. I told her all about how our teams would be extremely gentle with her belongings and that she was in good hands with us.

She started to brighten up. We talked a while longer as I scheduled a free estimate for her, and by the end, she was feeling a little bit better. I could tell she was even smiling a little bit.

Now, obviously, that one phone call probably didn’t change her whole life. It did, however, make her day just a little bit better.

I figure, if the CLC made her day even just a little better that day, and then the HUNK team moving her belongings made the next day a little better, and then the HUNK who sent her a handwritten thank-you card afterward made that day a little better, then, well, that’s three days in a row where she smiled a little more. It might not seem like a lot, but a string of good days is a start.

They say that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. My hope is that the journey of a thousand smiles begins with a single phone call.

That’s how we’re going to move the world.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to talk to you again soon!