Grit isn’t just about working harder, it’s also about building smarter.

In this episode of Sales Against the Odds, host Lee Brumbaugh sits down with Nick Friedman, Co-Founder of College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk & Moving, to explore what it really takes to turn a side hustle into a national brand. Nick shares how a beat-up cargo van and a bold idea became a $300M business, why every founder should be their company’s best salesperson, and how culture, consistency, and continuous improvement fuel long-term success.

From defining what “Always Be Branding” truly means to developing resilient teams and scaling with purpose, this conversation offers practical lessons for leaders navigating growth. Whether you’re a founder, executive, or sales leader focused on building a brand that lasts, this episode will challenge how you think about grit, culture, and leadership in business.

Key takeaways:

• How grit, resilience, and consistency create a “20-year overnight success”
• Why every founder must be their brand’s biggest salesperson
• Turning a catchy idea into a culture that scales across hundreds of locations

Episode highlights:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:25) How a beat-up cargo van turned into a 20-year overnight success

(04:04) Learning to sell by helping people, not pitching to them

(07:46) Building a memorable brand that redefined what “H.U.N.K.S.” means

(11:10) Scaling culture and consistency across hundreds of franchises

(14:40) Non-stop training is about continuous improvement

(18:18) The power of purpose-driven motivation and removing self-doubt

(21:12) The “Four F’s” framework for evaluating your next business

(25:02) Taking entrepreneurial leaps and the story behind “Flying Junk”

(29:09) Why focusing on the gain, not the gap will lead to success

Connect with the team:

Nick Friedman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/collegehunkshaulingjunk/

Lee Brumbaugh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-brumbaugh-7835512b/

Sales Xceleration on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sales-xceleration/

Explore Sales Xceleration: https://salesxceleration.com/

Explore College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk & Moving: https://www.collegehunkshaulingjunk.com/