To do the work you love, you’ve got to unlock a few doors. UNLOCKED Stories are honest conversations with 20 and 30-somethings who chose a path + made it happen.
A note from Ellen: I’m thrilled to spotlight Morgan in this week’s installment of UNLOCKED STORIES, because he is a perfect example of somebody who saw a problem — college students trying to find affordable places to live — and created a start-up to provide the solution. Even if your career has nothing to do with real estate or start-ups, I know you’re going to be inspired by Morgan’s story. Read on, and don’t miss the powerful questions at the very end…
: What do you do?
I started a company called ON MY BLOCK that helps college students find affordable places to live, off-campus.
As CEO, my job is to guide the company in the right direction. I work with our advisors and investors — making sure we don’t run out of money, recruiting new team members, and basically, making sure things get done!
: Where did the original idea for your work come from?
The idea for ON MY BLOCK came to me during my freshman year of college.
Like many students, I didn’t really like living in the dorms on-campus. I wanted more peace and quiet — a place of my own! So I started looking for other options on big websites like Craigslist.
It was a frustrating experience. I encountered a lot of landlords who were flaky, unreliable, wanted to charge astronomical rental rates, or simply didn’t want to rent their apartments to students, for whatever reason. I wasted a lot of time trying to “follow up” with landlords who weren’t an ideal match.
And finally, I thought, “There’s got to be an easier way to find a place to live!”
ON MY BLOCK actually started as a simple Google spreadsheet – my personal record of which landlords + properties were worth checking out, the amenities they included, monthly rent, and so forth.
Pretty soon, friends at school starting asking, “Hey, can I see that spreadsheet? I’m having trouble finding a place to live, too.”
After the third or fourth person asked to peek at my spreadsheet, I realized that there was a business opportunity, here.
So, I started a company called Student Realty-San Diego. I was, in essence, a matchmaker between students and landlords. In about 2 ½ months, I helped about 80 students secure leases. I charged students $50 to help them find a great place to live, and I charged landlords $200 – $300 a pop.
The more I got into it, the more I realized that a LOT of students struggle to find affordable off-campus housing. In order to help thousands of students — not just a couple hundred — I needed to expand my vision.
With that realization, ON MY BLOCK was born.
Eventually, we built our housing-match website and developed a smartphone app. We are now in two locations — San Diego and San Luis Obispo — with plans to expand across California, and eventually, the world!
: What were you doing before On My Block?
I graduated from the University of San Diego, where I majored in Interdisciplinary Humanities.
After I returned from my junior year abroad in Madrid, I ran for a new role in student government and became the President of Associated Students. That was a very exciting time — it was empowering to have a big impact on campus policy. To have an idea, and see it come to life.
Most people are surprised to learn that I was always very shy. One of the goals I had in college was to move past that. I took a public speaking class during my sophomore year, which helped me to come out of my shell. A few years later, I was speaking in front of the entire student body at graduation — and I realized that I loved it!
: What was you biggest “LOCKED DOOR” moment? Did you almost give up on your dream? How did you feel in that moment?
I almost didn’t get into the University of San Diego.
I applied, and they put me on a waitlist.
At the urging of a family friend, I walked onto the campus, marched into the Admissions Department, spoke to one of the staff members there…and got in!
A few years later, I had another “locked door” moment. I was running out of money, and was thinking about transferring to a less expensive college, just to finish up my degree. I applied to couple of other schools, and they offered me scholarships.
I really wanted to stay at USD, so I met with the administrators to see if they could match the scholarships I’d been offered at other schools — which they did.
Because of that, I wanted to give back to my school and fellow students. That’s what inspired me to run for student government, and also to develop ON MY BLOCK.
When I encounter a “locked door,” my initial reaction is to be anxious. But once I take a step back and break the problem down into smaller steps, it becomes less scary.
I also say to myself, “The worst thing they can say is NO.” It never hurts to ask for what you want, even if it’s a little unorthodox. If you make a strong case, you’ll be surprised at how often people say “Yes!”
: What is the BEST thing that has happened since you UNLOCKED that door?
There was a moment where ON MY BLOCK was running low on funds, and we thought it was all over.
But then we won a couple of business plan competitions — $10,000 from the University of San Diego, then $25,000 from a San Diego Venture group competition, where we were selected out of 90 companies. Those awards helped us to stay afloat.
And then, we had another BIG win.
I pitched ON MY BLOCK to several investors in Silicon Valley. One of them got excited about our vision, and helped us raise $800,000 in seed money. He even found a house for me + my team to live in for a year, for free.
When that investor said “YES” to our vision, it took everything to the next level. We’re so grateful for his guidance + support!
: What’s the next door you need to unlock? (And what’s the plan?)
Our expansion model is similar to that of Uber and Lyft.
We want to make sure we provide great value at each school, in each region, before we move on to a new one.
The next door we want to unlock is all about customer service and sales. Basically: we want the ON MY BLOCK experience to be top-notch and totally consistent, on every site, in every city.
Our plan is to stay as small as we can, for as long as we can. Working lean + efficiently, before we seek out more money from investors.
: Last but not least: What’s your biggest piece of advice for anyone who wants to stay motivated, do amazing work and unlock major doors?
Always find something that makes you hungry and that makes you curious to learn more.
Remember that business is definitely about money, but it’s not just about the money.
Do things for the right reason.
Believe in what you are doing.
UNLOCK yourself
Three questions to think about, write about — or talk about with a friend.
1. While in college, Morgan had an experience that was frustrating and annoying – trying to find affordable off-campus housing.
: What’s one experience you’ve had that made you say, “There’s got to be a better way to do this!”
2. A turning point in Morgan’s career was when he overcame his fear of public speaking. Eventually, he addressed the entire student body at graduation!
: What’s one of your biggest fears, right now? What’s one thing you could do to move through it?
3. Another turning point in Morgan’s career was when he pitched investors in Silicon Valley, inspiring one amazing investor to back his project.
: If you were asking for $800,000 to fund a project that you’re passionate about, what would that project be? How will it help people around you?
For more UNLOCKED interviews, click over here.
Know somebody that ought to be spotlighted? Write to me here.
See you next time for another inspiring conversation!