Thousands of people living in the United States are experiencing the burden of paying off student loan debt. Unfortunately, furthering your education isn’t cheap, causing most to end up owing thousands of dollars from years spent studying, learning, and obtaining degrees required to get high-paying jobs in specific fields.
It wasn’t long ago that Kevin Oliva was in the same shoes as many others who’ve recently graduated from college. Although he’s now a 24-year-old entrepreneur who has operated two incredibly successful businesses, things weren’t always that easy for him. In 2018, he worked a minimum wage job at Seton Hall University while pursuing his undergraduate degree. Unfortunately, earning a measly $8.50 an hour made it difficult for him to make a dent in the 40k worth of student loan debt that he had.
Despite the difficult circumstances, Kevin Oliva came across an opportunity to change his life for the better and set himself up for success on his entrepreneurial journey. While attending an off-campus party, a student brought a dog with her and mentioned working for Rover, an app that allowed freelancers to get paid for babysitting pets. She was making decent money spending time with animals, which inspired Kevin Oliva to do the same.
“The idea of it blew my mind. I couldn’t believe that I was getting paid $8 an hour, and some of my peers were making my biweekly pay in less than a week while spending time with animals,” shared Kevin Oliva. “I decided to sign up for Rover.com with the goal of becoming a top sitter in the Springfield and Short Hills area. I’d prioritize my customers and go above and beyond to provide excellent customer service, which helped me reach my goals and become a top earner on the platform. I was eventually making enough money to quit that minimum wage job.”
Kevin Oliva managed to scale his income from $800 per month to a staggering 8k+ per month while providing sitter services on Rover from that point forward. However, when it got to a point where he was receiving an overwhelming number of clients, he took the initiative to get off the site and start a business, HouseofDogs.co
“While pulling in more than 5k a month, I started using most of that money to pay off my student loans. Because of my consistency, customer service skills, and work ethic, I managed to pay my student loan debt off within eight months while starting a thriving business that has become a major success,” said Oliva. “While HouseofDogs.co is an incredible accomplishment, it’s not the only thing I’ve accomplished thus far, but it has been an incredibly pivotal business for me. Upon graduating in 2020, I became the co-founder of Novahost.io, eventually selling it for $50,000 and leaving with more than 1.7 million in equity. Overall, I’d have to say my dog boarding business has taught me everything I know about providing excellent customer service and running a business.”
While his success didn’t happen overnight, Kevin Oliva has the kind of story that can inspire others. He decided to take the plunge, do something he loves, and eventually earned enough to pay off his debt while starting businesses of his own. He’s living proof that you can succeed in life, even if you’re young and feel like you’re drowning in student loan debt. It’s never a bad time to escape from the minimum wage jobs while doing something more profitable to help you get further in your career.
Media Contact
Company Name: HOUSE OF DOGS
Contact Person: Media Relations
City: Springfield
State: New Jersey
Country: United States
Website: https://houseofdogs.co/