By Charles Nolde 

Car washing, fence painting, grass cutting, junk removal, and more. 804 Odd Jobs, as apparent in the name, performs a plethora of services. This company, consisting of Collegiate Seniors Nash Craig (‘24), Charlie Cheek (‘24), Stuart Hall (‘24), and St. Christopher’s senior Ashton Applewhite, began during the height of COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, when these high school students were looking for ways to make money. Inspired by Hall’s brother John Wesley’s junk removal business, they decided to offer their services to the community, posting flyers that promised assistance with any task.

Action of shot of Odd Jobs hauling furniture.

Their venture took an unexpected turn when they crossed paths with Hall’s neighbor Ben Warthen, whose eclectic range of requests would soon become the hallmark of their business. Hall said, “Ben was an odd man that would give us a wide array of jobs. This is where we adopted our motto of ‘Odd jobs.’” Warthen and Hall are very close, as reflected in Hall’s Senior Speech in January, which was about Warthen and the company.  

While reminiscing on an amusing experience with Warthen, the entrepreneurs told about a time he asked them to remove some blinds from a window. They were up to the task, but, according to Cheek, “we had no clue how to remove them. He just handed us crowbars and said, ‘Go to town.’” Three minutes after the boys got the crowbars, they explained, they broke the window, resulting in Warthen running downstairs and yelling, “Great Scott!” Looking back, the workers laughed about this incident, but they were scared for their reputation at the time. 

Hall stated, “Most of our jobs entail junk removals, moving furniture, pressure washing, and mulching. But we’ve also done more interesting things, like fixing printers and painting a porch deck a nice pink color.” The printer job was a funny one: 804 Odd Jobs went to assist a kind neighbor, Tracy, and she explained to them that her printer was broken. After an hour spent at the work site, the boys realized that the only thing wrong was there was no paper left! 

Mulching a yard.

Cheek was eager to mention that he is the boss of the company, and that Stuart is last in command. He also said, “besides us main four workers, we also have minions like Harrison Bray (‘24), Braden Felts (‘24), and Will Gallahan (‘24), who we outsource jobs to in case any of us are unavailable.” This need for outsourcing reflects the company’s growth and increase in demand for their services. Each year, Craig told me, the company has gained more and more clients; the company members love this growth and extra cash. 

When it comes to advertising, 804 Odd Jobs relies on a combination of traditional and digital marketing strategies. While they primarily use the Nextdoor app to reach potential customers in their neighborhoods, word of mouth and personal referrals remain invaluable sources of business. Hall is the main job facilitator. He posts advertisements in Nextdoor and reaches out to customers who are looking for any odd job. He told me, “My name is widely known on Nextdoor.”  

One of the defining moments in the journey of 804 Odd Jobs came when Applewhite, with the guidance of his uncle Johnson Applewhite, a lawyer, facilitated the transition of the business into an LLC. This strategic move not only provided the young entrepreneurs with legal protection but also signaled their commitment to long-term growth and sustainability. LLC stands for “limited liability cooperation,” meaning that if the company faces debts or legal liabilities, the members’ personal assets generally cannot be seized to satisfy those obligations, except in cases of fraud or negligence.   

In a world where entrepreneurship knows no age limits, 804 Odd Jobs stands as an example of youthful ambition and determination. With their dedication, Cheek, Craig, Applewhite, Hall, and their team of “minions” are proving that no job is too odd when approached with passion and a can-do attitude. As they continue on their journey, one thing is certain—the future is bright for 804 Odd Jobs and the community they serve. Each individual plans to use their profits to save up and invest in the stock market. As they part ways in college, 804 Odd Jobs plans to either pass the business down or continue to work the summers and breaks for extra cash to spend at college. 

Photos by Charlie Cheek.