Jared Shlager looks like your average college kid, but he doesn't sound like one.
He owns two businesses.
“I just want to be kind of like the last man standing and just dominate the industry,” he said.
Shlager not only eats, sleeps, and studies in his dorm room, but he also runs two businesses out of it.
He started a pet product design company when he was 16 and, in October, started an online business through which he sells healthy pet products.
"I work as hard as I can, and I work as I can because I just want to get the job done,” he said. “And I just want to be successful."
Jared’s father, Bryan, owned a chain of pet stores before he sold them to Petco. Now, Jared's father competes with him as an industry consultant.
“I don't really ask for his help; I just want him to be proud, and I know he is,” Shlager said.
Of course, Shlager would like to be able to bum around the University of Tampa campus, hang out with friends more, and enjoy this beautiful Florida weather, but now it's about managing his time.
"So you have to learn how to manage your time, and sometimes you have to sacrifice, like, hanging out with friends or sleep even."
But Shlager says he wouldn't have it any other way.
His goal is to be successful, and considering he's a college kid who's already the CEO of two businesses, he's certainly on his way.