From CNBC Make It. Lloyd Ortuoste, 33, didn’t originally set out to become an entrepreneur. In college, he was hit with a surprise bill, which led to a business idea to sell banana pudding that would eventually attract celebrities like Bella Hadid and Tyler, the Creator. Today, Baonanas brings in a gross annual revenue of…
From CNBC Make It. From Mexico to Ghana to Greece, Black Americans who moved abroad say they are finding more freedom, affordability, better work-life balance and a deeper sense of belonging by moving outside of the U.S. Produced & Edited by: Zach Green Narrated by: Ashton Jackson Senior Managing Producer: Eric M. Clark Additional Producers:…
From CNBC Make It. Sarah Myers has always loved the outdoors. Growing up in Vermont and New York, the 33-year-old spent summers camping, canoeing and hiking in the Adirondacks with her family. So when it came time to pick a career, “I knew I wanted to work in land management,” she tells CNBC Make It.…
From CNBC Make It. When Sung Roh looks at an old pair of sneakers, she sees an opportunity to be creative, solve a problem and help someone — and she feels joy. Roh runs a cobbling and shoe upcycling business called Cobbler Bushwick Co., which she started from her basement in the Bushwick neighborhood of…
From CNBC Make It. Aleese Lightyear, 35, traded a hectic NYC life for China and now lives large on $30K a year. She pays $278/month for her downtown apartment, she’s thriving in Chengdu, paid off her student loans and is now saving up to $1,000/month. She’s hoping to purchase a beach house in Mexico next.…
From CNBC Make It. In 2015, Katerina Markov Schneider was newly pregnant and on the hunt for the right prenatal vitamin. There were plenty of options available on the market, but none that met her standards. She found most of them to have high levels of heavy metals and too many artificial ingredients. Schneider decided…
From CNBC Make It. Desiree Hill, 39, is the owner of Crown’s Corner Mechanic — an auto repair shop in Conyers, Georgia. Her company brought in nearly $440,000 in net revenue last year, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. This year, Crown’s Corner Mechanic has brought in about $70,000 in monthly revenue —…
From CNBC Make It. After a busy day of excelling at work and tending to your daily tasks, it’s not uncommon to feel pretty drained by the time you get home. But if you experience that feeling frequently or find yourself stuck in bed and unable to do things for yourself, you could be in…
From CNBC Make It. Roland Salvato, 64, and Malana Moberg, 59, sold their San Francisco apartment for $1.45 million and moved to Druelle Balsac, France. The couple bought a chateau and has spent the past few years renovating the 6,458-square-foot property. Unlocked is a home tour series focused on how much people across the globe…
From CNBC Make It. When the pandemic shut down courts in 2020, attorney Derrick Morgan Jr. turned to Fiverr to offer trademark services to earn extra income. His side hustle quickly grew, leading him to start his own practice. Today, he pays himself over $350,000 a year, serves clients worldwide, and runs his business remotely…
From CNBC Make It. As a senior at UT-Austin, Daniel Goetz set out to start a socially responsible business. Inspired by frozen paletas he ate on a trip to Mexico City, he used $3,500 in savings to make low-sugar ice pops, buy a pushcart, and print signage. After years of distributing them himself across Texas,…
From CNBC Make It. Kate Sullivan, 26, is the founder of The Sage Vintage, a handmade jewelry company that creates pieces using vintage charms and chains. The company, which brought in over $500,000 in revenue in 2024, began as a side hustle after Sullivan dropped out of college. The chunky charm necklaces have been worn…
From CNBC Make It. Tyla Packish, 23, lives in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, a town on Martha’s Vineyard. She grew up on the island and lives there year-round on $85,000 a year. Tyla works in creator partnerships for an advertising agency and has a side hustle doing social media management and consulting for businesses on the…
From CNBC Make It. Sara McDaniel, a real estate investor and content creator, purchased an abandoned property with eight apartments in Minden, Louisiana in 2021. She paid about $50,000 for the property and spent about $730,000 on renovations. Today, the apartments are short-term rentals known as "The Villas at Spanish Court," bringing in around $220,000…
From CNBC Make It. As a senior at UT-Austin, Daniel Goetz set out to start a socially responsible business. Inspired by frozen paletas he ate on a trip to Mexico City, he used $3,500 in savings to make low-sugar ice pops, buy a pushcart, and print signage. After years of distributing them himself across Texas,…
From CNBC Make It. In 2018, Desiree Hill was a medical assistant commuting three hours per day and barely seeing her kids. Hoping to earn extra income, she started a side hustle buying, repairing and reselling rundown vehicles. With no prior auto repair experience, she learned by searching the internet and watching YouTube videos. Today,…
From CNBC Make It. When Kate Sullivan started making jewelry in her bedroom at age 19, she couldn’t have imagined that her designs would one day be spotted on stars like Gigi Hadid and SZA. Today, Sullivan’s online jewelry company, The Sage Vintage, brings in six figures a year, topping $570,000 in total sales in…