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An unemployed UX designer, Lei had taken it upon herself to create the perfect work bag. Today, Lei is the 28-year-old CEO and founder of Freja, a New York-based company that sells work totes, shoulder purses and travel accessories. A 'really, really slow' startIn February 2019, Lei was a soon-to-be-unemployed graduate student at Cornell University preparing for a job interview in New York. She tried pairing three different work bags with her outfit, and none of them worked. "It was really, really slow for the first two years," says Lei.

Persons: Jenny Lei, She'd, Lei, —, Freja, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Celine, Loewe, Sandy Liang Organizations: CNBC, Cornell University Locations: Hoboken , New Jersey, New York, Bryant, Brooklyn, Guangzhou, China

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailI launched a business from my living room - now it brings in $9 million a yearJenny Lei, 28, is the founder and CEO of Freja, a company that sells work totes, shoulder purses and travel accessories. The 4-year-old startup brought in more than $9 million in revenue over the last 12 months, including $2 million in profit. Here's how Lei built a trendsetting brand, despite her lack of experience in the industry.

Persons: Jenny Lei, Lei

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow I built a $100,000 a year business without a college degreeAnna-Marie Ortiz, 30, started a side hustle with her last $2,000 in savings in July 2023. A year later, Cool Aunt Cleaners brings in an average of about $10,000 a month, and Ortiz has since quit her day job to run the business full time. Here's how she did it.

Persons: Anna, Marie Ortiz, Ortiz

A little over a year into running her cleaning business, Cool Aunt Cleaners, Anna-Marie Ortiz has learned a lot about the resilience and adaptability needed to succeed as a small business owner. Matt Wolcott | CNBC Make ItOrtiz started the business in July 2023 with her last $2,000 in savings. Despite the failure, running the shop gave Ortiz lasting insights she was able to apply to her cleaning business. To drum up business, Ortiz put up flyers and handed out business cards in targeted neighborhoods. Looking aheadOrtiz has ambitious plans to expand Cool Aunt Cleaners beyond Portland and turn it into a "seven-figure business."

Persons: Marie Ortiz, —, Anna, Matt Wolcott, Ortiz, she's, it's, I've, they're, recalibrating, Ortiz doesn't, she'd Organizations: CNBC, Butler Community College, Transportation, Amazon Prime, Spotify Locations: Portland , Oregon, Wichita , Kansas, Wichita, Kingman , Kansas, Lawrence , Kansas, Portland, West Coast, forbearance

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow we built Warby Parker into a $1.8 billion eyewear brandIn 2010, Warby Parker disrupted the $150 billion global eyewear industry with a pair of $95 glasses. Started by four business school students, the pioneering direct-to-consumer eyewear brand has now sold millions of pairs of glasses, both online and in 269 brick-and-mortar stores across the U.S. and Canada. It brought in nearly $670 million in revenue last year, and currently boasts a market value of $1.8 billion.

Persons: Warby Parker Locations: Canada

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow this couple lives on $268,000 a year near Washington, D.C.Cristina Tello-Trillo, 38, and her husband, Sebastian, are both economists living in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. with their 5-year-old son. Cristina is also an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland and a budding real estate investor. Their combined income in 2023 was $268,000. 09:09 an hour ago

Persons: Cristina Tello, Sebastian, Cristina Organizations: University of Maryland Locations: Washington ,

Charles Coristine used to revel in working at Morgan Stanley. At a barbeque, Coristine met an owner of snack company LesserEvil, who talked about wanting to sell his "flatlining" business. A 'scrappy' reinventionWhen he bought LesserEvil, Coristine was working at TD Bank and pursuing an MBA at Cornell University Graduate School. It brought in roughly $2 million that year, accounting for a third of LesserEvil's annual revenue, the company says. A year later, the company got its first outside funding — about $3 million, the company says — from sustainable food and agriculture investment firm InvestEco.

Persons: Charles Coristine, revel, Morgan Stanley, Coristine, that's, Andrew Strife, welders, LesserEvil, Homer, Henry David Thoreau, — Organizations: CNBC, U.S, TD Bank, Cornell University Graduate School, packers, Kroger, LesserEvil, Growth Locations: Tokyo, London, Danbury , Connecticut, Wilton , Connecticut, Danbury, New Milford

Kevin Levu faces unpredictable dangers during his nursing shifts, including the risk of being stabbed or beaten. A travel nurse, Levu works at Pelican Bay State Prison, which is home to some of the most violent inmates in California. Being a travel nurse "provides a lot of freedom in my life," he says. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Kevin Levu in the army. "Kevin Levu at home.

Persons: Kevin Levu, Levu, Chuck Greenwood, I'm, —, there's, wasn't, nudged, Fort Sam Houston, didn't, Doctors, Kevin, fanny, gurney, he's, they're Organizations: CNBC, Pelican, Fort, Fresno City College, IRA, Netflix, Spotify, Toyota Tacoma Locations: Pelican Bay, California, Brookings , Oregon, U.S, Pelican, Crescent City, Northern California, Levu, Oklahoma, San Antonio , Texas, Kevin, Fresno , California, Placerville , California

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailI make $112,000 a year as a travel nurse working in a prisonKevin Levu, 24, earns $112,000 a year as a travel nurse working in Pelican Bay State Prison. Levu, who studied nursing while serving in the U.S. Army, took his first travel nursing job in 2023 after learning how much money he could make. Here's how he manages his money. 08:39 9 minutes ago

Persons: Kevin Levu Organizations: U.S . Army Locations: Pelican Bay, Levu

☆ We bought a home by the ocean for $212K in Laguna Beach, CA
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-15 | by ( Lauren Shamo | Gene Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Unlocked is a home tour series focused on how much people across the globe spend on their housing, what they get for the money and what they had to sacrifice to make it happen.

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailLiving on $110,000 a year in Italy—how I plan to retire by 40Darren Thedieck enlisted in the Air Force at 18 and has diligently saved and invested ever since. He's on track to retire in seven years, after 20 years of service. So far, he's saved over $500,000. 08:12 an hour ago

Persons: Darren Thedieck, he's Organizations: Air Force Locations: Italy

Thedieck, now 31, is still in the military, and has gotten an awful lot of what he's wanted ever since. Darren Thedieck, age 31, joined the Air Force at age 18. Saving on a military salaryThedieck was interested in saving and investing long before he joined the Air Force. Right now, though, the plan is for that money to provide a financial "cushion" for the family, Thedieck says. Instead of full retirement after military life, both he and Naudia plan to take off in a new direction.

Persons: Darren Thedieck wasn't, he's, Thedieck, He's, Darren Thedieck, Andrea Ferro, Naudia, Denmark —, he'll, — Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Darren, That's, They're Organizations: CNBC, U.S . Air Force, Air Force, titans, Social Security, Service Credit Union, Apple, Disney, Netflix, Spotify, FIRE Locations: Las Vegas, England, South Korea, Germany, Aviano, Italy, Venice, Denmark, United States

Berkowitz, 43, is the CEO and co-founder of Insomnia Cookies, a chain of late-night bakeries he started in 2002 as a college side hustle while attending the University of Pennsylvania. "2009 and 2010 [were] some of the hardest years ever at Insomnia Cookies," says Berkowitz. His wife Rebecca — who's also responsible for the name "Insomnia Cookies," Berkowitz says — responded with some perspective and optimism. "When I talk about the brand and our journey, [I often say] that Insomnia Cookies is a perseverance story," says Berkowitz. Sign up for CNBC's new online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories.

Persons: Seth Berkowitz, Berkowitz, Krispy Kreme, DON'T, Rebecca — who's, —, You've, he'd Organizations: University of Pennsylvania, CNBC, SEC Locations: —, Syracuse , New York, Champaign , Illinois

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow this 32-year-old sold $400,000 worth of cheese in 2023Caroline Hesse, 32, is the founder and CEO of C. Hesse Cheese, a wholesale cheese distribution company in New York City. She sells cheese to restaurants, cheese shops, catering companies and direct to consumers. In 2023, her business brought in $400,000.

Persons: Caroline Hesse, Hesse Locations: New York City

☆ 43-year-old started a side hustle in college with $150—now it brings in $200 million a year: It took 'everything that I had'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. Lauren Shamo | Tom Huddleston Jr. | Lauren Shamo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

By the time he graduated in 2004, Berkowitz signed a lease to open Insomnia's first brick-and-mortar location, near another college campus in Syracuse, New York. Now, with Krispy Kreme looking to sell Insomnia, Berkowitz says he's "grateful for the journey." Seth Berkowitz estimates he spent roughly $150 on baking ingredients to start Insomnia Cookies. "2009 and 2010 [were] some of the hardest years ever at Insomnia Cookies," says Berkowitz, adding: "There wasn't anyone else to do it. 'Insomnia Cookies is a perseverance story'

Persons: Seth Berkowitz, Krispy, " Berkowitz, Berkowitz, he's, Grubhub, Uber, —, Jared Barnett —, Barnett Organizations: CNBC, University of Pennsylvania, Syracuse , New York ., College Park , Locations: Syracuse , New York, Champaign , Illinois, College Park , Maryland, Syracuse, New York, Philadelphia

Facebook fired Kagan in 2006 after he leaked company information to the press at Coachella. "I didn't work too hard at Intel and I didn't spend a lot of money," Kagan says. Following his firing from Facebook, Kagan ran conferences for aspiring entrepreneurs (a hustle he had started while at Intel), taught English in South Korea and picked up consulting work for Silicon Valley tech firms. In addition to working on AppSumo, Kagan manages rental properties and creates content for his YouTube and social media channels. In addition to his AppSumo business and his book, Kagan operates a YouTube channel and manages five rental properties.

Persons: Noah Kagan, Kagan, Bill Gates, Kagan's, Facebook, Camila Ortega, He'd, Maria, didn't, hadn't, AppSumo, They'll, We've, everyone's, we've, Kagan didn't, wasn't, Rolexes, —, he's Organizations: CNBC, Microsoft, Facebook, University of California, Intel, Mint, Apple, PC, PayPal, Rolex, Entertainment, Insurance, Spotify, YouTube, AppSumo, Mazda Locations: Silicon Valley, Redmond , Washington, Barcelona, Austin , Texas, Berkeley, Israel, South Korea, Philippines, Argentina, Austin, Pakistan, AppSumo

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailI was fired from Facebook in my 20s—now I make $3.3 million running my own tech companyNoah Kagan, 41, CEO and Co-founder of Appsumo.com, earns approximately $3.3 million a year. Before starting Appsumo.com, he held positions at tech companies such as Intel, Mint.com and Facebook. Currently, Noah divides his time between his homes in Austin, Texas, and Barcelona, Spain. 08:07 43 minutes ago

Persons: Noah Kagan, Appsumo.com, Noah Organizations: Facebook, Intel Locations: Austin , Texas, Barcelona, Spain

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMaking $58K living in an RV in Austin, TXCarly DeFelice, 38, lives in Austin, Texas, in her stationary RV. She earns $58,000 a year as a community manager at a co-working space. At 26, Carly achieved "Coast FIRE." Here's how she spends her money.

Persons: Austin , TX Carly DeFelice, Carly Locations: Austin , TX, Austin , Texas

'Wherever you go, there you are'For DeFelice, covering those living expenses became a grind. Corentin Soibinet for CNBC Make ItAs for living expenses, DeFelice still takes out $120 a week to cover her basic costs and finds ways to limbo under that number. 'I'm here to say you can turn things around'After her return to Austin, DeFelice had been coasting. The part-time work was enough to cover her living expenses, but she's recently bumped up her salary by going full-time. In the meantime, she'll continue to educate others about good money habits through her online course, Best Money Class Ever.

Persons: Carly DeFelice, —, DeFelice, Mercedes, Corentin Soibinet, didn't, they'll, Warren Buffett, hasn't, Soibinet, she's, She's, I've, she'll Organizations: CNBC, University of Texas, Benz, FIRE, Carolinas, West Coast, FinCon Entertainment, Mint Mobile Locations: Austin , Texas, Austin, Hawaii, Omaha , Nebraska, Charlotte, Raleigh, West, Texas, Pacific Northwest, New Orleans, East Austin

Jae Byun, 31, earns around $115,000 teaching math and coaching basketball at a high school in Orange County, California. Now seven years in, the 31-year-old earned $114,099 for the 2021-2022 academic year between teaching and coaching during the school year, teaching summer school and coaching over the summer in California's Fullerton school district. My parents taught me the value of money and that money doesn't grow on trees. Jae Byun"My parents taught me the value of money and that money doesn't grow on trees," Byun says. For the two summer months, he taught summer school and coached summer programs.

Persons: Jae Byun, didn't, Byun, Tristan Pelletier, Orange County Byun, I've, they've, weren't, Byun didn't, he's, Roth Organizations: CNBC, University of California, UC Irvine, California State University, Fullerton, Concordia University, U.S, National Education Association, Roth IRA Locations: Irvine, Orange County , California, California's Fullerton, Orange County, South Korea, Fullerton , California, U.S, California, Mississippi

This is an installment of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which profiles people across the globe and details how they earn, spend and save their money.

Organizations: CNBC

Goodwin is the CEO and formulator of Olipop, a "healthier" prebiotic soda on track to surpass $200 million in sales by the end of the year. Here's how Goodwin and Lester turned a $100,000 investment into a multimillion-dollar business capable of selling $20 million worth of soda a month. They agreed to meet at a coffee shop in Palo Alto in early 2013 to discuss a potential partnership in Ben's probiotic soda company – Obi. However, Obi didn't see the success and traction they'd hoped for, and in 2016, Goodwin and Lester sold Obi. Ben Goodwin and David Lester became partners in Goodwin's probiotic soda company, Obi, in 2013.

Persons: Ben Goodwin, Goodwin, David Lester, Olipop, Lester, Gen Z, gravitate, I'd, Gary Erickson, Jes Gallegos, Jim Ilehder, São Paulo, Ben, – Obi, David, Van Leeuwen, Obi, Obi didn't, hadn't, would've, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mindy Kaling, Jonas, Joe, Nick, Kevin, they've Organizations: CNBC, University of California, Clif, Hardware, Diageo, U.S . Midwest, Target, Walmart Locations: Northern California, Santa Cruz, TikTok, University of California Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Ben's, Santa, probiotics, Jerusalem, U.S, Washington

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWe built Olipop: A $20 million a month soda company in 5 yearsOlipop has skyrocketed to prominence in the mulitbillion-dollar soda market with its healthy prebiotic soda. Leading the way to this success are Olipop founders, Ben Goodwin and David Lester. Learn how they turned a $100,000 investment into a multimillion-dollar soda company.

Persons: Olipop, Ben Goodwin, David Lester

☆ How Van Leeuwen turned a $60,000 investment into a $300,000-a-day ice cream empire
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

An introduction to ice creamBen Van Leeuwen earned money in college by driving a Good Humor ice cream truck. From left: Ben Van Leeuwen, Pete Van Leeuwen and Laura O'Neill. Van Leeuwen Ice CreamDespite their best efforts, they were only able to raise a total of $60,000 from 15 friends and family members. Van Leeuwen Ice CreamVan Leeuwen Ice Cream was a hit from day one. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream CEO and co-founder Ben Van Leeuwen at a Williamsburg, Brooklyn scoop shop.

Persons: Ben Van Leeuwen, Ben, Van, Van Leeuwen, Leeuwen, SpongeBob, hadn't, I'm, Pete, Laura O'Neill, Thomas Keller's, Laura, Pete Van Leeuwen, Van Leewen, There's, it's, Van Leeuwen's, Lauren Shamo, Tasia Jensen Organizations: CNBC, Walmart, Foods, Mister, eBay, Subaru Impreza, Prince, Kraft, Cream Locations: Washington ,, Van Leeuwen, Greenpoint , Brooklyn, New York, SoHo, Southeast Asia, Europe, Spain, Italy, France, American, New York City, York, Bronx, Greene, Van, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Williamsburg , Brooklyn

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow I built Van Leeuwen into a multi-million dollar ice cream empireOver the past 15 years, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream has grown from a single ice cream truck to a nationwide chain of scoop shops. Leading this mission was none other than the co-founder and CEO, Ben Van Leeuwen, armed with a vision to completely shake up the ice cream industry with freshness and top-notch quality.

Persons: Van, Van Leeuwen, Ben Van Leeuwen Locations: Van Leeuwen

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