CNBC Make It
Shankweiler’s Drive-in
In 2022, Matt McClanahan and Lauren McChesney purchased Shankweiler's Drive-In Theatre, America's oldest drive-in movie theater. Today, it brings in nearly $550,000 a year. Here's how much it costs to run.
Produced, scripted and edited by Lauren Shamo
Freja
Jenny 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.
Produced, filmed, scripted and edited by Lauren Shamo
Byway Coffee Co.
Avery Amstutz, 28, purchased a 1973 Airstream trailer for $6,000 in 2024. The Memphis entrepreneur transformed it into Byway Coffee Co., a mobile coffee trailer that brought in over $500K in its first year.
Produced, scripted and edited by Lauren Shamo
Jamal Robinson
Jamal Robinson, 40, retired early in 2024 after saving almost a $4 million nest egg. He held positions at companies like Microsoft, IBM, and Amazon. Today, Jamal lives as an American expat in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Here's how he spends his money.
Produced and scripted by Lauren Shamo
Abbode
In 2023, Abby Price hosted a two-day embroidery pop-up at Abbode, her New York home decor shop. The event's success inspired Price to completely replace Abbode's business model, and now it sells customizable embroidered products and embroidery services. In 2024, Abbode brought in $1.59 million in total sales.
Produced, filmed, scripted and edited by Lauren Shamo
Brazen Bagels
Jacob Anson, 31, quit his job and started Brazen Bagels with a $3,000 cash advance. Here's how he runs his bagel shop inside an auto body shop in Dearborn, Michigan.
Produced, scripted and edited by Lauren Shamo
The Sage Vintage
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 by SZA and Gigi Hadid, and are sold on Anthropologie's website. Here's how Sullivan's side hustle turned into a profitable jewelry company.
Produced, scripted and edited by Lauren Shamo
Cool Aunt Cleaners
Anna-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 $10,000 a month, and Anna's since quit her day job to run the business full-time. Here's how she did it.
Produced and scripted by Lauren Shamo
Tezza
In 2018, Tessa "Tezza" Barton and Cole Herrmann launched a photo editing app called Tezza to simplify photo editing for social media users. Instead of startup funds, the husband-and-wife duo relied on Barton's photography expertise and Herrmann's software engineering skills to create the app — starting with premade filters and expanding into more complex editing tools. Tezza brought in $26.5 million in 2023, and boasts 2.5 million monthly users today.
Produced, filmed and scripted by Lauren Shamo
Appsumo
Noah 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, TX, and Spain.
Produced, scripted and edited by Lauren Shamo
KOA Campground
Mark Lemoine, 53, took a leap of faith in 2016 when he resigned from his government job to pursue his lifelong dream of owning a campground. Alongside his wife, Karla, also 53, they acquired the Coloma/St. Joseph KOA Campground located in southwest Michigan for $1.6 million. Since then, through numerous renovations, new additions, and dedicated care, their campground's value has skyrocketed to an impressive $6 million.
Produced, scripted and edited by Lauren Shamo
Baddies And Budgets
At 30 years old, Jasmine Taylor found herself with $60,000 worth of student loan debt and $9,000 in credit card and medial debt. Determined to get her finances back on track, she researched budgeting methods and found cash stuffing online. Two years later, cash stuffing has not only gotten Jasmine out of debt but also made her a very successful business owner. Baddies And Budgets brought in $850,000 in 2022 and is on track to hit $1 million in 2023.
Produced and scripted by Lauren Shamo