Why I became a sneakerhead
What would you do with $500? Most teenagers would spend this money on video games, drugs, clothes, and other object without ever thinking about investing it. However, I invested the $500 received from my fellowship at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. My main investment was something very simple, shoes.
“Why are you wasting money on shoes? Why are you so stubborn? Why do you want to follow business?” my mother repeatedly asked me day after day. Her words of discouragement had the exact opposite effect on me. I set up an online shop via Facebook and started selling shoes to different people from the San Francisco Bay Area. The business model was simple: buy low and sell high. |
In the ever changing sneaker world the value of shoes is a function of scarcity, age, condition, among other characteristics. My first investment was a pair of Air Jordans that I bought for $174, but after studying the sneaker market I determined that I could mark up these shoes to $220, making an easy profit. This profit symbolized the start of my love for business.
As I progressed with my negotiations, my overall revenue grew to the point where I made enough money to purchase my own car; the original goal for getting into this business. At the end of the day, I was making as much money as teenagers at regular jobs, without slaving away in a fast food restaurant or retail superstore. With growing business skills and hefty rewards, I developed a passion for making money.
As I progressed with my negotiations, my overall revenue grew to the point where I made enough money to purchase my own car; the original goal for getting into this business. At the end of the day, I was making as much money as teenagers at regular jobs, without slaving away in a fast food restaurant or retail superstore. With growing business skills and hefty rewards, I developed a passion for making money.