CNBC Make It

The video advises against vague email closings like 'let me know your thoughts' when writing to executives, as these phrases lack urgency and specificity. Instead, it recommends techniques like binary choices, deadlines, and one-word reply prompts to make it easier for busy leaders to respond quickly.

A 51-year-old entrepreneur explains how her luxury protection dog business, S Fallen, was born out of personal safety concerns while living in Nairobi, Kenya. The company, now 20 years old, only became profitable in 2017 and has found its strongest footing in recent years by catering to ultra-wealthy post-COVID clients.

A content creator swapped their iPhone for a flip phone for 4 days after noticing their screen time exceeded 5 hours daily. The experiment revealed reduced social obligation, unexpected social connections, and less focus on personal appearance. While not a permanent solution, it prompted meaningful changes like disabling app notifications.

Ashley Terrell, a 2024 University of Hawaii graduate with multiple business degrees, struggled to find work in her field despite months of networking and job applications. Her post-graduation employment has consisted of a retail promotion role and a hotel job she was later laid off from. She reflects that roughly half of her graduating class also lacked employment at graduation.

Kat Gotsick, 29, generated $789,000 in 2025 selling Bluetooth landline phones that connect to smartphones. Her products combine retro aesthetics with modern functionality, including rotary phones and wall-mounted designs. She views her success as tapping into a cultural and emotional desire for physical phone experiences.

The founder of Shortcut, a video content agency based in Toronto, describes how he scaled his business from $2,000/month retainer clients to $50,000/month clients. He outlines his team structure spanning multiple countries and shares an ambitious goal of reaching $100 million in revenue within 5 years. His core philosophy centers on paying employees extremely well and eventually sharing ownership with key team members.

Pooja Bavishi, founder and CEO of Malai, shares how she built a $2.8–3 million/year ice cream company by introducing South Asian flavors like cardamom, rose, and saffron to mainstream American markets. Starting from a Friendsgiving experiment in 2014 with no food industry experience, she scaled to four brick-and-mortar locations across major U.S. cities. Despite going $200,000 into credit card debt to open her first store, Malai reached profitability for the first time in 2024 after raising $1.8 million total.

Steven and Ashley purchased an abandoned fire station in 2016 for $90,000 and converted it into a 6,200 square foot dream home. The property has since appreciated to approximately $400,000. The couple creatively designed unique rooms including a theater, indoor soccer field, and nursery within the repurposed building.

A couple purchased a 140-year-old home in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey for $550,000 and have spent approximately $175,000 on renovations. They walk through the home's key spaces, highlighting restoration efforts and structural changes. The video also covers their financing details, including a 15% down payment and a 7.125% mortgage rate.

Kat Gatsy, 29, built a $789,000 business in 2025 selling Bluetooth-compatible landline phones. The idea came from her desire to reduce smartphone screen time while recapturing the nostalgia of shared family landlines. Her Stanford education and startup experience gave her the confidence to prototype and launch the product.

Tomi Mikula, founder and CEO of Delivrd, explains how he built a $2.3 million remote car negotiation business after a pivotal moment in 2023 when eight customers told him they 'hate buying cars.' His company handles all aspects of car deal negotiation for clients while using an anti-sales model and live streaming as primary lead generation. He aims to scale to 700-800 deals per month and ultimately reinvent the car buying industry.

A company specializing in high-end protection dogs priced at $175,000 explains their rigorous training process, which spans two years and includes stability, obedience, and socialization. Dogs are delivered with personalized training and lifetime annual check-ins with the family. In 20 years of operation, only one dog has ever had to actively deploy its protection capabilities.

Charlie runs a financial coaching business earning around $60,000 a year, working 40-50 hours weekly from a portable office. They specialize in serving LGBTQ, transgender, and first-generation Latina clients, focusing on financial empowerment and money boundary-setting. A key focus is addressing the financial vulnerabilities caused by family estrangement within the LGBTQ community.

Margaret Skiff, a 27-year-old from Portland, Maine, shares her experience purchasing a $575,000 duplex in 2025, becoming a landlord in the process. She personally renovated the property, which was in poor condition when she bought it. She describes the pride she feels from doing the work herself.

A couple shares their experience renovating a historic home, highlighting key design challenges and transformations including a custom headboard, a newly built en-suite bathroom, and a finished attic space. They also uncovered a hidden brick chimney and discuss their outdoor land potential. The project is part of a broader furniture upcycling and home-flipping business that has generated over $1 million.

Amanda and Vinny Drees purchased a 140-year-old Victorian home in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey for $550,000. The couple has been renovating the money pit ever since, discovering fascinating historical artifacts inside the walls. Amanda grew up dreaming of owning a Victorian home, while Vinny was less prepared for the extensive renovation work involved.

A female electrician earning $43K a year shares her daily routine, job satisfaction, and the challenges of working in a male-dominated field. She describes the fulfillment of seeing construction projects go from bare dirt to a finished, powered building. Despite needing to constantly prove herself as a woman, she expresses genuine happiness with her career.

Lydia Holmes and John Clark started LJ's Lil' Café, a breakfast burrito stand in a Home Depot parking lot in Orange County, California in 2021. After an Eater LA article featured them, their business exploded from $200-300 daily sales to over $1,000 per day, and they now generate $2.3 million annually.

A Montana ranch owner discusses the intensive process of training protection dogs that sell for $175,000 each. The operation involves 50 dogs, 13 staff members working 24/7, and faces challenges with finding quality breeding stock.

Bradley Craig, a 36-year-old American, shares his experience living in Shenzhen, China with his family, highlighting the extremely low cost of living, advanced technology, and quality of life benefits compared to the US. He describes monthly expenses including $1,000 rent for a 3-bedroom apartment, $50 total transportation costs, and $100 grocery bills that can fill an entire cart.