CNBC Make It

A job seeker shares their experience of a lengthy unemployment period following a 2023 layoff, ultimately turning to a reverse recruiting agency in 2025. After two months with the service, they secured a job offer in December 2025 and started in January 2026. The decision to use reverse recruiting was driven by frustration with ineffective independent job search efforts.

An Indian immigrant shares their experience of moving to Dublin, Ireland, covering their monthly living expenses and early explorations of the city. They split a 4,000 euro house with two roommates, paying 1,450 euros in rent, and recount discovering Dublin's landmarks and Guinness beer. The speaker reflects positively on their decision to relocate.

Cynthia Diaz, a 33-year-old private chef and culinary educator in NYC, earns $66K/year. Originally from the Dominican Republic, she transitioned to private chef work after the pandemic while pursuing a culinary arts degree. She values the creativity, work-life balance, and hands-on nature of her profession.

Ashley Terrell, a 2024 University of Hawaii graduate with multiple business degrees, struggled to find work in her desired field despite months of networking and applications. She ended up in retail and hotel jobs before being laid off, reflecting a broader trend affecting half of her graduating class. Her story illustrates the difficult job market facing recent college graduates in 2024-2025.

Shayda Frost and Timothy Amoui unexpectedly inherited a cemetery business and grew it to $6 million per year across four cemeteries. Despite having no industry experience — she in film, he in crisis PR — they modernized outdated operations and reinvested all profits back into the business. They view cemeteries primarily as spaces for the living, focused on community and heritage.

International students in the US are facing a dual crisis: a tough entry-level job market and increasing legal and policy uncertainty under the Trump administration. Many graduates are now developing backup plans to return home or move to other countries. The US risks significant economic consequences if it continues to lose this talent pipeline.

The transcript discusses 'doom jobbing,' a phenomenon where stressed job seekers compulsively refresh job sites and mass-apply to roles. Experts argue this approach is counterproductive, leading to more rejections and mental strain. Career coaches recommend targeted applications, networking, and setting boundaries around job search time.

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.