Business is hard, that’s a known fact. In fact, it’s a dog-eat-dog world where only the most resilient survive and the weaker ones don’t last every long.
But sometimes, it’s also the underdogs that make the biggest impact in such an overwhelming industry. Here are three underrated entrepreneurs who took a leap of faith and made their dreams happen.
Gregory Grishayev
If you’ve heard about the huge success of nicotine vaping company Eonsmoke, Grishayev is the half of the duo that made that happen. Born in 1986 in Eastern Europe, Grishayev’s family migrated to the United States as refugees where they became American citizens after 7 long years of living in the country.
Life wasn’t easy for Grishayev’s family, so he needed to work as a busboy in an Italian restaurant where he eventually became an assistant manager.
At 18, Grishayev started his first business selling clothes on Ebay with his best friend Michael Tolmach. Since then, the duo built such a strong business partnership that they decided to venture into vaping in 2010. Eonsmoke instantly became a hit with more than $9.5 million in revenues for 2013 alone.
Grishayev also started his own company selling hoverboards and light up shoes. But it was his vape company that really made a mark in his career. His newest venture Purpyle focuses on creating fashionable sunglasses that are under $50. The brand seems destined to be one of the most recognized brands in the market.
Chase Fisher
It’s easy to think that Chase Fisher is another one of those successful surfer dues in Pacific Beach. After all, he looks the part with his tanned skin, fit body and bright smile.
But Fisher isn’t no ordinary surfer because he owns one of the most successful sunglass companies in the country today. Blenders offers a range of sunglasses that sells from $40 to $60.
Fisher got the idea of creating affordable yet fashionable eyewear by accident when he bought a pair of cheap sunglasses at Target to wear at a party. Even if it wasn’t branded, those sunglasses attracted a lot of attention that night and that’s when Fisher decided to venture into this business.
Hart Main
Completing this list is a young entrepreneur who turned a joke into a successful business. Hart Main was 13 when he joked about that the scented candles his sister was selling only catered to women’s scents.
Realizing this was a great idea, Main asked the help of his parents to start Man Can, a line of scented candles that featured scents for men. It featured varieties like Sawdust, Bacon, Fresh Cut Grass, Campfire and Grandpa’s Pipe.
Today, Main’s business enjoys annual sales of up to $200,000 and he’s just getting started. The young entrepreneur is very hands-on with his business and he also doesn’t forget to give back by donating a portion of his revenues to different charities, especially food banks around the country.
In fact, he has donated more than $30,000 and 90,000 cans of soup in soup kitchens.
