This Side Hustle Spotlight interview features 27-year-old Valentina Zapata, a Las Vegas-based entrepreneur who Shoe Game Co. Zapata’s side hustle-turned-full-time sneaker resale business now brings in more than $500,000 a month. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
What was your day job (or other sources of income) when you began your side hustle?
I used to be a life insurance broker.
When did you begin doing this and where did you get the inspiration?
It was post-pandemic times. My girlfriend encouraged me to get back into it and treat it as something positive to do after hours.
What were the first steps you took to begin your side hustle?
We began with Instagram, then we went to Facebook Marketplace, and we drove almost an hour to do our first flip. And we just keep rinsing and repeating.
What were the biggest challenges you faced while building your side hustle and how did you overcome them?
We learned what not to purchase—what is—and that not all “good deals” are good deals. And the most vital lesson we learned early on: methods to spot fakes! That cost us the most money; but we watched the videos, we studied, we took the L on the chest, and we kept pushing. Finally, as resellers, we all the time struggle with inventory. That was something we wanted to resolve—how can we sell and sell fast?
How long did it take you to see a regular monthly income? How much did you earn from this side hustle?
We saw a regular income of $7,000 per month, but it wasn’t until we entered the live sales platform Whatnot that every little thing exploded for us. That’s when we moved our business full time.
When and why did you choose to pursue a full-time side hustle? What does growth and revenue seem like now?
We decided to make it our full-time business inside two months of being on Whatnot. We saw the reach and the community, and more importantly, we knew the sneaker category on Whatnot was relatively recent, as was live sales, and we didn’t need to miss out. We’re doing over $500,000 in revenue per month—and we just signed a lease and moved into our recent 6,000-square-foot warehouse. We’re now seven employees in less than two years, and we have no plans of slowing down.
What do you enjoy most about running this business?
I really like watching the team grow and their lives change around me as we work hard, and it pays off. Beyond our team’s wins, our community is so beautiful—it’s so much more than just sales.
What advice would you give to others who would love to begin their very own profitable business or do something else?
Build and drive a community – every little thing else will follow. The only approach to stand out in the digital age is to build a strong brand reach.
This article is a part of our ongoing Young Entrepreneur® series, where we highlight the stories, challenges, and successes of being an entrepreneur. young business owner.