How a High School Dropout-Turned Entrepreneur Built a Successful Ice Cream Business

From Adversity to Success: The Inspiring Journey of Rod, Ice Cream Entrepreneur

Really? But let me see. So, this isn’t from the past year. Today, we have an amazing story of someone who had a million excuses for why they shouldn’t achieve their goal. For example, he didn’t finish school, got fired from his job with a family to support, and had no one willing to lend him money. But he took the risk of becoming a business owner and now has a successful business making over $200,000 a year, and he’s only 26. He’s going to share how he was able to make that happen.

But if I’m going to tell you the good, you already know. I’m going to tell you the bad. Like the struggles he faces every day, what licenses you need to open up your store, and how much he made one day with his ice cream business. I’m over here, trying to help you grow your business with this $3.99 knowledge. And if you would like to support the channel, I have brought back merchandise (link in the description below).

It’s 5:38, and I’m about to drive to Stockton to get some Freeman and my knowledge of an ice cream shop. But first, let’s go get some gas. So, it’s nine o’clock; who made it to Lodi, California? Let’s go see what Rod is up to. “What’s up, bro? Are you doing?” Most of you want to become entrepreneurs because you think it’s easy, right? Just work for a few hours, then go home and watch The Suite Life of Zack and Cody on Disney plus, and just watch the money come in. But it’s the opposite. I’m about to tell you the two things you need to be successful in business: hard work and positivity. I’m working from 8 a.m. until, like, 9:00 p.m. I mean, it’s long, but would you trade this to be an employee for somebody else?

You’ve been a business owner for 4 years. Is it a huge headache? Do a lot of things go wrong, break or mess up? “It’s okay. Stuff goes on every day. Play it once; you go do it a bunch. Baby, realize, like, when something’s wrong. Now, I’d be smiling back then, when I first opened. I still cry whenever stuff goes wrong. Why? I used to be, like, stressed. Oh, I realized, like, I’m going to get over it. It’s normal.” Hey, and another thing from my experience is that everything has a solution. No matter what, you know, there’s nothing you can’t figure out.

So, the very first thing Rod has to do is go get some supplies. And let’s go show you. When you get your supplies, it’s a plug. So, hey, showing love to the homie right here who recognized me. Yeah, right here, $3.99, man, free $99.

I’m really starting to like the ice cream business because there’s a huge profit in it. I like this item. So, Rod is going to show me how to make one of his most popular items. Let’s check it out—tthe search for the ice cream. “Marry me. I’m so glad, sir. It’s my cheat day. Haha, three months in a row so far back.” “Wait, let me ask you: how much does this cost?” “Five dollars.” “How much do you think it costs you to make it?” “Five fifty cents. $75.” “Very good, very good.”

To be successful in business, you need different ways of making money with the equipment and supplies you already have. And Rod has a lot of different revenue streams. Like, well, I think it was just, like, the correction, so I’m working on everything. So, Rod was telling me that, uh, he does get a decent amount of orders—ddoor—rright, Rod? And then, uh, the shirts of people picking up the order get mad because they order something like this that not only melts, but what container are you going to put it in? And what are you doing in that situation, right?

So, your jeweler, you get done with this. I bless you, bro. I bless you. And number three, of course, is physical locations. So, it’s 12:00, it’s noon, and he’s about to open at 1:00 p.m. So, in the meantime, he’s just cleaning to make sure everything’s ready to go so when they open, business starts coming in.

We got our first customer. But let me ask Rod. So, Rod, what made you get started in the ice cream business? So, we were talking about it earlier. Look, you actually dropped out of high school, yeah? Yeah. And then, what were you doing after that? So, I was working at Walmart. I got fired from my Walmart. Tax time had rolled around. It was about four or five thousand dollars for me and my wife. You just—iit’s like a game. She was still working at Walmart. I went on Craigslist and started looking for buildings. And then, why ice cream, right? LA had this ice cream place allowed in line. I was like, okay, I can’t do this. It’s easy. All I have to do is get the ice cream and scoop it. I guess it wasn’t going to be that hard.

How much do you think you invested when you first started? When I bested, I invested about $6,000. This does not, and I think, Lou in the building, and the equipment and the supplies, yeah, I got a lot of equipment use. So, it had not been four years. Four years later, you thought that, and looking back, how do you feel about your decision? I think, though, that was the best decision I ever made, for real.

We were talking earlier about how much you made last year. You only know there is so much money in the ice cream business. I think I’m in the wrong business. I’m going to have to put them in an ice cream shop. Hold your breath. No. But let me see. So, this is in the past. And of course, I’m not telling you this to persuade you to start your own ice cream shop. I’m just showing you different ways other people are making money to inspire you to just take that risk, because they might work out. Yeah, they might work out.

So, we’re going to find out how much Rod made in one day with his ice cream business. But let me give you a disclaimer. Just because you get a location

And just because you have products yourself doesn’t mean you’re going to be successful. Because the only thing that matters in business—the only thing that will break or make your business—is sales. You need to know how to get customers and make money. And this is how Rod gets his customers. What do you bring to your customers? Is it Instagram or their word-of-mouth groups? So, like local groups on material. Yeah, fine, Bruce, like Crime Watch groups and like the Lodi four-one group where they talk about likes around town every morning. I just spam law disclosure and, besides, Facebook, broad, all posts on Instagram, and links his door-to-door on the post. Man uses technology nowadays.

And I already know you want to know what licenses you need. So, here’s everything you need to open up your own store. City, go to whatever city hall you. You just go up there and get a viable business license. Tell them what business you’re about to start. How much did it cost you? I think that was like $12. Create a fictitious business name, as stated. I think it’s the seller’s permit. At the end of the year, tell them how much you actually made. Then they charge you accordingly. Then, you gotta hire mental health. They give you, like, a checklist of everything you need to run a food establishment. You call them, and they come inspect, and that’s like $500. You have to pay them to come out. But you did that all in one day? Oh, that’s not bad. And now you’re legit.

And then, one thing we forgot to mention, because I know you guys, he’s one of those who knows every little detail about business insurance. How much was it? How much did you say it, right? What’s for this one? 950. Another place? 1,100. Remember when we said a lot of things go wrong in business? Well, imagine waking up one day and realizing your work van just got stolen. What do you mean someone stole it? Like, you passed them somewhere? Not my house. It was your help; just stop it. And then, how long did it take for you to find it? Yeah, you report it to the police and everything, and then you finally find the casino, because you know at least you found it. Oh, man. How’d they break into it? Do you know they—tthe door, right? I really took the cylinder from the — she’s something to be, oh, popped it out. They made me do something with all this, oh. So, those were the pros over here. Some motion 13 over your arm.

So, what are you making right now? Rod made the crazy, crazy change shape with a scoop of ice cream on top, then put a toner on top of that. Have you come up with an idea? Do they just come to you, or do you do a little research? To be honest, I’m getting a little nervous. It’s been slow, but people are finally showing up, and I’m thinking, How much money is Rod going to make one day with his ice cream business? A few hundred, maybe? Let’s find out.

What tips do you have for somebody who wants their own business? Not a home business, and like a store, like an actual location. You’re sitting here, planning. So, what you are pretty much saying is that people over there are breaking their heads trying to have everything perfect before they start, when instead, I mean, have some ideas, you know, but get started, get the keys, go sell something, and just grow your business there. Are you going to have to freeze that night tip right there?

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Now, let’s get back to the video. So, 7:30, cleanup, closing that day. Let’s see how much he made in one day.

Now, let’s find out, and I’ve got you here, but raise. That’s not a lot of money, and I know, I know, a hundred seventy-seven dollars for both stores. Slow day, but that’s part of business. Welcome to the real world. Because a true entrepreneur knows the holidays are great, and that’s how you determine how serious you are, because if you give up when there are no sales, you were never serious to begin with. Because every entrepreneur will tough it out, and they’re going to figure out what they’re going to do to keep growing the business. Plus, it was Tuesday, it’s November, it’s the slow season for ice cream, and that’s business. But think about it: someone who dropped out of high school, got fired from Walmart, and has a family to support can have a successful business for four years. What’s your excuse? And I know, Rod, he’s only going to grow more, and it’s going to be a matter of time before he gets chains of ice cream out there. And of course, go show some love to Rod not only on Instagram and Facebook, but come back for some ice cream in Stockton, California.

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