Latest news with #DesireeHill
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
I was commuting 3 hours a day to my dead end job & barely saw my kids – now my self-taught side hustle has made me £327k
Desiree decided to start her side hustle, after her divorce left her needing extra cash CASH IN I was commuting 3 hours a day to my dead end job & barely saw my kids – now my self-taught side hustle has made me £327k Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WOMAN has revealed how she ditched her dead end job for a side hustle that makes her £327,000. Desiree Hill, 39, was sick of travelling three hours a day to her medical assistant job, where she earned £28,000. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Desiree taught herself how to fix cars Credit: CNBC Make It 2 She now runs her own business Credit: CNBC Make It She worked long hours, and never got to see her kids, which she says "took a toll", on her mental health. After getting divorced in 2018, Desiree, from Atlanta, Georgia, decided that she needed to earn some extra cash to provide for her two children. After deliberating about how to do this, she decided that it would be a great idea to buy, repair and resell rundown cars. "Everybody needs transportation, that's never going to stop, no matter what", she told CNBC Make It. "I knew that it was something that I could spend a small amount on, and potentially make a lot of profit." Desiree's first project was an old truck that she bought for £893 and did up herself, despite having no prior experience. Using Google and YouTube, she was able to teach herself how to fix the vehicle, which she realised just needed a replacement throttle which set her back just £44. "I just fixed this vehicle with a $60 part, and I didn't have to pay anybody to do it", she said. Desiree went on to sell that first truck for £2977, meaning she made £2040 profit. "It was almost like a high. I wanted to keep doing it", she said. I earn cash by selling 'actual rubbish' on eBay - I flogged a freebie I found on the floor by a bin for £10, it's crazy She kept flipping and selling cars whilst working full time in healthcare. After work, she would make dinner and then put the kids to bed before working on the cars until three in the morning, even though she had to be up at six for work. In 2020, Desiree flipped and sold 38 cars, and decided that now was the time to leave her job. She documented her journey on social media, which helped to build her client base. Side hustles in numbers Based on new research from Finder, an estimated 22.8 million Brits are using side hustles to top up their income. Among those aged 18-23, 68 percent have a side hustle in 2024. Those aged 24-42 aren't far behind, with 65 per cent having an additional source of income. Side hustles are less popular among older generations, with 40 percent of those aged 43-54 having one. Whereas 23 percent of people aged 55-73 and just 7 per cent of those aged 74 and over are earning extra cash this way. The mum now has 120,000 TikTok followers, and in 2021 launched a mobile repair service, where she would travel to people's houses and fix their vehicles. She found this to be much less stressful, as she didn't have to worry about whether the car was going to sell, and made exactly the same amount of money as the car flipping. Desiree decided to switch from flipping cars to being a mechanic, and her business grew so rapidly that she was able to hire a mechanic and rent a repair space in a shop for £297. A kind client then offered her a whopping £7500 loan, which enabled her to buy a larger space, and she now owns Crowns Corner Mechanics, which raked in £327,000 in 2024. She now gets to spend much more time with her family, and her kids now even help out at the shop.
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
I was commuting 3 hours a day to my dead end job & barely saw my kids – now my self-taught side hustle has made me £327k
A WOMAN has revealed how she ditched her dead end job for a side hustle that makes her £327,000. Desiree Hill, 39, was sick of travelling three hours a day to her medical assistant job, where she earned £28,000. Advertisement 2 Desiree taught herself how to fix cars Credit: CNBC Make It 2 She now runs her own business Credit: CNBC Make It She worked long hours, and never got to see her kids, which she says "took a toll", on her mental health. After getting divorced in 2018, Desiree, from Atlanta, Georgia , decided that she needed to earn some extra cash to provide for her two children. After deliberating about how to do this, she decided that it would be a great idea to buy, repair and resell rundown cars. "Everybody needs transportation, that's never going to stop, no matter what", she told Advertisement Read more real life stories "I knew that it was something that I could spend a small amount on, and potentially make a lot of profit." Desiree's first project was an old truck that she bought for £893 and did up herself, despite having no prior experience. Using Google and YouTube, she was able to teach herself how to fix the vehicle, which she realised just needed a replacement throttle which set her back just £44. "I just fixed this vehicle with a $60 part, and I didn't have to pay anybody to do it", she said. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous Exclusive Desiree went on to sell that first truck for £2977, meaning she made £2040 profit. "It was almost like a high. I wanted to keep doing it", she said. I earn cash by selling 'actual rubbish' on eBay - I flogged a freebie I found on the floor by a bin for £10, it's crazy She kept flipping and selling cars whilst working full time in healthcare. After work, she would make dinner and then put the kids to bed before working on the cars until three in the morning, even though she had to be up at six for work. Advertisement In 2020, Desiree flipped and sold 38 cars, and decided that now was the time to leave her job. She documented her journey on social media, which helped to build her client base. Side hustles in numbers Based on new research from Finder, an estimated 22.8 million Brits are using side hustles to top up their income. Among those aged 18-23, 68 percent have a side hustle in 2024. Those aged 24-42 aren't far behind, with 65 per cent having an additional source of income. Side hustles are less popular among older generations, with 40 percent of those aged 43-54 having one. Whereas 23 percent of people aged 55-73 and just 7 per cent of those aged 74 and over are earning extra cash this way. The mum now has 120,000 TikTok followers, and in 2021 launched a mobile repair service, where she would travel to people's houses and fix their vehicles. She found this to be much less stressful, as she didn't have to worry about whether the car was going to sell, and made exactly the same amount of money as the car flipping. Advertisement Desiree decided to switch from flipping cars to being a mechanic, and her business grew so rapidly that she was able to hire a mechanic and rent a repair space in a shop for £297. A kind client then offered her a whopping £7500 loan, which enabled her to buy a larger space, and she now owns Crowns Corner Mechanics, which raked in £327,000 in 2024. She now gets to spend much more time with her family, and her kids now even help out at the shop.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
I was commuting 3 hours a day to my dead end job & barely saw my kids – now my self-taught side hustle has made me £327k
A WOMAN has revealed how she ditched her dead end job for a side hustle that makes her £327,000. Desiree Hill, 39, was sick of travelling three hours a day to her medical assistant job, where she earned £28,000. 2 2 She worked long hours, and never got to see her kids, which she says "took a toll", on her mental health. After getting divorced in 2018, Desiree, from Atlanta, Georgia, decided that she needed to earn some extra cash to provide for her two children. After deliberating about how to do this, she decided that it would be a great idea to buy, repair and resell rundown cars. "Everybody needs transportation, that's never going to stop, no matter what", she told CNBC Make It. "I knew that it was something that I could spend a small amount on, and potentially make a lot of profit." Desiree's first project was an old truck that she bought for £893 and did up herself, despite having no prior experience. Using Google and YouTube, she was able to teach herself how to fix the vehicle, which she realised just needed a replacement throttle which set her back just £44. "I just fixed this vehicle with a $60 part, and I didn't have to pay anybody to do it", she said. Desiree went on to sell that first truck for £2977, meaning she made £2040 profit. "It was almost like a high. I wanted to keep doing it", she said. I earn cash by selling 'actual rubbish' on eBay - I flogged a freebie I found on the floor by a bin for £10, it's crazy She kept flipping and selling cars whilst working full time in healthcare. After work, she would make dinner and then put the kids to bed before working on the cars until three in the morning, even though she had to be up at six for work. In 2020, Desiree flipped and sold 38 cars, and decided that now was the time to leave her job. She documented her journey on social media, which helped to build her client base. Side hustles in numbers Based on new research from Finder, an estimated 22.8 million Brits are using side hustles to top up their income. Among those aged 18-23, 68 percent have a side hustle in 2024. Those aged 24-42 aren't far behind, with 65 per cent having an additional source of income. Side hustles are less popular among older generations, with 40 percent of those aged 43-54 having one. Whereas 23 percent of people aged 55-73 and just 7 per cent of those aged 74 and over are earning extra cash this way. The mum now has 120,000 TikTok followers, and in 2021 launched a mobile repair service, where she would travel to people's houses and fix their vehicles. She found this to be much less stressful, as she didn't have to worry about whether the car was going to sell, and made exactly the same amount of money as the car flipping. Desiree decided to switch from flipping cars to being a mechanic, and her business grew so rapidly that she was able to hire a mechanic and rent a repair space in a shop for £297. A kind client then offered her a whopping £7500 loan, which enabled her to buy a larger space, and she now owns Crowns Corner Mechanics, which raked in £327,000 in 2024. She now gets to spend much more time with her family, and her kids now even help out at the shop.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Georgia mom was stuck commuting 3 hours — until she ‘Googled' how to fix cars. Now she brings in $440K/year
After 10 years of building up a career as a medical assistant in Atlanta, Georgia, Desiree Hill felt trapped. Not only was she earning just $38,094 a year, but the job was getting increasingly stressful. 'It was long hours,' she told CNBC Make It. 'It was three hours of commuting in Atlanta traffic everyday and I never saw my children, so it really was taking a toll.' Then came the breaking point: a divorce that forced her to find new ways to support her family. But what started as a desperate side hustle — buying a beat-up $1,200 truck and teaching herself how to fix it via Google and YouTube — soon became something much bigger. That first flip netted her $4,000. By 2020, she had repaired and flipped more than 38 cars, enough to convince her it was time to quit her day job and go all-in. Today, the 39-year-old runs Crown's Corner Mechanics, a full-service auto repair shop in Atlanta with five employees. Her business brought in $440,000 in revenue in 2024 and her journey has drawn more than 120,000 TikTok followers. Want to follow in her footsteps? Here's how she turned a DIY hustle into a six-figure business — and how you can too. I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Hill says she decided to try flipping cars because it was a relatively cheap side hustle. 'I knew it was something I could spend a very small amount on and maybe, potentially, make a lot of profit,' she says. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on professional training or buying a repair shop, Hill started with a small experiment — repairing a used truck she managed to purchase for just $1,200. If you're looking to switch your career or start your own business, low-cost experiments can help you test the waters and see if the new venture is the right fit, before overcommitting. If the experiment fails, you can walk away without any permanent damage to your financial situation. Although she made a sizable profit on her first flip, Desiree didn't quit her medical assistant job right away. Instead, she kept building her skills for several years while also working full time. 'I came home, made dinner, got my children all set for bed… and then I went to the [garage] and started working on the vehicles,' she says. 'Sometimes it lasts until 2-3 in the morning and then I get right back up at 6am and go to work.' Read more: No millions? No problem. With as little as $10, here's of diversified assets usually only available to major players Launching a business as a side hustle — dipping your toes, instead of diving in headfirst — is a smart, low-risk way to test the waters. And it's more common than ever: nearly 52% of workers now report earning extra income from a side hustle, according to The Wall Street Journal. Like Hill, if your side hustle starts to gain immense traction, you could consider leaving your job. But if it doesn't, you could still benefit from the additional income. Hill says she initially started sharing her journey online just to track her progress, but it quickly gained more traction than she anticipated. Today, her 120,000 TikTok followers have become a major source of new customers. In today's economy, using digital marketing and social media as part of your business strategy is absolutely essential. Nearly 48% of consumers surveyed by Salesforce said they prefer using social platforms to learn about small businesses. With that in mind, spending some time and money to build up even a modest social presence could help your DIY business immensely and help fuel your side hustle's future growth. This tiny hot Costco item has skyrocketed 74% in price in under 2 years — but now the retail giant is restricting purchases. Here's how to buy the coveted asset in bulk Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Money doesn't have to be complicated — sign up for the free Moneywise newsletter for actionable finance tips and news you can use. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Economic Times
31-05-2025
- Automotive
- Economic Times
She was a cancer nurse, now she fixes cars: This 39-year-old YouTube trained mechanic's income will leave you stunned
The First Spark: From YouTube Videos to Real-World Repairs Grease-Stained Dreams: The Garage Becomes a Goldmine The Moment of Truth: Can Passion Pay the Bills? You Might Also Like: 'Don't be that person who ignores this technology': Nvidia CEO warns AI will rewrite the rules of employment Beating the Odds—and the Bias From Torque Wrenches to TikTok Fame Desiree Hill used to save lives for a living. As an oncology nurse in Duluth, Georgia, her days were spent navigating the emotional weight of a high-stress hospital unit. Add to that a three-hour daily commute and the overwhelming demands of single motherhood, and life had become more exhausting than fulfilling.'I rarely saw my children,' Hill reflected while talking to CNBC Make It. 'Everything started to feel like it was slipping away—from my personal happiness to my health and peace of mind.'Her career was stable, sure. But was it enough? That's the question that nudged her toward a decision most would call irrational—until they heard what happened zero experience under the hood, Hill began watching YouTube tutorials on car repairs out of sheer curiosity. What started as a late-night distraction soon became a hands-on hustle. She bought an old truck for around $1,200, fixed it with just $60 in parts, and flipped it for more than triple the price within two days.'It was electric—the feeling of making something work with my hands and actually turning a profit,' she says. She wasn't just fixing cars. She was rewiring her entire the side hustle grew, so did her ambition. Within a year, Hill left nursing behind and started flipping cars full-time. It wasn't long before she was waking up at 6 a.m., working till 3 a.m., and involving her kids in the business. Even her 10-year-old daughter built a expanded into mobile repairs, took on customer jobs, and documented her progress on TikTok, where she now has a follower base larger than most small towns. Then came the real pivot: opening her own 9,000-square-foot auto shop, Crown's Corner Mechanic, just minutes from began as a leap of faith. What it became was something much first glance, becoming a mechanic may not sound like the most lucrative midlife switch. But beneath the surface of oil changes and engine overhauls, a financial transformation was brewing. The tiny side gig that once brought in a few thousand dollars here and there has grown into a six-figure business is now pulling in monthly numbers that would make most white-collar professionals raise an eyebrow. Let's just say she's not missing her hospital paychecks anymore. While she keeps her precise profit margins guarded, documents reviewed by CNBC confirm what the figures suggest: she's now earning more in a month than she once did in a Hill has built a business most would only dream of—one that now earns nearly $440,000 a not just the business of cars that Hill is navigating—it's the business of perception. Standing at 4-foot-11, she often stuns customers who assume she's the receptionist or assistant. But when she dissects their vehicle's issue before they've finished explaining, the assumptions quickly fall apart.'I have to prove myself every time I open my mouth,' she admits. 'But I love it. I love showing them what I know.'Her shop is now a hub of collaboration, with space rented out to welders, tow truck operators, and other mechanics. The rent is steep, but the returns—financial, emotional, and reputational—are her clientele grows, so does her vision. She dreams of owning the space she currently rents, expanding her team, and maybe even earning a mechanical engineering degree. She's already repaid a generous loan from a customer-turned-angel-investor and is now setting her sights on crossing a milestone few small businesses ever just how much is she making now?Let's put it this way: her first year flipping cars brought in six figures. Her auto shop's revenue has nearly doubled since last year. And projections suggest she's barreling toward $1 million in annual revenue—a far cry from her nursing Hill didn't just switch careers. She rewrote her story, replacing burnout with empowerment and stagnation with momentum. Her journey is a masterclass in self-belief, grit, and the courage to chase unfamiliar dreams.'If you don't know about us yet,' she says, 'you're going to know about us real soon.'And with the kind of numbers she's pulling in? That's a promise worth betting on.
