Ending Soon! Save 33% on All Access

How These 2 Entrepreneurs Turned Their Minimum Wage Jobs Into a Multimillion-Dollar Brand A lack of "real" jobs turned into a big opportunity for these college friends.

By Gary Bredow

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Chris Lynch and Michael Samer were friends in college, graduating at the start of the greatest recession since the 1920s. They scored jobs doing ocean kayak tours near San Diego, and after a couple of years, they borrowed $50,000 from family and bought the kayaking license for what became Everyday California. They put every penny back into the business and have since started a retail clothing line, a juice bar and even their own beer. A few smart decisions turned their minimum wage jobs into a multimillion-dollar brand.

Click play to learn more.

Related: How Two High School Friends Started a Million-Dollar Lawn Mowing Business

Entrepreneur Network is a premium video network providing entertainment, education and inspiration from successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders. We provide expertise and opportunities to accelerate brand growth and effectively monetize video and audio content distributed across all digital platforms for the business genre.

EN is partnered with hundreds of top YouTube channels in the business vertical. Watch video from our network partners on demand on Amazon Fire, Roku, Apple TV and the Entrepreneur App available on iOS and Android devices.

Click here to become a part of this growing video network.

Join host Gary Bredow as he travels around the country interviewing over 26 small business owners to hear their personal stories and find out what it really takes to start a successful business from the ground up. Energetic, inspirational and educational, Start Up is a fast paced new series sure to capture the imagination and hearts of the nearly 50 percent of Americans who dream of starting their own business.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

More People Are Exploring Entrepreneurship Because of This Unexpected Reason

More new business applications were filed in 2023 than in any other year so far.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

TikTok Reportedly Laid Off a 'Large Percentage' of Employees as the App's Fate in the U.S. Remains Unclear

Laid-off TikTok employees were notified Wednesday night through Thursday morning.

Personal Finance

This Investment Bundle Includes a Trading Course and Stock Screener Tool for $150

Approach the stock market with an increased understanding.

Business News

Four Seasons Orlando Responds to Viral TikTok: 'There's Something Here For All Ages'

The video has amassed over 45.4 million views on TikTok.