Right after graduating from university in 2015, Gurmer Chopra, 32, landed his first corporate role at a “Big Four” accounting firm. But after less than a year on the job, he decided to quit.
“Four months into it, I [was] like: ‘I freaking hate it here.’ It was just the most boring work, and I felt like I was making zero difference in the world,” Chopra told CNBC Make It.
“At one point, I [started studying] for my [certified public accountant exam]... Then I opened the book [and] I remember just reading the first page, and I think that’s literally when I realized I cannot do this with my life, or I’m gonna just not be a happy person,” said Chopra.
At that time, he was also working on an e-commerce business on the side with his older brother Dashmeet Chopra. In their free time, the duo went into Downtown Los Angeles to source items such as T-shirts, jeans and shoes at wholesale prices and resold them on eBay.
Their eBay side hustle has since become YoungLA, a lifestyle clothing brand that brought in over $167 million in 2024, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.
