She was a cancer nurse, now she fixes cars: This 39-year-old YouTube trained mechanic's income will leave you stunned
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 next.With 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 life.As 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 motor.She 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 home.It began as a leap of faith. What it became was something much bigger.At 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 operation.Hill's 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 year.Desiree Hill has built a business most would only dream of—one that now earns nearly $440,000 a year.It's 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 richer.As 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 reach.So 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 days.Desiree 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Navitas stock soars 33% to 52-week high — what's driving the surge in this semiconductor star?
Navitas Semiconductor's stock soared, reaching a 52-week high of $9.18 with a market cap of $1.75 billion, fueled by a partnership with NVIDIA and anticipation for upcoming earnings. Despite a Deutsche Bank downgrade, the stock price target increased, and a new board member was added. The stock jumped 28.5% simply by announcing the earnings date, hinting at positive expectations. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Recent business news that boosted confidence Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The real trigger behind today's stock jump What analysts and experts are saying Upcoming earnings call info About Navitas FAQs Navitas Semiconductor's stock price hit $9.18, the highest in 52 weeks — a big milestone for the company. The company now has a market cap of $1.75 billion. Just last week, the stock rose 15.67% and has jumped 90.73% in 6 the last one year, Navitas stock has gone up by 68.49%, showing strong investor interest. Liquidity is strong with a current ratio of 5.61, meaning the company can easily pay short-term bills. However, experts warn that the stock may be overvalued at its current price. The beta is 3.01, meaning the stock is very volatile compared to the overall market, as per the Investing approved all proposals at Navitas' 2025 annual meeting. Three directors were re-elected: Gene Sheridan, Ranbir Singh, and Cristiano Amoruso. KPMG LLP was approved again as the company's auditor for 2025, as per the partnered with Powerchip Semiconductor to make 200mm GaN on silicon chips — this should boost performance in many tech products. It is also working with NVIDIA on 800V high-voltage direct current tech for AI data centers — a very big though Deutsche Bank downgraded Navitas from Buy to Hold, it still raised the stock's price target because of the NVIDIA added Cristiano Amoruso to the board, who brings helpful experience as the company moves into AI, data centers, and EVs, as per the report by Navitas stock jumped 28.5% in early morning trading just because it announced the date of its next earnings report — August 4th. No earnings results were shared yet — just the date — but the stock still exploded, as per The Motley Fool might be rumors on Wall Street that the earnings will be better than expected. Most analysts expect a $0.05 per-share loss, but maybe some believe it'll beat that, as per the Global upgraded Texas Instruments, a bigger rival in power chips, saying the inventory cycle is improving — this could be good news for Navitas too. Still, Navitas has lost money 4 of the past 5 years, and is expected to lose money for 4 more years. The Motley Fool's Stock Advisor says Navitas didn't make it into their top 10 stock picks right will report Q2 results on Aug 4, 2025, after markets close. The earnings call will be at 2:00 PM Pacific / 5:00 PM Eastern, and investors can listen live online. A replay will be posted on the company's Investor Relations site, as per the is a power semiconductor company started in 2014, focused on GaNFast™ and GeneSiC™ tech for faster charging and energy savings. It works in key areas like AI data centers, electric vehicles, and mobile devices, as per the company has over 300 patents and is the first to offer a 20-year GaNFast warranty. Navitas is also the first semiconductor firm to be CarbonNeutral® certified, as stated by stock jumped 33% due to strong investor excitement over its NVIDIA partnership, new tech developments, and upcoming has high growth potential but is still losing money, so experts are divided on whether it's a good buy.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Forget Nvidia's $4 trillion valuation! This tech company is set to cross $4.5 trillion market cap, thanks to its big AI bets
Nvidia has become the first company to cross the $4 trillion. But, there's another technology company that may hit $4.5 trillion! (AI image) Nvidia has seen a meteoric rise - becoming the first company in the world to have a market capitalization of over $4 trillion. In fact there are only five economies in the world that have a GDP of over $4 trillion as per IMF's 2025 projections. But even though Nvidia has become the first company to cross the $4 trillion capitalization mark, there's another technology company that may hit $4.5 trillion! According to Oppenheimer analysts quoted in a Motley Fool report, another AI giant is poised to join Nvidia in the $4 trillion valuation category and potentially reach $4.5 trillion within the next year. Currently, this particular stock presents a more favourable investment opportunity compared to Nvidia, the Oppenheimer analysts believe Nvidia's Rise: Is The Market Dominance Sustainable? Nvidia stands out as a big success story - its valuation has seen an over 10 times rise in the last three years. This remarkable growth stems from substantial investments in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, where Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs) serve as essential components. However, Nvidia's leading position in the AI chip sector encounters challenges. Other GPU manufacturers are improving their price-performance ratios, whilst Nvidia's major hyperscale clients are increasingly utilising their own custom silicon designs for generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications. This could possibly impact the company's growth outlook. Nvidia is an AI chip industry leader, particularly in training hardware. Its superiority comes from advanced tech capabilities and its exclusive CUDA software platform. This creates big barriers for competitors to surmount in the semiconductor market, the Motley Fool report says. However, major clients such as Meta Platforms and Microsoft are actively seeking to reduce their dependence on Nvidia's AI training hardware, the report said. Meta is expanding its Meta Training and Inference Accelerator system across various generative AI applications. Their new chip aims to replace Nvidia processors in AI training for the Llama foundation model, whilst they already utilise their custom chips for certain AI inference operations. Microsoft harbors similar objectives with its Maia chips, although they have delayed their next-generation AI training chip launch to 2026, rather than releasing it this year. Such delays have previously affected other large-scale computing companies, including Meta, resulting in substantial Nvidia orders. Nevertheless, as these technology giants enhance their chip design capabilities, they could potentially reduce their reliance on Nvidia's processors substantially over time. Nvidia maintains a strong market position, particularly following the US government's decision to lift restrictions on H20 chip sales in China. The company is poised to see a robust earnings growth throughout the year, driven by Chinese market access and hyperscaler demand. However, what is noteworthy is that Nvidia's shares command a significant premium, trading at nearly 40 times projected earnings, the report noted. Given this elevated valuation and potential long-term challenges, the stock's growth rate might lag behind other major artificial intelligence enterprises. Which Company can Hit $4.5 Trillion Market Cap? Currently, only a select few organisations rival Nvidia's market presence. Among the exclusive group of companies valued above $1 trillion, merely three have achieved valuations exceeding $3 trillion, with Nvidia being one of them. Microsoft, valued at approximately $3.8 trillion presently, stands closest to Nvidia. Oppenheimer analysts project Microsoft could reach the $4 trillion milestone shortly. Their analysis sets a $600 price target for Microsoft shares, suggesting a potential market valuation of $4.5 trillion, representing a 19% increase from its value as of July 15. Oppenheimer's optimistic outlook comes from many factors: There is expectation of higher revenue growth from Microsoft's Azure cloud computing service. Azure has actually emerged as Microsoft's main growth driver. This is due to increasing computational requirements for AI development. Additionally, Microsoft's investment in OpenAI not only implies a significant Azure customer but also provides essential resources for the broader AI development community. The surge in demand has been remarkable. Despite Microsoft's substantial investment of $80 billion in capital expenditures, primarily directed towards data centre construction and equipment, the company reports that demand still exceeds supply. Nevertheless, Azure maintains its position as the fastest-growing platform amongst the three major public cloud services. Analysts' optimistic outlook on Microsoft stems largely from the prospects of Copilot Studio. Whilst they acknowledge modest interest in Microsoft 365's native AI assistant Copilot, they anticipate stronger performance from the customisable AI assistant platform, Copilot Studio. This development allows Microsoft to implement higher pricing for its enterprise software package whilst maintaining customer loyalty. The higher revenue can in turn be reinvested in Azure and share buyback programmes. This would potentially boost earnings per share via improved profits distributed across a lower share count. Microsoft shares currently trade at approximately 33 times forward earnings, reflecting a relatively high valuation. However, this multiple appears justified for a company that maintains leadership positions in both cloud computing and enterprise software sectors of the AI industry. Following news about potential reversal of US restrictions on chip exports to China, Oppenheimer analysts revised their Nvidia price target to $200 per share, suggesting a market capitalisation of $4.9 trillion. However, at current prices, Microsoft presents a more appealing investment opportunity, the report said. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Nvidia CEO's China charm offensive underscores rock star status in key market
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is no stranger to Beijing, but his most recent visit, his third to China this year, cemented his rock star status in the country, where fans mingled freely with the AI titan on the streets of the capital. It was a rare sight for a chief executive of one of the world's most powerful companies to roam around Beijing, engage in wide-ranging interviews, take selfies with excited fans and even sign leather jackets - a signature clothing item of the billionaire - for his devoted followers. The tycoon at the helm of the world's most valuable company arrived in Beijing for a supply chain expo last week just days after meeting U.S. President Donald Trump and announced the AI giant would once again be able to sell its H20 chips in China following a U.S. ban in April on national security concerns. Huang's company is caught in the cross-hairs of a U.S.-China trade war that threatens to upend supply chains as both countries battle for global dominance in AI and other cutting-edge technologies, threatening Nvidia's $17 billion China business. While Huang appears to be navigating a delicate tightrope between Beijing and Washington well, the company remains subject to the ups and downs of Sino-U.S. tensions, analysts said. "Jensen Huang's visit aimed to demonstrate Nvidia's commitment to the Chinese market," said Lian Jye Su, a chief analyst at tech research firm Omdia. "However, this commitment must be balanced against potential U.S. government concerns about deepening ties with China." Huang described AI models from Chinese firms Deepseek , Alibaba and Tencent as "world class" and his official engagements included a "wonderful" meeting with Chinese trade tsar and Vice Premier He Lifeng and a face-to-face with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. Demand for H20 chips surged in China following the launch of DeepSeek models in January. "Nvidia will still need to see the tide clearly and ride it at the right time to maximize the available benefits. But good for the company, I think it has a CEO who's very good at doing that," said Tilly Zhang, a technology analyst with Gavekal Dragonomics. Charlie Chai, an analyst with 86Research, said Nvidia's China market share was likely to slide in years to come. "The Chinese government will actively help or subsidize domestic rivals that can one day stand up to and, at least in some use cases, replace high-end Nvidia chips." Selfies and Autographs In an unusual sight for a global CEO visiting China, videos posted on social media platforms showed Huang wandering the streets of Beijing, drink in hand, signing notebooks and posing for selfies. In response to questions about how Washington would likely receive his latest visit to Beijing, the CEO said: "I told President Trump and his cabinet that I was coming to China. Told him about my trip here, and he said, 'Have a great trip'." At the opening of the China International Supply Chain Expo last Wednesday, Huang - who was born in Taiwan but moved to the U.S. at the age of nine - traded his signature leather jacket for a black, traditional Chinese-style jacket and referred to himself in a speech as "Chinese". In his Expo speech, as well as in later comments, Huang was effusive in his praise for Chinese tech giants' capabilities in bringing technology into applications, describing China's supply chain as "vast". Even arch rival Huawei Technologies, a firm that Nvidia is locked in a strategic and intensifying battle for AI chip dominance with, was lauded. "I think the fact of the matter is, anyone who discounts Huawei and anyone who discounts China's manufacturing capability is deeply naive. This is a formidable company," Huang told reporters.
