#16: How I Turned a Side Hustle into a Multi-Million Dollar Company — with Aaron Epstein
Aaron Epstein used to be a low-key entrepreneur. He worked for himself, earned six figures and lived a relaxed day-to-day life.
Many people would’ve rested on those laurels. But Aaron challenged himself to grow.
He turned his company into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. He later sold it for a seven-figure sum.
He shares that story — and many lessons — in today’s episode.
Aaron showed early entrepreneurial tendencies. As a child, he shoveled neighbors’ driveways for cash. As a college freshman, he created Color Schemer, a digital color wheel service that brought in $1,400 a month. This covered his bills throughout his college years.
After graduating, Aaron grew Color Schemer into a solid six-figure lifestyle business. He could’ve coasted on that momentum for years.
But he wanted more.
Enter Darius from Colour Lovers, a website where people create and share color palettes and patterns. Both of them saw opportunity to combine the best of their businesses into a new venture.
Aaron and Darius teamed up, reshaping the business while at startup incubator Y-Combinator. Together they launched Creative Market, a website with ready-to-use graphics, photos, and fonts for designers.
Creative Market exploded in popularity, catching the attention of several larger companies within that industry. One of those companies, Autodesk, made a handsome high-dollar offer.
Aaron Epstein sold his company for millions, achieving financial independence.
He shares his story in today’s episode.
