He left university, he jumped into this job! The $5 investment changed his life.

Before starting university, Andres Fernandez, who was unsure of what he wanted to do in the future, had his life changed by an unconventional decision he made.

Speaking to Business Insider, the Miami‑based entrepreneur said he began studying business at his mother's request, but soon realized the education system was not a good fit for him.

After only one semester, Fernandez dropped out of university and devoted all his time to buying and selling Pokémon cards.

“When I started university, I really didn't know what I wanted to do. I was going because my mother wanted me to, and I was studying business. It felt like a cliché to me. After just one semester, I dropped out and started selling Pokémon cards full‑time.”

A $5 Pack Changed His Life

At the start of Fernandez's multi‑million‑dollar trade, he only had a $5 Pokémon card pack.

The entrepreneur, who said he grew up playing Pokémon video games but does not see himself as a classic card collector, stepped into the resale world with a package he bought from Target for his cousin.

The appearance of a rare card worth about $100 from the package caught Fernandez's attention. After earning a high profit from a small investment, he began to examine the card market more closely.

Fernandez, who bought new packs, began to learn both the value of the cards and how the resale market operates by selling online.

He grew his customer base with live broadcasts.

After dropping out of university, Fernandez focused entirely on his business and began conducting sales via social media.

The entrepreneur, who sold Pokémon cards directly to his followers through live streams on Instagram, reached 30,000 followers in a short time.

The real breakthrough in Fernandez's business came in the late 2020s. When the live shopping platform Whatnot opened its Pokémon category, Fernandez became one of the five official broadcasters selected by the platform.

This development accelerated the rapid growth of the entrepreneur's customer base. It was reported that Fernandez's company's various social media accounts have reached a total of over 500,000 followers today.

He didn't pay himself a salary for years.

While expanding his business, Fernandez reinvested his earnings back into the company instead of directing them toward personal expenses, and said that success did not come quickly.

The entrepreneur stated that he had not paid himself a salary for years until he reached the point he has today, and that he used the income he earned to grow his business.

Fernandez,I have never paid myself a salary for years in order to reach the place I am at today.He drew attention to the difficulty of the entrepreneurial process with his words.

His target is 10 million dollars.

Fernandez, who continues to grow the business model he built on Pokémon cards, reached a sales volume of $7.8 million last year.

The young entrepreneur's new goal is to exceed the 10 million dollar threshold this year.

According to Fernandez, success is not just about finding the right product, but also about changing direction when necessary and working patiently for a long time.

Advice to Young People: 'Define Your Direction'

Fernandez, who also offers advice to young people at the start of their careers, said that in today's business world merely expecting current conditions to improve on their own is not enough.

The entrepreneur said that young people should explore the areas they are interested in, volunteer when necessary, and not shy away from gaining experience, saying:

"The idea that you can just let things flow and everything will fall into place may have held true in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, but we are in a different era now. Define a direction and area of interest for yourself. If something isn't working, change direction. If you're in the technology field, work for a company for free. Volunteer, gain experience, and over time you will find a path."