Brain Gentile

Summary:

Brian sells more than $3M Pokémon cards a year. You'd think he has a factory and a warehouse... He doesn't. He does this all from the basement under his house. He has no employees and he started with just a couple bucks saved up from his 9-5. No external funding used at all. An absolutely incredible business. If you are interested in starting an e-commerce store, let's dive in...

Tell us about yourself and the business you started?

Hi everyone, my name is Brian and I'm from in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2021, I started a seven-figure Pokemon card business called PokeNE.

This all started out of a 10ft by 10ft bedroom in the house I used to rent. Now, I’m in a 1500 square foot space with a 400 square foot garage downstairs and this is the space I use to sell around $10,000 worth of Pokemon cards per day. Additionally, I also built a YouTube channel where I teach other people how to start a Pokemon card e-commerce store as well as leverage this to position myself as a bit of a thought leader.

What is the specific problem that your business solves?

During the pandemic, Pokemon cards became trendy, and big-box stores in the US were often completely sold out. There was high demand and limited supply of cards on shelves. I recognized a gap: people couldn't buy Pokémon cards from the traditional outlets, and most Americans also couldn't access Japanese Pokemon cards without paying exorbitant shipping fees and waiting weeks for them to arrive from Japan. Thus, PokeNE was born. I sources cards from Japan and sells them at competitive prices within the US, filling the supply gap in the market. Instead of a buyer in the US waiting weeks and paying premium shipping costs, they can buy cards directly from me and I can get them delivered within a day or two, at prices to compete with the big players across the US.

Thus, the problem I solve is simple - I get my customers their Pokémon cards faster and more affordably. I am not re-inventing the wheel and I am not designing something that didn't exist before. I am simply doing something better than it's been done before.

How did you first come across this business idea?

I've been a Pokemon fan my whole life, collecting cards as a 90s kid but primarily loving the video games. During the pandemic, I noticed a surge in demand for Pokemon cards. I realized I could buy promotional cards in Japan in bulk for significantly less than what they sold for in the US. My entrepreneurial mindset and past experience wheeling & dealing on eBay allowed me to test the idea quickly, which ended up taking off super fast. So it was really just a matter of being interested in the space and then identifying a gap to fulfill.

How did you find your first customer?

TikTok – my first sale came from flipping Japanese Charizard cards. I advertised them on TikTok, where my videos gained traction. People visited my eBay store, and I eventually directed traffic to my custom built website. My very first sale on the website felt like it was what I needed to validate the idea — it proved that people were willing to purchase directly from me and my brand, instead of going to "more reputable" suppliers that have been in the game for ages.

How do you find customers on a regular basis nowadays?

I still use TikTok, but I've found that YouTube long-form content and Instagram reels are performing better now days. I also use Facebook and Twitter, but much less focus goes here than YT and IG. Every now and then, I run Facebook and Instagram ads, spending about $3,000 per month.

Thus, the majority of my traffic is through organic social channels, but I do advertise every so often. However, this ad spend is minimal compared to the revenue I am driving.

My marketing strategy is pretty simple - I run organic post on social media. I track and see how that video performs. If it does really well and gains a lot of traction, I will then put some money behind it to push it harder. This way of doing things is basically free validation to make sure the piece of content resonates with my audience. If it does, then it is a relatively safe bet to put some bucks behind it.

What are your current revenue streams and how much do you earn from each?

My Pokemon card e-commerce store is the biggest revenue stream. I generate approximately $280,000 per month with this and I have an average net margin of 10–11%. Thus, the margins aren't huge, but when selling at volume, it adds up. At the end of the day, I profit around $28K / month–most of which goes back into the business. 

I've also conducted box breaks on Twitch, which have added about $300,000 in sales historically. Currently, YouTube monetization generates an additional $1,100 per month. This is not my main focus, I just find it fun and I can then use Opus clips to make short form content from my long form YT content.

Overall, the business has earned around $7.5 million since its inception in 2021.

What are your future plans with the business?

I don't plan to scale aggressively. Growing to a larger operation would require renting commercial space and hiring full-time employees, adding significant expenses and stress. I'm happy maintaining a smaller-scale operation that allows me flexibility and a good quality of life. My focus is on sustainable growth that affords me to live a very comfortable life while earning a good amount of money.

What type of life has running your own business allowed you to live?

Running this business has allowed me to work from home and avoid a traditional 9-5 job, which I hated. I can set my schedule, pursue passion projects like creating content, and invest in real estate. While I do work long hours, the flexibility and independence make it worth it. I feel like no one would be able to hire me right now. I won't be able to take orders from a boss and do the same repetitive tasks over and over. I can't possibly imagine going back to a corporate job. I’d suck at it. As soon as you get a taste of what it’s like to be your own boss, it is very very VERY difficult to go back to working for someone else.

What piece of advice would you give to someone wanting to start a business?

I have 2 main thoughts on this:

• Just start. You’re going to suck at first, and your first idea might fail, but every failure teaches you something valuable. Start small and avoid going into debt. Test your idea with limited resources and learn as you go. Also, don’t worry about embarrassment—own your journey and keep moving forward. As long as you’re persistent and keep at it, things will eventually fall into place and no one will remember those “embarrassing” moments.
• Passion is crucial. If you don’t love what you’re doing, challenges will feel insurmountable. The only way you can overcome challenges and keep going is if you actually enjoy what you’re doing. If you don’t enjoy it, you’ll give up as soon as there is the slightest hiccup (which I can assure you, there will be).

Where can people find you & your company?

You can find me on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or directly on my site, PokeNE. 

My website is where we sell our products, but my socials is where I continue to share content and insights as frequently as possible.