This Former NFL Player Retired at 28 to Build An $8.3M Pokemon Empire In Just 9 Months: Lessons On Building A Winning Side Hustle Business

Former NFL linebacker Blake Martinez, Aged 29 years, retired from football in November 2022 after over six seasons to focus on his company, Blake’s Breaks.

The company specializes in reselling Pokémon cards, which Martinez, a Charizard fan,  started collecting in 2020, reported CNBC. After discovering the high resale value of these cards, he began buying boxes of them on eBay and auctioning individual cards on live streams. 

Within months of launching Blake’s Breaks in July 2022, Martinez reportedly projected its annual profit to exceed his yearly NFL earnings. Since then, the company has generated over $8.3 million in revenue, with about 60 people working for them.

Creating a Culture for Business Success

Martinez’s experience in reselling Pokémon cards taught him the importance of creating a positive business culture that focuses on quality and fun. He emphasizes that businesses need to believe in the culture they have built and not let greed take over. At Blake’s Breaks, the goal is to connect with people and provide quality services, understanding that mistakes can turn into opportunities.

Underscoring the importance of business culture, Martinez tells his team: "I don't care if you make me $1 million or $1. You have to abide by our concept of culture," reported CNBC.

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Hiring the Right People

When hiring streamers for Blake’s Breaks, Martinez uses a three-round interview process. He looks for people who know how to build a community on platforms like YouTube or can enamor a room and establish connections with people. Once he identifies someone with these skills, he provides them with $5,000 worth of products to see what they can do, according to the report.

Teaching Employees to Compete

Martinez aims to teach employees enough so that they can start their own businesses, even if they compete with Blake’s Breaks. He believes in allowing people who don’t have opportunities to succeed to achieve success. 

He encourages people taking ownership of what they do since he never had the same opportunity while playing football. So each time they live stream he encourages them to take charge.

"You are your own boss. You are making possibilities and opportunities for yourself every single second," reported CNBC.

He wants employees to learn all aspects of the business, and build their communication skills to help them succeed in their personal careers. 

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