Back in 2013, Shopify was taking off by making e-commerce easier than ever before. I was eager to give it a try and receive those notifications on my phone every time a sale occurred, accompanied by the sound of a cash register ringing.

The premise was simple: I sold products for men made in the US or Canada. From product research, procurement, and marketing, I managed the site for about five years and enjoyed the ups and downs that came with it.

It was a great learning experience, and although it didn’t become my full-time job, it did pay for itself.