Kenzo achieved an incredible milestone—earning his first million dollars while still in high school, living with his parents. But he isn’t alone in this feat; many young entrepreneurs are finding success by building thriving ecommerce businesses. So, how did Kenzo rise to the top at such a young age?
From Humble Beginnings to Million-Dollar Success
Kenzo’s entrepreneurial spirit emerged early. In an interview on the ecommerce podcast Serious Sellers, he shared, “I’ve always been in that entrepreneurial mindset, always trying to do anything to make an extra dollar or two.”
He began his journey by reselling sneakers on eBay, which quickly expanded into a full-fledged dropshipping business. But as his business grew, so did the workload—Kenzo found himself working up to 18 hours a day just to keep up with order fulfillment. That’s when he discovered Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program.
With FBA, Amazon takes care of the logistics: packaging, storage, shipping, and even returns. This solved one of the biggest challenges for ecommerce entrepreneurs—managing fulfillment. By transitioning from eBay dropshipping to FBA, Kenzo freed up his time and scaled his business to new heights.
Unlocking Success with Wholesale FBA
Kenzo’s success lies in the “wholesale FBA” model. Instead of creating his own brand or selling private-label products, he identified gaps between wholesale prices and market prices, capitalizing on those differences to generate profit. For example, if a bottle of bleach sells for $5 on Amazon, Kenzo would find a supplier selling it wholesale at a lower cost, allowing him to profitably list it on Amazon without rebranding the product.
Unlike private-label sellers who focus on branding and marketing, Kenzo’s approach is more about analytics and efficient operations. This strategy allows him to move quickly, relying on data to identify opportunities.
Overcoming Obstacles on the Road to Success
Like all entrepreneurs, Kenzo faced challenges along the way. One of his biggest hurdles was handling intellectual property complaints. Since he sold other brands’ products, disputes sometimes arose when a brand didn’t authorize its items to be sold on Amazon. Too many of these complaints could jeopardize his account, risking millions of dollars in inventory.
Competition was another significant obstacle. In the wholesale FBA model, many sellers often target the same profitable products, making it hard to maintain market share. Despite these challenges, Kenzo’s resilience and determination kept him moving forward.
His perseverance paid off. In 2020, his sales exceeded $5 million, an impressive accomplishment for someone who hadn’t even graduated high school. Today, Kenzo enjoys the rewards of his hard work, including a collection of luxury supercars like a McLaren, Ferrari, and Porsche GT3RS.
Kenzo’s Secret Growth Hack
One of Kenzo’s most powerful tools for success was his vendor network. Building strong relationships with suppliers allowed him to secure better deals and scale his business effectively. His secret to finding hidden gem suppliers? Google Maps.
Instead of relying on popular online directories, which are often oversaturated with competition, Kenzo used Google Maps to locate local wholesale suppliers with little or no online presence. These suppliers were less likely to have been approached by other ecommerce sellers, giving Kenzo a competitive edge.
The Takeaway
Kenzo’s story is a testament to the power of hard work, persistence, and smart strategies. He combined an entrepreneurial mindset with innovative tactics like leveraging FBA and finding untapped vendor relationships to build a multimillion-dollar business before turning 18. For aspiring entrepreneurs, Kenzo’s journey offers a roadmap: think creatively, embrace challenges, and never stop pushing forward. Who knows? With the right mindset and tools, you could be the next young success story.