How I Bring In $400K A Year Selling Cheese In NYC | On The Job

Caroline Hesse, 32, is the founder and CEO of C. Hesse Cheese, a wholesale cheese distribution company in New York City. She sells cheese to restaurants, cheese shops, catering companies and direct to consumers. In 2023, her business brought in $400,000.
Produced and Shot by: Valentina Duarte
Managing Producer: Beatriz Bajuelos
Supervising Producer: Jessica Leibowitz
Additional Camera: Lauren Shamo
Editor: Marisa Forziati
Animator: Elham Ataeiazar
Senior Production Manager: Kathryn Mavrikakis
Additional Footage: Caroline Hesse
Subscribe to CNBC Make It.: cnb.cx/2kxl2rf
Want to make extra money outside of your day job? Take CNBC’s new online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about common passive income streams. Register today and save 50% with discount code EARLYBIRD: cnb.cx/3Is19fx
About CNBC Make It.: CNBC Make It. is a new section of CNBC dedicated to making you smarter about managing your business, career, and money.
Connect with CNBC Make It. Online
Get the latest updates: www.cnbc.com/make-it
Find CNBC Make It. on Facebook: cnb.cx/LikeCNBCMakeIt
Find CNBC Make It. on X: cnb.cx/FollowCNBCMakeIt
Find CNBC Make It. on Instagram: bit.ly/InstagramCNBCMakeIt
#CNBC
#CNBCMakeIt
#OnTheJob
How I Bring In $400K A Year Selling Cheese In NYC | On The Job

[@CNBCMakeIt]

Do you have an interesting job or a nontraditional career path? Click the link to apply to be featured in a future episode of On The Job. forms.gle/6VduycnomynZiYSG9

[@geraldwhitfield9866]

C. Hesse owns a cheese company - talk about a perfect name!

[@ennmin]

Meant to be since baby

[@thesayxx]

Was just about to comment that. She was destined to work with cheese lol

[@heybro4496]

Not sure what’s more impressive, her knowledge about cheese or her ability to resist the temptation of taking a bite outta everything 🤷‍♀️

[@Bob-em6kn]

She definitely did not resist

[@ninjanerdstudent6937]

Making cheese is like being a chef or cook. For instance, I enjoy doing food preparation for other people more than eating the food.

[@Tashas_Travels]

You get tired of it. It's like working in the restaurant industry, after eating all the food , you get tired of it. Lol

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Blacks On Cougars USD SGD

[@letsplayblis1115]

Again I don't get the title CNBC, this is a long list of titles insinuating or what the reader would presume was a business owner making a profit of 400K a year, when the business owner hasn't even made a profit at all and is currently still in debt. On a side note, it seems like a genuine person and I hope she does well and makes a profit because she seems like she has the drive and passion for it. Always like seeing people happy doing what they love.

[@loafloafer]

Agree this is a horrible clickbait title. 400k of total revenue is definitely not the same as 400k profit. smh.

[@mattbosley3531]

It doesn't say profit, just says she brings in 400k. And with rent prices in NYC I'm surprised she can find a decent place to live.

[@letsplayblis1115]

@@mattbosley3531 Which was what was said in my reply. If you insinuate with a title like that, it would be easily presumed it was profit. Not the latter being in debt and haven't made profit. It's called click bait. So I called it out

[@warrpedd]

Blessed are the cheesemakers.

[@tahaabbasi7626]

really like these series! a look into a world we wouldn't normally see

[@jaybird426]

Ummm selling 400thousand in cheese and making 400thou is 2 different things.. the headline makes it sound like she's making that as income.

[@fscheck]

Yeah I turned the video off after 1:15. such a clickbait

[@scottstempmail9045]

@@fscheck Well it is CNBC.

[@thesecretlifeofhuman]

It said she's "bringing in 400k" not making a 400k profit.

[@jaybird426]

@@thesecretlifeofhuman back when I commented, the headline was different.

[@jojoworldbj]

Nothing like your own business.

[@daintyminnie9270]

nothing like being white.

[@user-hn3uu3gj2g]

She’s still in debt💀

[@andrewjackdaw2511]

I love to see hard working, good people who are just following their passion!

[@EcomCarl]

Caroline's journey from cheesemonger apprentice to a successful entrepreneur showcases the power of leveraging one's passion into a profitable niche business. Her meticulous selection process not only ensures quality but also cultivates a unique market position. 🧀

[@twoolfrx7]

She's not successful yet though. She has yet to turn a profit and is in debt.

[@DailyDiecast]

LOVE LOVE LOVE this series from CNBC!

[@MattCRHughes]

Can’t fault her for chasing her passion. That said, not sure how you can work 80 hour weeks to make $22k/year in NYC of all places.

[@user-cq9ph5pz1j]

Rename how I make 22k a year selling cheese.

[@Dweller12Videos]

First year of business should never be profitable. She has debt, and still is solvent enough to continue operating despite that. The one year mark is the first major hurdle for new businesses. If she survives after five years, then at that rate she will be very profitable. But the business will also have to expand, and so the question will always be how much do you take for yourself or reinvest. She took $22k pay from her own company, which she solely controls. That's just something to put down for taxes, it doesn't reveal the actual finances of the business.

[@gio.orbit5498]

its genius, she only has to pay income tax on the 22k

[@rodneymorgan313]

In New York City 😟

[@superfluous5162]

​@@gio.orbit5498 obviously she is financially stable .

[@HaggisMuncher-69-420]

@@Dweller12Videos "Should never" Such lies.

[@4piluchi]

Love her attitude! 😊

[@harryjamessmithmusic7762]

She's amazing! Brilliant video!

[@rafaelcardoso9619]

One pound = 0.45 kg. For anyone watching from a country that uses a decent metric system.

[@stanvanillo9831]

I am actually surprised that there is only one pound...

[@r3dp1ll]

You can tell she loves it and she's competent. As an employee in a different field she would likely make great money.

[@IrwinChugh]

So cool ! Im sure in a few years the business will have grown like crazy

[@user-xj6sg3km1z]

She has correctly shown that you have to implement every idea you have, and more important than that is to continue to be patient and persevere until you achieve success and maintain it.

[@ianchu8232]

“Bring in" is a misleading phrase. I can bring in $300k by buying $400k of cheese and selling them at a loss. What's "bring in"? Revenue or net income?

[@hoanghailam]

She's a very smart and hardworking person with a big dream

[@bennett9117]

So no French cheese ? No Roquefort ? No Époisses ? ( don't know if this one travel well , though)

[@ninjanerdstudent6937]

I once walked into an exclusive cheese shop with hundreds of varieties of cheeses in Amsterdam, and it smelled like literal garbage. I walked right out. 😂

[@yuhbettacancook]

As someone who most only eats cheddar cheese occasionally I had no idea people were THIS into cheese. This is so intriguing. Thanks for sharing!

[@pauljones9150]

I LOVE cheese 😋 What a cool way to make a living

[@dogood7337]

You love it because it's as addictive as cocaine. It's a concentrated form of milk, milk that is supposed to make a baby from another species addicted on his/her mother's milk in order to grow big and fast. A cocktail of hormones definitely not something meant for humans, even more so adults. Once you understand all the horrible diseases linked to its consumption, including how horrible it is to the animals, you give it up. Once you give it up, you find it DISGUSTING! It should be banned, but too many interests behind: the dairy industry is very rich & powerful and wants to stay like this.

[@hukmai]

Forget The Bear we have The Mouse! No seriously love the energy, love the cheese,and curious about the margins ( cost accountant mainstream food manufacturering) the framework is solid; it'sis the making profit at or before 5 years cause homie gotta live

[@charleneelovitz3738]

Open House for cheese sampling once per month is good idea!! Maybe can do some "special events" as well 🙂

[@TalesOfTrillions]

Wow, $400K selling cheese? Caroline is proving that with passion and determination, any niche can be a goldmine! 💼💸

[@YouCanCallMeChrys]

Yum!!! I would go to her open house just to sample my body weight in cheese! And buy some of course!

[@Aggie98bqn]

Cool 👍🏼

[@dannyzuehlsdorf3697]

Gouda for you, young lady! That's the best I could do at 06:00am LOL

[@gluehuff43]

Very cool!

[@scottgjerdingen]

Impressive!

[@panoramaaaaaa]

She looks like a great person

[@bnwo]

I love cheese.

[@fayazqadar4558]

How to give purchase order?

[@RB-kh6fo]

And 3/4 goes to overhead

[@joe-vl3nd]

Love cheese Yummy 😊

[@kafenaded420]

She a 10/10.

[@billjohnson7904]

Would like to try the super old Alpine cheese

[@shootnicky8166]

First i didn't get why she was not profitable on her first year 🙄then I saw the map where she was not importing cheeses from France.. and it all became clear to me😄 It's basically like opening a pasta business with no purchase from Italy aha

[@LucariosTrainer]

i like cheese

[@dogood7337]

You like it because it's as addictive as cocaine. It's a concentrated form of milk, milk that is supposed to make a baby from another species addicted on his/her mother's milk in order to grow big and fast. A cocktail of hormones definitely not something meant for humans, even more so adults. Once you understand all the horrible diseases linked to its consumption, including how horrible it is to the animals, you give it up. Once you give it up, you find it DISGUSTING! It should be banned, but too many interests behind: the dairy industry is very rich & powerful and wants to stay like this.

[@Algorithm.]

You can "Bring in $400,00" and get paid very little, these clickbait titles are ridiculous, she earns minimum wage.

[@singlefathersurrogacy]

Listen to neo surf by surkin

[@NrbdhHfbfbr]

Can u show the steps of making this cheese

[@chaselim3963]

OK but what is her take home income/profit though? Bringing in 400k or more doesn't mean you take home/profit the same you might even run at a loss.

[@TheMschan330]

She said she hasn't made a profit yet

[@3DPrinterAcademy]

everyone must read emyth before starting a business

[@17teacmrocks]

@cnbc can you post profit instead of revenue? if it were early amazon numbers they brought in a ton of revenue with enormous net losses. I could say I bring in $5 - 10m a year trading based on credit transactions then lol

[@kayflip2233]

No Quebec cheese curds?

[@jl5478]

I'm high and all I can hear was the Barista raspy voice from Louder Milk. "Why do you talk like that?"

[@lucyguiland-nt9vu]

🎉🎉❤❤❤ nice 👌

[@FreeJulianAssange23]

How does she get past the gate keepers in the agriculture industry?

[@hmmimthinking]

I'm so distracted by her gorgeous hair

[@BizBob2]

It's nice she's making a go of it but the video is rather misleading. Selling vs making. There's a big difference here. She has turned a profit though and I hope it increases for her.

[@vanessaandreatta9098]

If you were in Nepal, Switzerland or in the right place in south America, where there is no production... You would double this business 😅. Too bad you r in Ny... Cheese is that one thing I never buy cause it s not healthy nor cheap😂

[@lapijamebre]

How? By overpricing it! Yay!

[@BASE5NYC]

Mad cheezy

[@an67481]

Not word issued on RAW CHEESE

[@joaopedroalbernaz]

She sounds like the Thranos lady

[@christieturner6396]

She has such cute tiktok videos

[@Sparkyzachchannel.]

I low cheese I’m from Wisconsin

[@riponmondol-zo8hc]

youtube video seo expert

[@khiemdee4573]

$400k in revenue

[@andreas11735]

But what's the net profit?

[@amgcha6318]

$0 paid herself a $22k salary

[@TheMschan330]

She said she hasn't made a profit yet

[@AmazingJunkie]

So the title should be “making 22k selling cheese”

[@RaveMasterr]

ya, i'm more interested in the net profit rather than gross. You can have $billion gross but 0 profit, which is not that fascinating.

[@AdamBechtol]

@@AmazingJunkie Mmmmmmmm

[@chawenhalo0089]

Is raw milk cheese allowed in the US?

[@dheerajbadiger]

Woww

[@janejessy853]

I want to do the same! :(

[@Gallard-002]

I think I want to marry her, she's so lovely:)

[@Lordwolfie59]

I think what she is doing is awesome and I do wish her the best but holy cow this title is pure click bait they didn't make anywhere near that or ever claim that lol.

[@rda3000]

I had a company that brought in $700k, but none of that was profit, so I had to wind it down. Sounds like this person is not making any money either.

[@theboringchannel2027]

Should rename to "How to earn less than minimum wage selling cheese"

[@FajarP076]

If you bring in $400,000 a year and can't make a profit, that's a disgrace.

[@MrLarrythehacker]

Misleading, clickbait title. The title should be how much her salary is instead.

[@chrishan9138]

5 years to make a profit in cheese?

[@davidc4408]

Sounds cheesy

[@SimonBaker-ez9ru]

What a confusion state of incompetence and corruption that runs through this administration in our government are getting more risky and ridiculous, i feel the sympathy and empathy of the citizens not getting due help they deserve, thank you Lillie Tamara, imagine investing $4,000 within 4 days of your investment you're profited with $6,530, wow thank you Jesus ❤

[@ThiagoMarta]

Low income people are suffering to survive, I appreciate her she's a great personality in the state, imagine receiving $4,250 in few days

[@Mikefeher1313]

Intern? For a cheese shop? Is that legal lol

[@elluisito000]

This video is full of Cheesy remarks

[@VideoArmageddon]

Oh your pretty.

[@viktor010i]

Small profit margis? Are you kidding me. You are selling 6 months aged Gouda for 22$ per kilo and in Europe you can get a 12 months aged Gouda for 18$ a kilo. Stop complaining and victimizing yourself, you are selling cheese at extremely high prices with premium profit margins

[@user-sd5gu1mj9h]

The single part is completely unnecessary…

[@SuperZbros]

Bring in implies profit, 400k in total sales on a low margin product, the story is good and I’m happy for that girl, but the title is misleading, great example of how small things can infect our kids brains and distort their perception, do better.

[@RasulChannel]

Nice women

[@upintherockies]

yankee trying to make cheese🤣🤣

[@MK-ft3qt]

These people cut the cheese and their customers love it.....weird.

[@jc4418]

Title is so misleading dislike

[@veganbeth]

I’d be curious about her animal welfare policies and other ethical standards from who she selects to carry

[@GGTanguera]

Your margins are so low! Raise the sale volumes and margins.

[@palimdragonmaster3k]

And what do they say about lazy millennials?

[@dogood7337]

Nothing to brag about! So much animal cruelty behind this 'food', and for humans the number 1 food linked to BREAST & PROSTATE CANCER among other diseases! #ditchdairy #dairyisscary

[@MrDaigoRiki]

To be successful in nyc is to have good Jewish friends or you have to be a Jew.

[@genehakman9422]

Sad, she’s obviously lonely and would be much happier with a bunch of kiddos rather than logs of smelly cheese

[@0bservationist]

just so everyone else knows the keys to success, make a kickstarter, and then have a popular magazine advertise your kickstarter but have no idea how they even picked it up. (lol? what?)and then you can get $50k in funding

[@goldenjamie5240]

after expenses and state tax, probably 'bringing in' basically nothing.

[@donq2957]

What a good Jew.