Starting From Zero: Jean Reyes on Reselling, Live Commerce, and Building in Miami

In this episode, we sit down with Jean Reyes, a Dominican-born entrepreneur who moved to Miami with no English and just $700. From working construction rentals with his uncle to building businesses in sneaker reselling, live commerce, and content production, Jean shares how starting from zero shaped his mindset and growth.He breaks down learning English while working, spotting early opportunities in sneaker culture, launching a paid community during COVID, and running live shopping events that generated hundreds of thousands of dollars. We also dive into his pivot into podcasting and studio ownership, how he structures pricing and upsells, and why recurring revenue is the foundation of his long-term vision in the creator economy.What to Expect- Starting From Zero: Moving from the Dominican Republic to Miami with no English, $700, and the pressure to rebuild from scratch.- Learning While Earning: How working while learning English shaped Jean’s discipline, adaptability, and entrepreneurial mindset in the U.S.- Sneakers Before the Boom: Spotting early opportunities in sneaker reselling, building trust online, and developing a sharp eye for market shifts and fakes.- The Membership Breakthrough: Why launching a paid sneaker community during COVID generated $20K in a single day—and changed how he thinks about recurring revenue.- Live Commerce at Scale: From early Whatnot streams to nearly $300K in hourly sales, and why live shopping is becoming the future of retail.- From Reselling to Content: The pivot into podcasting and opening a Brickell-based studio built for creators, brands, and scalable content.- Pricing, Upsells & Lean Operations: How Jean structures affordable entry points, profitable add-ons, and commission-based staffing to scale sustainably.- The Creator Economy Vision: Building toward a creator lounge designed for podcasts, livestream shopping, and the next wave of digital commerce.The Members Room is a space for founders, creators, and business owners to share their journey — hosted by Alex Thiakos.Guest – Jean Reyes INSTAGRAM: / solebyjc Host – Alex Thiakos INSTAGRAM: / alexthiakosMembers Room INSTAGRAM: / membersroomTIKTOK: /membersroom