This 46-year-old went from living off $20,000 doing odd jobs to running a company that guides people up Mount Everest

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This mountaineer spent $10,000 to launch a company that guides people up Mount Everest—now it brings in $3 million a year (via CNBCMakeIt)

Source: Alpenglow Expeditions

Today, the company is on track to surpass $3 million in 2022 revenue, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. Alpenglow's prices can range from $275 for an introductory mountaineering course to up toMountain climbing and entrepreneurship are both risky endeavors that require mental and physical resilience to succeed, Ballinger says. You can't ever take success for granted, because failure is always an option.

He spent the next 12 months "barely making a living as a base-level guide, teaching rock climbing" and making just enough money to fund his own climbing trips to South America and the Himalayas. By 2004, Ballinger wanted to branch out on his own. He sold his motorcycle to cover the $3,000 cost to build Alpenglow's website, and put roughly $7,000 of his own savings toward startup costs — from legal fees to register the company to expedition equipment like tents, ropes and other necessary gear.

He got approval to offer mountaineering courses and guided trips in the Sierra Nevada mountains, meaning he didn't have to rely solely on clients willing to spend thousands of dollars on major international expeditions.

 

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