From $50 in her pocket to $9 million in revenue in 2024: This is how a single mom went from sleeping in her car to owning her own company

From $50 in her pocket less than a decade earlier, to nearly 10 million dollars in revenue in 2024, Gia Huynh’s story is a stark reminder of how fragile survival can be and how unlikely success often looks at the start.

Immigrant makes millions in “land of opportunity”

Huynh immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in 2016 with little money and, like many, no safety net. In her early 20s, she worked up to 14-hour days at nail salons, seven days a week, to survive. At one point, she was homeless, sleeping in her car as a single mother with a five-week-old baby. She told CNBC Make It she had just $50 to her name and “nothing” else to rely on.

Born in Dong Nai and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, Huynh grew up in deep poverty and did not finish fifth grade. She spoke openly to CNBC about childhood abuse, bullying over her skin color, and years of feeling underestimated and voiceless. Those experiences, she said, shaped her lack of confidence well into adulthood.

How Huynh’s business grew from her kitchen

After separating from her husband and later leaving an abusive relationship, Huynh moved to Maryland and returned to nail salon work during the Covid pandemic. Barely earning enough to get by, she began experimenting with online business ideas late at night after putting her son to sleep.

Her breakthrough came in 2021, when she rediscovered a traditional crystal candy she remembered from Vietnam. Using a family recipe, Huynh invested about $500 in ingredients and began making the candy in her kitchen after midnight. By early 2022, she was selling on Etsy. Initial sales were modest, but a viral influencer post helped accelerate growth.

According to financial documents reviewed by Make It, Huynh’s company, Silky Gem, generated more than $9 million in revenue in 2024. She now employs her parents and runs the business as a family operation.

Huynh said that the journey reshaped how she sees herself. After years of believing she was “worthless,” she now credits persistence and self-belief for changing her life trajectory. An inspiration to us all.

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