This mom googled how to repair cars—now her auto shop brings in $440,000 a year

In 2018, Desiree Hill was a medical assistant commuting three hours per day, barely seeing her kids. Hoping to earn extra income, she started a side hustle buying, repairing and reselling rundown vehicles — learning from YouTube videos. Today, the 39-year-old runs a repair shop in Conyers, Georgia, that brought in $440,000 in 2024 revenue. Correction: Desiree Hill was a registered medical assistant before she became a mechanic. An earlier version of this story mischaracterized her previous role.