This 17-Year-Old High School Student Has a $20,000-a-Month Side Hustle — and It All Started With a Skill He Learned in Class Michael Satterlee is a full-time student and the founder of Solefully.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- After Satterlee learned how to 3D print in class, he purchased a 3D printer and researched product ideas.
- Satterlee used social media to grow a customer base; now, the company is on track for $300,000 in 2025.
This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Michael Satterlee, 17, of Clifton Park, New York. Satterlee is a full-time high school student and the founder of Solefully, a six-figure business that designs and 3D prints unique accessories for Crocs. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Solefully. Michael Satterlee.
What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
When I started my side hustle, I was working as a dishwasher and also a full-time high school student. I balanced work, school and business.
When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
I started in 2023 after learning 3D printing in my design and drawing for production (DDP) class. I decided to buy a 3D printer and started researching product ideas. I came across a story about someone making a lot of money selling snow plow attachments for crocs and realized there was a huge opportunity. I jumped on it and built an entire store around that niche.
What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground?
The first thing I did was find a winning product. That took a lot of research; a winning product has to be easy to make or buy, easy to market and not oversaturated in the market. After that, I focused on content. I posted three creative TikToks and Instagram Reels a day. It was all about consistency. Even when growth was slow at first, staying consistent paid off. Traffic picked up, and soon the orders started rolling in.
Are there any free or paid resources that have been especially helpful for you in starting and running this business?
The best tools in business are free. TikTok and Instagram have been everything for me — that's where all my marketing happens. I average around 50 million monthly impressions, and it's 100% organic. I've never run paid ads, just consistent, creative content.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Solefully
If you could go back in your business journey and change one process or approach, what would it be, and how do you wish you'd done it differently?
I wish I had moved into a warehouse sooner. For a while, the business completely took over my entire house. There were printers in my bedroom, boxes in the hallway and packaging materials in the kitchen. It was chaotic, and it made it hard to stay organized or focus. Once I got into a dedicated warehouse space, everything became more efficient. I was more productive, more focused and finally had room to scale properly. If I had made that move earlier, I would've saved a ton of stress.
When it comes to this specific business, what is something you've found particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who get into this type of work should be prepared for, but likely aren't?
It's really hard to build a social media presence. People think one viral video is all it takes, but the truth is, your first 100 videos might flop. It's a lot of trial and error. You have to keep testing content, throwing stuff at the wall and staying consistent even when it feels like no one's watching.
Related: What's the Top Side Hustle in Your City? The Fastest-Growing Gig in the U.S. Might Surprise You.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Solefully
Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong? How did you fix it?
One time, a TikTok video blew up overnight and brought in way more orders than I was prepared to handle. At the time, I was still printing everything out of my house, with no real systems in place. I ran out of filament, packing materials and was barely keeping up with customer messages. Some orders were delayed, and people started emailing asking where their stuff was. I stayed up for days printing nonstop, restocked materials as fast as I could and personally responded to every customer. After that, I learned the importance of preparing for viral moments. I built better systems, stocked up ahead of launches and even brought on help so I wouldn't be caught off guard again.
How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn?
It took about a year to see consistent monthly revenue. But now, we're doing around $20,000 a month in sales across all platforms.
What does growth and revenue look like now?
Growth is slow but consistent. I'm not rushing it. I'm building brick by brick, making sure everything is scalable and solid. Last year, we did $250,000 in sales, and this year we are on track for $300,000.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Solefully
What do you enjoy most about running this business?
I love the creative freedom. I can come up with a crazy product idea, model it, print it and post a video all in one day. I also love seeing people react to something I made, whether they're laughing, tagging friends or placing an order. It's the most rewarding thing.
What is your best piece of specific, actionable business advice?
Start with content, not just a product. Before you invest tons of money into perfecting a design or building out a brand, post content to see if people even care. If you can't get strangers to stop scrolling, you don't have product-market fit yet. Use free platforms like TikTok and Instagram to test fast, fail fast and double down on what works.
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