With a bright mind and relentless hustle, Sok excels in unpredictable business world
Dec. 11, 2019
Since flipping his first pair of sneakers for profit as a 16-year-old high school
junior, Andrew Sok knew he wanted to be his own boss and play by his own rules.
A budding entrepreneur and first-generation student at the Community College of Rhode
Island, the 18-year-old Providence native now owns his own small vending company and
continues to reach new heights on the high-risk secondary sneaker market.
Having successfully navigated the unpredictable waters of the small business world
at a young age, Sok is further pursuing his education in hopes of turning what may
seem like a hobby for some into a money-making business that could eventually bankroll
his future endeavors beyond CCRI.
“As a kid, I always had that mindset of working for myself,” said Sok, the son of
Cambodian refugees who now lives with both parents in North Kingstown. “I’ve always
had that entrepreneurial spirit.”
To fine-tune his business acumen, he enrolled at CCRI this semester, taking advantage
of a “great learning opportunity” through the Promise scholarship to study under experienced
professors who are helping him further understand the risks and rewards as he dives
head-first into the world of entrepreneurship.
“This is a great fit for me,” Sok said. “The class schedule is flexible and the professors
are knowledgeable. They bring real-world experience to the classroom.”
His first money-making endeavor started innocently enough. A friend suggested he could
score big on the online sneaker market, so Sok began researching release dates for
new shoes, how to utilize bots – or automated programs – to make wholesale purchases
through retail providers, and when to flip his new investments for a quick profit.
Soon, he dove into more untapped resources, niche markets such as collectibles or
alternative brands. He bought a suitcase from the Manhattan-based skateboard company
Supreme, waited until the supply dwindled, and then sold it through a third-party
website – he typically uses StockX, one of the more popular online marketplaces –
for more than twice its original retail value.
Some of his finds require a little more legwork. While researching the collectibles
market, he discovered Rae Dunn, a pottery company in California named after a former
fashion designer that sells handmade products worldwide, everything from ceramic birdhouses
to coffee mugs. The brand’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years with collectors
willing to pay more than double the retail value for items. Sok found eight Rae Dunn
birdhouses at a local TJ Maxx and sold them online for a hefty profit that turned
out to be more than worth the effort.
The resale market is as fickle as it is fascinating. Aside from staying on top of
the current trends, the key, Sok says, is understanding the concept of supply and
demand, particularly in the sneaker market.
Sok buys in bulk and hopes the availability of the product dwindles while the demand
skyrockets – risky, no doubt, but there’s little room for reward in the business world
without taking calculated risks.
There’s money to be made, Sok said, if you’re fortunate enough to score a hot new
item at retail value, which requires extensive research on release dates and availability.
He currently owns more than 200 pairs of sneakers, some which he’ll move quickly for
a small profit and others that require more of a long-term investment.
His latest endeavor is the vending business. Sok found a retiring local businessman
selling 26 vending machines on Facebook Marketplace, all located throughout the state.
He purchased the route with money from his sneaker sales and now services the machines
himself during his free time between classes.
The drive and determination runs in the family. Sok’s parents fled Cambodia in their
mid-20s during the Cambodian Genocide of the late 1970s. His father entered the marine
trades industry and continues to work first shift as a boatbuilder. His parents always
told him to get good grades, go to college and follow in their footsteps, but Sok
knew long ago the 9-to-5 grind was not in his future.
At CCRI, he’s now learned there’s more to being an entrepreneur than having a fool-proof
idea and a tireless work ethic; one must also have the right tools to succeed outside
of the classroom.
With a brilliant mind for business, Sok’s opportunities are endless. He’s determined
to become Rhode Island’s next great entrepreneur, but, for now, remains focused on
his education at CCRI, where the college’s business program puts him on the right
track to achieve his goals.
“This is what I’ve always wanted to do,” Sok said. “I think you have to be born with
it. That drive is not something that can be taught. It has to be in you.”
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