He left his job to launch an eBay venture, which now generates millions.

Meet Gurmer Chopra, 32, the co-founder of YoungLA, a clothing brand that raked in over $167 million last year. Yes, no pressure, just another day at the office of a guy who ducked out of the Big Four and into the world of e-commerce faster than you can say “dropped out of boredom.”

Picture the scene: Gurmer graduates in 2015, lands a shiny job at a top accounting firm, and within a few months, he feels like he’s been hit by the boredom bus. Four months in, he’s like, “This isn’t what I signed up for.” (Spoiler alert: nobody tells you accountant life is just spreadsheets and the closest thing to excitement is a paper jam.)

As he thumbed through CPA exam books, lightbulb moment alert: “Wait, I can’t do this for the rest of my life! I’d rather watch paint dry.” So, he partnered with his brother Dashmeet, swapping balance sheets for thrift-store T-shirts, and thus began their comedy of e-commerce errors.

Now, backstory alert: Gurmer’s family immigrated from India in 2002, landing in New Jersey before deciding California’s sun and surf were more their style. His entrepreneurial spirit? Well, it turns out it was instilled in him by his father, a souvenir shop owner—yes, you heard right, a souvenir shop. Talk about a legacy.

“My dad started selling trinkets, and soon enough, I was roped into the family business. I mean, nothing says ‘future entrepreneur’ like handling snow globes at age 12. Who wouldn’t want that on their resume?” Gurmer reminisces with a hint of irony.

Fast forward to March 2014, with $5,000 and a dream that would make even the most delusional person nod in approval. The brothers ventured onto eBay, trying to sell everything from jeans to Tupac memorabilia. They honestly could have created a bizarre thrift shop for musical memorabilia and indie fashion disasters, but instead, they just hopped on the e-commerce bandwagon.

Eventually, they launched YoungLA.com, inspired by a DJ who likely never knew he was setting the stage for their humble thrift empire. The focus shifted from reselling to manufacturing—because why not? Throw in some drop culture and influencer marketing and voila! You have a recipe for e-commerce stardom. You know, like turning your weekend garage sale into the next Amazon—easy peasy.

So, is Gurmer glad he ditched accounting? “Absolutely,” he says, with all the enthusiasm of a kid who just found out he doesn’t have to do math anymore. But it’s not all rainbows and money trees. “Running a business is great dumb-and-dumber fun until you actually have to fire someone or deal with lawsuits—yikes.”

He’s learned more about stress management than most therapists could teach. “You go from zero to ‘Oh no, I have to manage people!?’ in no time. And that’s the real education—surviving this world teaches way more than books ever could.”