I'm 21 and make up to $280,000 a month reselling sneakers. I don't see my friends much and still live at home.

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This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Robbie Cartwright, founder of Yorkshire Trainers. It has been edited for length and clarity.

My middle school had a challenge to see which student could take a small investment of about $10 and make the most profit. I won, selling hooks to hang handbags on. I profited more than $1,000 over the six weeks of the challenge, although it was all for charity.

By the time I was about 14, I was reselling sneakers. Some kids have hobbies or play sports, but I would troll eBay, looking for deals that I could make a profit on. I reinvested what I made, and soon started camping out in line for exclusive sneaker drops. I might spend $200 on a pair of sneakers from the factory, then resell them for $1,000 later that night.

That was four years ago, and the business has grown massively. Today, I do five figures of sales each month, and in May, I hit a record: more than $280,000 in one month.

Money isn't my main motivator. The industry of reselling online via live-streaming is still young, especially in the UK, where I'm based. I'm chasing that top spot in the industry because it's still up for grabs.

Being so dedicated to work impacts all areas of my personal life. I used to go to watch my favorite football team with my friends every week. Now, I haven't seen a game in probably three years.

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Unsurprisingly, my friends have drifted away. I'm not still friends with anyone I went to school with. I did a vacation with a new group of friends and had a great time, but for the next two years, I didn't want to take time off work to join their trip.