New Yorker left at a meeting, now wins twice as much in a dream job

Pooja Tripathi may not have become a successful actress if she had not left her business marketing job in the midst of a meeting in 2018.

At that time, Tripathi had spent five years working in the fashion industry, but felt defeated after treating with a toxic boss, she said. One morning, at a last -minute meeting, his boss personally started insulting Tripathi in front of his manager. She had watched her colleagues undergoing similar intimidation in the past-and had decided to leave work, where she won a figure in half-five years, she said.

“To have a job everyone thinks that it seems cool … (then) feeling like you cannot achieve day -to -day goals is not easy,” explains Tripathi, 32. “You feel like a lie.”

The second act of Tripathi’s career is more authentic, fulfilling and twice as lucrative, she says. With a friend, she started writing and acting for a YouTube series, and over time, has become a successful creator of content, she said.

Tripathi started her most popular project, Brooklyn Coffee Shop, in June 2023. In short videos published on Tiktok and Instagram, she plays a dry and not interested barista who interacts with and often rejects a casting of stereotypical customers from Brooklyn – a Pilates instructor, a guy who loves the crypto – who tries to make drinks like a bleed

Certain episodes of the series are seen more than 3 million times.

The success of the series has contributed to landing Tripathi’s personal social media agreements, she says. She now earns more than twice what she won as fashion marketing, enough to leave her part-time jobs and focus on full-time social media in December 2024, she said.

The series also begins to undertake its own brand offers, she adds.

Tripathi had to take risks to go so far, she said. She had no experience in writing comedies or action before leaving her fashion marketing work. She took a roommate in her room apartment in New York to save money and worked part-time marketing jobs to cover invoices while she was building social referencing after her free time, she said.

“I had a very strong northern star, which was that I needed another pay check,” she said. “My mom would call me and remind me that I would not have health insurance (once I am 26 years old) … I think there is a fear at the heart of all Americans only if we do not play, if we do not earn money, we cannot go to the doctor.”

Juggling with several jobs while trying to succeed in an uncertain career path was mentally exhausting – but finding a Brooklyn coffee was natural, said Tripathi. In 2023, she spent 30 minutes discussing alternative dairy products, such as water buffalo milk, with a friend and a barista in a cafe.

She returned home, installed her iPhone on a tripod and filmed herself by playing the conversation – playing both the barista and the customers – in front of a makeshift screen in her apartment, she said. This first episode of the series obtained more than a million views, she said.

The production of the series seems very different now. Tripathi divides the production workload with his boyfriend, Sagi Shahar, who helps sound design, and his friends like Nitay Dagan and Eyal Cohen, director and director of photography of the series, respectively. Another friend adds special effects, such as kiosk screens that encourage fictitious customers to pay more than 200%.

Comedians like Kyle Gordon, Grace Reiter and Gianmarco Sheresi are now invited as customers.

“We can only do (what we do) because everyone is so technically learned,” said Tripathi. “Working with the guests (and the team) has probably been the most gratifying thing in my entire career so far.”

Do you want to stand out, develop your network and get more job possibilities? Subscribe to Smarter by CNBC to do its new online course, How to build a personal brand off competition: online, in person and at work. Learn from three expert instructors how to present your skills, constitute a stellar reputation and create a digital presence that AI cannot reproduce. Register today with the Earlybird promo code for a 30% launching discount on the regular price of the price of $ 67 (more tax). Valid offer on July 22, 2025 until September 2, 2025.

More, Sign up at CNBC Making ITS Newsletter To get advice and tips to succeed at work, with money and in life, and Request to join our exclusive community in LinkedIn To connect with experts and peers.