CNBC Make It

Paola Merrill, 29, and her husband, Luke Garing, 37, are the owners of Trail's End Bookstore in Winthrop, Washington. In 2025, the couple brought in $209,000, primarily from Merrill's work in content creation on YouTube. They purchased the bookstore late last year as Merrill aims to transition away from the creator economy and build a sustainable business offline. This is an installment of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which profiles people across the globe and details how they earn, spend and save their money. Produced by: Tasia Jensen Managing Producer: Beatriz Bajuelos Camera: Dmytro Sachuk Editor: Marisa Forziati Animator: Alisa Stern Reporter: Gili Malinsky Additional Footage: Paola Merrill Subscribe to CNBC Make It.: http://cnb.cx/2kxl2rf Watch CNBC on the go with CNBC+: https://www.cnbc.com/WatchCNBCPlus About CNBC Make It.: CNBC Make It. is a new section of CNBC dedicated to making you smarter about managing your business, career, and money. Want to lead with confidence and bring out the best in your team? Take CNBC's new online course, How To Be A Standout Leader. Expert instructors share practical strategies to help you build trust, communicate clearly and motivate other people to do their best work.