Roman Sharf: I Started Selling $10M Rolex's & Patek's From eBay Before E-commerce Existed!

Roman Sharf, Soviet Union refugee turned $100M watch dealer, shares how he arrived in America at 13 with nothing, escaped a country where running a business could land you in jail, and became one of the first people to sell luxury watches online. From listing his first Rolex on eBay out of his basement to waking up with $1 million in inventory and rubbing shoulders with kings, queens and presidents at Davos — this is the immigrant entrepreneur story nobody has told yet. What you can expect from this episode: - How Roman escaped the Soviet Union as a refugee and used the hunger from that experience to build a $100M business in America - Why he was one of the first watch dealers in the world to sell online, and how he dominated the market before anyone else caught on - The moment he quit his job the second his watch business hit 1.5x his salary — with a wife, a new baby and a new mortgage on the line - How he went from $65,000 in basement inventory to waking up with $1 million in stock overnight and never looked back - The number one business lesson he gives every upcoming entrepreneur that he wishes someone had told him when he started ______________________________________________________ Improve your health and life with Sunna Supplements, our official partner. Use code 'CEOCAST' at checkout for 10% off your order: https://sunnasupplements.com If you liked this episode, here's another watch dealer episode for you with Neel from Timepiece Trading: https://youtu.be/VR3222pwOhs ______________________________________________________ Follow CEOCAST On All Platforms Here! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceocast/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ceocast Follow Raheem Here: https://www.instagram.com/raheemka/ @MrCEOX Follow Roman Sharf Here: https://www.instagram.com/romansharf/ https://www.luxurybazaar.com @RomanSharf ______________________________________________________ Listen to the audio version whilst on the go on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! "THE CEO CAST" Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HU7OJ8qn0cSEU7Ok334Pn Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ceocast/id1493736134 Work with us/collaborations: info@theceocast.com 00:00 Roman's Journey: From Refugee to Entrepreneur 03:00 Watch Industry Beginnings & Podcast Intro 06:00 Defining the Gray Market & Business Philosophy 09:00 Why Philadelphia? Life Choices & Online Beginnings 12:00 Soviet Union Memories and Early Struggles 15:00 Adapting to Life in America & Embracing Opportunity 18:00 Military Service, College and IT Career 21:00 From Banking to Watches: The Leap 24:00 Building Inventory & Business Model Evolution 27:00 Company Growth, Hiring, and Delegation 30:00 Shifting from Sourcing to In-Stock Sales 33:00 Managing a Growing Company & SOPs 36:00 Tech, AI, and Modernizing Business 39:00 The AI Hype: Opportunities & Realities 42:00 Key Business Lessons: Money, Branding, and Education 45:00 Personal Finance, Employee Advice, and Family Values 48:00 On American Dream, Immigration, and Social Systems 51:00 Team Retention, Leadership, and Company Culture 54:00 Guns, Security, and American Laws 57:00 Reflections, Motivation, and Final Advice