For Jesse Frimpong, a fail-safe business formula — identify a problem and sell a solution — has helped him transcend homelessness and financial hardship and fueled a mission to empower other entrepreneurs.
Frimpong is the founder of Prestige Knowledge, a digital platform that teaches entrepreneurs how to build, automate, and scale online businesses using AI systems. His experience building seven-figure Shopify stores and mastering TikTok as a sales channel laid the foundation for Prestige, which debuted in 2021 and now onboards some 30 clients monthly. The platform has served more than 600 clients and launched more than 300 TikTok shops and e-commerce enterprises to date.
Born in London, Frimpong moved to the U.S. at age 12 with his family when his father, a pastor, was offered a job and a place to stay by another pastor. That arrangement soon fell through, leaving them homeless until his father eventually found his footing and an apartment in Bowie, Maryland.
“We all had to figure out our way as immigrants,” Frimpong recalls.
An early knack for sales
In high school, he and brother “did anything we could to make money,” including selling candy at school and flipping in-demand shoes. At 18, Frimpong got his green card and his first job, at Taco Bell. Stints at Macy’s and Amazon’s fulfillment department followed, but nothing stuck.
“I would either quit or get fired because I didn’t have a passion for it,” he says.
While a college freshman at Indiana Tech, Frimpong learned he was going to be a father, which inspired his next foray into sales: RBG color lights widely used for mood lighting.
“Kids were using them to decorate their dorms, and I found a way to buy them wholesale at Ross,” Frimpong remembers. “I’d buy them up at all the local Ross stores, then sell them for double or triple my price–still a better deal than Walmart.”
With the lights selling swiftly, he expanded into bedding and other dorm-friendly wares–“hustling and making a couple hundred dollars a day”– until the Covid pandemic stopped Frimpong in his tracks and sent him home to Maryland.
“My brain started spinning–I had to find a way to keep selling products,” he says. “So I went on YouTube and learned everything I could about e-commerce.”
A new online frontier
Frimpong immersed himself in how-to videos by top sellers on site like Etsy and Shopify, and took a few couple online courses. He then launched a home décor store on Shopify.
“Everybody was home, getting checks from the government and spending money decorating their houses,” he says. “It was the perfect time to start a business.”
Sales surged, and a Shopify pet store followed, spurred by the spike in pandemic-era pet adoptions.
“I was reading the news and tracking the data about what was happening in the world, which told me where to go next,” recalls Frimpong. “I made a lot of money in a short amount of time.”
In 2021, Frimpong’s brother told him about TikTok, which was then still relatively under-the-radar. Realizing how fast the platform was growing, he started posting product videos there.
“Here’s the RGB light, and here’s how it’s going to look in your room–straightforward product demonstrations, kind of like QVC,” says Frimpong.
He went all-in on TikTok.
“I was big into hashtags, trending sounds, and just studying what videos were performing best,” he says. “Back then, you didn’t need to be famous or have millions of followers to make good content that went viral.”
An unforeseen opportunity
Meanwhile, his thriving e-commerce ventures inspired him to create his own TikTok page–and crucially, his personal brand–where he shared the secrets of his success thus far.
“I showed people what I was doing, and how much I made on Shopify while sitting in the house during Covid,” Frimpong says.
Those videos “blew up” too, and Frimpong received thousands of DMs and comments from fans, offering to pay him to teach them the tricks of his trade.
“I started creating courses and mentorships–how to set up your store, find a trending product, recognize which videos will go viral, do fulfillment and drop shipping,” he recalls. “A comprehensive guide to how I do what I do.”
While Frimpong sold those tutorials to whomever was interested, he didn’t actively promote them on his personal page. But as Frimpong’s own brand gained traction, the requests continued to mushroom. Sensing an opportunity, he expanded to Instagram.
“TikTok is where you go viral, but Instagram is where you build community and convert views into sales,” says Frimpong. “My followers there were more serious about the educational aspect.”
With a million followers on TikTok and his videos on both platforms “spreading like wildfire,” he launched Prestige Knowledge.
“I wanted to create a platform where people could learn to start their own businesses and change their lives, like I did,” he says.
All in on AI
Prestige Knowledge’s platform offers three main pathways: e-commerce brand launch, focused on scaling product brands and TikTok Shop businesses; creator accelerator, which helps influencers and educators build personal brands; and AI arbitrage, launched last August, which teaches how to use AI to launch and monetize digital offers and systems.
Applicants complete a short screening process, and once accepted, gain access to Prestige’s AI business framework, live weekly mentorship calls, and a private network of creators and founders. Members’ onboarding is customized based on their goals, income level, and experience, and includes two months of hands-on implementation and six months of mentorship and support. The company currently employs 20 contractors.
While the platform started with “teaching people how to build branded stores that they could exit down the road,” AI is changing everything.
“I’m always looking for a problem that needs a solution–and right now, businesses are looking to switch to AI, but they don’t know how,” Frimpong says.
Prestige Knowledge unveiled AI BOS–its proprietary AI software that provides users with pre-built AI agents that handle tasks including client outreach, lead qualification, and customer support–earlier this year. This core system enables clients to launch, operate, and scale AI-driven businesses without large teams or technical experience.
“There’s a massive opportunity with millions of businesses built in the last two decades with old infrastructure,” he says. “They’re realizing their time is up, and coming to us because they need AI or they’ll be left behind. So I’m getting out in front of it to do what I’ve always done–figure out exactly what it takes to be successful within this thing.”
Eyes on the prize
Frimpong has learned a few key lessons as he’s navigated his singular career journey.
“Make sure the people you keep around you have morals and integrity,” he says. “I’ve had business partners steal money and try to sabotage the business. Surround yourself with people who really care about your vision, and what it takes to grow it.”
Also, look to the examples of those who’ve already blazed a trail before you.
“Half of what I’ve done is copy people–the products I sold, and the viral videos I made. No matter the field, there are people who’ve already succeeded within it. Read that book or watch that YouTube video–whatever you need to do to acquire that knowledge.”
Don’t let the rewards distract you from what really matters.
“If you’re just chasing money, it’s going to run from you–you’ll lose it because you’re after the wrong thing,” says Frimpong. “If you chase value–if you really try to help people–you’ll always have more money than you need.”
Ultimately, keep your eyes on the prize.
“You have to be willing to do something day after day, even if you’re not seeing any money yet,” Frimpong says. “The get-rich-quick stuff will get you nowhere. Focus on the long-term and keep your vision front of mind–and always remember that, with consistency and discipline, you’re going to get there eventually.”