How Jon Elder Left Construction, Built 5 Amazon Brands & Cashed Out for Millions in 5 Years

From Construction Degree to Amazon Power Seller: Jon Elder’s Step-by-Step Journey

Some business stories start in a dorm or garage. Jon Elder’s began on job sites around Seattle. In 2010, newly graduated with a Construction Science degree, Jon thought he’d found his lifelong path—managing big builds, overseeing teams, and working the ranks of the construction world. Reality looked different. He grew frustrated watching his pay creep up just 4-5% a year, no matter how much sweat he put in. With a growing family and a partner expecting a baby, Jon started looking for ways to break out of the income plateau and chase something bigger than an annual review.

The Amazon Gamble: Turning $5,000 into a Real Business

Endless research led Jon to one opportunity that popped up again and again: selling on Amazon. He didn’t want to burn cash on a hype train. What grabbed him was the idea that he could spot weak points in products, fix what was broken, and outdo lazy competition. With $5,000 in savings and one business partner, Jon launched a private label brand in golf accessories—a hobby he actually enjoyed, not just some random category. Instead of picking a generic product and slapping on a label, Jon tore through negative reviews, worked out what annoyed people the most, and reimagined what a real #1 bestseller should be. He sketched out his own upgrades, started sourcing manufacturers able to build to his standard, and demanded samples from at least three for every product.

Innovating Where It Mattered: Details & Design

Jon’s edge wasn’t just picking products. He dropped quick wins and focused on actual improvements. Anything customers griped about, he fixed. Instead of the “race to the bottom” on price, his method was all about standing out—better grip, extra features, stronger materials, a pretty design. If a patent or design patent could protect it, he went for it. He called design patents his “gold on paper” because competitors undercutting him sometimes vanished from Amazon in a week once he reported infringement. That’s not luck, that’s smart paperwork and knowing the real rules of Amazon’s game.

Rapid Growth: Five Brands, Many Categories

Sales rolled in faster than Jon expected. Instead of pulling out cash for vacations or luxury toys, Jon kept everything in the business. Reinvesting profits let him launch new variations and broaden his line quickly—sometimes simple tweaks like different colors, new accessories, or bundles turned one winning product into several with little extra risk. By 2016, he managed five separate brands: golf, outdoor kids’ gear, leather goods, and more. All were built on the same process: study the market, find pain points, improve, patent, test, repeat.

Doing It All While Holding Down a 9-to-5

Most people quit their jobs before they scale. Jon did the opposite—he balanced a full-time construction gig with night and weekend Amazon hustle for two years. Expansion meant learning to juggle five brands, capital limits, and new sales platforms. “Constantly battling where to put money for max ROI was my biggest struggle,” Jon admitted. He branched out from Amazon to channels like eBay, social media, and a standalone website.

Going All-in and Growing Fast

After two years, Jon left his construction job and bet on himself. He didn’t immediately raise his own pay—instead, he drew a salary matching his old job and poured everything else into product launches, ads, and rapid expansion. Amazon ads (PPC) became his single highest expense, but helped his listings rise fast. Unlike many sellers paying for fake reviews or black-hat launches, Jon built slow, using organic growth plus paid ads to get in front of customers truthfully.

Goal-Driven Decision Making: The Whiteboard Rule

Every decision in Jon’s business was filtered through one question: “Does this get me closer to my goal on the whiteboard?” That goal—an exit for life-changing money—kept everything focused and lean. Fancy offices and distractions got ignored.

Product Variations and Scalability

Scaling didn’t mean chasing random trends. Jon doubled down on product variations—adding new sizes, colors, and bundles to ramp up sales history and reviews under one listing. Amazon’s algorithm rewards that momentum, turning a little snowball into an avalanche.

Manufacturing: Don’t Go Cheap, Test Hard

Many first-timers just jump on Alibaba and lowball the cost, ending up with returns and nasty reviews. Jon was ruthless about quality. He sourced from manufacturers building for established brands, tested and compared every sample, and made sure any partner would handle his tweaks quickly. Testing with friends, family, and real users, he ditched suppliers who balked at adjustments. Only the best, most flexible got long-term contracts.

Financing the Growth: Good Debt, Smart Lending

You can’t expand at Amazon’s pace unless you handle cash flow well. Jon tapped into third-party lending at the right times, supporting bigger inventory buys that let him open new categories when sales picked up. He’s clear: borrowing helped accelerate his ramp, not bury him in bills.

The Seven-Figure Exit: Timing, Process & Freedom

By 2019, sales had soared to $6.5 million per year, and Jon felt both ready and pulled towards fresh plans. Wanting to part ways with his business partner and having exceeded his own goals, he started the sale process with Website Closers, a leading broker. His focus on multiple brands within one Amazon account paid off, attracting buyers who wanted turnkey multi-category operations. Six months later, his mid-seven-figure deal closed—a reward for five years of grit.

Life After the Exit: Giving Back (Not Just Kicking Back)

Jon didn’t just disappear to a beach. After a year of travel and family time, he launchedBlack Label Advisor, a consulting business helping new and scaling Amazon entrepreneurs. His clients get real stuff: brand audits, strategies to win on Amazon, and ways to avoid mistakes he saw firsthand (and made).

Biggest Lessons & What Makes It Work

• Innovate before you duplicate—don’t launch clones, fix the problems better than others.
• Go slow to go fast—build out one product, then stack up variations and accessories for compounding sales.
• Use design patents and IP protection for real leverage, especially on Amazon.
• Work with premium suppliers—not just anyone willing to say yes. Test everything before launch.
• Write down the goal and filter every move through it.

How Can You Apply This?

If you’re stuck in a comfortable but limiting role, Jon’s path lays out a real option. Start with your expertise or hobbies. Obsess over improvement and test until customers notice. Reinvest instead of cashing out early, and copy Jon’s focus on quality, patents, and organic momentum. Last thing: when you do win, look for ways to help the next batch of builders instead of just blowing your payout. That way, the cycle never stops—and your own story becomes part of the template for others.