We spent $250,000 to open a New York bakery—now it brings in $50 million a year

Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte invested all of their life savings, plus more money from family and friends, to open a cafe called Maman in New York in 2014. Last year, Maman's 34 locations brought in nearly $50 million. "It was one of the biggest financial risks we could ever take," says Marshall.