Her dad was also the one who suggested she become a notary signing agent, as the notaries he worked with on real estate documents were in incredibly high demand and earning $75-$200 per signing. 'I listened to him, and thank goodness I did because I didn't know what I wanted to major in and I would have had to take out student loans … it saved me a lot of time and stress.' 'He built a career that he loved as a real estate agent, without a bachelor's degree, and always instilled in me that I didn't have to go to college to be successful,' says Nguyen. Nguyen's dad, Chau, repeated the same advice to her throughout high school, as her friends panicked about their grades and having the right extracurriculars on their resumes: 'You don't have to go to college to be successful.' 'You don't have to go to college to be successful'

That decision turned out to be a smart bet: In 2022, Nguyen's business made close to $150,000, according to tax documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. Two years ago, Nguyen decided to try notarizing as a full-time career, launching her business, Team Signings, in San Jose, California, her hometown. 'I realized I wanted to be the person who made people feel seen, heard, cared for and understood in those important moments.' 'I've watched people sign the deed to their first house and contracts for a house they weren't ready to leave … there's a lot of tears, both happy and sad,' says Nguyen.

While Nguyen thought the bulk of her work as a notary would be spent verifying signatures and explaining documents to clients, she quickly realized there was more to notarizing than she initially thought - she was also walking people through some of the happiest, and saddest, moments of their lives. Most notary publics can only charge what their state dictates notary signing agents, on the other hand, can charge more as they specialize in property records and loan documents. Notaries, or notary publics, witness and authorize the signing of important documents, like passport applications and real estate contracts.

19 Days by Old Xian