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RJ Duarte: The Founder of Green Worx Landscaping

Posted by krummelva24

· Monday, October 14th, 2024

· 1 Comment

Based out of Golden, Colorado, RJ Duarte was only eight years old when his entrepreneurial ventures started. Motivated by his desire to buy himself candy, Duarte started his lawn mowing business in 2008 with one lawn mower, a red wagon, and five weekly lawn mowing clients. He began to take his business seriously by his third season and invested his savings back into his company. Duarte’s dedication, commitment, and incredible work ethic as an entrepreneur are evident as his income tripled every year since he began his business.

As Duarte began middle school, his business had grown too large to handle himself. He chose a friend from middle school, Owen Johnson, to be a partner in his landscaping business. Two years later, Duarte and Johnson decided they needed a name for their company- they eventually landed on Green Worx. Green Worx had grown much larger than the mere neighborhood lawncare service it started as. After working with Green Worx for over five years, Johnson decided to part ways with the company in order to pursue a college education after graduating high school. Duarte and Johnson, however, still frequently meet as friends to discuss Green Worx and life in general. As Duarte was contemplating going to college and running his company from school, Green Worx was pulling in six figures from annual revenue. He decided to focus on growing his company and work on creating a full-scale landscaping business.

One way that Duarte demonstrated he was an excellent, young entrepreneur was through his willingness to take risks. After high school, in 2019, Duarte made the decision to drop Grenn Worx’s small clients and, instead, rebrand as a premium landscaping and maintenance company. This meant that he would be undertaking large-scale, intricate landscaping and construction projects. Green Worx added two construction crews and lots of new equipment to the company. Duarte knew how risky the shift in scale would be for the business but decided to continue with it anyway. “It’s higher margins for more risk,” he says. “That comes with headaches, but without headaches, there’s no reward.”

Green Worx was incredibly successful throughout the years. In 2015, Duarte and Johnson had won first place in the Celebration for Young Entrepreneurs and also won the Young Americans Bank Business Award. In 2016, the newsletter, The Golden Informer, wrote an article about the success of Green Worx and put Green Worx on the front cover. In that same year, Green Worx was nominated and won the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award By Ernst & Young Foundation. By the end of 2016, Green Worx was 300% bigger than the year before. Green Worx continues to steadily grow. In 2019, the company brought in $750,000 in revenue. Duarte was never afraid of the workload and was always searching for new ways to expand and grow his business. Green Worx’s success is built off of his hard work and devotion to his craft.

Click here to read more about Green Worx.

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Categories : Business, Small Business, Business::Entrepreneurs, Construction, Kid Entrepreneurs, Landscaping, Male Entrepreneurs, Manual labor, Outdoors, young entrepreneurs

Chris Bumstead: Bodybuilding Redefined

Posted by kierajennings

· Monday, September 23rd, 2024

· 3 Comments

(LEFT SIDE – Arnold Schwarzenegger, RIGHT SIDE – Chris Bumstead)

Born in 1995, Chris Bumstead, better known as “CBum,” is a Canadian bodybuilder and social media influencer who has quickly become one of the most recognized figures in the fitness world. Best known for winning the Mr. Olympia Classic Physique title four consecutive times (2019–2023), Bumstead has solidified his position at the top of the bodybuilding elite. Starting his competitive journey at just 19, his natural talent and relentless dedication quickly set him apart, earning him comparisons to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Like Arnold, however, CBum’s influence extends far beyond the bodybuilding stage.

Fitness is a notoriously difficult industry to breakthrough. The competition is high with established and professional athletes with pre-existing followings. Specialized diets, supplements, training programs, and competition fees can create financial barriers for aspiring bodybuilders. Slow physical progress, hormonal fluctuations, and mental barriers can all hinder one’s success. Bumstead has overcome all this and more. Not only has he attained a physique to be desired by sedentary and active people alike, but he’s also successfully translated his fame into multiple entrepreneurial ventures. He launched Bum Energy, a sports and energy drink company, and co-founded Raw Nutrition, a supplement brand focused on high-quality performance and recovery products. His partnerships with popular brands like Gymshark, Vaughn’s Treats, and Revive MD reflect his hands-on approach, ensuring that the products he endorses align with his values of transparency and quality in fitness.

In addition to his business endeavors, CBum is also a massive force on social media. With nearly 5 million followers on TikTok and over 24 million on Instagram, he’s one of the most influential fitness personalities online. He connects with his audience by sharing workout routines, nutrition advice, and personal insights into his life. Bumstead has been open about his struggles with mental health and his battle with IgA nephropathy, an autoimmune disease, further endearing him to fans for his vulnerability and authenticity. Bumstead’s combination of physical achievements, business ventures, and online transparency has made him a fitness icon. By redefining what it means to be a bodybuilder in today’s world, Chris Bumstead has inspired millions to pursue fitness.

3 Comments

Taking Initiative: Slik

Posted by Anna Scott

· Monday, October 9th, 2023

· 1 Comment

In 2016, teenager Stefan Stokic from Jackson, Mississippi cofounded Slik, “an automatic email prospecting app”.

Stokic started learning coding when he was 10 years old. When he was 15, Stokic listened to Chris Sacca on Periscope. Sacca and his partner discussed their need for a job page for Lowercase. Stokic decided to create a page. Then he cold messaged Chris Sacca on Twitter with a link to the page. A few minutes later, Stokic received a reply from Chris Sacca and his partner.

Later, Lowercase hired Stokic as an intern. His internship helped him network with other Venture Capitalists (VC). At Lowercase, Stokic connected with Saroush Ghodsi who lived in Canada.

Together Stokic and Ghodsi developed Slik to help find email addresses. When the two realized they needed more support to launch the product, they turned to the phone. They cold-called the top VCs and entrepreneurs.

Stokic’s partner Ghodsi managed to find the personal cell phone number for Sam Altman. The call ended with Altman offering to fly both Stokic and Ghodsi to San Francisco to discuss it further. After the initial San Francisco meeting, the two moved to the city to attend Y Combinator’s summer classes.

Soon, Stokic and Ghodsi launched Slik. The platform was ranked 3^rd for Product Hunt on October 19, 2016. In one month, Slik supported over 1,500 users with a revenue of $4,000.

Stokic took the initiative to create a Jobs page and tweeted Sacca. This landed him an internship, helped him gain experience, and created a network for him. He and his partner continued to take risks which paid off.

In an article from Business Insider, Stokic states,

“If you don’t reach out, you’re never going to have the opportunity. You don’t have much to lose, especially when you’re just starting out. Just go out and try to get something done.”

Hart Main’s “ManCans”

Posted by PrattJG21

· Monday, December 5th, 2022

· 4 Comments

Being a 13-year-old boy, Hart Main was eager to get his hands on a $1,500 bicycle. But when trying to come up with the money to buy it, Main began taking an old joke to a new level.

He had been teasing his sister about some scented candles that she had been selling at her school because they smelled feminine. What was to become of the men at the school who wanted nice smells that were more “up their ally?”. His solution: ManCans.

The simple, masculine candles are handmade by a disabled workforce and include scents such as campfire, bacon, sawdust, fresh-cut grass, and grandpa’s pipe. But an interesting twist introduced by Main was to put the candles into old soup cans. He would purchase soup and donate unused food to local soup kitchens.

By 2016, ManCans were being sold in every state, achieving six figures annually in sales and donating a portion of their profit to soup kitchens in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan. Main later expanded his company with the creation of SheCans, candles that were targeted toward female scents.

Main’s story is inspiring because he could take a product primarily targeted toward one sex and apply it to another. He was able to recognize an ignored market opportunity and discovered how to make the product more appealing to the men who had been neglected. Main was also able to recycle cans that otherwise would have been thrown away. His attention to the packaging of his product helped sell the “masculine” aspect of his company, and it helped the kitchens around him that were in need.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://www.investopedia.com/10-successful-young-entrepreneurs-4773310

4 Comments

Categories : Uncategorized, young entrepreneurs

Catherine Cook’s “myYearbook.com”

Posted by PrattJG21

· Wednesday, November 30th, 2022

· 2 Comments

The first known school yearbook was published in 1806 by Yale University. Since then, American schools have released yearbooks for students to see who is in their grade. But Catherine Cook wanted more.

When she was 15, Cook was looking through her yearbook with her older brother, and they were shocked at the lack of information that was given about who was in their classes. Therefore, they decided that they wanted a better way to get to know their schoolmates. Her brother’s entrepreneurial tendencies along with her great idea created myYearbook.com, an online “Facebook for high school”. The social networking site allows members to create profiles and interact with others who are in their class and create better bonds as they move beyond high school.

After finding developers in Mumbai and advertising a bare-bones startup, Cook was able to gain 400 members in a week and was encouraged when her friends gave her site positive reviews. As the company gained followers and popularity, Cook was able to hire engineers and rent out office space to help her company grow. Since then, myYearbook.com has become one of the 25 most-trafficked websites in the United States.

Cook was able to take an innovation that had been around for centuries and applied it to a different medium. She was able to improve upon an idea that already existed by expounding on the possibilities that it could produce. With the help of her family, she was also able to start turning her idea into a profit. She was able to create an incredibly successful company from her parent’s basement and later pushed her company to include greater numbers of people.

I am inspired by Cook’s ability to take a widely used item and put a creative twist on it. I am also inspired by her very humble beginning setup and how she was able to make it grow.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://www.inc.com/magazine/201205/liz-welch/catherine-cook-and-geoff-cook-myyearbook.html

2 Comments

Categories : young entrepreneurs

Emily Yoder – Sustainable Treats

Posted by petschkeRA22

· Tuesday, November 15th, 2022

· 1 Comment

Have you ever wondered why granola bars have ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup or thiamin mononitrate? Since ingredients like this have been proven harmful when consumed by humans, then why are they still in our food?

A Kent state student, Emily Yoder, decided to challenge this questionable norm. Through research, she discovered ingredients like this were used to keep food from spoiling, make it cheaper with artificial flavor alternatives, and replicate natural aspects of food that disappear when being processed, not to mention that granola bars and such often have an unnecessarily high sugar content.

Since none of these ingredients were necessary to making food, Emily decided to make REAL food, so that people avoid the unhealthy chemicals.

Emily’s granola bars, brownies, and other treats went above ditching the unnatural chemicals: all of them are vegan and gluten free, organic, and made with local ingredients that are mostly non-GMO, packaged with eco-friendly materials. They are also free of refined sugars, trans fat, cholesterol, and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.

Emily sells her products at Ohio farmers markets, and has additional sales in other seasons. As of 2017, she planned on getting a space in Cleveland Culinary Launch & Kitchen (CLLK) and hiring her first employees. Whether or not she was successful is unclear.

Emily’s idea is inspiring because she challenged the norm and tried to make something good. As she says, “There’s no point in being an entrepreneur unless you’re trying to change something for the better.” Even if you end up failing, it was worth a shot and a great learning experience.

1 Comment

Categories : Baking, Enviornmental, Food, Handmade, young entrepreneurs

Matthew Mullenweg

Posted by fairchildlw21

· Tuesday, November 15th, 2022

· No Comments

Matthew Mullenweg is the founder and developer of WordPress. He did not have a tech background. He actually went to a performing arts school where he learned to play the Jazz Saxophone. He then went on to create one of the best website and blog programs ever. In 2005 he started the company Automatic, which would become the foundation of WordPress and Akismet.

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Categories : young entrepreneurs

Revelations Tee Co.

Posted by Kasianideseg21

· Saturday, October 22nd, 2022

· 1 Comment

Revelations Tee Co. Was founded by Grove City student Eleni Kasianides during her work for a business class. She wanted to find uplifting clothing that was faith-based, but not tacky. So often in the Christian market, there are bright colors and flowers with common verses taken out of context. Revelations Tee Co. strives to be unique, the subtle branding encourages questions. The hope for the line is that wearers will desire to be intentional with their faith, and share when asked in public. The first collection is scheduled to drop on Monday the 21st, entitled “Pleasant Words.”

Above all, Revelations aspires to glorify God in the choices we make. To share our faith and go boldly into the world with love. Revelations stands for more than just the book in the Bible. It also represents the constant eureka moments we have with God and the ability we have to share those moments with others.

The circle logo encompasses several Easter eggs, for those who know to look for them. The circle with an olive “branch” from John 15:5, and the “Book of Life” in Daniel 12:1. Even the three dots represent something bigger; the trinity. Symbolism is packed into every piece and special care is given to ensure theological accuracy.

As Christians, we are called to stand out. To live and act intentionally. Revelations hope to marry style and faith in its debut collection. The initial drop will include six original designs from Bible verses and worship songs. It will feature different styles and sizes to accommodate a variety of styles and preferences.

If you would like to check out a preview of their website, you can find all the details here.

1 Comment

Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Christian, College, Women Entrepreneurs, Young Entrepreneur, young entrepreneurs

Calloway Cook by Anna Ortiz

Posted by ortizaf20

· Wednesday, October 5th, 2022

· 2 Comments

Calloway Cook, created Illuminate Labs, a supplement company that posts its pills’ test scores on its website to be viewed by all. Cook recognized the need for a company that is honest and open about the quality of its supplements when he entered the market as a customer seeking such a company. When he found that others had the same concerns about the cleanness and safeness of supplements, he founded Illuminate Labs. He believes that money should not be prioritized as highly as health, and he wishes he had recognized that earlier in life. Starting a different business while in college, Cook failed to create success on his first try. He learned from his experience with that first business, using his found knowledge to create and run Illuminate Labs. Cook highly recommends The Lean Startup by Eric Ries, which seems to correlate with his experience starting a business, failing, and trying again to create a more successful one. One tip that Cook advances is to take a whole day off each week; he says that Sunday is good because business partners are less likely to try to get a hold of you. I find joy in the fact that Cook, though he may or may not be a Christian, believes that what Christians call a “sabbath” is good for mental health. It is not surprising that God knows what is best for humans, since he made them; people are likely to pick up on some knowledge of what is healthy on their own, but God has always known how people function, and He has provided commands and advice that promote health in the Bible. Cook may not call his off-day on Sunday a sabbath, but he has discovered its benefits.

2 Comments

Categories : Health, Healthy Lifestyle, Male Entrepreneurs, Nutrition, Startups, Young Entrepreneur, young entrepreneurs

Zollipops“

Posted by KunkelmannPL21

· Tuesday, September 27th, 2022

· 2 Comments

Alina Morse, the founder of Zollipops, was only seven years old when she came up with the idea for her now incredibly successful candy company.

Alina and her dad took a trip to the bank to deposit a check and as they were leaving the bank teller offered up a lollypop to Alina, her dad told her not to eat the lollipop because lollipops have too much sugar in them and it was going to rot her teeth out of her mouth. So then and there Alina and her Dad got to thinking, why can’t there be a lollipop that tastes good and won’t rot your teeth out? The idea for Zollypop was born. Alina and her Dad came up with a sugar-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, non GMO lollipop made with only natural flavors and it has become hugely successful. After receiving so much positive feedback on their lollypop Lollypop expanded their product Line to also include other sugar free candies for customers to enjoy as well!

Zollypop has made it their mission to save as many smilies as possible so they have partnered with the Million Smiles Initiative to help fight childhood tooth decay which is America’s single most chronic childhood disease.

2 Comments

Categories : Candy, Uncategorized, Young Entrepreneur, young entrepreneurs