Don’t Be Afraid to Shine: Dreamer ENT Interview with the Founder of Hayleigh’s Cherished Charms
On my youth website DreamerENT.com I interviewed the 12-year-old founder of an innovative jewelry company, Hayleigh’s Cherished Charms. Hayleigh’s story will be sure to inspire you to believe that you can follow your dreams no matter the obstacles in life and to make the lives of other a little brighter…
12-year-old Hayleigh Scott shows that even when rain falls in your life, you can make the decision to shine…
You’re never too young to start your own business, but when 12-year-old Hayleigh Scott was 5-years-old she had to wait until she was a little older just to describe to her family the invention she wanted to create. She turned a circumstance in her life – having hearing impairment, into a way to spread awareness, support a greater cause, and lend a little color, sparkle and style to ears around the globe. Read all about Hayleigh’s story and shining ingenuity below:
DreamerENT: What inspired you to start your business Hayleigh’s Cherished Charms and how did it go from an idea to a business?
Hayleigh: My business started as an idea when I was 5 years old. I am severe to profoundly hearing impaired and wear hearing aids to help me hear. When I was 4 years old, I went to a school for the deaf. Like me, some of the kids were hiding their hearing aids. When I saw that, I decided that I didn’t want to hide my hearing aids anymore. We were visiting my grandparents in Texas when I first shared my idea with my parents. I was drawing at the kitchen table with my twin sister, Vienna when my mom walked in and asked us what we were drawing. I told her I was drawing charms and tube twists for hearing aids. My pictures were a little hard to understand so it took me a few years and a lot of tries to get my mom to understand what I had drawn.
She told me that she thought my ideas might be patentable. So, my mom and dad helped me prepare to make my first presentation to a patent attorney. I was only 8 and went into a board room and had to share my ideas with adults in the attorney’s office. I applied for a provisional patent and later a full patent for my products. Then, I went on to open my on-line business www.HayleighsCherishedCharms.com. I also have email (cherishedcharms@gmail.com), a facebook page, twitter account, and an ETSY shop as well. I have been very blessed to have distributers of my charms in both nationally and internationally. I am currently working on partnering with a major hearing aid mold company to produce part of my product line. It is very exciting.
DreamerENT: How did you learn about where to get your materials, and how to set up the business? Did you have any challenges along the way?
Feathery Fashions: Marlo Adelle Hair Accessories
I originally posted about Marlo Adelle Hair Accessories a handmade and fashionable feathered hairclip line created by a young entrepreneur, on my youth website Dreamer ENT. I love her colorful & intricate plummette designs and how they can liven up an outfit with a cute, whimsical touch.
You can find out more about the business and how to order at www.marloadelle.com
The Story Behind Marlo Adelle Hair Accessories
Marlo started making hair accessories to go with her outfits at age 14. Her friends requested personalized hair clips for themselves. Her mother helped her sew them and eventually they introduced them to local businesses in downtown Austin.
As demand increased, Marlo turned to Craig’s List for potential hairclip helpers. The helpers came to the family home, were trained and Marlo provided them patterns to trace. By the third year, Marlo was selling in 12 boutiques in Austin and in California, as well as online. In 2008 Whole Foods Market ordered her new line of romanticized feather hairclips with a vintage flare.
Giving Back
As Marlo continued to grow her business, she was involved in giving back to her community through volunteer efforts in PALS and teaching art at Laguna Gloria Art School. She traveled to the Dominican Republic to teach art to impoverished children. With three employees, Marlo plans to continue her business while in college and to expand the online business.
Dreamer ENT Updates: Advice for Youth from Alyson Stoner, Josh Shipp and Raymond Lei
Here are some recent posts from my youth website www.DreamerENT.com:
Interview: Alyson Stoner and Her Mom On Healthy Habits for Back to School
Today’s tweens and teens lead busy lives, especially with school starting back up again. Sometimes in the bustle between classes, homework and after school activities they may not take the time to practice healthy habits…
Read more of the Interview: Alyson Stoner and Her Mom On Healthy Habits for Back to School
Josh Shipp Launches The Teen’s Guide to World Domination
Youth motivational expert Josh Shipp has launched a new book for teens, The Teen’s Guide to World Domination: Advice on Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Awesomeness. The guide is full of humor and down-to-earth wisdom that helps teens improve their lives in every area – from relationships to dealing with hard times…
Read more of Josh Shipp Launches The Teen’s Guide to World Domination
Serving Up Style: Interview with Young Entrepreneur Raymond Lei Founder of ooShirts
Entrepreneurship is all about fitting your skills and creativity to serve the needs of those around you. 19-year-old Raymond Lei is doing just that as he helps people everywhere customize their style through his T-shirt company ooShirts.com.
The idea for ooShirts was sparked in 2006 when a group of Raymond’s classmates needed custom t-shirts for their school club, “Monta Vista Tennis Club.” Then a sophomore in high school, Raymond took up the task of finding a company to print their shirts. He looked through both local and online companies, only to discover time after time that the Tennis Club couldn’t afford to have its design printed.
Disappointed at the poor selection of affordable services, Raymond vowed to one day start a t-shirt company that saved its customers money. He gathered up $2000, began planning and in March of 2007 the first ooShirts website was launched. The site allows anyone to upload their own design, pick a shirt style and color and have their t-shirt printed and shipped. Ever since, Raymond has been serving up personalized style a tee at a time. Check out what he had to share with Dreamer ENT about being a young entrepreneur…
Read more of Serving Up Style: Interview with Young Entrepreneur Raymond Lei Founder of ooShirts
Whimsical Wearables: Upcoming Interview with Teen Fashion Designer
Check out the cute, creative critters on the custom-made dresses above by young entrepreneur and fashion designer Zoë.
Stay tuned for an upcoming interview on DreamerENT.com with Zoë (pictured to the right), a 17-year-old high school student and fashion designer. She started creating hand-made dresses, shirts and accessories for friends a few years ago and soon began to get so many orders that she started her own business. Her success and creativity allowed her to win several entrepreneurship awards, and she even recently got to visit the the White House! In the interview she’ll tell us how she got started and will give tips for other aspiring fashionistas and future CEOs.
Dreamfleur Interview with Entrepreneur Jasmine Lawrence Founder of Eden BodyWorks
For my youth website Dreamer ENT I got to interview an inspiring young entrepreneur, Jasmine Lawrence, who started her own natural hair care company when she was 11. Check out the full interview by clicking below – I’m sure you’ll be inspired. She’s also a fellow NFTE alum (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, the program which helped me start a business as a teen). Be inspired by her journey from an innovative 11-year-old to the Oprah Winfrey Show and beyond…
Jasmine Lawrence is a young successful entrepreneur who has definitely been soaring and growing toward her dreams. It all sprouted when she was 11-years-old, after she mixed together natural ingredients to create her own hair oils for her broken, damaged tresses. By age 13 her hair was flourishing, and she was selling her hair products to friends. At 15 she shared her story with Oprah and other major news outlets, and began discussing distribution deals with Wal-Mart – all while striving to get her homework in on time.
Now at 17-years-old, Jasmine’s natural beauty care company Eden BodyWorks has bloomed immensely, and she hopes to bring it to even greater heights. She recently graduated from high school, and is studying computer engineering at Georgia Tech. She’s also featured in the film Ten9Eight: Shoot for the Moon (that we wrote about in a previous post) featuring young entrepreneurs. Watch Jasmine below in a clip from the film:
Video Source: Ten9Eight Website
Jasmine spoke to Dreamer ENT about her amazing experiences, what motivates her to keep going, and how other young people can bring their dreams to fruition:
Shooting for the Moon: TEN9EIGHT Film Features Young Entrepreneurs
(This was originally posted on my youth site www.DreamerENT.com). As a NFTE alumnus I’m really excited to see this film, and encourage everyone to see it as well. To find out more about how you or someone you know can take part in NFTE visit www.nfte.com.)
They’re bright, energetic, and blazing a trail of accomplishment by shooting toward their dreams… Check out the film Ten9Eight featuring a group of young passionate entrepreneurs…
“In America, a kid drops out of high school every 9 seconds… Imagine if they didn’t.” The upcoming documentary Ten9Eight explores this question, by telling the stories of a group of diverse young entrepreneurs from urban neighborhoods around the country who are overlooking their circumstances and starting their own businesses. The film, by award-winning filmmaker Mary Mazzio, follows the teens as they compete in an annual business plan competition run by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). The teens are selected from over 24,000 students from across the country, and compete in the final round in New York City for the chance to win $10,000 to launch his or her business.
Here are introductions to some of the young people featured in the film:
Anné Montague, age 17, Founder of Inamoratos Dance (pictured above): Anné does it all. She dances, choreographs, and takes full charge of her dance company, which she started at the age of 10. Anné was raised primarily by her father, Purcell Montague, a truck driver, as her mother suffered from drug addiction. Anné, a focused girl with a big attitude, requires her dancers to go to class and keep their grades up. Anné’s business is a non-profit, aimed at getting inner city kids off the street. Her motto? “No shirt, no shoes, no need. We dance.” Anné will attend Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University next year, majoring in business.
Rodney Walker, age 19, Founder of Forever Life Music and Video Productions: Rodney was put into the foster care system at the age of 5 and ended up homeless on the streets of Chicago. Almost becoming a statistic like many of his brothers, Rodney was able to chart a new future – and is now studying business as a freshman at Morehouse College.
Amanda Loyola, age 16, Founder of Eco-Dog Biscuits: Amanda’s father escaped from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, finding a job at Burger King in Brooklyn, New York. He inspired his daughter, Amanda, to think that anything might be possible in America. Amanda started her business, a vegetarian dog treat company, after her dog, Princess, died from cancer.
Anné, Rodney, Amanda are but three of several remarkably resilient kids featured in this film, all of whom are facing the most challenging of circumstances in the inner city – making their achievements all the more remarkable.
Descriptions from from the website Ten9Eight.com
Click here to read more of the teens’ stories and for more photos, and visit www.ten9eight.com to see if the film will be playing at a theater near you.
Watch the trailer for the inspiring film below:
DreamFleur is the personal site of Julene Fleurmond, a young writer, artist, dreamer, speaker and entrepreneur, and a collection of the things that inspire her to live creatively.
