We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jordyn Wright a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jordyn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Although I’m not old enough to work at a company yet, I can already tell that I enjoy being a business owner more. I’ve always been one to do my own thing. My mom loves to tell me all of the time that if a bunch of people went to the left I would go to the right. The ability I have to not follow the crowd is probably my favorite thing about myself. Along with not following the crowd, I don’t enjoy having my schedule dictated by anyone else. Especially since I’m still in school, I need my schedule to be flexible. Those are just a few reasons I enjoy having my own business. I think about this pretty much everyday and my conclusion is the same. I’m definitely happy to be my own boss!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started J. Brielle Handmade Goods when I was 10 years old. At the time, I had been struggling with a skin condition called eczema. Having eczema meant that most of the skincare products we bought from stores would irritate my skin. A few worked well, but they were boring and had no scent. So, I decided to find ways I could make soaps for myself that were colorful and fun, but without all of the harmful chemicals that made my eczema worse. I started with Youtube tutorials and asked my mom to buy me my first soap-making kit. I made quite a few messes before making a decent soap bar. Once I made one that worked well for me, I began going door-to-door with a tray of soaps, selling them to my neighbors. I have grown that business to include a online store and placement at a local retailer.

Because of some of the challenges I encountered when starting J. Brielle, I wanted to find a way to make entrepreneurship more accessible to other kids like me. So, I started a program called Passion to Purpose. Passion to Purpose Youth Entrepreneurship Program teaches youth ages 12-16 about youth entrepreneurship and financial literacy. When I was first starting out on my business ventures, there weren’t many youth entrepreneurship programs. I especially noticed there was a distinct lack of representation of people who looked like me leading the programs that did exist. I didn’t have any examples of other youth I could emulate that were doing what I was doing. This kind of representation is important because if kids can’t see themselves in others who are successfully navigating a business, they will think they can’t do it either.

Passion to Purpose is heavily based on social entrepreneurship. One of my biggest goals within the program is to give kids an understanding of the importance of community service. My community has been quintessential to my success, and I want to start teaching the next generation to give back. One of the ways I’m giving back to my community is through my Passion Market. This year’s Passion Market is going to be the first of many more. Taking place on December 10th, this market consists of all youth vendors who will sell their unique products and services to holiday shoppers. The holiday market is also in conjunction with my annual Joy Drive. The Joy Drive allows holiday shoppers and other supporters to donate items such as toys, hygiene products, and more for youth in crisis.

If you would like to learn more about the Passion Market, Passion to Purpose, or just what I’m up to, please visit www.jbriellehmg@gmail.com or check out my Instagram @jbriellehmg.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

All of my startup money can be credited to my parents. I began just experimenting with products in my kitchen at home. Eventually, they told me I needed to pay it back because they had spent so much money. Their idea on how I could do this was to go door-to-door as I had mentioned earlier. At the time, I was terrified. I did not enjoy speaking to people at all, and the first time around my neighborhood, I was literally shaking. However, I am so thankful that I did because that was how my business journey started.

From there I was able to generate enough revenue by attending vendor markets and selling my products online. I have won several grants and pitch competitions as well to build my business. I hope soon to have investors that will help my to scale my business even more.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

What I had to learn is that a closed mouth doesn’t get fed. I’m a quiet kid by nature, and I wasn’t the type of person to ask if I had a question or request. As I went along my business journey and began attending more and more networking events, I realized that as a minority in the room, I had to speak up. Having the ability to articulate my thoughts well in big and intimidating spaces is something that has helped me grow my network, which in turn built up my reputation in the market.

Also, being willing to serve and support others in their endeavors as well is so important. Entrepreneurship is not just about making money. It is about building up the community around you and passing on to others the knowledge and information that has been shared with you. I try to always volunteer or serve another organization whose goals align with mine. This is how you build community around your business as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jbriellehmg.com
• Instagram: @jbriellehmg, @p2pyouth
• Facebook: @jbriellehmg

Image Credits
Anissa Wright