Time Capsule: Look Back on Where You Began To See How Far You've Come

Exiting high school, everyone begins to realize how different their plans are from the people they've grown to know and love over the past four years.

Everyone’s routes will be different and it is up to you to decide what does and doesn’t work for you moving forward into adulthood.

For a few of your peers, they may have already taken those steps toward what they hope to be the rest of their lives through entrepreneurship.

As you may or may not know, my name is Genesis Utopia and I am a senior at New Britain High School and also an editing intern for Set On Fire Marketing Blog. This opportunity will one day be a part of my career time capsule and I will be able to look back to see how far I've came as not only a journalist but as a writer as well.

Although I personally don't have any near plans to pursue entrepreneurship, I know that a lot of my peers are working hard to make sure that they live out the success of their businesses.

After sitting down and talking to high school seniors who actually own businesses, while still actively in school, I had a chance to discuss the impact of young entrepreneurship and what it means to them as high school business owners.

Peace Power Prosperity

“My brand is about developing your own inner peace”

Peace Power Prosperity is an up and coming clothing brand founded by Jy’Lell Smith, a senior at New Britain High School, this past February.

He says that he started the brand initially as passive income but soon found a deeper love for the work that he was doing.

According to him entrepreneurship was a crucial part of his life story because he never saw himself as someone to always remain working a 9-5.

His brand is now distributing hoodies in different colors and fonts. He will also be dropping more apparel in the spring.

When asked “Where do you see your business in 10 years?”

Jylell states that he sees himself collaborating with other clothing brand owners as a way to build each other’s clientele and promote peace in the industry. He also sees himself with his own website and store.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_.peacepowerprosoerity._/

Our Stash Corporation (OSC)

“My business started off as a group as time goes on we are gonna become a big corporation”

Our Stash Corporation was founded by Ethan Adu in January of 2023. He’s a senior at New Britain High School as well as a dual enrollment student at Tunxis Community College.

He says that he developed the idea for his business years ago and is now ready to share his vision with the world.

His brand is now distributing hoodies of different variations for all genders as well as other apparel coming soon.

He says that his involvement in athletics is actually what helped him to realize his interest in business. After meeting with trainers and coaches, he found that their ability to create their own schedules and make money independently was inspirational, leading him to follow through with business plans of his own.

He sometimes finds entrepreneurship to be very time consuming especially considering his dual enrollment schedule but nonetheless, he reported in saying that no matter the demand he still enjoys being a business owner.

In the future he sees his business having franchises all over the world.

He likes the idea of being able to sit back and allow the product to sell itself by pairing with celebrity sponsors who will help ensure that his brand becomes a household name.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/osctotuff/

elevenfiftynineapparel

“We feel like going back to black communities and giving back by finding people like us”

Elevenfifynineapparel is founded by both Terrence Ellison, a senior at Orville Platt High School and Javall Forrest, a senior at Crosby High School.

They are childhood friends who decided to join forces in creating elevenfiftynineapparel. They share a love for fashion as well as their plan for giving back to the African American youth in their communities.

They are said to have gotten the idea for the brand's name after discovering the depth of its meaning.

”When we thought of 11:59 we thought of how better days are always right there…”

-Sincerely, elevenfiftynineapparel

Their brand features hoodies with the engravement “Better Days Ahead” as well as more apparel coming soon after the raving success of their pre- sales.

They both say that they always knew that they were destined for entrepreneurship for as long as they could remember only because of their desire to create better lives for the generations following them.

In the future they see themselves giving back to other young business owners in the form of grant programs or loans that will allow someone like them to have the start that they didn’t have whilst being 100% independently funded.

They see their brand influencing lots of positivity and motivation to the world as well as changing the lives of children just like them who want to also pursue their dreams of entrepreneurship.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevenfiftynineapparel__/

Mya’s Beauty Mix

“I want to do everybody’s makeup, I want to have the opportunity to do everybody’s makeup”

Mya’s Beauty Mix was founded by Myasia Edwards, a senior at New Britain High School from Brooklyn, New York.

Mya’s Beauty Mix is a cosmetic brand that also provides travel make-up services of all kinds.

As a MUA, Myasia has found joy in making other women look and feel beautiful.

Although makeup began as a hobby to Myasia, entrepreneurship however was not. By promoting her very first lash line during her freshman year of high school, it was no surprise that she would wound up continuing her career in the beauty industry.

She says that she has no interest in becoming famous for doing makeup, she simply does it to make women feel good about their insecurities and allow makeup to be the same outlet that it was for her at the beginning of her career.

She does however, have interest in setting up shop back home in Brooklyn.

She states “I would love to have a full circle moment by opening up a shop back home and feeling like I’m buying back the block”

As of now she wants to focus on expanding in the field of being a travel makeup artist and use her talents to one day see the world in hopes that they could see her as well.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myasbeautymix/