Success in business can come from anywhere and through anyone, but it seems extra special when the story is about a teenager who has defied the odds. Thirteen-year-old Moziah Bridges, CEO of Mo's Bows, has defied the odds that many adult entrepreneurs have succumb to. His company, which handcrafts his personally designed bow ties, has 5 employees and produced $200,000 in sales. Moziah says the motivation behind his passion is:
One thing I really appreciate about him is that he has a big heart to give back to others. He made a special bow tie called the "Go Mo! Scholarship Bow Tie" with 100% of the proceeds going to help underprivileged kids from his hometown of Memphis go to summer camp. He did this because he feels like it’s good business to help the community. He is definitely creating his impact.
This is the type of young person we envision inspiring and supporting through our Kinsman Youth Entrepreneurship Programs. Hopefully we'll have the chance to mentor the next Moziah Bridges. Read more about Moziah at: http://atlantablackstar.com/2015/07/10/13-year-old-ceo-200000-sales/ Our Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp is only a few days away! We're so excited about the opportunity to pour into the lives of young people with the skills of learning how to start and grow their own social entrepreneurship business. During my nearly 10 years as a full-time entrepreneur one of the things that I have grown to appreciate are the transferable principles that I gained as a full-time employee. A few of these principles include preparation, time management, relationship building, work excellence, professionalism, and more are critical to your success as an entrepreneur or an employee. One of the curriculum we are using for our entrepreneurship camp is the first book I wrote, Dream B.I.G. in 3D. This book is targeted to young leaders who searching for their dream job or career path. The principles contained in this book are just as important for job seekers as they are for aspiring entrepreneurs. Here are 9 ways that Dream B.I.G. in 3D can help you score your dream job (or business)…
I like to say that this book will take you on an internal treasure hunt to connect your career path with your purpose. Click here to start your journey...
As our time draws closer for the start of the Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp and our preparation intensifies, sometimes it's hard to remember why we do what we do. As we go through the checklist of all things that need to get done (and it's a long list), at times we forget that we have a real opportunity to save a kid's life or help somebody to start a new one.
This camp is more than just a time to keep kids busy and out of their parent's hair. We are creating an environment where dreams are jumpstarted, ideas are catalyzed, and purpose is ignited. For many of these kids they don't have anyone in their lives telling them they can be the next great inventor, entrepreneur, or community leader. They don't have people giving them tools for life success and a means to break the generational poverty that plagues their families. When people use the term "at-risk", often it's assigned to kids who live in violent neighborhoods, come from challenging circumstances, and are in danger of falling victim to their difficult surroundings. I believe, though, that there are much more "at-risk" kids than those who live in these environments, because too many others are in danger of living life without purpose, not discovering the greatness that's inside of them, or never achieving a sense of fulfillment from having accomplished something beyond anything they could imagine. That's why this camp is so much bigger than just helping these kids start a business. It's so much greater than just helping them launch a new product or service. It's far beyond teaching them how to market to a new customer base. This experience is about helping them utilize their God-inspired imagination, discover unique abilities, and release unbridled creativity to manifest His image in their lives and the world. This opportunity is about helping them tap into their God-given potential to see things in themselves they have never seen before. This is a chance to assist them with taking significant steps toward achieving their God-given destiny. Your financial support of Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp will provide the opportunity for our youth to dream again, to believe that they have more to live for than just making it past today, or acquiring things that only provide temporary pleasure. You are funding seeds of greatness. You are investing in the restoration of hopes and dreams. Your donation is bigger than business. Thank you for your support.
A satisfied customer is the best form of marketing. So listen to Soraya's testimonial about her experience at last year's Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp. We still have business sponsorships available for you to make a tax-deductible contribution to invest in the lives of at-risk youth, so they can build social entrepreneurship, leadership, and team building skills, among many other things...
For the past two weeks I have had a front row seat to the real condition of many of our young people through a business training I have been facilitating for at-risk youth through Greater Works Vocational Discipleship Program in Atlanta. It is heartbreaking to hear the deep sense of hopelessness a lot of them have that leads to their often rebellious and sometimes violent behavior. Although that behavior is never acceptable, I have a better understanding of the mindsets with which a great number of them are wrestling. There are two obvious needs which are at the heart of the matter - economic insufficiency and spiritual deficiencies. Our society will see the destructive cycles of family and community degradation increase to greater levels if we don't address these conditions with a stronger sense of urgency. God placed it on our hearts to respond to this urgent need by equipping youth with the tools needed to successfully break out of these cycles. This starts with inspiring them to dream big, identify their purpose, discover their unique talents, and apply their skills to impact their own communities. We use faith based business training that focuses on two main things: 1) the development of entrepreneurial and social skills, and 2) the growth of profitable enterprises that positively impact other people. For the second consecutive year, Kinsman Community Ministries, Inc. will host the Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp this summer in South Atlanta for youth ages 12 to 18. For two weeks, from July 13th - 24th, a select number of students will be trained in leadership, problem solving, business development, and more, with the goal of producing viable solutions that will have a direct benefit in their own communities and beyond. Last year's camp was a great success and we expect this one to be even better as we expand from 1 week to 2 weeks. This camp is free to the students. So in order to cover our expenses we are inviting you to be one of the special 15 business sponsors we are seeking to donate at least $1000 each to partner with us to meet this urgent need of transforming the lives of these at-risk youth. In addition to the great benefits you will receive as a sponsor, your invaluable partnership with us will allow this innovative economic development initiative to become a blueprint that will export Christ-centered “economic evangelism” to poverty-challenged communities in other areas of Metro Atlanta, around the United States, and ultimately all over the world. Click here to download the sponsorship package Even if you can't donate the full $1000, your financial support at any level will help pay for the trainers, curriculum, supplies, food, and other resources needed to make this an unforgettable experience (the itemized list is in the sponsorship package). If we don't invest in our youth, we can't expect them to break the destructive cycles and become all that God created them to be. We understand that to rebuild communities we must strengthen families spiritually and economically. And we hope that you share this same commitment.
God bless you and thanks in advance for helping us meet the urgent need of transforming the lives of these young leaders for our communities and His glory! I recently had the opportunity to have a repeat appearance on the Success Edge Podcast hosted by Tyler McCart. This is a great resource for young or new Christian entrepreneurs.
In a recent blog post, Fearlessly All In for Our Youth, I discussed how God was moving me in a new business and ministry direction related to dealing with millennial leaders. In this podcast you will hear about how God has taken me on a whole new adventure in the marketplace that I never thought or dreamed would be a full-time assignment. Hopefully this will inspire and motivate you to be willing to take that new direction that God is calling you toward. Enjoy!
"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." ~ Proverbs 22:6
Children model what they see and one of the best places for them to see marketplace influence and impact is from a parent. That's why I love the following video...
We have to get better at equipping our youth to learn about business at an earlier age even if they don't become entrepreneurs. The transferable skills they receive will be invaluable to them no matter what career path they eventually decided to pursue.
Please consider sponsoring a child to attend Inc My Dream Young Boss Camp in Atlanta where we are teaching middle and high school students personal development, leadership, problem-solving, business planning, and marketing skills, among many other things. Learn more at www.mykinsman.org/youth How you ever thought about the economic impact your church is having or the potential it could have in your local community? A study that was conducted a few years ago by Ram Cnaan, a researcher from University of Pennsylvania, attempted to quantify the effect that churches had on the local economy in Philadelphia. Extracting data based on the property value, congregant giving, outreach programs, and other church activities, he was able to draw some interesting conclusions in terms of the financial benefit churches brought to that community, which was in the millions of dollars.
After reading the article, I asked myself a question. What if churches became more intentional about becoming economic evangelists by being more concerned with the spiritual and financial well-being of the residents in the communities where they attend service and hopefully are already serving? In Acts 2:42-47 and 6:1-7, we see a church that was able to ensure no one in their community had any lack, spiritually and naturally. I wonder what would happen if churches focused on not giving money away, but truly empowering people through intentional training and discipleship directly connected to their financial sustainability. Whether it be through financial literacy, job skills, or entrepreneurship, churches are in a unique position not to just offer financial training but to include the needed spiritual principles to go along with it. Click here to earn more about the principles of Economic Evangelism. Read the whole article here. What are your thoughts? Using Youth to Solve Community Challenges Do you know a middle or high school student who wants to solve problems in their own community and use creative strategies to do it? If so we have the perfect opportunity for him/her through Kinsman Community Ministries... Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp! Youth see the problems in their communities from a grass roots level. This gives them an advantageous perspective to become change agents at an early age when they are not as encumbered by limited thinking and "what can’t be done." We’re going to harness their creativity and entrepreneurial energy to help them see that their voice is powerful and their ideas are valid to bring beneficial changes to make their communities better places to live. And we’re excited about tapping into their creative energy! Partnering to Promote Positive Youth DevelopmentIf you are a business or an individual who has a heart for our youth we have two major ways that you can support this effort...
God bless you and thanks in advance for helping us ignite the changes the need to happen in our communities!
Evangel Ministries in Detroit comes from a very different perspective as it relates to transforming lives in their community. They focus on using entrepreneurship to teach work skills and financial literacy, teach congregants on the details of permitting, and even in some cases provide investment capital for particular businesses. Watch this video to learn more about how they engage their community.
This is an excellent example of Economic Evangelism in action. Hopefully more churches will take their lead in the creative strategies they use to empower people. Click here to read the whole story... |
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