Alexander Jimenez is a twelve year-old entrepreneur, he joins Neva Lee Recla to talk about kid owned business making a difference. Alexander has been doing business since he was six years old. He started by selling candy bars and toys door to door, and now he has a non-profit called Smiles Against Cancer. It is an amazing business that helps kids with cancer feel happy. Alexander is such an inspiring young entrepreneur and his business is definitely having an impact. So, listen in to hear Neva and Alexander share their insight on being a kid with a business making a difference.

Thank you so much for coming on. So excited for this interview.

Yep. Me too.

What are your super powers?

I think my super powers are to come up with good ideas and to make them into an actual organization or company and along the way help others, including myself.

I think my super powers are to come up with good ideas and to make them into an actual organization or company and along the way help others, including myself.

That’s a good super power.

Yeah.

Yeah. That’s a really good super power to have. So, what was your inspiration to start a business?

Well, I originally saw my dad, when I was young, and he had his own company and I saw him, I never knew what businessmen or anything. I saw him and I asked him, well, what does business mean and everything. He told me a little bit about it and I kind of shoved it away for a bit but then I sold candies at school and it was a really good experience.

But then I thought, well, what if I can make this into an actual organization and company? So I started getting toys. I got a little loan and I sold toys throughout my neighborhood and I didn’t really get a profit but I just wanted to see how it went. But then I started making in and that’s how I met you.

That’s really cool. So, how long have you had your non-profit?

This is our second year. So, we’ve been talking a little bit about it before. But this is our second year doing it.

That’s really cool. So what other business ideas do you have? Have you started more businesses? Do you have a business on the way?

I’m currently doing something with my school. And I don’t want to say too much about it, but it’s pretty much, I want to make what’s like a partnership with the school, my school, and hopefully take some of the kids out in a boat ride.

It’s a lot of things but … I also want to do another company just to actually make some profit and just learning a little bit more about business and making companies. So I’m obsessed about it. Not really, but a little bit.

Thanks. So what do you do when maybe your friends don’t like the idea that you’re doing business and they’re not supporting you? What do you do in those situations?

Well, mainly I’ve had it all my life. I started since I was like six years old and I don’t like to brag about what I have or anything, but sometimes I just say it out loud by accident or tell some people. And they obviously, a lot of them, say, “Hey, it’s not going to work out. You should just focus on school all the time.”

And I just brush away because I know… I read books, such as Sell or Be Sold and a couple of other books by Grant Cardone and Robert Kiyosaki, a lot of them. They said that school is not everything but it’ll help you a little bit in the future. And I just remember those words in those books, and I just put them in my mind and just like, “Hey, back away. I’m doing my thing, you’re doing your thing. You’re not really doing anything.”

That’s really cool. I know I’ve had quite a few of those situations. I’ll tell my friends or kids I’m hanging out with, ‘I’ve been doing business since I was two,” and they’ll give me a look like I have two heads. And they’ll be like, “Really? Why aren’t you go focusing on kid things?”

I’m like, “That is my kid thing.” And it’s almost like being in business is my life and that is how I am a kid. But for some kids, they’re like, “That’s not possible. Why are you doing that?”

So what is something maybe you would tell our listeners if they’re in business and maybe their friends or family aren’t supporting them?

If you’re a parent, I’d say just support your kid. It doesn’t even have to be in business. Say they want to pursue art or singing or any other career, I’d say just support them and just help them and, you know, let them do their own thing.

Learn from other people.

And for kids that are doing business and starting their own organization or company, I just say keep pursuing it. Learn from other people. Have mentors. And just keep on doing what you’re doing because if you think about it, most people in my class they brag about they have, their parents buy them a lot of stuff, like cool watches, shoes and all that.

But at the same time, they’re like getting spoiled and they’re not learning how to actually make money and live by themselves. So, I think it’s like who has a higher chance of succeeding in life, them or someone like me or you, the Neva? Or any other kid that is pursuing business and company, or any other career.

Yeah. Because if your parents are buying you a bunch of things, how are we supposed to learn from that? If you’re in business, you can go out and buy it for yourself. You learn how much to spend. Like you don’t go out and spend a hundred bucks to get a watch because then you’re not going to have any profits for your business.

Yeah. If you have the money, try to invest it. I say don’t buy anything that’s spending a lot of money. I’d say 10 million is the amount that you could start buying something that you like. Or just have enough assets to cover all the liabilities that you have.

Yeah. Exactly. So you’re in a regular school?

Yeah. I’m in middle school and I’ll graduate in a couple of months. And from then, I’m going to live with my dad and go to another school in Naperville. I’m excited about that.

That’s good. So do you enjoy going to school?

Yeah. I go to school and I’m involved in a couple of things such as drama. I got the main part. We’re doing Mary Poppins and I’m playing Michael, which, in case you don’t know, it’s a huge character in the role of Mary Poppins and the play. So I’m excited about that, and I would like to join the basketball team but I don’t have my physical. It’s a lot of things, but, yeah, I’m in school.

That’s really cool. So we can keep talking a little bit more about this but can you tell our listeners where they can go to find out more about you?

Yeah. They can visit my company or organization, called SmilesAgainstCancer.com and just check me out and there’s a lot of things that you’ll find out, such as sponsors trips and how do you support us and volunteer or just pitch in a donation. My website, SmilesAgainstCancer.com and one of my business cards are there. If you ever meet me in person I will give you one, but yeah, my website.

And definitely, go check that out because he is so amazing and such an inspiration. We have been talking with Alexander Jimenez about kid owned businesses making a difference. We’ll be right back.

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