Many of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs begin young. After all, Steve Jobs founded Apple when he was 21.

And entrepreneurial ambition is high at Bearden High School. Sophomore Abby Lauren joined the list of young entrepreneurs when she began her business last year.

Lauren’s business is NostalgicWear. She sells jewelry – primarily rings and earrings – and occasionally brings staple pieces to her inventory such as face masks, crystals, and hair clips.

“Getting started was rough,” Lauren said. “Expenses of supplies, ads, listings; getting your name out there, and trying to figure out how to make a shipping label was a learning process.

“I can say a year later that I have found what I like to do.”

Lauren was apprehensive when she first began her venture, but she did not let that stop her from turning her idea into a profitable business.

“I was definitely skeptical if I could make a job by myself and really be my own boss,” Lauren said. “There is always the question of ‘Will this work?’

“I definitely had those kinds of thoughts and concerns, but hey, don’t knock it until you try it.”

Lauren is not the only one advocating for her company. Since starting, she has developed a loyal customer base at Bearden.

“I love these earrings,” junior Annabella George said. “They’re really cute and dainty. I would recommend.”

Junior Julianna Nealy raved about Lauren’s punctuality of delivery and her product quality.

“She completely exceeded my expectations,” Nealy said. “My order arrived very quickly, much sooner than expected at high quality.

“I seriously could not recommend enough.”

Once Lauren graduates from Bearden, she plans to enroll in an online university to get her bachelor of science degree in business administration with a focus in entrepreneurship. 

To check out her products, follow her Instagram at NostalgicWear.us.

Bearden is full of small business owners. Junior Anna Lynn is amongst Bearden’s business savvy students that took their passions to the next level. She is the founder and owner of Imperfections.

“I sell little macrame rainbows that you can hang in your car or put on your keychain,” Lynn said. “I also sell sweatshirts with homemade patches on them.” 

She began her business as a way to make money around her unconventional hours as a high school student with a social life.

Starting her business was anything but a walk in the park. Operation issues had to be mitigated at the beginning for her to run a successful business.

“I had to fix my sewing machine several times in the beginning,” Lynn said. “I had to take my sewing machine apart and fix the problem, then watch some YouTube videos, then put it all back together to get it to work.”

Lynn is determined to expand her business past the halls of Bearden. She knows that she has a great idea and enough passion for her business to turn profitable.

“I am planning on doing four pop-up shops this winter and am trying to expand,” Lynn said. “I started Imperfections a year ago and still love running it.”

Visit Lynn’s Instagram at “imperfections__._” to see all of her creations and to learn when her pop up shops are.