Brooks needed a flexible job, so she simply created her own.
Young Entrepreneur Spotlight: Nora Brooks
High school students are unbelievably busy, and Nora Brooks of St. Louis is no exception. When she was a sophomore, she was taking five honors classes, playing basketball and soccer, and was involved in 10 additional extracurricular activities.
“I wanted a job,” she said, “but needed flexible hours, so I started my own business. I’ve always been crafty, so I wanted to share my craftiness, as well as my love for monograms, with others.”
So Brooks, a winner of the NFIB/Savings4Members Young Entrepreneur Award, launched NB3 Personalized Gifts in March 2014. She originally started by focusing solely on putting monograms on gift items, such as cups, pillows, jewelry, and stickers. Business has been good, however, so she has expanded her offerings to include other designs, phrases, and symbols on gift items. She’s having fun, and customers enjoy the variety.
“The key to my business’ success is my willingness to do anything,” she said. “I love when customers bring me crazy ideas and large orders. I’m always up for something new or different, and as long as the customer is happy, I’m happy.”
And despite being busy, she is grateful for the juggling act.
“Running a business while balancing school, sports, and extracurriculars is the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” she said. “It taught me very important lessons about time management, prioritizing, and putting my best foot forward in all that I do.”
Brooks said she loves her business and plans to continue it in college and for many years to come. Her long-term goal is to open a boutique, where she could sell personalized gifts as well as home décor and clothes. Small business ownership offers her the ability to create her own hours, be her own boss, make the financial and creative decisions, and be hands-on in bringing her visions to fruition.
Brooks’ path to entrepreneurship has not been without obstacles, but they have only spurred her to succeed.
“The biggest challenge I have faced is people not believing I have my own company at such a young age and therefore not taking me seriously,” she said. “For me, their doubts only motivated me more to deliver such quality products at such a reasonable price. I loved the challenge of showing people I can operate a successful business while still being a normal teenager.”
She also credits the organization Prosper Women Entrepreneurs as a tremendous source of support and encouragement, as she was able to receive advice from adult female entrepreneurs and share ideas with other female entrepreneurs her own age.
“My biggest advice for young entrepreneurs is to jump right in,” she said. “I came up with the idea for my business in February [2014], launched it in March, and turned a profit by May. The best way to learn how to run a business is to simply try!”
