How I Started: Lessons from Entrepreneurs to the Next Generation

Kids Markets
  • 4.9 (53)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

The Kids Markets team brings you inspiring ideas from entrepreneurs to help children explore, innovate, and become a builder in their own right. How I Started features conversations with founders and young entrepreneurs about building businesses from the ground up. Hosted by Connor Boyack, the show explores the lessons, pivots, and mentorship behind successful companies. Episodes include long-form founder interviews and Startup Standouts, short spotlights on teens launching their first ventures through Kids Markets.

  1. 14h ago

    Customizing Your Product to Each Market: Kyler’s Kreations

    Samantha White sits down with 12 year old Kyler Whaley, who sells at Indianapolis markets and has built a business around 3D printed products tailored to different audiences. He shares how he learned the business side of selling, from inventory and pricing sheets to customer conversation and market research, and why adapting to each event matters. We discuss how Kyler chooses what to make, what sells best, and the lessons he has learned from selling in both kids markets and frequently speaking with adults. Key topics: Market researchIdentifying top sellersObserving trendsLearning skills behind the scenesThe challenge of staying motivated #3Dprinting #youngentrepreneur #kidsmarkets #IndianapolisMarkets #smallbusiness #marketresearch #customerpitching #inventorytracking #pricingsheets #fidgets #timemanagement #motivation #socialskills #productadaptation #audiencespecificproducts #familysupport

    Customizing Your Product to Each Market: Kyler’s Kreations

  2. Aug 12

    From Street Corner to Global Reach: How Zuby Udezue Built a Music Career Without a Record Label

    What if you never needed anyone's permission to start? Zuby Udezue didn't wait, and the result was 30,000 albums sold hand-to-hand, across cities and countries, with no label, no manager, and no gatekeeper standing between him and his fans. Zuby is a global rapper, author, and podcaster with millions of followers who built his entire career by going directly to his audience, starting with geo arbitrage as a teenager between Saudi Arabia and the UK, and scaling to a self-released music catalog, books, and a hit podcast. In this episode, Connor and Zuby explore how founder journeys begin with a single bold move, why rejection is just the price of admission, and how the habits of early entrepreneurship compound into long-term success. Things You Will Learn How to identify a geo arbitrage opportunity and turn a personal advantage into your first saleHow to reframe rejection as a data point, and use it to sharpen your sales process over timeWhy going direct to your audience, without gatekeepers, is a viable and powerful growth strategy at any age Tools & Frameworks Covered Geo Arbitrage: How to identify price gaps between markets and turn them into early-stage profit without upfront riskPre-Selling Before You Spend: How Zuby took orders before buying inventory, eliminating risk and proving demand firstThe Rejection Reframe: A mindset method for tracking wins, ignoring losses, and building sales confidence through repetition#YouthEntrepreneurship #FounderJourney #StartABusiness #Entrepreneurship #HowIStarted

    From Street Corner to Global Reach: How Zuby Udezue Built a Music Career Without a Record Label

  3. Aug 5

    The Importance of Strong Branding: Girl Coded Boutique

    In this episode of Startup Standouts, host Samantha White interviews 11-year-old Felicity Barbot, the founder of Girl Coded Boutique, a beauty product line focused on clean skincare for young girls. Felicity shares her journey of starting her business, her experiences at various markets, and the challenges and successes she has faced. She emphasizes the importance of continual learning, customer engagement, and having a strong brand that draws people in. Guest Links: https://www.instagram.com/girlcodedboutique/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583418031281 Key topics: The importance of quality control and clean productsActively trying new things and learning from others at each marketThe joy of building a product you believe in and seeing others enjoy it as well #youngentrepreneur #beautyproducts #cleanskincare #childrenentrepreneurship #marketexperiences #productdevelopment #businessadvice #socialmediamarketing

    The Importance of Strong Branding: Girl Coded Boutique

  4. Jul 29

    Tim Draper on Founder Journeys, Failure, and Why Optimists Win

    Most people assume great investors were born knowing how to build. Tim Draper's first business ended with a neighbor walking away with most of his earnings, and he still calls it one of the most formative moments of his life. In this episode of How I Started, Connor Boyack sits down with Tim Draper, venture capitalist, founder of Draper University, and one of the most recognized names in global entrepreneurship, to trace the real origin of his founder mindset: from selling apples at the end of a quarter-mile driveway, to door-to-door oyster routes, to a Stanford-inspired board game written up in the Wall Street Journal. Tim shares why failure in school is misunderstood, what traits he consistently sees in the entrepreneurs he invests in, and why the institutions dominating your parents' world are exactly the ones your generation is built to transform. Things You Will Learn How to reframe early failure as the most useful data a young entrepreneur can collectWhat traits and habits Tim Draper consistently sees in the founders who go the distanceHow to identify broken institutions and turn the problem into a real business opportunity Tools & Frameworks Covered The Five-Step Problem-to-Business Framework: Tim's sequential method for moving from frustration to fundable solution: identify the problem, solve it, build a business around it, monetize it, distribute it.The TV Ad Signal: a practical filter for spotting industries ripe for disruption: if it's advertising heavily on television, it's likely providing a bad service at a high cost.The Partner-First Approach to Early Ventures: Tim's method of building with collaborators from the start, so that failure becomes a shared learning experience rather than a solo setback. #HowIStarted #YouthEntrepreneurship #FounderJourney #TimDraper #StartABusiness

    Tim Draper on Founder Journeys, Failure, and Why Optimists Win

  5. Jul 22

    How Observing and Experimenting Leads to Success: The Cauley Farm Shop

    In this episode of Startup Standouts, host Samantha White interviews young entrepreneurs James and Landon, who run the Cauley Farm Shop. They discuss their journey at Kids Markets, sharing insights on their product offerings, market experiences, and growth as business owners. The boys highlight their strategies for engaging customers, the importance of teamwork, and offer valuable advice for other kids interested in entrepreneurship. Key topics: Testing products and adaptingIncreasing in confidenceThe importance of free samples and bringing people into the boothPersistence is keyThe soap making process and mentorship #childrenentrepreneurship #marketexperience #youngbusinessowners #producttesting #salesstrategies #customerengagement #teamwork #adviceforkids #smallbusiness #youthentrepreneurship

    How Observing and Experimenting Leads to Success: The Cauley Farm Shop

  6. Jul 15

    From Paper Routes to Tech Investor: How Manny Medina Built His Success

    Manny arrived in the United States at 13 years old with no money, no English, and no clear path. What he did have was a willingness to work, pay attention, and take responsibility for his own progress. In this episode of How I Started, Manny Medina, Cuban American entrepreneur, investor, and founder of Medina Capital, shares how early lessons delivering newspapers at 4:30 a.m. shaped the mindset that later helped him build and scale major businesses, adapt across industries, and invest in the next generation of innovators. This conversation is a reminder that progress often starts quietly, through consistent effort and personal responsibility, and that building something meaningful is possible even when you begin far behind. Things You Will Learn How early curiosity and persistence can turn small hustles into big business success.Why adaptability and learning from mistakes is key to thriving in changing markets.How embracing emerging technologies, like AI, opens new opportunities for young entrepreneurs.Tools & Frameworks Covered Curiosity-Driven Learning – Teaches how to leverage observation and questioning for opportunities.Adaptability & Pivoting – Helps navigate changing industries and unexpected challenges.Value Creation Mindset – Shows how to turn small efforts into meaningful results for others and yourself. #Entrepreneurship #CuriositySuccess #Adaptability #MedinaLessons #HowIStartedPodcast

    From Paper Routes to Tech Investor: How Manny Medina Built His Success

  7. Jul 8

    This 100% Self-Made Teen CEO Reads His Customers Perfectly: Panda Prints by Peter

    In this inspiring interview, 14-year-old entrepreneur Peter Lawton shares his journey from lawn mowing to running a successful 3D printing business called Panda Prints by Peter. Peter has been an entrepreneur since he was just nine years old. He’s tried different products, different marketing tactics, and manages everything himself. Discover how he navigates challenges, understands customer preferences, and leverages market insights to grow his business at kids markets. Guest Links: https://www.instagram.com/pandaprintsbypeter/ Key topics: Entrepreneurship at a young ageProduct testing and market adaptationCustomer engagement strategies #lawnmowing #smallbusiness #teenownedbusiness #youthentrepreneurship #3dprintingbusiness #kidsmarkets #businessgrowth #customerengagement #producttesting #entrepreneuriallessons

    This 100% Self-Made Teen CEO Reads His Customers Perfectly: Panda Prints by Peter

  8. Jul 1

    Chris Koerner on Starting a Business, Testing Ideas, and Growing Through Action

    A small start can shape an entire founder journey, and this episode shows exactly how that happens. In this episode of How I Started, host Connor Boyack sits down with Chris Koerner to explore how entrepreneurship often begins with curiosity, quick action, and a willingness to test simple ideas before feeling fully ready. Chris shares how he started a business as a kid, how that mindset stayed with him over time, and how he learned to grow a business by moving fast, noticing overlooked opportunities, and learning from mistakes. The conversation also explores startup pivots, practical takeaways, and why youth entrepreneurship matters in a world where adaptability, mentorship, and action can change a trajectory. Things You Will Learn How to start a business by acting on opportunities that others ignoreWhy choosing the right type of business matters for long-term successHow testing ideas quickly can help founders learn and adapt fasterThe mindset that helps founders act on opportunities earlyHow to recognize which business models fit your strengths and which do not Tools & Frameworks Covered Bias for action: helps you move from idea to execution without waiting too longSurface area: helps you create more chances to learn by testing more ideasParkinson’s Law: helps you increase output by tightening the space available for tasks #Entrepreneurship #FounderJourneys #YouthEntrepreneurship #StartABusiness #GrowABusiness

    Chris Koerner on Starting a Business, Testing Ideas, and Growing Through Action
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4.9
out of 5
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About

The Kids Markets team brings you inspiring ideas from entrepreneurs to help children explore, innovate, and become a builder in their own right. How I Started features conversations with founders and young entrepreneurs about building businesses from the ground up. Hosted by Connor Boyack, the show explores the lessons, pivots, and mentorship behind successful companies. Episodes include long-form founder interviews and Startup Standouts, short spotlights on teens launching their first ventures through Kids Markets.

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