I am a 17 -year -old CEO who juggles a high school and a business

When I was only 4 years old, I had often Garage sales With random objects from the house. I price, I would set up a “store” and try to convince people to spend their money. I loved the thrill of the sale.

I never really adapted the mold. Sports have not clicked, and video games I’m bored. I tried to follow what the other children were, but I always felt like it forces it.

What excited me the most was to create and build something real. I was attracted to adults who did interesting things: starting companies, Build brandsAnd have an impact.

While other children looked at cartoons, I sketched commercial ideas and imagined windows. I was wired to create, share and sell.

This is why it was not surprising when I started a brand at 12 years old. I was already acting like a young entrepreneur. Now I came a name and a mission behind me.

I launched Coastal Cool during college with $ 500

During the covid-19 locking, I was in college And stuck at home, needing an outlet.

It was at this point that I transformed my passion for marketing and the lifestyle of the beach cool – a brand of clothes I thought from the start.

With $ 500 from my parents, YouTube tutorialsAnd a lot of self-assembly, I launched a Shopify site, I obtained an LLC, designed products and started selling t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts of the beach-all from my room.

Most thought it was just a hobby. But I felt deeply connected to the brand. I thought it might be something more.

At 14, I reached professional exhaustion and I almost abandoned

Two years, I felt stuck. I always believed in Coastal Cool, but I was not inspired by what I sold. I felt like I went through the movements.

I didn’t want to stop, but I knew something had to change.

This moment forced me to think: what is my real mission? What do I want this brand to represent? The answers have changed everything.

I reached reset and I gave a cool goal. Instead of moving away, I pivoted. I moved the brand’s attention to something bigger: sustainability.

I started to offer swimsuits and beach clothes at the eco-conscious from recycled plastic bottles.

We associated ourselves with Tidey to make a difference with each purchase. In 2024 alone, we helped eliminate nearly 20,000 plastic bottles from the oceans.

This change gave the brand a real identity and gave me a new motivation. I even started talking to schools and organizing community events To inspire other young entrepreneurs.

Today, I am 17 years old – balance the school and a global brand

I went in my last year of high schoolCoastal cool continues to grow. We send worldwide, we sponsor events and collaborate with creators on a global scale.

But while the company is developing, I always manage it solo – balance emails, meetings and social networks Between lessons and homework. My weekends have often spent content and planning the next steps instead of spending time like most teenagers.

Being a “CEO for adolescents” seems cool, but it is not easy. People love the title, but they do not see the sacrifice. I missed school dances, football matches, meeting places, travel and a lot of sleep.

It takes discipline and courage. I was ignored during meetings, underestimated because of my age and forced to do adult decisions Much earlier than most.

It is sometimes insulating, as I live in a world different from most of my peers. But I learned to stay focused on what matters: the mission, the message and the dream.

I will continue to build in the future

I sacrificed a lot for this trip. But what I won – goal, direction and confidence – is worth more than anything I abandoned.

Cool cool started as a dream that most people did not understand. But I did it. I never stopped believing it.

I know that I am not a typical teenager. I build something different. And I’m just starting.