OctoGifts

06/29/2022

Register for this free event Wed 6/29 7 pm ET!

What can you do to inspire and encourage the young people in your life to embrace their creative side?

To help us answer that question, we have invited two successful teenage inventor-entrepreneurs to share about their experience.

Sebastian Flores is the inventor of OctoGifts, a card that doubles as a candy dispenser. When he was 13 years old, he set out to design and sell a Valentine's Day version of his card made entirely out of paper to purchase a drum kit. To his surprise, his Etsy shop sold out within hours and people emailed to ask when more would be restocked. His cards are patent-pending and he is a frequent speaker about the value of STEAM education.

Connor Owen is the inventor of Bookie Cushion, a bookmark that doubles as a whoopie cushion. After he came up with the idea as a 12-year-old, he collaborated with his younger sister to design it and bring it to life. With her funding, they began selling the Bookie Cushion online on their own website and in a local candy store. After realizing how beneficial it would be to partner with a company that had excellent distribution, he studied the licensing business model via the inventYES program and secured a licensing deal with novelty gift company Genuine Fred!

We hope you’ll join us tomorrow, Wednesday, June 29th from 4-5pm Pacific!

06/25/2022

When children get the chance to experience invention and entrepreneurship, they learn how to solve problems, think critically, come up with their own ideas, communicate those ideas to others, and practice empathy — skills that will serve them lifelong! That’s why K-12 invention education is so important.

We have invited two successful teenage inventor-entrepreneurs – Sebastian Flores and Connor Owen – to share their experiences at our next meeting.

We will also share many opportunities for young people to get involved with invention and entrepreneurship, including inventRight's inventYES program, the National Inventor Hall of Fame’s Camp Invention, FIRST Robotics, The Henry Ford’s Invention Convention, the Global Innovation Field Trip, and more.

We hope you’ll join us on Wednesday, June 29th from 4-5pm Pacific!

09/24/2021

This wasn’t exactly how I prepare for a speaking engagement.

But one thing Sebastian has taught me in the 2 years we built OctoGifts together is that there is more than one way to skin a cat.

So I decided to trust the process…even if it wasn’t mine.

The night before he was scheduled to speak at The Entrepreneurial Hour at Tech Alpharetta, he still had not done a single dry run (!!) even though I had offered myself as a practice audience several times.

All I knew was the general theme of his talk based on the flyer he’d created:

“Lessons learned from being a teen entrepreneur and how you can apply them to your own life.”

No slide deck I could peek at. No talking points. No handwritten notes.

Yet he reassured me he felt ready. The words were all in his head.

“You should at least practice saying them. Don’t let tomorrow be the first time they come out of your mouth, when you’re in front of a room full of people,” I advised him.

He promised me he’d do at least one dry run in front of the mirror before going to bed.

Bottom line: At the event, when he got up to speak, I was hearing his talk for the first time along with everyone else.

So how did it go? And what were the takeaways from his talk?

If you're curious, type 'yes' into the comments and I'll tag you in a post when the recording link goes live.

Thank you to The Entrepreneurial Hour for inviting him to speak, and to everyone who joined this lively conversation. A special thanks to Gable Eaton and many others who shared what you would tell your 15 year old self if you could go back in time!

09/19/2021

This Wednesday Sebastian will share 5 lessons that being a teen entrepreneur has taught him, and how you can apply them to your own life.

Please join us on The Entrepreneurial Hour

8 am ET Wednesday 9/22/21

in-person at Tech Alpharetta

or join via Zoom Meeting:

http://zoom.theentrepreneurialhour.com/

08/14/2021

7 ways to support creative and entrepreneurial kids:

1. Let them get bored
2. Seek the unexpected
3. Tolerate their mess (within reason)
4. Bring empty ketchup bottles to the pool
5. Leave the right kinds of books on the coffee table
6. Encourage make-believe/pretend play
7. Mutter under your breath

How exactly do these help them come up with innovative ideas?

Learn more at the link below.

Many thanks to Andrew Krauss, Stephen Key, and inventRight for the invitation to share ideas on a topic that is near and dear to our hearts.

https://lnkd.in/dVFwNGmr

Melanie Flores is a mom and business woman. She is the mother of Sebastian Flores… a very creative 15 year old that is an inventor and Entrepreneur. You can ...

07/31/2021

"It doesn’t matter how good of a product you’re selling if you don’t have people that can buy it or that will help you make connections. The most important thing you can have is connections with other people."

Know an entrepreneurial child or teen? This is for them.

Sebastian was interviewed by a cartoon character, iCAN Leanne, at the iCAN Research (International Children's Advisory Network) annual summit.

Other straight talk from him to his peers:

1. When you’re first getting started, don’t worry about sophistication.
2. Own your decisions. It’s empowering.
3. Startup communities like ATDC are invaluable.
4. If you’re wanting to start a business, just remember it’s really easy to forget why you’re doing it.

Thank you Leanne West, Amy Ohmer, and Claire Destrampe for inviting him to speak at the summit! This global event provides children, parents, and the scientific community the opportunity to learn from one another, to network, and to recognize the influence of children on research, medicine, and innovation. Link to the entire summit is in the comments!

Timestamps:
4:15 – manufacturing product and scaling the business
7:20 – tips for other youth on starting your own business
9:26 – taking full control of OctoGifts this year and owning every decision
10:26 – iCAN Leanne makes her debut and asks S what he wants to do when he’s older
11:11 - the most important thing he’s learned from starting his own business
12:50 – working on the business vs. hanging out with friends: his biggest struggle
13:50 – on losing the fire he had, and how he rediscovered it

Link to video: https://youtu.be/0egypPDnFBE

07/24/2021

After knowing each other for two years, Dale Sizemore and I just now found out we went to the exact same high school in Jacksonville, FL (but not at the same time).

All the best to you as you move on from Tech Alpharetta to start a new adventure, Dale! Thank you for your friendship and support. You were instrumental in helping OctoGifts get off the ground. You connected us with awesome opportunities and people, and were a steady source of encouragement, ideas, and no-nonsense input. We'll be forever grateful.

Photo credit: Mark Stiles

05/22/2021

Sebastian shipping his first OctoGifts order since firing me as his partner.

OK, I haven’t been truly “fired” -- just “demoted.” Or maybe “reassigned” is the right word?

Normally I help him fulfill orders, but this time he asked me NOT to help him unless he asked.

At his request, I’m dialing back my involvement to give him more room to figure things out on his own and learn from his own mistakes.

I'll always be here for him if he needs me, and will continue to help with select responsibilities (including social media posts like this one).

It was not an easy conversation for parent/child, much less business partners, but it was one we needed to have...and it opens the door for incredible growth for both of us.

So how did he broach the subject with me? Find out here:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/losing-training-wheels-melanie-l-flores

05/19/2021

“Are you firing me?” I remember asking.

I was a little afraid to hear the answer.

“No,” he replied softly....but something needed to change.

When Sebastian and I first started building OctoGifts together, he was only 13 years old and he was looking for ways to earn money.

I was recovering from a mastectomy and I was searching for healing, both inside and out.

Now that he’s 15, he has his learner’s permit. And he’s eager to get behind the wheel every chance he gets -- with driving and many other areas.

So how did the above conversation come up, and how did it play out?

Find out below.

He was five years old when he asked us to take the training wheels off his bike. As soon as we did, he was itching to ride.

04/27/2021

The last time Sebastian was in a room with two doctors, it was for a broken arm. This time the subject matter is much more pleasant.

Join him, Dr. Anthony Chang (Founder of AIMed) and Dr. Sharief Taraman (Chief Medical Officer of Cognoa) for a lively discussion on innovation on iCAN's Ask the Experts show this Saturday May 1st, 2021 at 10 am EDT.

All are welcome but you must preregister by Fri. 4/30/21 to receive the link.

https://www.icanresearch.org/post/ican-ask-the-experts-explores-innovation-in-upcoming-may-session

Thank you to the show host, Dr. Chang, and to the International Children's Advisory Network (iCAN) for the opportunity! iCAN provides a voice for children and families in medicine, research, and innovation.