Learning how to balance school and having a job can already be hard enough, but having to balance school and your own business can be complex. Some of our students at FVHS own and operate their own businesses.
Sophomore Iva Ramos-Lebron has two businesses, one named Secret Gardens Coffee Club and the other Nicohl Studios.
Lebron said, “For Secret Gardens, we sell a variety of cold and hot drinks with coffee we import from Puerto Rico.”
Lebron also said, “For Nichol Studios, we sell accessories and apparel.”
Having one business is already a lot of work, but having two proves how dedicated and hard-working Lebron is.
When asked why she wanted to start her business she said, “My sister and I are big coffee and matcha lovers. After living in the states for so long, we started missing the taste of Puerto Rico. We wanted to bring that flavor to North Carolina since you don’t see many Puerto Rican coffee or restaurants around.”
Lebron also talked about how much she loves both of her businesses and what they represent for her.
She said, “Secret Gardens Coffee Club was the original business we wanted to start, but during Covid, we launched Nichol Studios on Etsy, and we now have our own website. We always loved having Nichol Studios, and it is very special to us now to have been able to open a business that reflects our heritage.”
I also asked Lebron about how she balances being a student and a business owner.
“I have time set for school and my businesses. They’re both a priority to me, so it just depends on which deadline comes first. We mostly do markets after school or on the weekends, so that never interferes with my school schedule,” said Ramos-Lebron.
Visit https://nicohlstudios.com/ to support one of her businesses.
At Nichol’s Studio you can find a large selection of cute and charming products, such as candles, sweatshirts, cups, bookmarks, and tote bags.
It seems Lebron has perfected time management. She mentioned how having her sister work with her makes it a lot easier.
Lebron said, “I’m grateful to have my sister also be a part of this with me so we can split tasks, and she can take over when I need to focus on school.”
Another student at our school with a business is senior Jamila Dorsey, who owns a hair, nail, and lash business.
Dorsey said, “I’ve been doing hair since I was little, and I just started doing nails and lashes in my freshman year. I started doing nails and lashes because I wanted to try new things and I eventually began to be more interested in them.”
Both girls at our school are hardworking and still manage their academics. These people set a great example for others who are interested in starting a business.
