While most peers her age were still absorbed in school, Madison Robinson (15, American) had already earned a million USD selling flip-flops.
2013 was considered a “tremendous success” for Madison Robinson, 15, of Texas, USA, who founded Fish Flops, a flip-flop business. She attracted the attention of millions with the Fish Flops brand, which became the most searched term on the internet…
Madison Robinson
Success through differentiation
At 8, Madison came up with the idea of making flip-flops decorated with sea creatures and flashing lights. Her father, Dan Robinson, a T-shirt designer, helped turn her drawings into prototypes.
By 2006, Madison had planned to realize her idea of founding a company making children's shoes and clothing…from her own designs.
After exhibiting a few sample sandals at a trade fair, more than 30 stores contacted Madison and her father. In 2011, Madison’s company was established under the name “Fish Flops.” The children’s fashion brand quickly became famous.
Each pair of flip-flops costs USD 25 (more than 500,000 Vietnamese dong), and more than 60,000 pairs were sold in 2012, generating at least USD 1.2 million in retail sales. The company also specializes in supplying products to other small fashion stores.
Not stopping there, Madison Robinson also has a product line specifically for girls aged 9-13. These smart, stylish designs are considered to stand out from typical products for this age group.
Recently, Madison signed contracts with two fashion retail giants, Macy's and Nordstrom. Macy's even asked Madison to design an adult product line.
Children love Madison's products for their prints of playful animals such as whales, sea turtles, and octopuses… Madison not only sells hats and T-shirts but also writes children's books and develops concepts for underwater aquarium-themed online games for children.
At 16, Madison was already a savvy and wealthy entrepreneur. Her increasingly famous fashion brand earned her a fortune. Forbes magazine predicted that Madison could join the top 400 billionaires in the future.
“I Do Not Allow Myself to Give Up”
Madison said that the business helped the girl gain more life skills. In business, Madison not only designs and selects colors on a computer but also learns to package and ship goods, monitor inventory, set prices, market on social media, track revenue and manage a trade fair booth…
She even wrote handwritten letters to approach retailers, then persuaded them with her viable designs.
Where Madison lives, everyone admires her intelligence and business talent. The Houston Chronicle, an American newspaper, placed her first on its list of the most fascinating people of 2014, ahead of stars such as athletes, rappers, politicians, and city activists…
Previously, publications such as Seventeen, Forbes, Success, Bloomberg Business Week, Tatler, and India's Times had devoted extensive coverage to Madison's business story. Madison appeared on the front pages of Fox Business Network, Inside Edition, CNBC's Nightly Business Report, ABC News, CBS News, and other broadcasts
In addition, 2 secondary school textbook publishers included Madison in 1,000,000 books for US and Canadian students. Recently, the Junior Achievement organization region Southeast Texas also invited the girl to share her business experience with 8,000 students.
Madison admitted it was not easy to be both a student and an entrepreneur. “Sometimes I feel stressed about school and business. I study until 17:00 every day, then have to finish my homework before thinking about the mountain of company work. And business is extremely busy on weekends.”
Every day, Madison receives many letters and emails from hundreds of entrepreneurs of all ages around the world asking for business advice. Madison shares that: “I wrote to my customers and told them that I was using an old-fashioned sales technique. I had thought it would not work, but I tried it anyway and left no approach unexplored.”
Madison said the most valuable lesson from her business was patience. She once said the most nervous and uncomfortable moment in business was waiting for a store to decide whether her products could appear on its shelves.
Although Madison earns a great deal, she does not spend recklessly. Her father manages the money and pays for her ordinary daily needs. For special occasions such as birthdays or holidays, Madison must use her own savings.
Madison said she would save all her earnings until age 18, then expand the business further once she had more knowledge and practical experience.
Madison said she would soon attend a business and finance class. She also planned to study business at university.
In a recent speech to Junior Achievement, Madison shared the lessons she had learned: “Never give up; remain steadfast and patient. If you have a good idea, tell your loved ones about it. Someone may just help you get started.”
Collected
