It’s not everyday you hear about teens successfully starting their own companies; just as it takes courage to grow up, it takes courage to be an entrepreneur while still figuring things out! We met with Teen Founder Paola Ochoa (@paola.ochoaa and @socialsbypaola on Instagram), a senior in high school from San Diego and her right-hand woman Paula Quinones (@itspaypayy on Instagram), a senior in college from Orlando, to talk about their growing company, Teen Boss Babes.
Quarantine gave Paola a rare opportunity to start her business idea that she had created before the pandemic.
“I wanted it originally to be a place where I could find friends and have chats and stuff, but when I started it I realized there were so many more teens out there who wanted to start a business that I switched the narrative to be teens supporting teens and supporting those who want to start a business or those who have a business.” Paula was one of the first members to join Teen Boss Babes, and now acts as their head PR representative. Teen Boss Babes grew rapidly after a TikTok from their account blew up overnight a few months after launching their company.
According to both Paola and Paula, “The challenge was the overwhelming growth. I love being on social media and creating social media but I think that time period where we grew so much was just too much… I think that was the only challenge, the unexpected growth. I’m very grateful and it’s crazy that happened to us, but when you’re in the moment, you don’t know what to do, it’s growing so fast. We DM everyone that follows us, so when we were growing so much, that was really overwhelming too!”
The community created through Teen Boss Babes is close-knit and interactive. Paola, Paula and their teams work hard to make sure that every new member is greeted warmly.
Paula is especially grateful for the community, stating, “I’ve met so many people through the events that I still talk to almost every day from our community. Having that one-on-one with them and getting to know them on a personal level, getting to answer their DM’s and just talk to them is one of the coolest things. I’ve never met a community as strong as ours that had that connection with everyone.”
Teen Boss Babes has many outlets where you can go to ask for advice, collaborate within those different fields, and befriend many determined girls like you!
The girls in the community range from 13-21, and according to Paola, “It’s so cool, we can get someone who just started at 13 and someone who just started at 21… Older people can help younger people or vice versa. Maybe a 13 year-old has way more knowledge than someone that’s 21 about to start.”
TBB hosts many workshops relating to the many areas of work the girls are in, such as practicing photography, building a personal brand, and becoming a micro influencer, that give members tips and tricks on how to succeed in their journey.
The less-than-a-year-old company has already reached 8,782 followers on Instagram and 21.2k followers on TikTok.
In thinking about the future, Paola stated, “I really hope we continue on the path we’re on now in being able to inspire people. I know one of my biggest goals for Teen Boss Babes is to meet the whole team in person. A hosted event where people can come, chit-chat, do activities, meet the teams, small businesses can put up booths, and have panelists is somewhere where I hope we can be soon.”
If you’re interested in joining Teen Boss Babes, follow their Instagram account and you’ll be welcomed with a private message from the founders.
Teen Boss Babes is a prime example that girls can be their own bosses, and inspire one another through their work!
Just like Lila here at GLU, Paola knows that if you want to go for something, you should just do it:
“...I know as a teen you’re scared to start something, but it’s always important to just start it. If you don’t start today, you don’t know when you’ll start. I started my first business with an idea, and I literally started it the next day. So just do it, just go for it.”
Teen Boss Babes' Top GLU Picks:
Paola and Paula recommend the At-Home Manicure Kit and our Signature Color Kit for a high quality “just do it” manicure.
GLUxTBB have some exciting collaborations planned for the future (Y-O-U won’t want to miss them!), so be sure to follow them on their socials:
TikTok: @teenbossbabes
Instagram: @teenbossbabes
Facebook: @TeenBossBabes
Also, check out GLU co-founder Jann Parish's interview on Teen Boss Babes!
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