Meet Eirene

Just ONE of Eirene's designs.

One of my all time best friends, my business partner, someone I’ve learned from, is of course one of my couches.  David Gonzalez and I have gotten along superbly since we 1st met.  When I couch surfed at his place, I met his daughter Eirene. She’s adorable, smart, and mostly very well behaved.  I’ve gotten to sit in on some of the schooling that David provides her after school.  This kid will go far!  By the way, according to Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm states that the involvement parents take in their kids education and life will make a huge difference in the outcome of that kid’s values and success. This story proves that.

Eirene is only 8 years old.  I was there in Austin for her 8th birthday recently.  The other week I was in Austin again, and Eirene asked for some of my time, then said “I have a project.  I’m not asking for money, but I was wondering if you have any ideas.  I have a deal with my dad that if I can raise $30 per month for 6 months, then I can have a dog.  This month, I am not doing so well.  I have made ten cents so far.” (She got paid $0.10 for emptying the dishwasher)-  I told her that she could make a big mess, and eat a lot, so her mom has to do the dishes another 290 times… but that’s a poor return on time investment.  I taught her all sorts of business terminology, such as recurring billing, return on investment, sales technique, copywriting, and a few other things…. I basically had suggested that she do a brownie-club, where she brings people fresh brownies once a week… for a fee of course.  If the brownies are $1 per brownie (or discount for bulk), then she needs to sell 30 brownies per month- divided by 4 weeks… that’s about 7 recurring clients… and if she gets more, then the dog’s covered sooner, AND she gets extra money.

The idea was great.  Eirene was excited… I had to leave back to San Diego, and then while at JV Alert Live (A marketing event), I get a phone call… it was on David’s birthday of all days, and he was in the room with me.  It was Eirene.  She told me that she just made $24 in less than 2 hours! “Brownies are popular, eh?”  “No! I sold cups and cards online!” “Wait.. you mean to tell me that you just made $24 on the internet?”  I was so proud!  Here I am at a seminar full of grownups that are there to make more money online, many haven’t made their first dollar online, and I’m talking to an 8 year old that just made their first $24… in less than 2 hours.  When I was 8, there was no internet, and I would’ve had to mow the grass 4 times to get that much!

I called Eirene up the other day, and it turns out that she had just made her $30 for the month. Ryan Deiss, a really well known entrepreneur and online marketer, now makes 7-8 figures annually.  He got started by just trying to make enough to make the monthly payments on an engagement ring that he wanted to get his lovely wife (fiancee at that time), which was about $50 per month if I recall the story.  Eirene just made a goal that’s not too far from that!  What’s YOUR goal?  If there was one thing you wanted, what are the payments on it? What can you make, and sell online so it’s automated?  Ack! I’m getting into consulting mode.  What I wanted to say was that Ryan isn’t even 30 years old (27 I think), and has been making tons of money for years now… all because he wanted to make the minimum payments on a ring to propose to his girlfriend with.  Eirene is 8 years old, and doing the same thing.  She has a dog now, but can’t give him a name until she keeps her end of the bargain.  The dog is super-cute.  He showed up on the school property, and animal control was going to take him away… so, the Gonzalezs are giving him a foster home… for now.  She can’t keep him if she doesn’t raise the funds she agreed to.  What a great lesson!  Why not buy a coffee mug or a card, and help build a family, a future entrepreneur, and make a child’s year?  Imagine where you’d be if you’d had a cool deal like this with your parents at such an early age, and could reach such a large audience as the internet!

These are just a few of her designs, but there’s more on the page.

Blue Heart Mug by EireneGonzalez

Birdie Mug by EireneGonzalez

Fall Mug by EireneGonzalez