Meet Esmeralda Miller | Student, Horse rider & Business owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Esmeralda Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Esmeralda, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I wanted to start my own business to get some extra money. I wanted extra money because I ride horses and that’s expensive. Some of the money that I made could go back into my horse riding. Some of the money could also go into my savings account and then I could also have some extra spending money. I figured that I liked bows and lots of other little girls like bows so I thought “why not start a bow business?” Making bows is really simple and easy so it was easy to fit into my busy schedule. I also thought I could do it because I’m so creative.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think the first thing that makes my business different is that I’m a 7 year old that’s running my own business. I actually put in the time and effort to do all the work. The bows & hair accessories that I make are really unique. You don’t really see the kinds of bows I make in stores. They’re also priced to be affordable so that even kids can afford them. I’ve learned to be less shy because I have to talk to customers and also to market myself. I want everyone to know that I’m not just a kid that’s helpless. Kids can do big things. I also want people to know about my horse riding. I love riding horses and I’m good at it. I’m proud that I can pay for my own riding equipment and contribute to my riding expenses.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love the Martha Rivers park in Gastonia. I think it’s cool because there are a lot of fun activities to do there. Goat Island park is another really fun park in Cramerton. Floyd and Blackies is a little restaurant near to Goat Island Park. It’s my favorite spot to go for play dates with my friends and to get ice-cream. Ray’s Splash Planet in Charlotte is a fun indoor water park.The Schiele Museum in Gastonia would be another place that we’d have to go. I like it because it has all kinds of exhibits, especially the dinosaur exhibits. But my absolute favorite place is Jon Walker Stables, where I ride. I’d have to show my friend all of the horses. It’s my favorite place in the world.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give the biggest shoutout to my mom. She really encourages me and supports me. When I make mistakes, she helps me to not give up. My mom encourages me to try my new ideas. Right now, she’s working really hard and she still supports and helps me get everything I need. I’m just really thankful for that. I also want to give a big shoutout to my dad. He helped finance my business in the beginning and he helps me a lot and I’m really thankful for that too. I want to give a shoutout to Ms Carolyn, my riding instructor. She encourages me a lot and helps me to be better. She’s the best instructor a girl could ask for. I’d also like to give Ms Grey a shoutout. She’s my school guidance counselor and she’s a really great listener. She’s the best! I’m really thankful for all the people who encourage me.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bowsbyEsmeralda