It’s an age-old phrase tossed around the dinner table. It’s the niggling idea in the back of your mind, silently but forcefully driving you on to the ultimate land of success. It is the American Dream, and it has defined American culture for at least two centuries. Starting from the ground up, entrepreneurship and profit are just a few examples of commonly acknowledged characteristics of the dream that seem to define when a person has reached success or not.
Well, Taylor Moxey of Miami has reached this dream. Her self-owned baking company caters to clients such as Citibank, has its own billboard, and has brought in around $10,000 so far. Just one thing separates Taylor from the other business owners who have succeeded in the hard world of competition: She is 8 years old.
There is nothing like an 8-year-old professional baker to help put your life into perspective and make you work a little harder at whatever it is you’re doing at the moment. Her story started when she asked her dad, Vernon Moxey, for a doll she liked at the store and was met with the instructions to find the money herself. And so she did! That weekend she baked and sold homemade cookies at church, bringing in a revenue of $175, enough to cover the toy fourfold. From there (instead of buying the toy), Taylor invested into her business by purchasing cards and supplies for baking.
Over the summer, her story took a turn for the unimaginable when she won the annual KISS Country Midtown Miami Cornbread competition, beating out chefs with years more experience and age in their back pockets. She charmed her way into snagging a picture with a well-known chef she had beaten when she walked into his restaurant, surprising him for more than just the visit; he was not aware that the chef who had beaten him was 8 years old. Keeping people on their toes never hurts when you are maneuvering your way through the messy world of business, and Taylor has got an unbeatable trick up her sleeve!
At a time when the rate of people under 30 who own businesses is at the lowest it’s been in years (3.6% — versus 10.6% in 1989), Taylor comes into the picture at an interesting time in the world of US business and politics. The economy is at an all-time high with the Dow Jones just recently hitting 18,000 points, and foreign investors are recommitting to investments in the US rather than China, where they have been since the economy crashed.
Starting a business at age 8 is no longer an impossible feat, and Taylor is joined by others ages 8 to 16 who have, like her, taken something they love and turned it into something that they do. Obtaining the values of individualism and drive have become a key part of growing up in the States, but only now are we seeing such a dramatic amount of youth performing jobs previously reserved for adults.
As 8-year-old Taylor goes out into this world of child geniuses, ruthless entrepreneurs, power-chasing politicians, and more, we can both admire her and worry for her; but, ultimately, who is to say that 8 is too young? She has a dream and is determined to see it through, and all I have to say to that is “good job” and “good luck.”
We are cheering you on, Ms. Moxey!