Mr. Hill teaches the Entrepreneur class at LHS and is thrilled to already have a young entrepreneur in class!

What if your next business idea started not in a corporate office, but in the mind of a teenager? While most teens are busy balancing school, activities, friends and family, one local young girl is already taking on a challenge many adults never attempt. She's building and running a business of her own. And it all started with becoming a cheerleader in seventh grade. Carley Gonzalez, a freshman at Levelland High School, is the owner of Small Town Spirit, a business specializing in custom day spirit wear for schools, teams and fans. Carley says she got the idea as a seventh grader at Levelland Middle School. “My Mom was also a cheerleader at LHS, so it was something we could connect over,” Gonzalez said. “We thought it would be fun to create and offer cute cheer uniforms and spirit items for other cheerleaders and schools," Carley said. “There is a lot to learn about running a business that I am still learning,” Gonzalez said, “You have to think about prices, costs, ordering, shipping, deadlines, customers, networking, marketing and making sure everything is correct. My mom calls it ‘a lot of moving parts behind the scenes’." Carley says that her Mom is her mentor and support system, helping her with the business and helping her to learn. “School comes first, so we work around my schoolwork, practices, games and other activities,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve definitely had to learn time management.” Carley says that managing Small Town Spirit has not only taught her a lot about business and all the work that goes on behind the scenes, but has also helped her grow as a person. “I’ve gotten better at marketing, being responsible, managing my time, making decisions, being creative and solving problems when something goes wrong.” Gonzales said. “I think it has made me realize at a young age that there are many ways to be successful.” Carley attributes her success to not only cute products that are popular with their customers, but also how you treat people. “When you treat people right, they remember and tell other people about you,” Gonzales said. “When someone likes what they ordered, they tell their friends, other parents, and other teams about us.” Carley uses her business not only to make money, but to also give back to her community. They donate items for fundraisers, teacher appreciation gifts, and raffles in Levelland and in the surrounding communities. “I’m really proud that we decided to use our business to give back,” Gonzales said. “We’ve also been able to give scholarships to graduating seniors and helped create Little Miss Cheer for younger girls.” Carley hopes that the business continues to grow and make a positive impact on the community. “I hope Small Town Spirit keeps growing and reaching more schools and teams,” Gonzales said. “I hope that in five years it will still be something my mom and I can be proud of building together, and maybe even open a store.” Carley’s advice to other teenagers thinking about starting a business is to just step out in a leap of faith and try it. “You don’t have to know everything before you start, “ Gonzales said. “You just have to trust God, take the first step and be willing to learn as you go.” Look for Small Town Spirit on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Thank you, Mr. Hill for sharing this amazing feature on Carley! We love that you are helping students find their place!