The entrepreneur who at the age of 7 created a healthy sweets company

A visit to the bank with her father and not being able to eat a piece of candy, due to the amount of sugar, changed the life of Alina Morse, entrepreneur and CEO of Zollipops, a healthy candy company that she started when she was seven years.

“I went with my dad to the bank, where they gave me a popsicle, but he told me that I couldn’t eat it because it could cause cavities and problems with my teeth. So I wondered why not create a healthy sweetthat we can all consume?”, recalled the entrepreneur in an interview during her attendance at the INCmty entrepreneurship festival.

Thus, in Detroit, United States, the idea of ​​creating healthy sweets that did not harm the teeth arose. The goal was help people access healthy sweets and that they didn’t have to worry about the trouble it might cause.

“I started working in my parents’ kitchen and doing experiments to produce my first sweets, and when my parents saw that with my tenacity and insistence I almost destroyed the kitchen, they gave me their full support to create my business”.

Alina invested $7,500, use your savings to start Zollipops and create vegan, all-natural, sugar-free candies made with xylitol, erythritol and stevia, making them healthy. At the age of 13, he managed to generate more than six million dollars in sales for the brand.

“We sold more than a million and expanded the range of products, which also includes chocolates. We are in China, South Korea, England, France, Canada and Mexico.

The high school senior entrepreneur says the name Zollipops came about when her younger sister tried to pronounce one of the ingredients in the lollipop and said “zollipops,” which was funny and catchy.

Entrepreneur and student

Alina says that being an entrepreneur and leading a student and adolescent life it has not been easyHe does, but it’s rewarding for them to nurture other entrepreneurs with their story and grow the business.

“I have spent more than half of my life looking for the right balance between being a young woman and an entrepreneur; however, the support of my parents has helped me a lot”.

Healthy habits for business

Alina recommends that entrepreneurs be curious and look for new trends, and by asking the right questions, it is possible to anticipate trends.

For this reason, he recommends a list of healthy habits for business

• Hold weekly and quarterly meetings with the team
• Put the right person in the right “seat”
• Have a diverse team
• Take into account the perspectives of others and continue to learn from others
• listen to customers
• Have fun doing what you do, “joy is in the journey not in the prize”
• Don’t give up because someone tells you that you can’t believe in yourself.

“Do not stop believing in yourselves, you are capable of achieving everything you set your mind to. Ask questions, be very insistent and persevering, and you will see that you will achieve great things.