Kid Brothers Turn Frozen Treats Into Hot Business

Notes from Chris

Episode 1031

Some kids spend their summer with a break at the beach, but relaxation wasn’t what the Accius brothers—13 year old Nasi, 11 year old Judah, and 9 year old Shiloh—had in mind for their 2019 break.

The children of a TV and film producer father and an artist mother, the Los Angeles natives decided they wanted to start a business. This wasn’t a surprise. They were taught to think as creators and owners as opposed to employees, and they knew they’d have their own products in the marketplace one day.

Like most kids, the Accius brothers love treats but their diet, first influenced by their parents, is much healthier and more full of “real ingredients” than most of their friends. They wanted to create something they would love, and something that’d be happy to share. Disrupting the normal junk food snacks that were targeted to kids and young adults was also a must.

The brothers soon zeroed in on making a frozen treat. Everyone they knew loved frozen treats and they sell year-round in California. Their brainstorming led to an idea for Jiggy Popps: all-natural, vegan ice pops. The name comes from the term "Jiggy" which in Hip Hop means cool or “fly.”

Working together, they used trial and error to create five original recipes. The process took about three months, and in the meantime they outlined more ideas and began to get their $700 in startup capital together.

They received a couple hundred dollars from their Dad and the rest from Nasi, who invested money from his street performer profits. They used that money for supplies and ingredients, and also on their first small, rolling vending cart.

Soon their home kitchen became the center of Jiggy Popp manufacturing. The boys’ parents didn’t mind as long as the process included cleanup.

In June 2019, the Accius brothers took 100 Jiggy Popps and their vending cart to a street fair in the LA area.

With flavors like BlackBerry Gordy, inspired by the legendary founder of Motown Records, as well as other lyric inspired flavors including “Tropic Like It’s Hot” and “Georgia Peach on My Mind,” their love of music and hip hop culture is evident throughout.

Like a platinum record, the Jiggy Popps were a hit, selling out quickly. The boys were ecstatic and immediately worked to set up their next event. In the first month, the brothers earned a cool $1,600 in profit.

The Jiggy Popp team learned from their early setbacks, and the future looks icy bright. In fact, Jiggy Popp has already earned profits of nearly $7,000 in the first three months of business!

They have big plans for the future, starting with dropping out of middle school—oh, not that, actually—and year-round sales events. The focus is on vending opportunities that connect with their core values, events centered on hip hop, health and wellness, and community building. They also pop up on random inner-city street corners as it’s their goal to make healthy frozen treats accessible to all.

More long term, the brothers want to strategically scale their company with the goal of eventually securing an international partner to take the Jiggy Popp brand global.

 

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Jiggy Popps: Follow the Accius brother's side hustle journey on their Instagram page.

 

SEE ALSO:

• Magician Brothers Make Money Appear From Playing Cards: Twin brothers turn their art of “cardistry” into a highly profitable business. It’s all fun and games as long as they don’t let their profits vanish….
• Lifestyle Change Leads Two Brothers to Open Leather Shop: When health issues end a construction career for one of them, two Canadian brothers start an online leather shop selling high-quality goods.
• Family Business Connects Household Cardboard to Geometry Lessons: When a mom starts a furniture business, it inspires her kids to try their own hands at business from an early age.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,