DECEMBER 2019 - AudioFile
Celebrity teen entrepreneur Moziah Bridges narrates his instruction guide for young people on how to build a business. Full of kid-friendly advice on business basics, Bridges pitches his concepts to listeners as if they were potential investors. Bridges’s own story—he started his bow tie for kids company in his grandmother’s home—is told with well-practiced enthusiasm and charm. When describing big breaks like his NBA partnership, Bridges sounds confident and proud of his success. The audiobook also includes a foreword by CEO and Shark Tank judge Daymond John. This is an encouraging how-to for youth who seek inspiration for turning their own dreams into moneymaking realities. E.A.N. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
"[D]elivered via engaging, personal examples that should resonate with readers. This appealing, photo-illustrated manual from a charismatic role model offers sound advice, useful for supporting finance units and encouraging neophyte tycoons."—Booklist
This up-and-coming creative will definitely inspire many young people with his positive, confidence-boosting startup guide.—Kirkus Reviews
"It's refreshing to see a book that acknowledges the creativity and budding business sense of young people... [T]he content is fun and informational."—School Library Journal
School Library Journal
10/01/2019
Gr 6–9—Bridges, teen entrepreneur and Shark Tank contestant, presents a step-by-step guide for creating a small business or start-up. He uses examples from his own business, Mo's Bows, as well as hypothetical situations including lemonade stands and lawn-mowing services. He covers everything from product testing to using social media to promote a business. Bridges's advice is standard but practical: focus on making a product you're proud of, practice your elevator pitch, etc. Bridges explains to readers how to maximize their earning potential in a world that often takes advantage of young workers. However, even with a glossary in the back, the vocabulary may be inaccessible to those with lower reading levels. The business examples such as the lemonade stand indicate a younger audience. The challenge for this book is finding the appropriate reader: a student who can handle the vocabulary but who does not feel infantilized by the young tone. VERDICT It's refreshing to see a book that acknowledges the creativity and budding business sense of young people. However, while the content is fun and informational, the work may appeal only to a limited audience.—Jeri Murphy, C.F. Simmons Middle School, Aurora, IL
DECEMBER 2019 - AudioFile
Celebrity teen entrepreneur Moziah Bridges narrates his instruction guide for young people on how to build a business. Full of kid-friendly advice on business basics, Bridges pitches his concepts to listeners as if they were potential investors. Bridges’s own story—he started his bow tie for kids company in his grandmother’s home—is told with well-practiced enthusiasm and charm. When describing big breaks like his NBA partnership, Bridges sounds confident and proud of his success. The audiobook also includes a foreword by CEO and Shark Tank judge Daymond John. This is an encouraging how-to for youth who seek inspiration for turning their own dreams into moneymaking realities. E.A.N. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2019-06-10
An entrepreneurial phenom offers advice to similarly inclined kids.
At 9, Mo Bridges struggled to sew his first bow tie under the loving mentorship of his granny. At 11, he landed a deal on the TV show Shark Tank as one of its youngest entrepreneurs. Currently the 17-year-old owner of a successful bow-tie business, Bridges pens his first guide for young entrepreneurs. The book is divided into segments that explain the approach behind his strong startup, Measure, Cut, Stitch. He deftly points out the difference between undertaking hourly labor and the way a sharp entrepreneur thinks, using mowing lawns as an example. Working at $8 an hour for five hours nets $40, but charging $20 per lawn can, at five lawns in a day, garner $100. Numbers aside, Bridges alludes to crafting a genuine story, building relationships, and mastering social media to gain a loyal customer base. His ingenuity landed him a licensing deal with the NBA and even the opportunity to design the "Obama Blue Bow Tie." Growing older into high school, he shares the story of his frustration with his new "hideous" school uniform, transcending it by following the advice in his own pep talk that he gives to others, to "stay true to yourself," and successfully produces his first stylish necktie that would become a signature addition to his uniform. Numerous black-and-white photos depict the young, bow-tie-clad African American entrepreneur.
This up-and-coming creative will definitely inspire many young people with his positive, confidence-boosting startup guide. (glossary) (Memoir. 11-14)
