Interview With Juliette Brindak – Founder Of Miss O and Friends

Juliette came up with the idea for Miss O and Friends at just 10 years old, now 19 her business is worth over $15 Million and is visited by millions of girls every month. When Juliette was 16 she released her first book in the summer of 2006 and has now sold over 120,000 copies. Juliette talks about her experiences running a large website at such a young age offering some great advice! 1) Tell us about your main project, Miss O and Friends ? Why did you launch Miss O and Friends ? Where are you at now with Miss O and Friends ?

Miss O and Friends is a company that I started when I was ten-years-old. It is by girls, for girls and with our website, products and books, we help girls to build self-esteem and good sense of self. Miss O started as drawings that I had done one day and for a while, it was just something fun for my mom, sister and I to do. One year for my sisters eighth birthday party, my mom created Miss O-like characters for all of her friends and they went crazy or them. That is when my dad got involved, being in marketing, and looked at Miss O and saw all of the potential that it had. There wasn’t anything out there for this age group, 8-12, and after just leaving my tween years, I thought it was critical to create something for girls.

– Licensees; CHF Industries, McClatchy/Tribune, VNU (VNUVF), Yahoo (YHOO), American Greetings, High Intensity
 
– Publishing; sold over 120,000 Miss O Books since late Summer, 2006 when books starting releasing

– Viral; in 80% of all elementary schools (Scholastic Book Fairs); Miss O website in over 15,000 elementary school classrooms
 
– Website; Strong Word of Mouth with 50% website traffic from girls telling other girls
 
– Retail; Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Borders, Meijer, Justice Stores, Target.com, Wal*Mart.com.

– Investors; Procter & Gamble Company largest single investor in Miss O & Friends

 
2) I understand that you run the website with your sister and parents, what is it like working so closely with your family? Do you think this is one of the reason's your website is so successful?

I think that being able to work with my family and create a successful company is amazing. I love working with my family and I think because we are so genuine and devoted to what we do, other people see that and what to become invested in the company as well.

 
3) Why do you think Miss O and Friends is one of the most successful websites for Tweens? What part of the website is most successful and why do you think this?

What is so great about the website is that there are so many different components to it. It is very appealing to all different types of girls because there is a little something for everyone. If someone likes the write, she can do that. If she likes to play games, we’ve got games. And if she wants advice, we’ve got that too.
 
4) What advice would you give a young entrepreneur trying to monetize a website for teens?

Know your audience REALLY well. The worst thing you can do is think that you know what your target wants and be wrong.

5) Some of the most successful young entrepreneurs this year have been girls, what advice would you give a female young entrepreneur who wants to start a business online?

Have a good backing, not just financially, but people wise. Surround yourself with people that you trust and are just as dedicated to your idea as you are. If you do this, you will always have people to rely on and know that you can have a good team to help you move forward.
 
6) You have achieved so much as such a young age, how do you manage your time between school and business?

It’s definitely difficult (that is why it took me so long to respond to these questions haha) but I make it work. I use my planner a lot and schedule my time out and figure out what needs to get done when. Sometimes it can be overwhelming, but for the most part I have it under control.
 
7) Do you have any suggestions for coping with set-backs, negative experiences?

There will always be set backs and I think the best way to deal with them is maintain neutrality throughout it all. That goes with good new too. Don’t get too excited when something great happens and don’t be too disappointed when something bad happens. If you stay in the middle, you will never feel like your emotions are going crazy, because trust me, it’s really easy for that to happen.

How do you keep your business focus – Do you have any suggestions for entrepreneurs who are experiencing challenging times?

Especially in this economy, everyone is struggling. You just have to keep doing what you do best and hope that it will get better. Sometimes certain situations are out of your control and that’s also really important to note. Instead of trying to change things that you did, change things that you are going to do. Definitely just keep looking forward.

9) Is there anyone that you look up to and model yourself on?

Maxine Clark, CEO and founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop

10) What is the best advice you have ever been given?

“Be a sponge, soak everything up”- Maxine Clark

11) You are one of the most famous Young Entrepreneurs in the world today  – based on your experiences, what advice would you give to a Young Entrepreneur starting their first business today?

Stick with your idea. Be strong with your idea and find the right people who will help to execute it. Don’t let anyone try and get you to sway from your original plans.
 
12) What do you like best about the Internet?

Online shopping

13) What do you like least about the Internet?

Online shopping

14) Have you any plans (personal or business) that you can share with us about your future plans / goals / lifetime goals?

Get through college.