Business Ownership Through the Lens of First Coast Youthpreneurs
by Teddy Regis
It has been observed that high school and collegeaged students are now weathering particularly mounting pressures to decide which career path to choose in life . Who will hire them ? Will they be able to afford rent and perhaps eventually a mortgage ? In the face of this uncertainty , young business owners have become notably creative during the last few years . Four local entrepreneurs sat down with Evolve Magazine to give us an insightful look at how they got started and , in turn , continue to make it in the business world . Let ’ s see what they had to say .
Tessa Taylor of The St . Augustine Scoop : “ My life completely changed in a weekend .”
Tessa : “ Tonight ’ s my last night ; I can ’ t come in for any more shifts .” Her boss : “ Why ??” Tessa : “ I bought a business !” Her boss : “ What ?! What do you mean , ‘ you bought a business ?’” Tessa : “ I bought an ice cream shop downtown . I have to work there tomorrow .”
An offhand chat with a neighbor interested in selling his ice cream shop and a signed contract later , a then 19-year-old Tessa Taylor found her world morphing fast . She is now 22 and has been the proprietor of The St . Augustine Scoop for three years . Located in uptown St . Augustine , her ice cream shop is a local favorite with its warm atmosphere , vibrant color scheme and inviting space . “ I have had the best staff ; I feel like I got so lucky with everyone ,” Tessa shares with gratitude . She manages anywhere from four to eight employees . “ My employees are my babies ; they ’ re awesome .” Tessa , who grew up in Utah until age 14 , has been a hard worker since childhood . Her mornings began early with feeding chickens and tending the family garden . She and her five siblings grew up collecting and selling rocks and tadpoles . Her days were full of outdoor play and adventure . She came to be known affectionately as “ Tess the Mess .” Each day ended with a family dinner around the table .
If we fast forward to ten or so days ahead of Florida ’ s pandemic stay-at-home order - we would find Tessa officially signing off on her ice cream shop purchase . “ I actually had to go get a second job ten days after I bought the business ,” Tessa says with a hearty chuckle . “ My first year was … a lot of learning ; it was tough .” Nonetheless , she has pressed on year after year . Today , she sits across from me with a confident , beaming smile of enthusiasm as she reflects on lessons learned .
“ I would try and dance , I ’ d bring my ukulele [ outside ] to try and , like , get the attention of people walking by or driving by ,” Tessa relates regarding the period in spring 2020 when businesses were limited in how they could interact with customers .
When it comes to weathering the storms of business ownership , Tessa ’ s advice is to “ know what you ’ re fighting for and what you want from the business .” With a myriad of demands pulling at entrepreneurs
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