Welcome to The Denville Moms Network Young Entrepreneurs Spotlight Series
Julia with her hair ties!
As the second installment of an important series, I am excited to introduce you to 10 year old, Julia Gunselman. Julia is the owner of Julia’s Ties For a Cure! Her mission is to sell hair ties to raise money for Type 1 Diabetic research and to help people understand what T1D is.
What is your name, how old are you and where are you from?
Julia Gunselman, 10 yrs old and live in Short Hills. (I was born in Hoboken, NJ)
What is your business called and how long have you been established?
Julia’s Ties For a Cure. I just launched on May 4th!
What is your mission?
My mission is to sell my hair ties to raise money for Type 1 Diabetic research and to help people understand what T1D is. When I tell people I am diabetic, not many people actually understand what that means for my daily life. They assume I ate too many sweets and now I can’t eat any more sweets. When in fact, it means my pancreas stopped producing insulin so now every time I eat I must give myself insulin. I can pretty much eat anything I want… as long as I get insulin. Hopefully, my hair ties will start getting people asking more questions and raise awareness while raising money too!
What was a recent project you worked on? How did it come about?
I am currently making hair ties that are on a card with facts about Type 1 Diabetes. I sell 3 on a card for $5.00 and a portion of my sales goes directly to Diabetic Research. I recently sold a bunch at a Beyond Type 1 gala and was able to donate $80.
Anyone special you would like to thank for helping you get this business started?
I would like to thank my Aunt Khris, for showing me how to make hair ties for her wedding. I also want to thank Tracey Tango at Art with Heart for helping me to design my logo and card for the hair ties. My mom has been a huge help and encourages me.
What are your future plans and goals for your business?
My goal is to raise as much money as I can for organizations working on finding a cure for Diabetes. (JDRF and Beyond Type 1). I would love to eventually offer more color hair ties and possibly open an Etsy shop.
Do you have specific milestones/dates you can share with us (a new store that will have your product)?
My hair ties are currently sold at Art with Heart in Chatham, NJ and Paper Ribbon and Wrap in Millburn. I am always interested in finding new partners to sell my hair ties.
What advice do you have for other young entrepreneurs?
I would tell them that you have to love what you are doing and be super passionate about it. Also, I think it’s important to find a charity or a few charities that mean a lot to you and give back.
Favorite things to do outside of your business?
I love to swim and am on the summer swim team. I know it sounds crazy, but I love school! Math is my favorite subject. Some of my other favorite things are burgers (no cheese please), Girls on the Run, spending time with friends and playing Clue.
One thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I am obsessed with anything Sloth related!! I have sloth PJ’s, stuffed animals, sheets, comforter, mug, notebook… and the list goes on!