Eli Zied was supposed to focus on his grades and his future plans for college at the age of 15. But at that time, he started his own business and created a fashion brand called Habits 365.
Eli's business talents and interests appeared around age 12 when he started buying and reselling sneakers. It inspired him "to create a brand that everyone could relate to," Patch Southampton magazine reported.
It was in August 2017 that he came up with the idea to create his own brand. "Habits influence your life, and the better your habits are, the more successful you will be in the long run," Eh told Forbes.
He created designs and logos for his brand. Meanwhile, Eli brought his older brother Spencer Zied into the company as chief operating officer. Thanks to their early accumulated profits from reselling sneakers, the Zieds gained startup capital to invest in initial inventory and packaging. But one of the difficulties was how to expand their brand exposure. On the first night of their new business, they texted friends and asked them to follow the newly created Habits 365 Instagram account.
They also reached out to influential athletes, musicians and agents through Instagram with offers of free goods in exchange for a photograph or a post. This strategy worked out. Now, even NBA All-Star Giannis has worn the clothes of Habits 365.
For Eli Zied, the teenage CEO, perhaps the biggest challenge is how to balance his study and business. "I do homework and study for exams when I first get home from school and work on the business at the end of the day once my school is completed," said Eli. "That is still my main priority. "
Eli, now an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was surprised by the brands success. Habits 365 will be expected to reach 1 million in profit by the end of 2021, he told Yahoo Finance. "I believe that one day Habits 365 will be one of the biggest street wear brands in the world," he told Forbes.
