Today, on Wayne Liew Dot Com’s Entrepreneur Interviews segment, we have Jason O’Neill, founder of Pencil Bugs.
I am always pumped up whenever I am able to interview a young entrepreneur, especially one who is just 13. Jason started his Pencil Bugs business when he was 9. What were you doing when you are 9 years old? 
Even though this is a short interview, Jason shared a lot of inspiring insights and food for thought that can motivate entrepreneurs as well as aspiring entrepreneurs out there. Without further ado, let me present you with Jason O’Neill, founder of Pencil Bugs.
Interview with Jason O’Neill, Founder of Pencil Bugs
Wayne: Hi Jason, first of all, I would like to say that it’s a great pleasure to have you on Wayne Liew Dot Com Entrepreneur Interviews, a segment where entrepreneurs share their thoughts about entrepreneurship and their business.
Jason: Thanks.
Wayne: Jason, there are some readers that might not be familiar with you. Can you talk a little bit about yourself and the business that you are currently running?
Jason: I’m 13 and started my business when I was 9. It’s called Pencil Bugs which are colorful bug-like pencil toppers that I hand make.
Wayne: How did you got inspired about turning your "Pencil Bugs" idea into reality and start building a business around it? Perhaps you can start with how the idea comes to you.
Jason: My mom was doing a craft fair. I wanted to help her paint her wooden doorstoppers so I could get part of her money. She said I had to come up with my own idea. Guess she didn’t want to share. So I started drawing out different designs on paper until I came up with Pencil Bugs. The other ideas I had didn’t make sense.
Jason: Oh, I forgot. I wasn’t planning on making it a real business but after I sold out of the first 24 Pencil Bugs, I saw it might be a good thing so that’s when I decided to make more.
Wayne: 
Most people have no idea about how their ideas can make them money unless they take actions on it. Can you briefly describe your entire business process from getting the products created or manufactured to selling them to your customers?
Jason: Well, since we ( and I mean my mom, dad, and I) are still hand making them, we have figured out an assembly line that we set up in our kitchen several times a month. We’ll make hundreds at a time but we’re talking with companies to get them mass produced. My mom set up my website right away so I started selling them online and at school after the craft fair. Now I also sell them at speaking events.
Wayne: That’s interesting. This is a question that I must ask whenever a student entrepreneur comes on board. Do you think your school can help you run your business better? If yes, how?
Jason: Oh gosh, NOT! It hasn’t made any difference no matter what school I’ve been at. My mom even tried getting my elementary school to have an entrepreneur project for the GATE (gifted & talented kids) but the other parents just didn’t get it. Now at my middle school, even the teachers and principals don’t really get what I do so they haven’t helped at all. And what schools teach kids really doesn’t help them be entrepreneurs. I wrote a blog post awhile ago about textbook learning. Good for basics but real life experience is a lot better for other things.
Wayne: I think young entrepreneurs or student entrepreneurs are very rare these days. Support needs to come from both parents and teachers. I can totally understand the situation that you’re in but yeah, not many people are into entrepreneurship. Do your friends know about your business? How they think about it?
Jason: Ya, most of the kids at school know I have a business. It’s easier now than in elementary school. Those kids used to really tease me. Now they make snide comments. A couple of them are actually nice and supportive. I don’t let it bother me too much.
Wayne: Do they come to you for advice whenever they thought of a business idea?
Jason: They probably would if they had one but they don’t because most don’t think about anything but playing. 
Wayne: As a young entrepreneur, running a business is definitely not easy. What were some of the obstacles that you faced due to your young age?
Jason: Lots of legal stuff I can’t do myself. Some people still think it’s just a fun "little" hobby. Not wanting to work at it when I needed to for certain things.
Wayne: Personally, when I was under 18, I can’t have my own credit card, which is a pain.
Jason: About the credit card thing. With the way banks do it now, I have my checking debit card which can be used like a credit card except it comes out of my business checking right away but at least I can use it to buy supplies online if I have to.
Wayne: Jason, this interview was arranged between me and your mom, Nancy, who is also your business manager. What is the role of your "business manager"?
Jason: Ok, about mom. I couldn’t do any of this without my parents, especially mom. Dad works from a home office and helps with some of the bigger things and also making the bugs with us but mom takes care of EVERYTHING else. She has taught me how to update my website, do my own accounting and send out orders plus a bunch of other stuff that I need to know. But the best thing is, they always let me be a kid first so if I get really busy with school work or so busy with bug stuff, she does more then.
Wayne: You do have the best parents on Earth, Jason.
Jason: Wow, that’s big-best parents on earth. Just joking, I know I do coz’ lots of kids don’t get to do what I do.
Wayne: Do you think it is important for a young entrepreneur like you to have their parents involved in their ventures?
Jason: I know how hard it’s been for me with a business so I can’t imagine how any kid could do it without a parent or at least another adult. I’ve heard some other kids (well, not kids anymore) more like early 20′s say they did businesses when they were kids all by themselves. I don’t believe it.
Wayne: Well, maybe they did but they are not as successful as you back then. I am really curious about what your ambitions are, Jason. Do you mind telling us what are the plans that you have for yourself and your business 5 or 10 years from now?
Jason: 5 years I’ll just be graduating from high school. 10 years who knows? Right now I want to be a video game designer but I’ve heard how hard that is and how not many people actually get hired doing that. I’d like to learn it just for fun and hope that my Pencil Bugs business is big enough so that I don’t need to work for money.
Wayne: Cool.. People who are from the younger generation often have outrageous ideas. What will be your advice for them that are around your age?
Jason: If you have an idea, you need to at least try it no matter how silly or simple it sounds. The good thing about being a kid entrepreneur is that we don’t have to take care of ourselves yet so we can make a lot of mistakes and it won’t be such a big deal right now. I always tell kids and even grownups that you can’t get anywhere by sitting on your ideas.
Wayne: So, they should Just Do It!
Jason: Yep, for sure.
Wayne: Jason, before we finish up this interview, where can my readers find more about you and how they can get in touch with you?
Jason: My website is www.pencilbugs.com and they can e-mail me from the contact page. I always answer e-mails within a day. If someone wants me to speak at their school or business, my mom’s e-mail link is on there too and they should write her about that. She keeps my schedule.
Wayne: You are also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pencilbugs right?
Jason: Oops. Yep, that’s right. and on Facebook recently but I don’t really use that one. Twitter is much more fun and quick. I also have a store on Cafepress at www.cafepress.com/pencilbugs with stuff that has the Pencil Bugs characters and logo on them.
Wayne: That’s great! There you have it, folks… Jason O’Neill, founder of Pencil Bugs. Jason, I’m glad to have you on this interview and thank you.
Jason: You’re welcome. This was fun. I like dictating to mom, my personal secretary. It’s good to have free help.
Interview with Jason O’Neill Afterthoughts
There are a lot of lessons to be learned from this interview and one that I wish to particularly highlight is that nothing can stop a real entrepreneur from achieving what he or she wants to achieve.
Age, whether too young or too old, is often seen as a huge barrier for a student, kid, teenager to turn their brilliant ideas into reality. Jason proved that wrong with his Pencil Bugs business.
Again, like all entrepreneurs such as Michael Dunlop, Steve Chou and now Jason O’Neill has mentioned, if you have an idea, JUST DO IT. Take action or else, you’ll never know whether your idea could work.
What You Learned from Jason?
What are the lessons that you have learned from Jason? Did he inspired you to take action on something that you have been putting on hold for a while?
Share your thoughts in the comments section. Hearing from you is priceless.
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