We may receive commissions for affiliate links included in this article. This is a sponsored post. Future Sharks makes no warranties about the statements, facts and/or claims made on this article. These are the opinions of the author. Read our advertising and contributor disclosure here.
Athena Kavis is the definition of a serial entrepreneur. After quitting her 9-5, Athena discovered her passion for serving others and became the twenty-one-year-old leader of multiple businesses, and is now inspiring others to do the same.
At just 18 years old, Athena began plotting her escape from her current 9-5, after quickly learning that the long eight hour days completing simple tasks were not cutting it for her. This is when she discovered the e-commerce business and was able to start her first business, Swim Szn, from the ground up.
“I ordered my first samples of Aliexpress suits, organized a photo shoot, made a website, and made an Instagram account. By month five I was making $25,000 in sales all by running Influencer marketing campaigns,” she says.
For Athena, this was just the start. Just a year later, she decided to sell Swim Szn to pursue her passion for growing other businesses. Since then, she has also founded Meraki, CBD company that’s in over 100 retailers, and offers CBD oil, CBD pain cream, and CBD capsules for pain and stress relief. She co-founded another swimsuit company called Cammelly that offers sexy and fashionable swimsuits designed and made in Los Angeles. She also started a full-service digital marketing agency, Kavis Management Group, where she offers clients her business expertise to facilitate growth within their industries.
“As an entrepreneur, I experience challenges every day. I’m doubted as a female in a leadership role. I’m doubted as a leader without a college degree. I’m doubted as a twenty-one-year-old leader. I’ve been told that I need to find a stable job and work my way up the corporate ladder to find success. I’ve persevered through these challenges and labels that have been put on me,” shares Athena.
From a very young age, Athena always had a natural marketing instinct.
“As a girl scout, I went above and beyond. I found creative ways to sell the most cookies. In middle school, I organized a dance event where my ballet friends and I performed for the public and raised over $500 for Relay for Life. I knew I was a marketer at thirteen years old when I started the original dance and fitness Instagram account, Fit4Dancers. This was back when the Instagram algorithm quickly grew accounts organically from the explore page and shoutout for shoutouts. Within the first week, I grew the account to 10,000 followers. Within the first few months, I grew the account to 200,000 followers,” she recalls.
Athena was motivated to pursue entrepreneurship when she realized that being young without a college degree and a long resume would restrict her from getting her dream job at a marketing firm.
In only a few weeks, Athena was able to start her first business, which would quickly catapulted her to success.
“I would have to work 5+ years minimum and finish college to get to my dream job. I began researching ways to start an online business and came across the lovely Shopify blog. I discovered e-commerce and the low startup cost and risk it enabled. I became curious and dove right in without waiting,” she says.
Her advice for those looking to start their own business is to start a business that you’re truly passionate about, and worry about the money later.
“If your business is something you truly believe in and are passionate about, you will never feel like you’re working. Your customers will feel the love and passion you have doing what you do, and never feel like they are just a transaction. When you start a business, be sure it’s something you enjoy because you are making a time and money commitment. However, if it doesn’t work out don’t be discouraged to start a different business venture,” she advises.
For Athena, mindset was everything when starting her own business.
“You have to believe in yourself and your business even when no one else does. If you truly believe in your product or service, you will not let anyone else’s opinion hinder you from success,” she states.
The hardest part for her was dealing with failure, since it is inevitable. She recognizes that is a part of the process, and is necessary to master something.
“If you cannot handle failure, you cannot survive as a business owner. You have to look at each failure as a learning lesson and move on,” she says.
Her next project will be focused on starting a non-profit organization for entrepreneurs.
“I want to provide free resources that I found hard to access or learn about as a new business owner. I’d like to provide quality mentors, scholarships, legal advice, startup advice, and overall provide an online and offline community for entrepreneurs to learn, scale and network,” she emphasizes.
Athena’s goal is to inspire men, women, and anyone looking to change their life. Through her social media platforms, blogs, and podcast, she will continue to broadcast her message that anything is possible. That they are the creators of their own lives, and they deserve abundance.
For more information on Athena Kavis and to visit her official website, please click here.
➡ Looking to get featured on Future Sharks?
