Flex winners: Local students rewarded for starting, running own companies

A West Laurens High School student won a $5,000 prize in the initial Laurens County FLEX program Friday afternoon.

Jazzel Diggs, owner of Sands of Time Jewelry and a senior at West Laurens High School, broke out into a big smile when she realized judges had awarded her with first place for her business, which is a company that designs and creates custom beach-themed jewelry products.

“This is crazy,” Diggs said moments after accepting her check. “I can’t even think right now. I’m so happy and excited to be moving forward.” 

Paiden Rozier, a freshman at Trinity Christian School, took second place with his business called PlanPal, which sells customized student planners. He received a $2,000 check. 

Shane Stribling and Armani Williams, both seniors at Dublin High School, came in third with their company Drift Guard, which focuses on customization and repairs of video game controllers. They picked up a $1,000 check.

Sara Kolbie, director of the Dublin-Laurens County Chamber of Community Foundation, believed the judges had three tough finalists to pick a first place business.

“They were all different businesses,” Kolbie said. “I think they showcased the imagination of our community and also the hard work these students have put into it. They not only had to write their business plan, they actually had to start this business, get out there, start getting customers, making sales and make those financial pieces work out.” 

The FLEX (Foundation Leadership & Entrepreneur X-perience)  program is a hands-on entrepreneurship initiative which gives high school students a chance to start and operate a real business while learning about leadership and business skills, Kolbie said.

During Friday’s Dublin Rotary Club meeting, the business owners had to give a presentation about their businesses in front of judges. All of the owners showed a short commercial explaining their product before they took the microphone and explained not only what they were selling but also how much in profits they had made. 

Diggs’ idea for her business began with a beach trip with her family. She wanted to have a beach memory everywhere she went. Originally, Diggs was hesitant about doing the FLEX program.

“My mom told me to continue doing this and to give it a try,” Diggs said. “I’m really thankful that she told me to. I got to meet so many like-minded individuals, and I’m so happy to have been able to meet them and I want to continue to work with them in the future.”

Diggs and her business will represent Laurens County in Tifton on April 15.

“We want to encourage people to come and support Jazzel and see her compete for a $10,000 cash prize at the state level,” Kolbie said. “What is really cool about the State FLEX program is that it is sponsored by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and Georgia GROWN and they continue to mentor and support these businesses even after the FLEX program.” 

Rozier’s business made student planners for those in school to keep up with all of their upcoming activities. 

“This was something I had never experienced before,” Rozier said. “I have grown since being in this FLEX program. At the beginning of it, I was more timid. I feel like I am more outgoing now and I can talk to people easier. I have grown together with the other business owners. We have become great friends.”

He heard about the FLEX program and began brainstorming what he wanted to do. 

“I plan to take the money and keep re-investing it into my own business,” Rozier said. “I’ll print more planners or I’ll buy more merchandise for my company.” 

Stribling and Williams enjoyed doing something new.

“I’m pretty sure we are going to learn from this,” Stribling said. “We are going to make sure we make more sales as we get into college and just let the business take off.” 

“It was good to see that something we could do would really work,” Williams said.

Both like playing video games. They knew the issues with video game controllers and they had knowledge on how to fix them.

“At first it was an idea, and we just kept working with it, found a solution and made it into a business,” Stribling said. “From here we plan to grow by opening up a drop box so that customers can drop them off in a safer way.”

When the program began last fall with 550 students attending a business plan workshop at all four local high schools. 

Besides the businesses belonging to Diggs, Rozier, Stribling and Williams, the following finished in the top 10: Beaded For Christ, owned by TCS’ Elise Jenkins, JJ’s Landscaping, owned by East Laurens High Schools’ Juan Lopez, Pistakahs by Aatmiya, owned by DHS’ Aatmiya Shah, Crochetetiquette, owned by DHS’ Ava Vickers, Berry Bun Haven, owned by ELHS’ XioNaijia Devoe, Enchanted Entertainment, owned by TCS’ London Dooley and RT’s Black Hair Care Services, owned by ELHS’ Rakiyah Turner.

Each of the 10 companies received a $200 seed loan at the beginning. They had to pay that back in order to continue competing in the competition. 

For the Laurens County FLEX program to work, Kolbie said the foundation had to raise about $20,000 a year. They needed every school to take a part in it and have business mentors who taught the business workshops.

“Those business mentors met weekly or bi-weekly with the top 10 companies to help give them ideas, edit their presentations and help grow their businesses really sold and strong,” Kolbie said. “We had to have business leaders and leaders across the community who were willing to do the workshops.”

Businesses involved in FLEX programs go on to have more success.

“More than 50 percent of the businesses that were started with the Georgia FLEX program are still in operation today,” Kolbie said. “It’s a testament to say these businesses are not for just a short time or learning. They are for real employment and maybe possibly to employ others in the future.”