How this teen is running his own popcorn business

Thirteen-year-old Grant has built a business selling popcorn bags — and we’re not talking about your standard butter popcorn. When it comes to managing the business, his favorite financial advisor, his mom, is using Greenlight to help him learn how to be wise with his profits. It’s safe to say his business is popping off (😉) in many ways. 

Meet Ellen

Ellen is a proud mom (can we blame her?!) of 2 wonderful boys. When she’s not reading, hiking or taking her golden retriever on a walk, she’s at work as a graphic and interior designer. We can see where Grant gets his work ethic! When Ellen and her husband had kids, they made a decision to work on managing money as a family, so they signed up for Greenlight. Looks like they’re off to a good start.

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Meet Grant 

Popcorn connoisseur Grant loves tending to his business, but he also knows the importance of a work/life balance. He loves to draw, hike, play tennis and hang out with his friends. On top of those things, he’s the proud owner of Woodford Pop and is learning how to manage his earnings. 

How Grant got started 

It all started in 7th grade, when Grant’s teacher used a kettle machine to make s’mores popcorn for the class. Grant loved the s’mores popcorn recipe so much that he asked his teacher for it. He started making the popcorn for his friends and family...until one day, he realized it was so good that maybe, just maybe, he could sell it.

What started with one delicious recipe has turned into a list of unique sweet n’ salty flavors. For anyone with a sweet tooth, he’s got chocolate, caramel, chocolate peanut butter, birthday cake, snickerdoodle and of course, s’mores. His salty creations include butter (classic!), kettle corn, steak, white cheddar, original and dill pickle. Oh, and he has a rotating list of seasonal flavors. Yum!

How Ellen teaches Grant about money 

When Ellen and her husband decided to start talking to their kids about money, they did a ton of research to figure out a balanced budgeting approach for their family. What did they land on? Give 10%, save 20% and spend or re-invest the remaining 70%. Grant’s business is a perfect opportunity for Ellen to teach him how to re-invest 70% of his profits back into this business. Guess what? It pays off. 

What’s next for Ellen and Grant 

As Grant's business continues to grow, he’s planning what he wants to do with his money. First on his list: donating to his church. Aside from that big and commendable goal, he’s saving up for a new popcorn machine. Talk about return on investment. Next time you plan a family movie night, you may find an opportunity to talk about Grant’s popcorn business. Come back around for more ideas like this one!