11-year-old Roswell resident, Tyler was like many tween boys playing Fornite during the height of the 2020 pandemic. But, unbeknownst to his parents, their family credit card was set up to the Apple account and their son was enjoying an online shopping spree of Fornite V-bucks. It wasn't until Tyler's mom received a credit card bill that she realized the unauthorized charges.
Tyler's parents took away all of his electronic devices until he could pay back the unexpected $200 charges. After 10 days of doing chores and only earning around 15 dollars, Tyler was frustrated and wondered if he would ever gain access to his iPad again. He was determined to pay off his debt quickly, so he could get his electronics back in time for an upcoming long drive to Florida.
After brainstorming money-making ideas, Tyler thought about the popular salsa recipe his dad used at neighborhood poker nights. He started testing different flavors and used peppers from his family garden. His idea was to package and sell the salsa to neighbors, family and friends.
Tyler's family's last name is Sullivan and since it was a family run business, he decided to name the salsa,"Sully's" and then added the "Slammin Fresh" part to represent the products' fresh ingredients and hot taste.
Tyler took his finished salsa products, mild fresh salsa: "my little brother can eat it" and hot fresh salsa: "my mom says it's too hot," and began to sell them on social media with the help of his parents. It only took five days to pay back his V-bucks debt. The salsa quickly started selling out and the business grew and grew.
When we asked Tyler what advice he would give other kid entrepreneurs, he answered, "First and foremost, don't steal from your parents. But, if you end up in trouble, try to think of creative ways to earn money besides chores. You never know where it will take you."
He also advises other young entrepreneurs to stay focused on school. "I try to separate school and my business. So, when I'm in school, I work on school and when I'm selling salsa, I only work on salsa."
Tyler's future is bright. After school, you will find him playing competitive sports, such as football and swim like most kids his age. But, now instead of playing Fortnite in his spare time, Tyler is making salsa and thinking of ways to grow his local business. His ultimate goal? To pitch his products on Shark Tank and get his products into retail stores.
Thinking back on the experience, Tyler says he learned you shouldn't steal from your parents and lying about it will only just get you in more trouble. But, his mom says the real lesson here is "there is always a way to turn lemons into lemonade or in this case tomatoes into salsa."
You can find Sully's Salsa at local farmers markets in Alpharetta, Canton, Brookhaven and Sandy Springs. You can also order online at www.sullyssalsa.com for local delivery, porch pick up or an $8 flat shipping fee.
CONTACT
Sully's Slammin Fresh Salsa
Roswell, Georgia, United States
Want to place an order? Email or send a message through social!
Instagram @sullyssalsa or email at sullysslamminsalsa@gmail.com
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"There is always a way to turn lemons into lemonade or in this case tomatoes into salsa,"-Kristen Sullivan (Tyler's mom)
