Owning their influence

A classroom full of girls erupted into chatter as the dozen or so middle schoolers discussed how to write mock testimonials for the web page they were each designing.

Most of the girls wore bright orange T-shirts with the phrase “Excuse me while I build my empire” on the front.

Camp Girl Boss, designed to empower and teach young women business and leadership skills, was held on the campus of the Early College High School this week.

This is the first year the camp was held in Cleveland County.

Designed for girls ages 11-13, Camp Girl Boss was launched last year on UNC Asheville’s campus drawing in more than 300 participants. This year, it was expanded to include 10 locations around the state, including Cleveland County.

Emily Breedlove, an entrepreneur herself and the camp founder, said it is a balance between entrepreneurship and leadership.

She said the typical camp model focuses heavily on the entrepreneurship side, but Camp Girl Boss also incorporates a lot of life skills. She said she talks about setting boundaries, how to resolve conflict and the unique challenges of being a female leader. Breedlove said she has been teaching the girls about goal setting, finances and negotiating.

“We talked about learning how to respond instead of react,” Breedlove said. “We’re teaching them to count to 10, take a deep breath, and move beyond the gut check.”

She said this is a good age to begin working on these concepts as the girls become more self-aware and are able to learn how to take control and respond to life’s challenges.

“Really owning your influence,” Breedlove said is what she hopes to leave with them.

Julissa Bell, who is known by her nickname “Hollywood,” said she has learned not only how to manage money but also how to be a leader. She’s made new friends and learned public speaking skills.

“It’s a lot of fun,” the seventh-grade Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy student said. “My favorite part is when we get into small groups and work on public speaking.”

She said she eventually wants to be a lawyer for people who have been wrongfully convicted and sentenced to prison.

Katelynne Hopper, also a seventh-grade Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy student, said she’s learned how challenging it is to be an entrepreneur, from creating a business plan to budgeting expenses.

She’s learned something else during her week at Camp Girl Boss.

“It’s teaching me what I really want to be when I grow up,” Hopper said.

She said she wants to own her own law firm someday.

Diamond Mintz, a sixth grader at Thomas Jefferson, said she’s learned how to set a budget and stick with it.

“I want to be a cosmetologist and make different natural hair products that don’t damage it,” Mintz said.

At the end of the week, the campers will put together what they’ve learned and create a one-page website for their business ideas and also give a 60-second pitch.

Kiana King, an eighth grader at Kings Mountain Middle School, said she learned a lot about what it takes to make and grow a business. She wants to someday own her own makeup company with products that are healthy instead of harmful for the skin.

“I loved making the logo for our business and creating the projects,” King said.

Rebecca Sitzes can be reached at 704-669-3333 or rsizes@shelbystar.com.