Pictured above: Nick Kimble (Founder of Eterno Watchwear)
Tell us about what inspired you to create Eterno Watchwear. Why did you choose to make this product? The average teenager isn’t going around starting a business!
What inspired me to create Eterno Watchwear was honestly the middle school version of myself. During my eighth grade year of middle school, I was constantly teased and mocked by a student who used to make remarks about my clothes, teeth, race, etc. On Christmas, my mother gifted me an Armitron watch. At that time I knew absolutely nothing about watches but my passion for the type of style began to grow. I didn’t have nice clothes, clear skin, or a good haircut. I had a nice watch that helped me receive compliments and gain confidence. A watch is so much more than a tool and isn’t the factor that separates the ordinary from the extraordinary. At Eterno Watchwear, we create personal timepieces that provide quality, style, and design that can last the test of time. This was our mission in the beginning and will remain our mission in the end.
At Eterno Watchwear, we create personal timepieces that provide quality, style, and design that can last the test of time. This was our mission in the beginning and will remain our mission in the end.
How did you get started? Do you work alone, or do you lead a team? What are the advantages of both?
When first getting started, I used to sell these personalized timepieces primarily to my close friends and family only. When I entered high school more students began to notice my watches. I would receive compliments on my watches often. My business partner/friend Div suggested during homeroom that we should make this into a business - “The demand is there, why wait?” For a number of months, we began to plan and scale our business. Neither of us comes from entrepreneurial families so we read articles, books, and watched as many videos as we could to plan this business. Spring of our sophomore year, we officially launched the business! Since it was also Prom season, our products were near-instantly sold out. That was the official day Eterno Watchwear became a business. We started selling directly to high school students in my school but soon realized the market was much larger than my school. Within our first month, we were able to scale our products to highschool and college students all throughout the state.
Since it was also Prom season, our products were near-instantly sold out. That was the official day Eterno Watchwear became a business.
How does your business operate? Give us a “day-in-the-life-of” breakdown!
Our business operates through survey data and market trends. We look closely at the responses received by our surveys in order to improve our product and service our customers better. At Eterno Watchwear, we believe the more we know about you the better we can serve you. We utilize email and telephone generated marketing in order to directly communicate with prospective customers. In light of COVID-19, we have used Google and Youtube Ads more frequently in order to make the process of selling our products for the consumer easier. Here is my day-in-the-life breakdown on how I run the business!
Day In The Life During COVID:
5:30- Wake Up (Mediate/Stretch)
6:00- Workout (3 Mile Run with Calisthenics)
8:00- Shower at all that good stuff
9:00- Eat
10:00- Logistics for Business
11:00- Business Calls with Team
12:00-3:00 Read
3:00: Lunch
4:00: Scaling Market Trends/Leisure
5:00-7:00: Call Family
7:00: Dinner
8:00: Shower
8:30-10:00 Late Night Reading
Did you always see yourself as an entrepreneur? If not, what other career(s) could you see yourself pursuing? How has this influenced who you are and what you are pursuing?
I never viewed myself as an entrepreneur. When I look back at younger visions of myself, I always had entrepreneurial skills I didn’t know I had at the time. I could see myself pursuing a career in law or politics. This has influenced me greatly in numerous ways to preserve situations. Many books I read are related to incredible accounts of leadership from political activists and leaders.
What are some hobbies you have? How do you balance your business life with your hobbies, and spend time with friends and family?
My main hobbies are reading, running, and spending time with family. When I first became an entrepreneur I had no idea how to balance the things I enjoyed with running a business until I read 4 HourWorkWeek by Tim Ferris. From reading that book I have become able to create effective systems for myself to balance spending time with friends and family.
In your opinion, what does it take to be an entrepreneur or a leader? What advice would you give to other youth who wish to start a business? How much work are you willing to put in the pursuit of your dreams?
As people, we all have dreams and ambitions but the question is: are you ready to put the time in? To be an entrepreneur, execution is everything. With passion, hard work, a growth mindset, and a knack for learning, anyone can build a business and become an entrepreneur.
The advice I can give to a young entrepreneur is to build your company with passion. When you genuinely love something and have a passion for the product or service you plan to provide, passion will allow you to stay focused and undergo the hardships of starting a company. You become an advent learner. You are learning new things about your business all across the board. To be an entrepreneur, you will have to be able to get over failures in life and in business. Failure is merely a sidestep on the path to success. Great entrepreneurs know that. And they have the strength to move beyond temporary challenges.
Failure is merely a sidestep on the path to success. Great entrepreneurs know that. And they have the strength to move beyond temporary challenges.
Name one person (still alive) that’s a big inspiration to you.
My mother is my inspiration. I come from a single-parent home in which my mother has done absolutely everything for me. She continues to believe in me at times I don’t believe in myself. She has taught me to stand up for what you believe and always work to create a brighter purpose. Over the years, she has shown me what a powerful woman is. One of the greatest lessons I have learned from her is that patience and persistence is the difference in your dreams coming true or not. I am beyond thankful for my mother and the lessons and advice she continues to give me.
