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NEWS RELEASE — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 20, 2015
16-year-old River Bluff High student ‘bowties’ up success
LEXINGTON, S.C. — Jake Johnson is on his second career, and he’s only 16. The River Bluff
High sophomore isn’t afraid to try new things, and that confidence has taken him from the big
screen to the television screen to earning the backing of Warren Buffet.
Yes. That Warren Buffet, the business magnate.
So, how did a high school student garner that kind of attention? Johnson did it with hard work and
a unique idea.
When he was 8, he and his two sisters created Flipoutz, silicone bracelets children could
personalize with five coins that have funky designs and inspirational messages. A few years later,
Jake began speaking at Independent Youth (IY) conferences, where he shared his experiences with
other students interested in entrepreneurship.
In 2013, the siblings sold Flipoutz, but Johnson knew he wanted to start another business —
especially if he planned to keep speaking at IY conferences. “It’s much easier to talk about small
business when you are involved in it every day,” said Johnson.
The idea for Johnson’s next business venture, born from his nickname “bowtie guy,” came during
an IY workshop. “One day I just had that ‘aha moment’ that you could cut your bowtie in half and
actually customize it to express who you are and to match what you are wearing,” said Johnson.
He went home that night and cut several bowties in half. He then used parachute clips to link two
different halves together. The next day he wore one of his new creations and everyone loved it.
Johnson refined the concept and created a prototype. His family then helped him determine
whether he had a viable idea and provided him with a very important piece of equipment. His
grandmother gave him a sewing machine for his birthday. In one weekend, he mastered making
bowtie halves.
While he had the sewing down, he had no funding. So he searched for contests online and found
Warren Buffet’s Secret Millionaires Club “Grow Your Own Business Challenge.”
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16-year-old River Bluff High student ‘bowties’ up success — Page 2 of 2
More than 4,000 7- to 14-year-olds entered the nationwide competition, held in 2014. Jake won the
$5,000 grand prize and secured the funding he needed to start his company, Beaux Up.
After winning the contest, Johnson spent some time with Buffet. “He was funny. He was talking
with me and asked if my bowties were going to make him a chick magnet,” said Johnson.
Johnson used his winnings wisely, then waited to see how the market would drive demand for his
customizable self-tie bowties. According to Johnson, research shows that, in the South, bowtie
purchases have jumped 7 percent in the neckwear market in the last few years.
Johnson uses upcycled long-ties purchased from Goodwill retail stores and fabric remnants from
other businesses to create Beaux Up bowties, but his goal is to find an affordable silk producer for
consistent use of the same material.
While the search continues for the perfect material, Beaux Up just completed its first large-scale
manufacturing run of 400 bowties. Beaux Up bowties sell for $25 a half or $45 for two halves and
are available through the company’s website, beauxup.com.
Most of Beaux Up’s marketing is handled by Johnson’s sister, Lachlan Johnson. A friend helps
promote the company through Facebook.
As any smart business owner would do, Johnson has a patent application for the process of
combining two bowtie halves with any clip pending in the United States Patent and Trademark
Office.
Johnson is also learning about ways to develop his business in his RBHS marketing class and
through participation in DECA, an organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs
for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around
the globe. He recently placed first in the “Growing Your Business” category of competition at the
South Carolina DECA State Career Development Conference.
RBHS Marketing Teacher and Lead DECA Adviser Carol Lynn Nute describes Jake as, “… a fun,
creative individual who has both the drive and the knowledge for what it takes to be a great
entrepreneur.”
RBHS Principal Luke Clamp, ED.D., agrees, “Jake is a phenomenal young entrepreneur whose drive
to succeed and infectious, positive attitude help him succeed. We are proud to call him a River
Bluff Gator.”
Johnson is equally proud. “I think River Bluff tries very hard to support the individuality of each
student. Out of all the positives, my favorite thing about River Bluff is the people. I felt at home
from day one and look forward to graduating a Gator,” said Johnson.
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16-year-old River Bluff High student ‘bowties’ up success — Page 2 of 3
While he can’t wait to add graduate to his impressive résumé, he is not sure what direction his
future will take. He enjoys his second career as an entrepreneur, but he is also interested in biology.
As for his first career, acting, Johnson insists it is just a hobby. He played a young Ricky Bobby in
“Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” and worked for six years on the television series
“Army Wives” as Chase and Pamela Moran’s son, Lucas. This spring he will shoot a reality
television show about entrepreneurs, which airs later this year.
No matter what he decides to study in college and pursue professionally, Johnson will continue to
make use of the lessons learned during both of his careers. He understands what it takes to be
disciplined, how to manage time, how to talk with adults and the importance of looking people in
the eye.
With those skills, there is no doubt that Jake Johnson will “bowtie” up his future nicely!
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River Bluff High 10th-grader and Beaux Up Founder Jake Johnson
River Bluff High 10th-grader Jake Johnson’s Beaux Up bowties are available at beauxup.com.