Meet Trevor, a sophomore at Framingham State University in Massachusetts. Just last year he started his own company by the name of Trevor James Products, an initiative eliciting change in various communities. I got to speak with Trevor earlier this week to ask him how his ideas to change the world became a reality.
Me: So Trevor, before we found out how your company came about, why don’t you tell us what your company does? Give us a little background.
Trevor: My company Trevor James Products was started last year. We sell apparel that helps provide clean water to people in need. That is done by donating a portion from every sale to Waves For Water. As you might have seen, on the back of our shirts, it says “this shirt is providing clean water to those in need”. We’re located out of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, which is where you get the anchor theme from.
Me: Okay, so when did this idea come about?
Trevor: I’ve always wanted to start a company and one day, I figured why not. It took some soul searching, but I came across this site: http://startupcamp.com/ I read every article and listened to every podcast, and read the book, this was my first start as an entrepreneur. When starting this company, I knew that we wanted to give back. With that in mind, I began doing some research and found out that almost 1 billion people in this world don’t have access to clean water. Water is such an infinite resource, but ironically to some it’s finite. Being from Cape Cod, it only made sense to donate to a charity that dealt with water, thus the company was created.
Me: Where do you see Trevor James Products in the future?
Trevor: The future is bright for Trevor James Products. I’ve been fascinated with companies such as https://www.sevenly.org/, http://www.toms.com/, http://methodhome.com/. I feel as though in the future, the companies that survive are going to be the ones that involve themselves in social entrepreneurship. In the future, we hope to come out with more products that are eco-friendly and help give back. One of the big things we’ve been doing recently is switching over to eco-friendly packaging. I see us having stores all over the country. I think the competitive advantage we have over other companies is how much attention we pay to where our merchandise and packaging come from.
Me: Do you have any Tips for our fellow students that may want to get in the business of business making?
Trevor: Some advice I would like to give to your readers is to never give up on your dreams. No matter if your dream is too big or too small, it can be accomplished. People are always will to give you advice if you just ask. There’s no reason to have a job that you don’t like, you should be following your passion. At times, you’ll doubt yourself, but remember everyone who’s achieved something great, started from the ground up. Lastly, even though your young, you can still have an amazing impact on the world.
Me: Thank YouTrevor, so much for your time and just a side note for those interested in donating or purchasing a shirt you can do so at their website https://www.trevorjamesproducts.com/