Cameron Johnson is a well-known American entrepreneur who gained fame for his remarkable business acumen at a very young age. He started his first business venture at the age of nine and has since built a reputation as a successful businessman, author, and motivational speaker. Here’s a detailed overview of his entrepreneurial journey and achievements.
A Brief History Of The Young Entrepreneur
Cameron Johnson was born on November 13, 1984, in Roanoke, Virginia. He was just 9, his mates were playing hide and seek, they were soldiers, cowboys, but Cameron Johnson had a little different interests. At this age, the young boy from Virginia started his first business venture. Everything began by way of a joke, the young man started making greeting cards for his family’s celebrations. Many of the recipients liked the beautiful cards, and soon the little boy started receiving orders from friends and colleagues of his family members. And that was how it all began… After a couple of years, Cameron started to use the money earned from his first business to buy Ty Beanie Babies at wholesale prices directly from manufacturers. For those of you who don’t know what these are, Beanie Babies are a line of stuffed toys created by American businessman Ty Warner, that are stuffed with plastic pellets – beans – rather than conventional soft stuffing. They come in various forms, mostly of animals. So Cameron made himself a website and started selling the toys there. He also posted them on eBay. This way, while his friends were playing their children’s games, Cameron made his first 50 000 dollars. He was only 12 years old by that time.
When the kid entrepreneur was 13, he began working on another great business idea – “My EZ Mail” – a service that forwarded e-mails to a specific account without showing information about the recipients. He hired a coder to develop the idea and in a couple of years, his new venture was generating about 3000 dollars in revenue monthly from advertisers.
In 1997, Cameron with two other teenage entrepreneurs founded an advertising company – Surfingprizes.com. They were showing ads on the top of web browsers and paid 0.2 dollars per hour everyone who was showing the advertisements on his or her computer. The people who managed to attract new advertisers for the company received 10 percent from new user’s revenue. The kids had the place for ads but wanted more advertisers. They started partnering with some big names like Advertising.com and DoubleClick, which could easily sell the ads to their clients. These companies collected only 30% of the revenue while the remaining 70% was for the kids. At the age of 15, Cameron began receiving checks of $30 000 dollars monthly, pretty well for a kid, isn’t it?
Before he finished high school, he had led to success 15 different start-ups. At 15, he became the youngest foreign kid appointed to the board of a company in Tokyo. He even wrote a book on the matter the same year called ’15-Year-Old-CEO’ that became an immediate bestseller in Japan. At 19, his assets were worth more than a million dollars.
After high school, Johnson went to Virginia Polytechnic Institute, where he stayed for less than a semester. He quickly realized that this was not for him and just bounced to follow his dreams. He was seized again by the business spirit and with a friend of his started a new venture – CertificateSwap.com . The so-called gift certificates can be used to purchase anything on eBay. Usually, someone can sell his or her certificate on the Bay, but at the price of 13 % of the certificate value. Cameron’s new site charged only 7.5 % for the same deal. In 2004 Cameron and company sold this business for a six digits amount.
Cameron Johnson was born in Virginia, on the 13th of November 1984. He started with business at just 9 and before he graduated from high school, he was one of the most successful teenage entrepreneurs in the world. Now 26, Johnson is an author of several books, famous businessman, and lecturer.
Some of Cameron’s current business projects are:
- “Beat the Boss” – very popular TV show in which three kids compete against 3 millionaires to come up with a creative new business idea in 24 hours.
- MillionaireSecrets.com – an online community providing entrepreneurs with the resources they need to start and profit from their ventures.
- Beverly Hills Groomer – the newest project of Cameron, beginning in May on Animal Planet, where he is a business adviser of a young celebrity dog groomer.
Cameron’s business history:
2004 – TrueLoot.com
2004 – CertificateSwap
A marketplace for buying and selling unused gift certificates.
2003 – KazaaGator
2003 – AimBuddy
2002 – ChooseYourPrize.com
2001 – Zablo.com
2001 – SearchOmega
2001 – VoteStation.com
2001 – SurfingXChange
2000 – SurfingPrizes.com
“SurfingPrizes.com,” a company that provided an innovative advertising service by placing banner ads on users’ web browsers. The concept quickly caught on, and the company reportedly generated revenues of up to $15,000 per day at its peak.
1999 – EmazingSites
1999 – MyEZShop.com
1998 – MyEZMail.com
A service that provided anonymous email addresses for users.
1997 – Cheers and Tears Beanie Wholesale
1994 – Cheers and Tears Printing Co.
Media Attention and Public Speaking
Recognition
Cameron’s success garnered significant media attention. He has appeared on various television shows, including “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Good Morning America,” and “The Today Show.” His story has been featured in numerous publications, such as The Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine.
Public Speaking and Books
Leveraging his experience and success, Cameron became a sought-after motivational speaker. He shares his insights on entrepreneurship, business strategy, and personal development at conferences and events worldwide.
In 2007, he authored the book “You Call the Shots: Succeed Your Way – and Live the Life You Want – with the 19 Essential Secrets of Entrepreneurship.” The book provides practical advice and inspirational stories from his journey, aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs.
Key Lessons from Cameron Johnson’s Journey
Start Early and Be Persistent
Cameron’s story illustrates the importance of starting early and persisting through challenges. His success was built on a series of ventures, each of which taught him valuable lessons and helped him refine his business acumen.
Leverage Technology
Johnson’s ability to leverage technology, from selling on eBay to developing online advertising solutions, highlights the importance of embracing technological advancements in business.
Identify Market Needs
Cameron’s ventures often addressed specific market needs, whether it was providing unique greeting cards or creating a platform for unused gift certificates. Understanding and addressing customer pain points is crucial for entrepreneurial success.
Continuous Learning and Adaptation
Cameron’s journey underscores the value of continuous learning and adaptation. He continuously sought new opportunities and adapted his strategies to stay ahead of the market trends.
Currently, Cameron Johnson is not associated with any of the sites above.
Find more great stuff about Cameron Johnson and how to contact him on his website: https://www.cameronjohnson.com
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