Madison Robinson: Millionaire at 15

Image Source: FishFlops

That day in 2006, Madison sat in her home doodling on paper and as her dad walked in she said to him, “Look dad, Fish Flops”. Madison probably wouldn’t have anticipated so much success from designing flip flops (or slippers as we like to call them here in Nigeria). Her company, FishFlops®, has now made over $1 million in sales and she was just 15 (now she's 16). Madison has struck deals with more than 60 stores, including Macy’s and Nordstrom, to sell her flip flops.
Madison was just 8 years old in 2006. She had grown up around the beach and was very familiar with people’s love for wearing flip flops and never wanting to take them off while on the beach. Madison also wanted to take after her father, who was a t-shirt designer, by designing shoes. She loved drawing a lot and so while she sat at home that faithful day, she drew an outline of flip flops on paper and showed it to her father. He loved the idea immediately and that same day purchased the fishflops.com domain name. Madison started to make flip flops and design them with different colours and sea creatures. She started small by selling to people and local stores she could get through to.

It wasn't until 2010 that Madison caught her big break. She featured her FishFlops® for the first time at trade shows in 2010. A buyer from Nordstrom received her letter and liked her idea. In July 2012, FishFlops hit 64 Nordstrom stores. This was the beginning of a life of fame for her and it is recorded that Madison has never faced rejection from any store. Also, this hit with Nordstrom opened the door for several features on television and local publications. In June 2013, Yahoo featured Madison’s story, ‘How a 15-year-old entrepreneur got her product intoNordstrom’, on the front page of its website. This interview was read by several millions of people and it led to a heavy influx of emails from several interested buyers, distributors and the general public asking questions on how to get the flip flops or start to sell them too. Soon enough, FishFlops® sold out everywhere. Madison had hit it big.

It is important to note that FishFlops® started with financing from family and friends. By 2011, FishFlops® were being handled by an overseas manufacturer and they had started shipping. Her father has been an outstanding pillar of support to Madison’s dream. He was the one who encouraged her to start the FishFlops® business, he helped her get the overseas manufacturer and with the shipping too. He also still gives her good advice as a parent should. She's quoted on an interview on Fox News as saying that he now works for her and she pays him allowance (talk about the-other-way-round). Also, her father doesn’t allow her spend the money from the business. The money is ploughed back into improving and expanding the FishFlops® experience. She says her father wouldn't let her spend the money until she’s in college (presently she’s in high school). Right now that money is said to be around $1.2 million (nice!).

On her website, FishFlops.com, we are made to understand that she has appeared in interviews and features with “Seventeen Magazine, Fox 26 Houston, ABC News, CBS News, The Today Show, Forbes Magazine, Bloomberg Business Week and Success Magazine as well as many other blogs, websites and newspapers around the world including Times of India and Tatler fashion magazine in Russia”. In a bid to encourage and inspire more young entrepreneurs, Madison’s story is being featured in about one million books and publications by book publishers such as Nelson Education ltd. (National Geographic learning) and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Also, Madison’s charitable causes are worth taking note of. She has donated over 20,000 FishFlops® to and through various charities all over the world, including children in Costa Rica and Uganda.

As of now, Madison has gone from just producing flip flops to making hats, t-shirts, self-written kids’ books, and a video game or app that happens under the sea. Madison says she’d like to study business or fashion when she goes to the university. Whatever she eventually studies, one thing is sure: she’s rich enough to pay her way through college by herself.
One of Madison’s greatest aptitudes is in social media marketing. Through her Twitter account, she was able to capture the interest of the daughter of Entertainment Tonight host Nancy O'Dell who she got to wear the shoes, as well as HSN fitness personality Tony Little. It was also through her tweets that she got through to the journalist who interviewed her on Yahoo and opened several doors of opportunity for her.

I’m sure in many more years to come Madison would have garnered more business experience, and would have been able to reach out and inspire more people to face their fears and pursue their dreams. Madison is an advocate for “never quitting” even when things are very tough. She also advises people to exercise patience because there are times “when you would have to wait for stores to decide whether or not they want your shoes”. Good thing is, no one has yet been able to resist her. She also believes so much in her dream that she knows that there are greater days ahead for FishFlops®.

Are you inspired and motivated by Madison’s story? Then don’t be selfish and share this article via social media as many times as you can.

Also, tell us in what ways Madison’s story has inspired you in the comments below? Do you have any idea or dream you've given up on/almost given up on? Tell us how you’re going to revive it and also help inspire others to do so.