MEET Vivian Nguyen, a 15-year-old who started her own clothing company. Vivian inspires other teenage girls to pursue their passion in business and take initiative to be proactive within their communities.
At 14, she launched her own successful tie-dye clothing company named Dyenosaur Apparel. Through Instagram, Etsy, and simply word of mouth, Vivan has sold hundreds of custom made-to-order tie-dye products around the country. The company’s initiative is to celebrate creativity and female entrepreneurship while providing high-quality clothing at affordable prices.
Surprisingly, she never intended to start a business when she sold her first Dyenosaur Apparel product. Her local National Junior Honor Society Chapter was raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society when she decided to make and sell tie-dye scrunchies at school, with a predisposition to fashion and current trends. Thinking it was just a one time deal, after the substantial amount of positive feedback from her friends and realizing how much she enjoyed both the creative and entrepreneurial process of it, Vivian decided to keep pursuing the venture.
“Facing adversity is difficult,” Vivian admitted, “but coming across issues is bound to happen with everything you accomplish.” The greatest challenge the 15-year-old faced as a business owner was being able to generate enough publicity in order to consistently attract new customers. However, after learning how to effectively utilize social media marketing and other platforms of communication, she was able to maximize public awareness. Dyenosaur Apparel’s Instagram following grew exponentially, from 600 to 1.3k to over 33.3k views now every week.
Vivian has now sold hundreds of orders all over the country, from states like Hawaii to California to New Jersey! She has had the wonderful opportunity to be featured in several magazines and publications and on July 11, she is planning on hosting her first public speaking event as a business panelist speaker for a global women empowerment conference called GenZ Girl Con.
She hopes to inspire and motivate other Asian Americans to pursue a career in business and be the Asian role model that others never had. When she first started, like many, Vivian did not have a figure her age to look up to. “You can’t be what you can’t see,” she says. But she wants to show other Asian Americans that they can make a difference in their communities as well!
Dyenosaur Apparel has opened up countless doors for her. She has been featured in several magazines and has built a platform where she can empower others. “My business has made me busy almost 24/7, and it’s no secret I’ve made a lot of sacrifices along the way. However, I wouldn't change a thing. Dyenosaur Apparel has made me who I am, and I’m grateful for all the opportunities that have arisen from it.”
Her final advice to aspiring activists and founders: “Don’t underestimate yourself. You’ll always be your toughest critic. Trust the process, but most importantly, learn to trust yourself.”
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