Charles was born to a family of immigrants and is an active member of the Brooklyn, NY community. He currently works in the e-commerce division of Joey’z, the family business. In 2017, he graduated from Hunter College (B.A.) as Class Salutatorian with majors in Philosophy & Special Honors and minors in Middle East Studies, Legal Studies, and Political Science.
Tell us about your childhood and where you grew up
As earlier mentioned, I grew up in an immigrant household. Typical of immigrant upbringing, the values of family and tradition rang strong in my house. We held our identities close to our hearts, and wear them proudly on our chests. We also cherish our family bonds. It is with family we stick through, thick and thin.
How did you get started as an entrepreneur?
I can never forget it. One day in September, Dad took my brother and me and began to show us the tip of the iceberg he possessed in running the family business for over 35 years. But importantly, the decision was ours. If we wanted to get into the business, we had to pay our way in. No “family right of entry.” My brothers and I put everything we had into the e-commercialization of Joey’z, a practice we’ve been doing since our young teens. With gratitude to God, the investment appears to be paying off.
What is one business lesson you would tell a startup founder?
With his brothers, Charles started transitioning the family business by launching their online store on Amazon. With that experience and fuel of the family bond, they are now launching their own branded site and blog. At Joey’z we’re sure that family is fuel to our flame, and loyalty to our customer base, in adapting to their needs, is our calling.
