Holden Bierman, an American teenager, built a swimwear brand at age 12 with a $500 loan from his parents.
asserted
Bierman → build → parents
Started during the Covid-19 pandemic as a small clothing business, it has since grown into Coastal Cool, a sustainable beachwear company that says its products have helped fund efforts to remove plastic equivalent to more than 100,000 bottles from the ocean.
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products → start → ocean
The 19-year-old entrepreneur from Holly Springs, North Carolina, started by selling T-shirts and hoodies before shifting to swimwear made from recycled materials.
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entrepreneur → start → materials
Bierman launched his first business during the early days of the pandemic, when school closures left him looking for ways to spend his time.
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closures → launch → time
“I was just bored,” Bierman told Good Morning America.
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Bierman → bore → America
So I just started [to] research business ideas.”
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I → start → ideas
His interest soon developed into a business.
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interest → develop → business
Bierman officially launched Coastal Cool on his 13th birthday in August 2020, using the loan to pay for business registration, a website and sample products.
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Bierman → launch → registration
How did Holden Bierman build his business?
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Bierman → build → business
Bierman prepared a presentation for his parents explaining how he planned to use the $500.
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he → prepare → 500
He then taught himself how to run an online business through YouTube tutorials, business podcasts and online forums.
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He → teach → tutorials
He learnt to build a website, source suppliers and ship products to customers.
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He → learn → customers
The business initially focused on casual clothing, but Bierman later decided to move towards swimwear.
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Bierman → focus → swimwear
In an interview with The US Sun, Bierman said his interest in creating and selling products had started early.
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interest → say → products
His father's work in sales and his mother's creative background also influenced his approach to business.
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work → influence → business
“My dad gave me the business side, and my mom gave me the creative side,” he said.
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he → give → side
The move into swimwear helped Coastal Cool establish a clearer focus.
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Cool → help → focus
Rather than selling only clothing, Bierman wanted to offer products that customers could buy while supporting an environmental cause.
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customers → sell → cause
How does Coastal Cool help remove plastic waste?
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Cool → help → waste
Coastal Cool makes swimwear using recycled materials, including polyester derived from discarded plastic bottles.
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Cool → make → bottles
The company also works with Tidey Ocean, a nonprofit that supports plastic collection and recycling and provides paid employment in communities affected by ocean pollution, according to its website.
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that → work → website
The partnership operates through a programme under which each product sold helps fund the collection and recycling of one pound of ocean-bound plastic.
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product → operate → plastic
The company says its efforts have helped remove plastic equivalent to more than 100,000 bottles.
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efforts → say → bottles
The figure is based on the business's reported environmental impact.
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figure → base → impact
Bierman told Good Morning America that linking the brand to sustainability gave the business a broader purpose beyond selling products.
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linking → tell → products
The company also uses an on-demand production model, meaning products are made when customers place orders.
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customers → use → orders
This allows it to operate without holding large amounts of stock.
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it → allow → stock
Bierman has credited this approach, reinvesting profits and listening to customers with helping the business grow without outside investment.
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business → credit → investment
Balancing business and school
However, managing the company alongside his education has required him to balance schoolwork with orders, social media and business partnerships.
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managing → balance → orders
In interviews, Bierman has spoken about missing some typical high school events while working to expand the brand.
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Bierman → speak → brand
His longer-term plans include taking Coastal Cool into more retail stores and studying a business-related subject at university.
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plans → include → university
The Aporia
