Real Kids, Real Success: How 'Cherie Jolie' Built a Winning Team and Smart Booth Strategy

N McFarland
Jul 27
4 min read

When friends team up to start a business, incredible things can happen! That is exactly what happened with Eva and Alannah, the creative duo behind Cherie Jolie.

If you are looking for fresh business fair ideas for kids or wondering how two young friends can turn raw creativity into a real, functioning business, Eva and Alannah’s story is a perfect example. Having participated in the Brevard Children’s Business Fair for several years, these two talented friends have learned what it takes to run a successful booth, test different products, and work together like seasoned professionals.

We sat down with Eva, Alannah, and their parents to hear about their journey, their favorite booth hacks, and how behind-the-scenes parent support helps youth businesses thrive.

Division of Labor: Playing to Their Strengths

Running a business with a friend requires good teamwork and clear roles. For Eva and Alannah, dividing the work came naturally by focusing on what each person does best.

Eva takes charge of crocheting and 3D printing, while Alannah focuses on handmade cards, paintings, and custom artwork. By combining these different skills, they can offer a varied selection without competing with one another. When fair day arrives, both girls step up to make sales.

Pro Tip from the Team: Eva and Alannah make sure they both know the exact price of every single item at their booth before the doors open. This simple step lets them serve and check out multiple customers at the same time without any confusion or delay!

Learning and Adapting Year After Year

One of the best parts of the Brevard Children's Business Fair is watching young entrepreneurs adapt in response to real customer feedback. It is rarely about finding easy products for kids to sell on day one; it is about paying attention to what customers actually want and making adjustments along the way.

Here is how both girls fine-tuned their setup based on past fairs:

Product Tweaks: Eva paid close attention to which sizes, designs, and yarn types sold best in previous years. She used that data to alter her inventory, choosing materials and patterns that her customers loved most while cutting back on items that did not sell as well.
Smart Display Strategy: After visiting local art fairs, Alannah realized their booth table had become too cluttered in past events. To fix this, she simplified the display. Now, they put out only one item per design on the table and keep the rest numbered in a storage bin behind them. This keeps the table looking neat and makes restocking quick and effortless.

Where the Profits Go

All that hard work definitely pays off. For Eva and Alannah, their favorite moment of the entire fair is seeing the booth fully set up after months of hard work and seeing people admire what they made.

As for their earnings? They reinvest a portion of their profits to buy supplies for next year's inventory and deposit the rest directly into their college savings accounts. Talk about long-term planning!

Behind the Scenes: The Parent Perspective

Co-managing a youth business across two families might sound complicated, but parents Frattin and Batchelor show how smooth it can be when you step back and let the kids take the lead.

Here are three great takeaways for parents looking for ideas for kids entrepreneur fair prep:

Do a Living Room Mock Setup: Before the fair, Frattin helped the girls run a complete test on the living room table. They took photos of the final arrangement so the girls knew exactly where everything went. On the morning of the event, the girls were able to direct their parents on how to set up quickly and stress-free!
Set Up a Business Account: The families use a dedicated business savings account created from past profits. When supply runs are needed, the funds come directly from the business's earnings rather than from the parents' pockets.
Encourage Financial Problem-Solving: Batchelor noted how Eva learned to shop around for the best deals on raw materials. Realizing that spending less on supplies directly increases her profit margin was a huge lightbulb moment.

Watching Confidence Soar

Both families agree that the biggest reward is watching their daughters grow in confidence. From handling cash and credit card transactions comfortably to seeing real customers admire their handmade products, Eva and Alannah have transformed into confident, capable young CEOs.

If your child is overflowing with good business fair ideas or just starting to explore what is possible, watching a team like Cherie Jolie prove that age is no barrier to building a real brand is all the inspiration they need.

Ready to Start Your Child's Journey?

Whether your child loves crafting, coding, baking, or 3D printing, the Brevard Children’s Business Fair gives them the real-world tools to turn a hobby into a business.

Have questions about getting started or helping your young entrepreneur prepare for our next fair? Check out our rules and guidelines or explore our news section for more real success stories!