Our next guest is just your typical teenager,
the kind that's been running a successful business all while
being a full-time ninth grader.
So yeah, typical, right?
From Hermitage, Tennessee, please welcome Kierra Perkins.
Kierra!
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
Hey!
It's so great to meet you.
It is--
I love watching you, Ellen, and your wife dance.
And I'm so excited to be here.
This is, like, my biggest dream to come on here.
So thank you so much for having me.
Absolu-- honestly, the pleasure is all ours.
And we're so excited that you are here, and especially--
listen, I've said this over and over in the show.
But you're here for the Father's Day show.
So this is really special, and it's special to have you here,
because this company that you started--
you actually started this because of Father's Day--
Kandles by Kierra, right?
Yes, sir.
I wanted to do something different
for my dad for Father's Day.
And I just didn't want to give him, like, candy or buy
him a card.
[CHUCKLING]
So I was like--
I thought of Dad's two favorite things,
which are candles and chocolate-chip cookies.
And he loves chocolate-chip cookies.
We would sneak down in the middle of the night and bake
cookies and not tell Mom.
So I'm so sorry, Mom.
And so I put the two together.
And I was like, hey.
And I made the chocolate-chip cookies and milk candle.
Mom took a picture of me, and she posted it on Facebook.
And it went viral.
And I was like, hey, Mom, I can start a candle business.
That's incredible.
I love that.
And you did.
And you sent some of your best-selling candles here.
So look, just talk to me about the way
that you designed some of these, because this is amazing.
It looks like I should be able to eat this.
And obviously, I'm not going to.
But this looks delicious.
Tell us about this.
That's my strawberry blast shake candle.
That one is my favorite.
It smells like fresh strawberries.
Yes.
That's not a real ice cream, but I used an ice-cream scoop
to make the ice cream on top of it.
And I wanted to make a shake candle.
I was like, what's better than a strawberry shake?
Absolutely.
Now, what about this?
What about this one right here?
Look at this, y'all.
Isn't this amazing?
Look at this.
[CHUCKLES] That's the pineapple explosion.
I released that candle a few weeks ago,
and it's becoming my top seller.
I was looking for a pineapple scent
because my dad's favorite fruit are pineapples.
OK, cool.
Let's do it-- here, let's do one more.
So this was-- is this the one that started it all?
The cookies and milk one?
Yes, sir.
That's the chocolate-chip cookies and milk candle.
And you see the cookie sitting there?
Absolutely.
My dad thought it was a real cookie,
so he tried to pull the cookie out until he saw the wick.
[CHUCKLES] That's ama-- this is incredible, Kierra.
And it's been three years since you started your candle
business.
And obviously, you've got the designs
on lock, the smells and all that.
How has business been going so far?
It's been doing great.
I had to stop--
I used to do a lot of craft shows
when I first started my business.
Now I don't do as much as I used to because of COVID.
But my online orders have picked up,
and I've sold over thousands of candles.
And I feel really proud of myself.
My English and my math skills have improved so much,
and I'm not on my phone all day.
And plus, I could save money for college.
I love that.
And what's crazy is that you make it sound super easy.
You're balancing school and also being a CEO.
How are you doing this?
I have a very busy schedule doing school work,
making candles, practicing volleyball, and driving
a Junior Dragster race car.
But my mom taught me something called time management.
Now I'm able to have a balanced schedule.
And also-- sorry, did you say something
about racing cars just now?
Yes, sir.
I drive a Junior Dragster race car.
It's a car that goes 75 miles per hour
for an eighth of a mile.
And I have a Spider-Man car, so people usually
think it's a boy when I'm driving my car until I
take my helmet off.
They're like, oh, it's a girl.
Girl, you're incredible.
You're incredible.
And we have to take a break.
Thank you.
But before we go to break, can you
tell us the model that you came up with to inspire other kids?
We've got to hear that before we go to break.
I tell kids that a young creative mind
can grow in business.
And you do not have to wait until you're
an adult to achieve your goals.
Clap for that.
You are incredible.
Incredible.
And you know what?
I've got a surprise for you when we come back.
We're going to take a short break.
We'll be right back, y'all.
Now, Kierra, I don't know if you know this,
but Ellen has a lot of friends.
And thanks to Ellen, I, too, have a lot of friends.
So I'm partnering with Greenlight.
They're a debit card and app designed just
for kids and teens, helping them earn, save, invest,
and spend wisely.
And see, what's crazy is, my friends at Greenlight
actually had some special candles made just for you.
So here.
Let me show you these real quick.
Can we roll those out real quick?
You're going to really love these.
Just hold on, just--
I know you are.
[APPLAUSE]
Thank you, sir.
All right.
So I'm going to just reveal them one by one,
just so you can appreciate what we've got going on there.
All right.
All right?
It's dope.
Getting doper.
A little doper.
[CHUCKLES] A little doper.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
Kierra, [CHUCKLES] Greenlight wants
to celebrate financially smart kids like you
and help them-- and make your dreams a reality.
So they're going to set you up with an account
to help manage your earnings and help your business grow
even more with $25,000.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
$25,000.
Oh my gosh!
Thank you so much!
Absolutely.
Oh, wow.
Now, listen, y'all.
Y'all go to our website to find out how you can help support
Kierra's business, Kandles By Kierra.