A 9-year-old entrepreneur who has been busy building up his business was scammed, but that hasn’t stopped him from believing in his entrepreneurial dreams.
We spoke with Hudson, the young business prodigy, and his mom, Simone Thom, about how he decided to start his business at a young age and some of the surprising success he has seen.
We also discussed a recent business opportunity that resulted in the aforementioned scam. The businessboy even had some thoughts on U.S. President Donald Trump.
Thom is a server and restaurant manager in Langley and has been one for 25 years. However, after COVID, she developed a nerve disorder that she has been treated for and is now on disability.
Hudson is currently in grade four.
“Money has always been an incentive for him,” Thom said.
Dishing out a bit of tough love, Thom told Hudson that if he wanted money, he had to earn it (probably good advice for someone growing up in one of the most expensive places to live in North America).
Watching Shark Tank with Hudson caused him to light up, Thom told Daily Hive.
“He wanted to start a business, so he came up with a card game like Pokémon or Uno and started drawing and making cards.”
He then started copying those cards so he could make packs to sell. Hudson realized that paper gets ruined easily, so he needed a laminator. He used his money to buy one, and they found laminating sheets on Facebook Marketplace.
“He sold his first pack to the guy who tried to clean gutters at his dad’s house.”
Thom had an offer for Hudson: If he started listening better in school, she would post his goods on Marketplace. The response was overwhelming; they had 1,600 clicks in just one week.
“I had messages from other parents saying they appreciated us supporting our son and his artwork.”
It made Thom extremely proud that Hudson stuck to his goal and vision.
We asked what inspired Hudson to start this venture at such a young age.
“I want to make money for my future so I don’t have to work as much later in life,” he said, making all the Vancouver millennials wish they had started a business venture at his age.
A big business proposition turns into a scam
At some point, one guy wrote to Hudson that he wanted all his drawings. And when that offer was made, Hudson had about 160 of the drawings.
“He said he wanted them all and asked if he could make 500 by the end of the month with something motivational.”
The plan for the buyer was to hand them out at food banks across the Lower Mainland, and both Thom and Hudson thought it was a fantastic idea.
Hudson got to work and even bought another laminator and more sheets.
After checking on Hudson’s progress, the buyer wanted an additional 500, but Thom wisely suggested settling the first agreement. On pick-up day, the buyer claimed he was a “famous TikTok person.”
Thom was led to believe the account was a prank account, and began to get worried that she had been punked.
Sadly, that was the case.
Hudson had “a few cute choice words for that guy.”
“I’m actually happy that guy didn’t get my cards cause he didn’t deserve them, and I want the people who buy my cards to appreciate them,” he said.
Instead of moping about it, they decided they would post the motivational cards for friends and family and also began handing them out in the hospital when Thom would go to visit her mom. Out of the bad came something good, Thom noted.
Hudson feels overjoyed, happy and thankful that people want to support him and his artwork. Thom told Daily Hive that this journey with her son and bonding over life skills has been amazing and wonderful.
“I love that people have given him this opportunity to share his work.”
In the future, Hudson wants to make bookmarks and magnets and keep working on his card game. Thom also wants people to support young entrepreneurs. Buy a lemonade from your local lemonade stand. Buy a cookie or a donut that kids are selling, “or artwork because that’s our future in the making there.”
It’s clear that Hudson lives by the words he wrote on some of his cards, which you can find on Facebook Marketplace, like “never give up.”
And what does Hudson want to be when he grows up?
“I want to be a businessman, but an honest one, not like Donald Trump.”