Jordan Jackson, the town’s youngest store owner, opened Birch & Pen in Northwoods Mall in North Charleston, South Carolina, at the age of 19. Now 24, he organizes pop-up marketplaces featuring his company and other small local businesses.
Since discovering his style skills and how to monetize them, the young entrepreneur has enjoyed operating his own firm and being “a young boss.”
Jackson mentioned that his fashion adventure began after middle school in Baltimore before relocating to the Lowcountry with his mother to be closer to relatives. In Baltimore, he had to wear uniforms every day.
He told WCSC, “So I wore uniforms for three years straight and I guess like after I stopped wearing uniforms I got like this spark for fashion, I guess that was my outlet.”
Jackson first started selling items through his online site 21 ACE, where his fashion and design abilities quickly became well-known among his family and friends. Soon, he had a tremendous following, including big-time YouTube stars like Kellie Sweet, brandongottfans, and minibarbie 12 from The Rap Game, all of whom wanted Jackson to style them.
His mother, Keisha, assisted him in the development of his firm. Jackson was recognized and honored for his successes at the Northwoods Mall, but within a year he opted to close the retail location, emphasizing that this closure symbolizes a new beginning rather than an end for an innovative concept.
The young entrepreneur told ABC News 4, “I was here to show you guys that it’s possible to follow your dreams. So definitely be sure and live your life unapologetically each and every day. This is not the end; this is only the beginning.”
Jackson is also collaborating with other businesses to build a number of pop-up markets in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.
He arranges beautiful lifestyle marketplaces that promote his brand’s fashion, home decor, and cuisine, as well as other local products, using his love of design.