Youngstown mom and daughter venture into entrepreneurship together

Youngstown mom and daughter venture into entrepreneurship together

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – A mother and her 10-year-old daughter have ventured on a journey to entrepreneurship, and they couldn’t be happier.

Aurielle Irizarry and Amari Washington are the founders of Mommy and Me Lemonade. It’s a business they started in 2019 that has been flourishing ever since.

“If you have a dream, follow it. Whether you start small and you feel like you’re not gonna get nowhere, you will,” Irizarry said.

When they first opened their business, they were selling lemonade at a car wash in Youngstown at the corner of Glenwood and Princeton avenues. They sold out on the first day and it continued to prosper.

So, they decided they would take it further. What started out with three flavors and one stand grew to 15 flavors and them doing vendor events and catering.

“People started asking us to do vendor events, so then we got all of our equipment to do vendors and parties and then we started moving to the vendor events. Then I was asked to do birthday parties and weddings and things like that,” Irizarry said.

Irizarry said being able to show her daughter what it’s like to work for yourself is something she values.

“It’s a great feeling to me. I always wanted to teach her more so about entrepreneurship, you know? I went through different jobs, things I didn’t like, working for somebody else. Then to be able to work for yourself and it takes care of you, it’s a great feeling,” she said.

Washington says being able to work with her mother is something that means the world to her.

“It feels fun, and it feels surprising and nice,” she said. “Maybe you can try it yourself. It’s challenging and it’s cool.”

Now, the plan is to be in a storefront by summer 2023.

Irizarry says they sell the lemonade seven days a week and orders can be placed online. Anyone interested in learning more about Mommy and Me Lemonade can visit their website.

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