Saturday, August 30, 2008

Book: Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman

Kayla enjoyed this book picked from the shelf at school. "This book is very funny and it might make you pee in your captain underpants" Kayla, innocently laughs and quips. Kayla tells us it took a week to read it. She explained that she reads on the bus and before she goes to bed (when mommy and daddy go to bed). This is a continuation of our model to encourage and reward our children to read books. We recommend that parents pay their children to read books not chores.

Our Model:
- Select and read the book
- log it in her journal (a book we bought for her with many pages for logging memories, ideas, and her book reading)
- post the book on the web from our Amazon account for future revenue
- get paid (our model is $1 for a super easy book, $3 for a more complex book, and $5 for a chapter book)
- save 80% which goes into the bank and 20% of the money she gets to spend on whatever she wants
- donate a portion of her revenue to a children's charity and to the children's ministry at church

What we believe: By paying kids to read books (not chores) we inspire kids to learn to read and love it. At some point, we believe she will develop a natural curiousity and will want to read without expectation of payment (although we don't mind paying her). In addition, we also have a model to pay her to write short stories. Inspire your kid today and try it. We would be happy to share more of our model with you.

Kayla enjoys negotiating her pay rate, logging her books, and giving us a mini-book review (so that we know she actually read it).

Friday, August 22, 2008

Shaina Sandoval, Actress and Model

Actress and Model Shaina Sandoval

Shaina (16) is an up and coming actress, dance enthusiast, and model. She is currently represented by Core Talent Agency (www.CoreTalent.biz) in Dallas.

Shaina has appeared in a few feature fims and videos, "Midnight Clear" starring Steven Baldwin, "Nico-The Millionaire", "Saved" Music Video, and "Rain". She has also been featured nationally on InventNow.org, Cowboys & Indians Magazine (7-page spread), AT&T, Pei Wei, and Walmart.

Kayla and Shaina recently met on the set of a feature film they are both acting in. Shaina will play a challenging lead role in that project.

Kayla Ventures is an experiment in promoting and helping other teenage and child actors, entreprenuers, and showcasing great parenting resources.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Kayla on "Houston Real Estate TODAY!" CNN 650 AM

Left to Right: Bryon Parffrey, Kayla Valadez, Steve Levine, and Paulette Blackwood Tate and her husband Art

Kayla joins Steve Levine, Host of "Houston Real Estate TODAY!" as special co-host. Her cameo was welcomed by Bryon Parffrey of Builder's Academy and Top Realtor Paulette Blackwood Tate. This show aired live on 8/15/08. Steve welcomed Kayla to the show and introduces her as a young actress and radio co-host. Kayla said "Hello and thank you" to the radio listeners. You can tune into "Houston Real Estate TODAY!" every Friday on-line or on CNN 650 AM in the Houston market. See: http://www.houstonrealestatetoday.com/

You can listen to this edition here: <radio active>

Kayla behind the mic.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Kayla's First Check for Acting

Kayla holds her first check for the movie "El Nacional"

Kayla's proud day. Kayla received her first professional acting check. Her mommy and daddy require her to deposit 80% and she gets to keep 20% for her own use. She was excited to go to the bank to make her deposit and talk about opening a "Small Business" account to help manage her finances. She has the entrepreneur bug and wants to save up to buy a laptop and video camera so she can edit her own videos/movies.

Kayla is learning the principles of hard work and getting a reward for that work and reinvesting her proceeds. She is excited about learning the various ways kids can learn to make money and plan their future.

Kayla signs her check for deposit

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Kayla Fashions K Dye T-shirts

Kayla's First Shirt, "Coral Blue/Deep Sea" size medium (8) (kids), available for $20 plus shipping (sales tax in Texas may apply)

Kayla makes her first 3 shirts for sale. You are able to purchase these shirts for a limited time. Kayla Ventures will contribute 40% of the profits to support battered, abused, children's cancer centers, "Make A Wish Foundation", or a burned children's charity.

If you buy this shirt for your children, we encourage you to e-mail us a photo that we will post on this blog and our photo album created for this unique children's on-line business. In addition, if you are familiar with YouTube or use other on-line video resources, we would be happy to include your special video message that we can share with other families and kids who may be burned, abused, or suffering a life-threatening illness or injury.

Orders will be handled by the order received. In the event of a sell out, Kayla will make new designs that you can review. To place your order e-mail kayla@kaylaventures.com (we accepts checks or credit card (3.2% service fee via PayPal).

Kayla named each of her shirts to reveal the mood she thought they conveyed.

Dye Preparation

Kayla and sister Kenna stir the dye

SOLD "Circle Island" (thank you web community for your support)- our first sale 8/1/08

"Tropical Breeze" currently available $20 plus shipping (sales tax may apply in state of Texas) - size 4/5 small boys

Tie Dye Business Startup - Kayla Fashions

Kayla with her Dyes and Shirts

You never know where you might come up with a great business idea. The important thing with children is to act on it (spark the flame). Don't tell them how to do it, but share a process with them until the flame is lit and then fan the flame (have patience, kids can get really excited and may not want your input at first). Be creative, this captures their passion.

Kayla first heard about "tie dying" t-shirts on the set of "The CEO Show" (see article below) where she met Jessica (16). Jessica mentioned how she wanted to "tie dye". Kayla asked her dad what that was.

So, this sparked a journey of research. She and her dad searched the web on what materials were needed to do tie dye and found a couple of teaching videos on YouTube. Armed with their knowledge and supplies, she will make her first shirts for sale to other kids (and their parents) on this blog.

Part of the analysis is discovering a creative design or ideas that will make her shirts more unique (she realizes that this will be based on trial and error). She is also thinking about her pricing strategy (a great exercise on the importance of math) and how she might be able to make donations to children's causes.

A promotion strategy idea: Anyone who buys a shirt can send a .jpg photo or video of them wearing the shirt and we will post on her blog and a photo album and film strip promoting all videos, just for her customers.

Stay tuned. She will post pictures of her first shirts. Since, these are limited edition shirts, our pricing will be at a premium. Our first buyers will be able to snap these up right away (first come first serve).

We would welcome your ideas of child charities in which to make a donation (we are currently researching that as well).

"The CEO Show" Studio Tour

Kayla with Sheila Harrison of "The Business Guide" and host of "The CEO Show"

Kayla joins her father and takes a tour of a "live" TV studio interview. Kayla enjoyed an opportunity to meet Sheila Harrison host of "The CEO Show" and publisher of "The Houston Business Guide".

"The CEO Show" airs every Wed. on Phonoscope Business Channel 11 (the most cabled network in downtown Houston) at 10AM CST. You can catch it on-line at www.PhonoScope.com (click business channel).

She also had a chance to meet the guests' 16 year old daughter Jessica who was also there to cheer her mom. Mrs. MacNaughton King recently opened a new business that was featured on the show.

The day before, Kayla was interviewed at a local Starbucks for her blog. As part of her continuing education in media. She was able to see what a live TV broadcast interview was like. She though it was "cool".

On the set of "The CEO Show", guest Vickie MacNaughton King of Waters 2 Wine