Michael Harper and Jay Arrington currently reside in Michigan. They are two living examples that anyone with a vision and determination can become successful entrepreneurs. After starting a couple of businesses that left the two in heavy financial debt, they went on to found Harper Arrington in late 2004 with just $980. Today Harper Arrington is a flourishing business venture that has achieved over $500,000 in sales by the end of 2006 alone.
Harper Arrington Publishing, to date, has been a company on a mission to educate kids and adults on how they can reach their dreams. Harper Arrington wrote and published the kids business adventure title called The Little Entrepreneur which is available at www.theLittleE.com The two have also authored a series of fashion books on how to start a fashion line – available at startingaclothingline.com. They also created a fashion design program called the Digital Fashion Pro (Harper Arrington Digital Design System) – available at: DigitalFashionPro.com. Harper Arrington books and software sell all around the world to consumers, academic institutions and business corporations. They are also the creators of this web site that is designed to promote the entrepreneurial spirit and celebrate their children’s book series called The Little Entrepreneur which exposes kids to business in a fun and inspirational way.
The two have also authored a series of fashion books on how to start a fashion line. They also created a digital fashion design software called the Harper Arrington Digital Design System – available at: startingaclothingline.com. Their books and software sell all around the world including Great Britain, Australia and Canada.
Harper Arrington was started with just $980. Today Harper Arrington is a flourishing business venture that has achieved over $500,000 in sales by the end of 2006 alone. The team of Harper and Arrington also plan to launch a film division, re-launch their signature clothing line and of course – author more books. Harper and Arrington are living examples that any dream can be accomplished when you believe in yourself.
About Author and Entrepreneur Jay Arrington
Jay Arrington was born in Detroit, MI. where he was introduced to entrepreneurship by his parents who owned a family business. Jay’s first hands on experience as an entrepreneur happened at age twelve. He acquired old comic books from a neighborhood friend and sold them to his fellow classmates for 50 cents a book. The experience of dealing with customers at a young age opened Jay’s mind to the possibility of owning his own business. Also at age twelve Jay, being a talented illustrator, designed a unique teddy bear that caught the eye of a small investor, but unfortunately the deal fell through, sending Jay back to the drawing board. Jay stated, “That was a good experience for me; it exposed me to the reality of disappointments.”
Jay went on to enter the job market at the tender age of 15. He maintained a job throughout his high school years. After graduating high school, Jay opted not to go to college and he went further into the job market. He worked a total of 11 jobs before settling at Chrysler (now Daimler/Chrysler). At the age of 22, Jay was averaging $60,000 a year and he used that money to finance his entrepreneurial ambitions. Jay stated, “I wanted to dedicate my life to becoming a business owner and working for myself.” Jay started a host of businesses in search of the right one. With each business experience, he learned something of value to further aid him in developing as a business man and an entrepreneur.
Jay is an extensive book reader and he attributes a lot of his entrepreneurial strengths, confidence, and success to all the great entrepreneurs. Jay stated, “I read all the greats, Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, and John D. Rockefeller Sr. just to name a few. These gentlemen were non-lettered men and they accomplished great things, I somewhat patterned my life after them.” Jay Arrington is a true entrepreneur: he’s self-confident, hard working, and has a positive attitude.
He spent a number of years as a community volunteer where he gained praises from his family and friends and also from former Michigan Governor John Engler for his participation in the Amer-I-can program, an accomplishment he is very proud. Jay states, “Working with the Amer-I-can program gave me an opportunity to help people who really needed it and I was very proud to do it.”
Jay honors his friendship and partnership with Michael Harper. The two formed a partnership in 1999 and together passed the point of no return in business and never looked back. Jay stated, “Together I’m extremely confident that we can do anything. History will one day tell our story.” Jay Arrington has the heart of a champion and is a true entrepreneur.
About Author and Entrepreneur Michael Harper
Michael J. Harper was born in Detroit, MI. His family struggled financially during much of his early life, but this did not stop Michael from going after his dreams. He began homing in on his entrepreneurial skills in the third grade by drawing cartoon books and selling them to his classmates for 25 cents each. By the time Michael was in the fourth grade, he had developed an interest in writing short stories and poetry. In the eighth grade, Michael was awarded a four-year scholarship to the University of Michigan, provided he maintained a 3.0 grade point average throughout high school.
As Michael entered Cass Technical High School, he took on even more endeavors. Michael designed his first fashion piece while in the ninth grade that became an immediate hit with other students. Michael graduated from Cass, on the honor roll, securing his four-year scholarship in 1992. Michael entered college in spring of 1993. During Michael’s first year, he rekindled his love of writing by signing up for a writing course. It was also at this time that Michael was introduced to Jay Arrington in 1993 by Michael’s girlfriend, whose sister was dating Jay. The two men did not begin working together until a few years later.
In 1997, Michael graduated with distinction with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts with focuses on Management, Psychology, and Sociology. Michael accepted a full-time position with what is now Daimler Chrysler in 1998. He had been offered the position two years earlier but had decided that finishing school was more important. In 1999, Michael wrote his first movie script. Also in 1999, Michael entered a Master’s Degree program in software development at Lawrence Tech. He wanted to learn how to create his own software so he could start a software business. Then one day, four weeks into his first semester, came a life changing experience. Michael was watching the Oprah Winfrey show in which her guests were people who had quit their jobs to go after their dreams and had become successful.
Michael became even more inspired and determined to change his future outlook. He decided he would take his talents to the Internet for the world to see. He started a comedy web site that eventually turned into 2 different clothing lines. It was at this point that Jay Arrington, who also had a history of going after his entrepreneurial dreams as well, decided to join Michael and make a unified effort in the fashion business. The two would then go on to found Harper Arrington Media and Publishing in 2004.
Filed under: Famous Entrepreneurs, Personal Development, Success Business Story | Tagged: Business, Business Story, Business Success Story, Company, Entrepreneurs, Famous Entrepreneur, Little Entrepreneur, Media, Success Business Story, The Little Entrepreneur
