For Mariah Mietzner, she can’t wait to get to work – literally! At 11 years old, Mariah showed true ambition when she began finding fun ways to make money with aspirations of one day becoming an entrepreneur. Only a year later, she’s making that dream come true by establishing her own business called Waymaker Designs.

Proving that age is just a number with a dedicated spirit, Mariah has managed to launch her own earrings line through her business. Her most recent projects include making custom-designed earrings for Studio573 and the Jefferson City Dance Club. Mariah also takes it upon herself to design a new batch of earrings each week for her customer base and posts the finished products on the Waymaker Designs Facebook page.

Through her learning experience, Mariah has had to manage every aspect of her business. She is currently getting help to open a bank account after learning a business must start paying taxes when making a certain amount of money. She has also been working one-on-one with Carver & Jo Creations owner, Laci Rains, to hone in on her craftsmanship and creativity. However, when it comes to hard work, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Mariah says she was inspired by her parents, Adam and Lydia Mietzner, to work hard as she grew up watching how much they’ve put into running their business and making sure everyone is taken care of.

While her long-term savings goal is to buy her own car one day, her heart is currently set on buying a Macbook laptop in order to design and sell her own T-shirt line. In the future, Mariah hopes to open a clothing store with its own coffee shop. She says this way when people walk in feeling thirsty or hungry, they can have a drink or something to eat as they shop.

Who inspires you? Lacy Jo.

What’s your favorite book? “Restart”.

Favorite YouTube Channel? Hair Inspiration.

What activities are you involved in? Volleyball.

What’s your favorite subject in school and why? History because I love learning about things that happened in the past. 

Who do you like to have lunch with? My best friends. 

What’s your favorite thing to do in Jefferson City? Go to target, shop, and get a Starbucks. 

What’s your favorite movie/tv show and why? Full House. 

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why? That I could be in two places at once.

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Do you know a Young One to Watch? Any child up to age 18 who is doing something to spread positivity, accomplishing a challenging task, overcoming a daunting obstacle, launching an entrepreneurial endeavor, or brightening people’s days is eligible to be nominated.