Brie Gamble

At just 13 years old, Brie Gamble is proving that age is no barrier to entrepreneurship. Hailing from Gainesville, Florida, Brie is the founder of Brie's Custom Designs, a high-margin, art-centered business that specializes in seasonal, handmade coloring books. What started as a dream—literally—has turned into a thriving side hustle with hundreds in revenue, a growing community of supporters, and big plans for the future.

A Dream That Sparked a Business

The inspiration for Brie's Custom Designs came to Brie in a dream. On a drive home from Publix, she casually pitched the idea to her dad: what if she made and sold her own coloring books? His response was immediate and enthusiastic. “Let’s do it for the seasons,” he said—and just like that, Brie was off and running.

With a head full of ideas and an iPad in hand, Brie got to work sketching, inking, and compiling her first product: a Christmas-themed coloring book. Using Procreate, a digital drawing app, she hand-illustrated each page and printed the books at home on her family’s printer. Her first official sale? A vendor table at a burn benefit hosted by her mom’s workplace, where she made $400—clear proof that her product was resonating.

Building a Brand and Hustling at Markets

Since launching in late 2023, Brie has expanded her seasonal offerings with a spring/Easter coloring book and continues to hustle at pop-up events around Gainesville. With bright signs, vibrant booth designs, and genuine customer engagement, she’s quickly learned how to stand out in a crowded vendor space.

“Color and professionalism really attract people,” she says. “And I’ve gotten more confident. Now I know what to say when people come up. I know my prices, my pitch—I'm ready.”

Brie’s business model is simple and smart. She prints her coloring books for $2 and sells them for $8, offering a great value while maintaining strong margins. Each coloring book features 15 original pages, and she assembles them all by hand. Her customer base includes both walk-up kids and parents, as well as people finding her via Instagram and word-of-mouth.

Funding Her Growth

Brie recently won a $1,000 grant, which she plans to invest directly into her business. Her top priority? A faster, more reliable printer. The current one, she admits, often “cuts off midway” or jams. With a new printer, she’ll be able to streamline production and save hours of frustration—a big win for any entrepreneur, but especially for one balancing middle school and a growing company.

She’s also eyeing the digital frontier. Right now, her products are sold locally and through Instagram DMs, but she’s eager to explore platforms like Etsy and Amazon to expand her reach beyond Gainesville.

Learning from Family and Role Models

Brie credits much of her entrepreneurial curiosity to her dad, a former business owner and now CEO of the Cade Museum. He quizzes her during school drop-offs about growth margins and business terms. Brie also draws inspiration from digital artist Ari Uberti, whose work she admires for its creativity and polish.

As much as she’s teaching herself through experience, Brie is hungry to learn more. She’s excited about her school’s high school-level Entrepreneur Digital Design Program, which she plans to join when she advances. “I want more,” she says with enthusiasm. “It’s perfect for me.”

The Bigger Vision

While Brie loves designing for seasonal themes, she’s already thinking bigger. She dreams of creating custom coloring books for businesses—like dentists or local shops—who could offer them to kids in waiting rooms. It’s a smart expansion idea that could add recurring B2B revenue to her model.

She’s also careful with money. Her experience earning and spending her own cash has taught her to be intentional. Whether it’s replacing an Apple Pencil or saving for a car or college, Brie is already developing a mindset of responsibility and long-term thinking.

Advice for Young Entrepreneurs

Brie’s advice for other aspiring young business owners is simple and heartfelt: “It’s going to start out rough, and you’re going to get crap. But don’t stop. Keep doing what you’re doing—it’s going to turn out amazing.”

And we believe her.

The Dream

Brie dreams of growing Brie's Custom Designs into a full-scale creative business, expanding her online presence, and becoming a go-to illustrator for custom art and branding. She hopes to collaborate with other companies, build out a team, and one day maybe even teach other kids how to do what she’s done.

In the meantime, she’ll keep sketching, printing, and showing up—with a bright smile, bold ideas, and big dreams.