SAN ANTONIO – A young man in San Antonio started his own business, and now, he’s showing others the benefits of being an entrepreneur.
Jona Covarrubias has always loved fashion, but more specifically, shoes.
So you can imagine the excitement on his face as a 15-year-old attending his first sneaker show at Cowboys Dancehall.
“I got inspired by the person who ran the event basically, and then I was like, ‘I can do this. I can put an event together. I can rent out tables, I can rent out the venue. I can do all of this,’” Covarrubias said.
While he had the drive, he didn’t have the money. But, he worked hard to earn it.
“At first I started selling candy and stuff like that. In high school, I bought fidget spinners and started selling them when they were a trend and that is where I got my money to start my first event,” he said.
Covarrubias created the Lace Up Sneaker Show, growing from just 30 vendors to now over 150.
To this date, he has been able to hold 10 different shows.
“It’s a great feeling because, like, I put this all together. It just all started with a laptop. It is crazy,” he said.
At a young age, Covarrubias faced many obstacles, including a rocky relationship with his stepfather.
“What really inspired me was getting kicked out the house by my stepdad constantly. I really wanted to get my own house. A solid place to live. In the 10th grade, I started saving money,” he said.
At one point in his life, Covarrubias said he found himself living on the street.
“It is something I had to go through for sure. It was a learning experience that motivated me to get to the next level and try to be more stable. If people are living with their parents, don’t take that for granted. Take that as an advantage. That is a whole blessing.”
He’s learned many life lessons along the way and mended his relationship with his stepfather.
Covarrubias is even a homeowner and a full-time entrepreneur, with a goal to keep expanding his lace up sneaker show.
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