Jonathan Bell’s rise from a tough childhood in Chicago to becoming a Gen Z entrepreneur in Springfield, MO, is truly inspiring. 

Life wasn’t always easy for Jonathan; he was raised by a single mother and dealt with homelessness, shaping him into someone who never gives up on dreams of a brighter future. 

After experiencing job rejections and dull life as a virtual student during the COVID-19 pandemic, he launched Bells Marketing Consulting at just 16 years old. 

Today, his company offers digital marketing and Gen Z consulting services, helping businesses understand and connect with young consumers. 

Table Of Contents:

• Jonathan’s Upbringing
• How Jonathan Built His Digital Marketing/Consulting Agency
• Challenges and The Future Of His Business
• Advice for Gen Z Entrepreneurs
• Jonathan’s Values and Lessons Learned
• Tools and Resources for Gen Z Entrepreneurs
• Connect with Jonathan

Jonathan’s Upbringing

TL;DR Version:

• Jonathan is a Gen Z Entrepreneur from Chicago, now living in Springfield, MO. 
• Growing up he experienced homelessness and uses that experience to never be in a situation like that again. 

Q: Where are you from?
I’m originally from Chicago, and now live in Springfield, Missouri.

Springfield, Missouri.

Q: What was it like growing up in Chicago?
It’s a crazy, interesting story. I was raised by a single mother pretty much my entire life. I’ve seen a lot of things, you know, and have gone through a lot, especially with what my father did towards my mother. 

We were homeless many times throughout elementary and middle school. Because of that, my mindset shifted because I saw things I shouldn’t have seen, which is the unfortunate reality that goes on daily in cities like Chicago. 

I tell you all of this because one of the biggest reasons I started my business was so that I would never go through what my mom and I went through ever again. 

How Jonathan Built His Digital Marketing/Consulting Agency    

TL;DR Version:

• Jonathan always knew school wasn’t for him, and being a virtual student during COVID-19 confirmed that. 
• He applied to 17+ jobs in Springfield and was rejected by all of them.
• As a result, when was 16 he created a business plan and launched Bells Marketing Consulting, which offers digital marketing and Gen Z Consulting services. 
• In 2021 alone Jonathan’s agency worked with 15+ small businesses.

Q: Why did you decide to explore entrepreneurship and start your business?
Number 1: I realized school wasn’t for me. 

In high school, I wasn’t the best student academically, especially in math. I was the student always asking, “So, when am I ever going to use this in real life?” 

I considered going to college at one point. If I did, I’d probably study music because I love music. I played the cello and piano in the Orchestra in high school. 

Jonathan playing the Cello at an
Orchestra concert.

During my sophomore year, I called some colleges to explore my options, but I never went further than that. I genuinely felt like school wasn’t for me.

Also, the more I thought about college, the more I realized it was expensive as fuck. There was no way I would put myself through debt for life. 

Number 2: At 15, I applied to 17+ jobs in my city and was rejected from all of them. 

All. Of. Them.

I’m still not sure why I was rejected from the jobs I applied to, especially at places like McDonald’s and Wendy’s because they had 13-14-year-olds working there. I applied in the first place because I was eager to work and earn an income for myself. 

Honestly, after receiving the rejections, a part of me felt like my own community was rejecting me, and I thought about leaving. (But didn’t)

Number 3: COVID-19 happened. 

Around the same time, COVID-19 happened, the world went into lockdown, and I was stuck finishing school online.

It wasn’t working out for me being a virtual student. I wasn’t the type of person to just sit down and not do anything. 

I had to move, mentally move, and the virtual infrastructure our school was providing us just wasn’t doing it for me. 

Q: So what did you decide to do?
I went ahead and formed a business plan. I asked myself, “Okay, what am I good at? What skill do I have that I can turn into an income? What would be my purpose for starting a business?”

It took me a long time to figure out what business to pursue with these questions in mind. 

Ultimately, I decided to start with social media marketing. I used to manage the social media of my family’s past businesses, so I thought, why not start there and figure out my niche to provide that as a service?

And that’s exactly what I did. 

In April 2020, at age 16 with $400 to my name, I formed the business plan for Bells Marketing Consulting, created a website, and officially launched.

4 years later, we’re still moving strong.

Bells Marketing Consulting website 

Q: As a 16-year-old entrepreneur, what did you focus on during the early days of your digital marketing business? 

My digital marketing business focused on struggling brick-and-mortar businesses for the first two years. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, I saw how small businesses, like mom-and-pop shops, were suffering. 

I put myself out there and reached out to small businesses telling them, “Hey, we can turn your business into an e-commerce model where you can sell your products online to reach a wider audience.” 

As a result, In 2021 alone my digital marketing agency worked with 15+ small businesses. 

We’ve since elevated and expanded our business to include Gen Z Consulting, and I’ve now hired a team of 5+ young people to help me with business growth. 

Q: What do you enjoy most about marketing? 

I really, really appreciate the science of social media. It really interests me. I am a huge TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn nerd. I even picked up and self-taught myself SEO because I was curious as to why my website wasn’t working against my competitors. 

I’d say social media marketing and SEO are my bread and butter. I work hard to provide results and value for my clients, even to companies that don’t want to work with me. I’m that passionate and driven about marketing. 

Q: You mentioned expanding your business into Gen Z consulting. Can you tell us more about how you did this? 

Last year, an article in our local newspaper featured 30+ employers and business owners in Springfield trashing Gen Z.

The article published in the Springfield Daily Citizen

They said things like how we’re lazy, money-hungry, and lack basic skills. When I read that I said oh hell no, no sir. This is what we’re not about to do.

So I instantly started writing and posted my unfiltered thoughts about it on LinkedIn, and the rest was history. All of a sudden, that article got numbers and I wrote out some more articles that got numbers too. 

So, we opened our consulting division to the company, where we specifically work with brands and businesses that do not understand our generation. We also have our agency side, which deals with influencer marketing and social media campaigns that focus on brands that want to target Gen Z.

We’re pretty much a Gen Z innovation hub company if you will. 

Challenges and The Future Of His Business 

TL;DR Version:

• As an entrepreneur, Jonathan has struggled with doing everything himself and figuring out what balance really means to him. 
• At one point his business took over his life and he was absent in his social life. 
• His goal is to build the best fucking company (his words) in the world and create a culture that prioritizes mental health, work-life balance, and hybrid work schedules. 

Q: What’s the biggest challenge you face as an entrepreneur?
Honestly, I think about this all the time. Two things that I’ve struggled with as a young entrepreneur are trying to do everything on my own and understanding what balance really looks like for me. 

I’ve had to sit down with my friends and apologize so many times because I haven’t been able to be there for them like I used to. I allowed the business to literally take over my life. 

So as of recently I’ve been more of an “operator” than actually working in the business. I’ve already built the systems and processes, and I have a capable team that handles most of the day-to-day so that I can take a step back and find that balance. 

It’s still a work in progress. 

Q: What do you envision for the future of your business?
I want to be in a position where we build the best fucking company in the world. That means hiring people from our generation in our community, paying them, and doing things differently. That’s what I want. 

I don’t want to be like other social media agencies that outsource all their work to other countries. 

I want to build a community for our generation and let them know that decent workplaces still exist. A community and workplace that prioritizes mental health, work-life balance, and hybrid schedules. 

I want to hire more people and invest in them. I want to look them in the eye and tell them I see their potential and can see them growing with our company. It’s all about investing in our community and generation. It’s on us. 

Advice for Gen Z Entrepreneurs 

TL;DR Version:

• Jonathan encourages young people to take gap years to discover themselves and experiment. 
• His advice for Gen Z Entrepreneurs who struggle to be taken seriously? Find people who will support you; they are out there and ready to help. 

Q: You have experience taking a gap year after high school, what advice do you have for Gen Zers considering a gap year? 

Taking a gap year is one of the best things you can experience. 

Our education system as a whole is not preparing us for the real world. We’re being told what to do, and we’re not encouraged to think creatively or figure out how to do things ourselves.  

We need to change the trajectory of how we enter the real world by actually being prepared. 

Instead of mindlessly going to college (because it’s not for everyone), taking a gap year helped me become self-aware of myself and experiment to figure out what was right for me. 

Take the time to self-reflect, experiment, and be curious. 

Q: What advice would you give Gen Z entrepreneurs who struggle with not being taken seriously because of their age or lack of experience? 

Jonathan speaking to an auditorium of high school students in Springfield. 

It’s a struggle for sure. 

When I first started, I got “no” after “no” after “no” because I was “too young to understand” anything. Yet these same businesses were looking for social media help to target my generation. 

It felt contradictory and confusing to know that people would refuse to work with you even though they needed you. 

My advice to young people who find themselves in situations where nobody wants to work with you because of your age, and they don’t see the value in you: 

Fuck them. They’re not worth your time. And I say this in the most respectful way possible. Your time and patience are worth so much more than trying to convince someone who doesn’t take you seriously or see the value in you.

Let them find someone else, and you find someone else because there are people out there who are ready and willing to support you. 

Q: What are common misconceptions that older generations have about Gen Z?
The biggest one I’ve noticed is that Gen Z is lazy, and I feel like they say this a lot because when they look at us they see us constantly using technology. And it’s interesting because older generations are the ones who created the technology that we use today. 

Jonathan speaks and encourages young people to pursue their passion.

I believe that the myth that Gen Z is lazy is because older generations don’t like the new way we do things today. And it’s true, we do things differently.

Another one I’ve heard is that we’re hard to communicate with. When older generations talk to me they tell me they have a hard time communicating with my generation.

And I’m like, how exactly do you communicate with us? What exactly are you doing? I’ve even read a few articles that say that Gen Z doesn’t want to communicate with anybody older, and I don’t necessarily think that’s true. 

Jonathan’s Values and Lessons Learned 

TL;DR Version:

• Jonathan values community, inclusion, and empowerment. 
• His favorite way to re-charge is by listening to music and self-reflection. 
• He stands for authenticity in his personal and business life and advocates for gratitude as a standard daily practice. 

Q: What are some values that are important to you?
Community and support are big to me. Making sure that those who have supported me on my journey are also taken care of when I make it big.  

These are my highest values because I’ve had so many supportive people in my life. Everyone who’s helped me, whether actively in my life or not, has played a role in getting me to where I am now. 

Inclusion and empowerment are also important values to me. 

I am big on empowering the people around me – my friends, community, and colleagues – to make their voices heard. Whether empowering them to tell their stories or to help them reach their personal goals. 

I’d also add compassion and empathy. 

Q: What are you still working on unlearning on your entrepreneurial journey?
Not asking for help. 

I’m still unlearning the mentality that I have to do everything on my own. I’m a very independent individual and I’ve had to learn to allow people in my life who want to support me on my journey. 

I know that help and support are things we all need eventually. 

You don’t have to run this race alone. Let people in. 

Q: What are some ways you like to recharge your batteries?
That’s a really good question. The best way I love to recharge is to sit in a room or car and blast loud music. I love loud music because it helps me turn everything off and just be. 

Or if I’m in a room where there’s an instrument I’ll pick it up and just vibe. 

Staring at water, like a lake or ocean, also brings me so much peace and helps me re-charge. Helps me self-reflect and become self-aware of myself. 

Q: What role does gratitude play in your life?
Oh, it plays a role every day. There are times where I’m like, if I wasn’t in this situation (in my life right now), I don’t know what I’d be doing. 

If you live in a large city and in a not-so-great neighborhood, you can easily, get involved in the wrong crowd. And I’m extremely grateful that I’m not going through that situation. 

How I also look at it is things could have been worse for me growing up. There are people in this world who have gone through more, so I’m not just gonna sit here and make it seem like my upbringing was the worst experience on earth.

But it is important to acknowledge how hard we’ve had it and be grateful so that we can help those who are going through what we’ve gone through. 

Q: What role does like authenticity, play in your personal and your business?
Authenticity is the most important thing for me. I don’t want someone involved in my business who isn’t authentic or gives me a fake persona and hides their true self. 

I’m all about empowering people around me to be their authentic selves. I even tell this to companies I work with and they don’t understand: if you’re not going to be authentic with your brand and trying to target Gen Z, you won’t win. 

Authenticity should lead you in every direction, down to even networking. When you’re networking with people, show them who you are. 

If you’re networking with people to get a meeting, tell them you’re real reason and be genuine. Authenticity goes super far when you’re building relationships with people. 

Tools and Resources for Gen Z Entrepreneurs 

TL;DR Version:

• This section is full of valuable resources and information, you should probably read through it. 

Q: Can you share any business resources or tools you use Gen Z Entrepreneurs can tap into? 

People to Follow  

Two people that entrepreneurs should look into that come to mind are Latasha James and Gary V. 

Gary V is one of my idols, I relate to his entrepreneurial journey so much. We didn’t exactly have the same upbringing but his journey and who he is today is exactly where I want to be. 

Gary V is incredibly useful if you want to learn more about the psychology behind marketing, understanding your customers, and leadership skills. 

Latasha James has been an insightful resource on marketing trends and social media strategy. She frequently shares reports on social media, marketing strategy, and platform algorithm updates which helps me stay up-to-date on any changes I should know about. 

Mentors 

Another valuable resource is to invest in mentors. 

My personal mentor helped me improve myself, and their guidance helped me use my personal growth to build my business. I had another mentor who was my business mentor and they helped me understand the business from an operational perspective. 

I learned how to build systems and processes, and I met with him twice a month to discuss everything business-related. He also helped me become a better leader within my own company because I believed it was important for me to be the best leader I could be.

Marketing/Business Tools 

Here’s a rundown of the different marketing tools I use in my business: 

• Adobe Express: Graphic designs 
• Facebook Business Suite: Free tool to cross-post on FB and IG.
• Later.com: Social media management for TikTok, YT, and LinkedIn.
• Gamma: Easy-to-use tool to create websites/presentations, we’ve used this for discovery calls.
• Zoho: If Microsoft and Google had a baby, but way more affordable. 
• Honeybook: We use this for our CRM and proposal creations. 
• Google Workspace: all-in-one workspace our team uses to organize and collaborate. 

Connect with Jonathan 

Interested in connecting with Jonathan? Feel free to find him on LinkedIn. 

If you’re a business or company interested in working with Jonathan, you can inquire through Bells Marketing Consulting and request a consultation.