Beanie Babies to first car

As a teenager working at a Starbucks in the Phoenix airport, she bought rare Beanie Babies from the gift shop and flipped them on eBay. That paid for her first car.

“You've either got the entrepreneurial spirit, or you don't.”

A pink truck beat food stamps

Pregnant and newly abandoned by her husband, she spent about $3,000 on an ice cream truck. A few hours each afternoon brought in roughly $500, enough to get off assistance and save for New York.

New York on a thin margin

She landed a fashion job through a friend of a friend and shared a one-bedroom with 6-month-old Harlow. Her under-market nanny stayed a friend, and got raises as the income grew.

No good produce at 2 a.m.

Coke could be delivered in the middle of the night, but fresh vegetables could not. She downsized her apartment to buy runway and started a CSA-style delivery box.

“I could have a bottle of Coke delivered at 2 a.m. in New York if I wanted to, but I couldn't find good produce.”

The pandemic rule change

After eleven hard years, new federal rules let insurers offer food as a health benefit. She dropped direct-to-consumer and sold produce boxes to insurance companies instead. Last year the company sold for $47.5 million.

“Making the change was scary, there were lots of tears.”

A trust with a condition

Harlow owned 30% of her mother's stock, so the sale made the 15-year-old wealthy. The money stays locked until she does something meaningful: work, art, or volunteering. College optional.

“She might have a trust fund, but she's never going to be one of those spoiled rich kids.”