Forbes20 Under 20 List
In keeping with the tradition ofForbes’s list of exceptional individuals making a global impact, this year the magazine is putting out a list of twenty under twenty. This is in response to the notable rise of entrepreneurs and executives disrupting industries at a younger age. We ask each person on the list to answer the same five questions.
#18—Gavin Ok. As the next in line to take over It’s Ok!, a fast-fashion empire that is steadily supplying the fashion trends for anyone between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one one midriff at a time, Gavin Ok has a net worth that is already staggeringly high as an executive in training.
Q:As an individual not yet twenty years old, you have surpassed goals many people can only dream of achieving in their lifetimes. Do you worry you have peaked too soon?
A:Not at all. My father is a hardworking immigrant who built his life from nothing to become a leader in the fashion industry. Since I can remember, he has instilled in me to keep striving for achievement, no matter where I am in my life.
Q:Have you always known what you wanted to be when you grew up?
A:Yes, my father has included me in the business affairs of It’s Ok! from a young age. In a way, it has made me feel part of the business my whole life.
Q:What do you think has been most influential in helping you be the success you are today?
A:As I mentioned before, my father has helped guide me in my path. Additionally, without a doubt, the education I’m receiving at the University of Southern California has been invaluable to my achievements. I could not have made it here without the top-notch education.
Q:The type of success you’ve achieved requires a rigorous work ethic that could potentially be overwhelming. How do you handle work-life balance? What sort of hobbies or activities do you do for fun?
A:I don’t have time for hobbies. The way I see it, they’re a waste of time. Achievement at this level doesn’t happen without effort, and this sort of lifestyle isn’t for everyone.
Q:Lastly, on a more personal note, with all the work you do to maintain this level of success, do you have time for a special someone in your life?
A:I do have a girlfriend at the moment. Sonya Sinclair and I are high school sweethearts. Her grandfather Bucky Sinclair is the founder of Bucky’s BBQ Sauce. Like our family businesses, Sonya Sinclair and I make a great pair. Good taste and fashion go hand in hand.
Chapter 7
With my hair in a towel, I wander into the kitchen, and my eye catches the clock on the counter. I’ll be the first to admit I have no idea how long pruning an herb garden should take, but an hour seems like an unusually long time to be gone. Mostly fueled by curiosity and only a tiny bit out of worry for Gavin’s safety, I go outside to check around the property.
Despite the gray cloud that’s been following us since we got here, the sun’s rays burst onto my face as soon as I open the door. I have to shield my eyes as I walk down the steps of our stoop to get a proper look around. In the daylight I’m disappointed to discover the place looks worse than it did last night. Every panel on the house is peeling in a color that can only be described as shit brown, and the concrete driveway is covered with veinlike cracks all the way down to the dirt road. On the side there’s a shed that is horror-movie levels of decrepit, and behind it is a field that stretches farther and wider than I imagined it would. It isn’t until I almost make a full circle of the property that I find Gavin.
“What are you doing?” I huff, annoyed he made me trek across this massive wasteland only to find him unharmed. Not only is he not near the herb garden, but he’s sitting on the steps to the back door, reading something.
He folds the magazine in half and abruptly stands up. “I’m about to trim the chives.”
“Sure you are.” I eye him suspiciously.
“God, you’re exhausting,” he says in an exasperated way I don’t understand.
