Have you ever been gifted a present at Christmas that comes with a 10-week commitment? Otis has!

“It was so random, it was like $25 to reserve my spot in the class. I looked it up and was like, ‘Ok cool’ but wow it was 10 weeks! The first time I saw everyone was at the Mardi Gras book pick-up, and they were passing out the curriculum. And I was like, ‘Oh ok, this is kind of serious.’ And then I got into it and I was like wow this IS serious! I’m glad I followed through on the 10-week Christmas present commitment, though!”

Otis had started OhButtonz the year prior to enrolling in The Academy. He was a little cocky and felt he knew it all in order to run a successful business. 

“So somebody just bought me a spot in the class and I was like, ‘I don’t need no business academy, I know everything about businesses.’ And on day one I realized I didn’t know anything! So if I give one piece of advice to future Academy students: take it super seriously, go in with an open mind, and learn as much as you can. And work as much as you can!”

Once he realized how much The Academy could change for his business, Otis studied hard and worked harder. He loved attending classes and connecting with his peers, and felt passionate about his product and his business journey.

“I loved the support situation. A lot of people don’t have support for their businesses. But Corner to Corner is like that instant support situation, where you’re thrown into a big support group. And I liked how they have millionaires or people who are already successful in their businesses come into the class and talk to us, and let us know, ‘Hey if I can do it, you can do it.’ That’s my favorite part of Corner to Corner. The actual, genuine support system.”

Now, Otis OhButtonz is on his way to becoming a household name here in Nashville, with plans to be on SharkTank one day not very far behind! He is an energetic and outgoing entrepreneur, as well as an Academy Alumn.

He doesn’t just sell buttons, though. He sells smart buttons.

“I’m the King of Buttons. Pretty much, I’m going to start a whole new wave and innovate this whole industry. It’s a smart way to market, honestly. It’s not a QR code, it’s an NFC tag. ”

What’s an NFC tag you ask? NFC stands for “Near-Field Communication”, and these small tags allow two “devices” to communicate and share data, wirelessly. It’s super customizable and easy to use – just tap your phone to the tag and voila!

“NFC is pretty big overseas, but Americans are sleeping on it. The only way that America is really using NFC tags right now is when you go to like, Walmart and you pay for your groceries using the tap-to-pay option. But NFC tags come in so many other various forms!”

And Otis is bringing that technology right to our neighborhood. 

“I got third place at The Academy Graduation’s Compassionate Pitch Contest in the spring of 2022, and three days after my pitch, I couldn’t even walk down the street without people yelling, ‘OhButtonz I saw your speech!’ I was recognized everywhere I went. It’s a whole movement!”

Since then, Otis has partnered with a number of his fellow Academy Alumni to provide them with personalized OhButtonz for their businesses. We’ve even had our own order here at Corner to Corner!

Our entrepreneurs at The Academy have wild and audacious goals, just like our team here at Corner to Corner does! We love to see our neighbors, like Otis, flourish using their own God-given talents and passions.

Visit Oh Buttonz‘s website to learn more about Otis’ product!