It must be Twintuition: Sisters Hannah and Shayna Cohen take on the business world
FeaturesProfile Features March 5, 2018 Admin
Hannah and Shayna Cohen share just about everything – friends, shoes and as of a few months ago, a small business.
The venture started out as a hobby, with the twins revamping old t-shirts found in their closets whenever they could not think of what to wear. It was not long after they began sporting the looks to spirit days and football games that their peers began to ask about finding similar garments for themselves.
“When the pink-out football game happened in November, I decided to make a pink tube top, and people said that they wanted one,” Hannah Cohen said. “I thought ‘Well, I’ll sell you one.’”
A pair of savvy DECA members, the Cohens took the opportunity to make some extra cash and founded Twintuition Designs. The shirts either come from their closet or are brought in by the customer, and the twins often learn to create new styles from YouTube, so no two pieces are alike.
With their shirt prices ranging from 10 to 15 dollars, they hope to put their profits towards paying for their college tuition and expenses. Having already raised a considerable amount, the Cohens believe that they have DECA to thank.
“If we weren’t in DECA, I don’t think we would have had the idea to do this,” Shayna Cohen said. “We might have just made them for people without selling, but we saw a business opportunity and took advantage of that.”
“The experience has been so rewarding,” Hannah Cohen said. “You get to travel and meet new people, but you also learn how to speak and dress professionally, and gain a lot of other skills that will be useful after high school.”
The Cohens joined DECA during their sophomore year of high school and found no shortage of success. As sophomores, the business manual that they developed with partner Taylor Mills placed third in the buying and merchandising category at the state competition, and the next year the Cohens and their partner Eva Rador placed fourth in the same category. As seniors, they have already been to the national competition twice.
“The experience has been so rewarding,” Hannah Cohen said. “You get to travel and meet new people, but you also learn how to speak and dress professionally, and gain a lot of other skills that will be useful after high school.”
This year, their last in DECA, the girls are yet again preparing to go to states, their manual having placed at the district competition.
“I was so happy when I found out that the manual had placed at districts and that we’d be going to states for the third time,” Shayna Cohen said. “It felt so good that for the last time ever we would be going to states with our manual. All the hard work had paid off.”
As seniors, the Cohens have taken on leadership roles in DECA, with Hannah serving as vice president of membership and Shayna as vice president of finance. They even work side-by-side on Virtual Enterprises International, an online program through DECA which places students in different roles within a simulated business.
“Shayna is more creative and hands-on and, on the other hand, Hannah is [good] at writing and putting Shayna’s creativity into words.”
In addition to their dedication to DECA, the Cohen twins take a focus on business independently of CCHS. Last May they began working as accounting assistants at Quality Importers, a wholesale distributor, and have found it to be valuable experience for the future.
Another opportunity to learn on the job presented itself this past summer when the twins, along with DECA member Caroline Dejitar, teamed up to participate in Nova Southeastern University’s Ice Cream Entrepreneurship Program. Competing against about 25 other students from South Florida, the girls were tasked with creating a new flavor as well as a poster to advertise it for Yo Mamma’s Ice Cream on Fort Lauderdale Beach. After a taste test and a presentation, their flavor, Beach Blonde, was chosen to be sold in the shop.
“[The twins] complement each other well,” Dejitar said. “Shayna is more creative and hands-on and, on the other hand, Hannah is [good] at writing and putting Shayna’s creativity into words.”
The girls’ roles within the business-related projects they undertake reflect their strengths and future career prospects. Shayna’s creative eye is compatible with her dream of a career in marketing, while Hannah’s preference for dealing with the logistics of business align with her inclination towards management and finance. Even though their paths for the future are one of the only topics on which they diverge, the Cohens find that this creates the perfect balance between them.
“Shayna is probably one of the only people I would ever consider running a business with,” Hannah Cohen said. “It’s the kind of job you couldn’t do alone, and I’m happy to have my sister by my side through it all.”
Photo by Casey Chapter
