"I want a life of abundance." This is the philosophy of young Warren Cassell Jr who is already an investor, author and entrepreneur at the age of 15. He is already sought after to share his wisdom and knowledge of the business world which he does by giving motivational speeches in schools throughout the Caribbean. Cassell Jr is an American citizen but lives with his parents in Montserrat.
He has already written two books, The Farm of Wisdom: 25 Unforgettable Tales That Will Ignite a Wiser You! which was published in July, 2013 and Swim or Drown: Business and Life Lessons I've Learned from the Ocean, which was published in February, 2014. Both books are available on Amazon.com.
This is only one of the young man's many successful ventures. He is also the Chairman of The Abella Group, an investment group that he formed to manage the money that he amassed from his greeting card company called Emerald Greeting Cards. He started that company when he was just eight-years-old. He is also a black-belt in taekwondo. Besides his prowess as an author he also once successfully did Web design for some major companies and is now trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Even though he has many commitments and is always engaged in some endeavor, he finds time every night to have dinner with his family and to pray with them.
He took time on November 18 to speak with the T&T Guardian at the Queen's Royal College (QRC) before he addressed about 400 of his peers to share his experience and personal motivation. Cassell Jr explained that the both books he wrote focuses on the relationship between business, life and nature.
"I believe we are being blinded by technology and not being observant of nature and we can learn a lot from observing animals and plants."
The young man who was born in the United States but spent most of his life in Montserrat, said he was able to learn the correlation between these things because of living in the Caribbean, where nature is all around. He said that he is pleased with the reviews that he received so far and was also very happy that both books were on Amazon's bestsellers list in July/August this year.
He received the first investment to create his greeting card company from his mother, Cleo Cassell but soon moved on to other ventures as he tried to create his life of abundance. He laughed as he revealed that his mother is also his English teacher at school.
Education is still very much a priority even with his successes. He is currently a fifth form student at Montserrat Secondary School. He has already written the Economics in CSEC and achieved a Grade one. He is also pursuing eight O levels which include subjects like IT, Physics and Accounts. It doesn't end there either, he is also studying two units of CAPE Economics. His favourite subject is economics.
"I think because I started at such a young age it gave me the knowledge of how to manage my time best and I am passionate about my school work and I am passionate about my business. Once you're passionate about it you find ways to work towards it."
His thirst for success stems from his desire to leave a mark on the world. His father Warren Cassell Sr who is an attorney-at-law dealing with entertainment law, a public relation officer for the government of Montserrat and an author, was also present at the interview and shared that his son is very personally motivated to achieve success but added his drive may also have to do with the example that he gets from both parents.
When he addressed the QRC students he told them that he wanted to make a difference to mankind and that becoming successful should be a passion and a duty. He urged them to always think big when they are pursuing any endeavor.
"I want to leave a legacy. I've heard stories of Bill Gates of Steve Jobs and even as far back as Aristotle or Jesus Christ as well, they were all written in the books of history and I want to leave my legacy because when I am gone I want people to remember me and I want to be remembered as someone who shared his message. The message is that success is your duty and anyone can have a life of abundance."
He urged them to remain focused and to find their passion in life because that is what will ultimately lead them to success. At the end of his short but informative speech thunderous applause echoed throughout the hall, with many students thanking him for giving them inspiration to try and achieve even more.