Conroe Courier July 1, 2023

For his sixth grade class at Keefer Crossing Middle School in New Caney, Anthony “AJ” Gonzalez was tasked with writing about what he wanted to do in life. 

If he wasn’t able to play professional baseball, the 13-year-old from New Caney said he wanted to become a business owner. 

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So, he started his own business where he cleans trash bins around his neighborhood, calling himself “The Garbage Kid.”

More than two weeks into the launch, his story began to spread on Facebook. Since then, support from the community and around Houston has been overwhelming, the Gonzalez family said.

Starting with 35 homes, Gonzalez said he possibly has more than 100 clients in his neighborhood.

“I’m really excited,” Gonzalez said. “Hopefully it just goes up from here. Hopefully I am able to expand my business and help other kids start their own.”

Growing an audience

Gonzalez first got the idea to clean garbage bins after seeing someone on TikTok do it for money. 

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When he approached his mother about starting his own business, she told him he needed to do his research and come up with a business plan.

“I kind of just explained to him how it works,” Linda Gonzalez said. “And then that was it. He came back that same afternoon and had it all written down by steps. And the last thing he wrote was ‘start making money.'”

He officially started his business on June 13, four days before his birthday. Gonzalez’s mother frequently drives him to his clients’ houses, while one of his sisters helps him with scheduling.

His story was shared after his birthday on June 17 by Grizzy’s Hood News, a popular local personality who posts news and crowdsourced videos and information from around the Houston area. Soon after, FOX 26 produced a story about Gonzalez’s small business. 

As of Thursday, the post has gained more than 5,000 interactions. 

Gonzalez would eventually capture the attention of Houston rapper Paul Wall, who shared the teenager’s story on Facebook.

Gonzalez’s new social media attention has helped with helping him grow his business, with several people funding his GoFundMe page and buying cleaning supplies.

Businesses such as Empire Tools in Houston also have donated power washing equipment.

Expanding the business

Since creating a GoFundMe page last week, Gonzalez has raised close to $2,000. He hopes to save up enough money to buy sporting equipment, clothes and school supplies for kids in Houston. 

“He wants to help areas that are more low income,” Linda Gonzalez said. 

Eventually, Gonzalez wants to help other kids start their own cleaning businesses in their neighborhoods.

As of Friday, the business has gained more than 1,500 followers across all of his social media platforms.  

“I think it’s awesome,” said New Caney resident Jessica Cass, who is one of Gonzalez’s clients. “(For) a lot of kids, hard work is not something that they strive for. They want instant gratification and they want it now. So to see (Gonzalez) working for it is amazing.”Â