Five-Year-Old Cody Pulliam and His Successful Egg Business Prove That Success Does Not Depend on Age, but Rather on Attitude and Enthusiasm. By Mike Foley

Saturdays in Marysville, Washington are pretty much like Saturday's everywhere. It's a day of rest and relaxation, as most people take a break from a hectic work week. Even driving up the dirt road to Henny Farms isn't unusual. At the end of the road, you'll find a small shack set up to sell farm fresh eggs and a smart proprietor who knows his business and remains willing to talk, answer questions and treat you with respect and honesty. You chat, laugh, buy a few eggs and drive off with a smile.

And that's when you begin to realize that you've found something pretty special. You've just been touched by five-year-old Cody Pulliam.

At an age when most five-year-olds are still wondering what life is all about, Cody began a Saturday morning business that has grown steadily during the past year. Greeting customers is the culmination of Cody's work week, the result of time spent feeding the chickens, gathering the eggs and preparing them for sale.

"I love all my chickens," he says. "And it's fun to sell the eggs." Along the way, he has acquired a good deal of knowledge about the birds and about running a business. His regular customers have come to know him as a mature and honest business owner, who can answer their questions while making them smile and laugh. The business began when his mother, Krys, received 12 chickens as a birthday gift. Cody immediately suggested that they sell the eggs and began setting up a small table on Saturdays to test the market.

We weren't sure what to expect," says Krys, who with her husband, Marlin, continues to encourage Cody's business. "But he had a phenomenal response and we put up a larger sign near the road. Everything took off from there."

Cody would usually sell three dozen eggs each week. But after four short months, he began to study chickens at the local library and soon added 33 birds, mostly antique breeds that lay brown and blue eggs--Aracauna, Blue Wheaton, Ameracauna and Wyendotte. He named the business "Henny Farms," printed business cards and continued to sell out every week. Today, Cody sells more than 12 dozen eggs on a typical Saturday.

But Saturdays aren't the only business day for Cody. After collecting the egg money, he visits the local feed store during the week and recycles that money back into the business. His parents wait in the car while Cody purchases the necessary supplies for the chickens. As a regular customer, he has his own account at the store and keeps tracks of all business income and expense receipts.

It has become a fun and important part of life for Cody, who often sings to the birds as he works, hoping the sound will increase their egg production for the following weekend.

"But I can't always sell on Saturdays," he explains. "Sometimes we have to go on vacation."

"He does worry about the birds when we're gone," Krys adds. "The business has taught him so much about responsibility and life. He's learned to dialogue with adults in a mature way and to deal with loss when the birds die. Those are great lessons for a kid."

And there are other benefits, as well. Not only has the family grown closer through the business experience, but Krys has now begun a venture of her own, baking and selling breads and cookies to local coffee bars.

For his own business, Cody has expanded by selling homemade birdhouses and bread, items that also sell consistently each weekend.

"I like selling those things," he says. "But people still like the eggs better."

The eggs have grown so popular, in fact, that Cody simply can't meet the demand. A local chef, for example, found one of Cody's business cards and called to order 35 dozen eggs each week, which is beyond what Cody can provide. But, given time, this remarkable youngster may eventually take the business to another level. "For now, he'll probably stay at this stage," says Krys. "But he's still excited about the business, so anything's possible." Cody advises anyone who wants to begin an egg business to be sure they've got room to house the birds and expand. Krys adds that parents should encourage children to start a small business and then save what they've earned. "A business can do a lot for a kid's self-esteem," she says. "Just keep it simple and your child will blossom like Cody. He's such a positive kid. I know he's going to go far in life."

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