12-year-old self-made entrepreneur encourages Philly's youth to never stop studying

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- When you first meet Brandyn Ross of Philadelphia's West Oak Lane neighborhood, he almost seems like every other 12-year-old.

"I play basketball, like to do my business and talk to my friends," he said.

But you quickly realize that he's got something special. When he was just 9 years old, he became a self-made entrepreneur.

His mother, Brandi (Battle-Ross), explains how an idea for a business came about in a barbershop.

"One day, he just so happened to be reading a book underneath the dryer. And he was like, 'studying never stops,'" she recalled.

Tell us! What Makes You Philly Proud?

The phrase "studying never stops" became his life motto and the start of a personal campaign to encourage others to keep studying. He sells wristbands, t-shirts and other apparel.

He takes 10% of the profits to purchase books to leave in barbershops, salons, and school lunchrooms -- anywhere that people have some downtime to read a few pages.

"Studying never stops means that you never stop studying in life. You never stop studying in school. In sports, you just never stop studying in everything," said Brandyn.

He now attends events and speaks to youth groups to give advice on how he got started, and to encourage his peers to keep studying.

"It's a life lesson like you never stop studying their life, no matter what you need to do. And in order to be successful in life, you have to study," said his mother. "He can be different, and he can change the narrative for some other young men and the city of Philadelphia."

"I hope it helps somebody, and it just helps them learn more than they already know," adds Brandyn.