Ep. 92: Samuel Baker, Founder of Persevere Gear, on Faith, Youth Entrepreneurship, and Turning Setbacks Into a Brand

Samuel “Sammy” Baker, the youngest guest to join Next in Line, sits down in person with host Karina Jimenez to share how he turned one of the hardest periods of his life into Persevere Gear, a clothing brand he launched at just eleven years old.

After facing health challenges during the COVID pandemic and struggling to earn playing time on his travel basketball team, Sammy created the brand as a reminder to keep going. He shares how Persevere Gear grew from an online business into in-person pop-ups and how connecting face-to-face with customers taught him the value of building genuine relationships around the mission behind the brand.

Sammy also opens up about balancing entrepreneurship with school, varsity basketball, leadership responsibilities, and his faith, while leaning on a strong family support system to stay grounded. He shares how James one:twelve has guided his approach to perseverance and why surrounding yourself with people who share your drive can make a difference when pursuing something ambitious.

For the next generation of young entrepreneurs, Sammy’s message is to trust the ideas you feel called to pursue and to keep moving forward through every obstacle by remembering three things: pray, plan, and persevere.