Pierson twins have grown up on Jacksonville TV

Sisters make transition from dealership darlings to college-aged entrepreneurs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For anyone who has lived here any period of time, you probably know exactly who the Keith Pierson twins are.  If you've lived here awhile, you've watched the sisters grow up before your eyes on television.  Now, the girls, who started out as dealership darlings, have transitioned into college-aged entrepreneurs.

WATCH: Pierson twins early years

Alex and Danny Pierson spent their grade school, middle school and high school years appearing on TV ads and billboards as adorable spokespersons for their mom and dad's car dealership, Keith Pierson Toyota.

"A lot of people probably still think we're 12 years old and we're 20 now so we're way passed the kind of becoming an adult things and I think that that's important to know about us," said Alex.

The twins are now juniors at separate colleges, hundreds of miles away from Jacksonville.  But both have created businesses online.

"The Newsette is a daily news email filled with everything you need to know to start your day," said Danny.

"So my business is called SpringPop its a website, springpop.com . It's basically a clutter free way to explore your interests online," explained Alex.

While the twins are now on their own, they are proud of what they've done together, as a family.

WATCH: Pierson twins getting older on TV

"I don't think they've ever pushed us to do anything except work really hard. We, my dad always says the harder you work the luckier you get and we found that when you really work hard you get opportunities and I think that that's mainly the lesson we've gotten from our parents," explained Alex.

"I think that I always looked up to my dad and my mom because they had their business and I think that when I started it, I was a little scared because you don't want to disappoint your parents, but they we're always so supportive and even though it was scary for them they were behind us a 100 percent," added Danny.

Danny attends Boston College and Alex attends Penn, however they are both now  collaborating on a blog and seem to be the biggest fans of each others start-up ventures.

"It's so good, its so funny. I just get it in my inbox and it honestly doesn't seem like my sister writes it. It's really good, it's really funny. It honestly keeps me in the know. I get to know celebrity news, fashion, gossip, beauty, health tips. It's really nice," said Alex.

"That's nice, thank you," Danny responded to her sister.

WATCH: Pierson twins, the high school years

While the twins are well-known here in Jacksonville, their businesses are successful because of what they're doing now. They're finding ways to offer a product and earn the trust of people who have never seen them on a billboard or a television ad.

"I'm pretty sure all of my subscribers are from around Boston. I have some subscribers in Australia and Tokyo, I have them from across the world. I'll look at them and be like, 'Where did these people come from,'" said Danny. "So that's a really rewarding experience cause its not like people are my friends and that's why they read it. They actually enjoy it, too."

"There's always been a business influence," added Alex. "We grew up with the kind of idea that we could do anything that we set our mind to but hard work was always at the heart of everything that we learned."


About the Authors

Kent Justice co-anchors News4Jax's 5 p.m., 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts weeknights and reports on government and politics. He also hosts "This Week in Jacksonville," Channel 4's hot topics and politics public affairs show each Sunday morning at 9 a.m.

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