When her mother was cutting articles out of Essence because they were inappropriate for pre-teen Kenya Jordana James, she probably had no idea that her daughter would one day be featured in the magazine.

Now the 13-year-old editor-in-chief of Blackgirl Magazine is in Bermuda to talk to students about her success as a young entrepreneur - and to make it clear that people are never too young to accomplish their dreams.

Kenya, who comes from an enterprising family in Atlanta, spoke to an audience at CedarBridge Academy last night and is due to speak at the school again today at 11 a.m.

The teenager opened her first business selling handmade jewellery when she was in third grade, when she was just about eight, and then expanded to launch Kenyajordana Cakes.

By age 11 she moved on to launch a magazine specifically for black girls, and after two successful years, is now behind a clothing line called Modest Apparel.

Kenya said she got the idea for the magazine stemmed from her mother, marketing entrepreneur Karen Mason, who clipped articles out of Essence and other magazines that she did not feel were appropriate for her young daughter.

Kenya had usually read most of the articles already, but decided that it would be a good idea to publish a magazine that was teenage specific.

Blackgirl Magazine encompasses, entertainment, history, culture and a section called the Elders Speak.

She said the Elders Speak was the only section that she did not write herself.

The teenager said she was no great writer, and that she attended a writing course to enhance and hone her skills, but said she found that with practice it became much easier.

She has interviewed Lauryn Hill, Venus and Serena Williams, B2K, India.Arie, Monica, Outkast, Jimmy Jam, Mario, Floetry, Ilyasah Shabazz and Jill Scott to name a few.

"My first business was selling jewellery - I enlisted all my friends and we made and sold jewellery to our teachers," said the home-schooled student.

"I later said 'I bake well and I am always baking for my school functions', so I decided it was a good idea to begin Kenyajordana Cakes.

"After that, with money that I had saved from Kenyajordana Cakes and funding from several organisations, I was able to produce the first issue of the magazine, which ran in July 2001.

"I make things into a vessel I can use."

Her clothing line came about because her mother wanted her to dress in clothing that was not too tight or showy.

So, she thought: "I'm not going to dress in granny clothing so, I learned how to sew and everything that I am wearing in Bermuda is what I made.

"I won an award from Girls Inc. and I took the winning money of $2,500 and bought an industrial sewing machine, Sergers (overlocker) and an embroidery machine.

"Since then people have been putting in orders."

Kenya has appeared on Oprah, in Essence and in numerous other publications.

She is not phased by her success, she simply believes in following her dreams and in not allowing anything to get in her way.

She said: "You are never too young to make a positive change in your life. Find people that will support your ideas and who will help you up."

Blackgirl Magazine is published on a bi-monthly basis and can be purchased online from www.blackgirlmagazine.com.

Members of the public are invited to attend her seminar at Ruth Seaton James Auditorium at CedarBridge Academy this morning. Admission is free.