Meet Hank Miller | Nonprofit owner & teenager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hank Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hank, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
A year ago, I was Spider-Man for a Halloween event at our church. There were a lot of little ones dressed in similar costumes and they loved taking photos with me. I realized I enjoyed seeing their faces light up when they saw me. So, I asked my mom what it would take to start some sort of super hero business. We decided that a nonprofit would be a great way to allow me to get into character, while being able to put some smiles on the faces of kids and adults. It hasn’t been easy. Starting a nonprofit isn’t just filling out a few forms and going. However, it’s been a blast so far!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We like to think that our mission statement makes us stand out. We really try to make individuals’ days a little better when we provide our character visits. I really love being able to dress up in some of my favorite super hero costumes and seeing smiles from everyone I visit. It definitely was not easy to start the business. Nonprofits aren’t just a few forms to fill out and you are done. There are legal forms, tax forms, stuff for the state, federal government, and bank accounts. I also didn’t know that you need a special form filled out to be able to ask for donations from people. My board of directors helped a lot with those things. One of the biggest challenges has been finding funding for the business. Since we aren’t a member-based nonprofit, like PTAs or booster clubs, we rely on the generosity of local businesses and individuals who want to support us. I have learned that it takes a lot of work and patience for anything to be successful. I want everyone to know that Hank’s Heroes is here and we want to be able to reach as many people as we can!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Our town is a sleepy little town, but we do have a lot of great things to do and places to eat. We would have to stop for breakfast at a little diner called Pelican Diner. It sits right on the city’s golf course and near the airport. So, LOTS of people watching. If we aren’t too hungry, we might high up the local roasters, Beeb’s Beans, for coffee. We’d then head to the Mel Fisher Treasures Museum, right here in Sebastian. For lunch, it would be wings at Outriggers, right on the Sebastian River. the next day we might head down to Vero Beach to shop at the Vero Beach Book Center, roller skate at the Skate Factory, and BBQ at Pepper & Salt (the BEST BBQ ever!). We might even grab a movie at the Majestic 11 Movie Theater. If a friend is here midweek, we would visit my local youth group on Wednesday for pizza, fellowship, and music, while meeting all the people who I hang out with on a regular basis. Come and visit on a Sunday and in the evening you’d get to meet Coach Shawn at cheer practice, and maybe try a tumble or two!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to thank my parents for encouraging me to start this business. My board of directors also deserves credit. They are a great team of heroes who help with the day-to-day tasks and managing the business technical stuff. I would also like to recognize the businesses who believed in me when we first started. Within a few days, we had our first fundraising event scheduled at a local BBQ place.

Website: https://www.hanks-heroes.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hanks.heroes.FL

Image Credits
Amber Miller