An autistic young man from Canada turned his passion into profit by starting a paper shredder business when he was in college. Fifteen years later, you have your own workspace, an employee, and you’ll even buy your own home.
Aaron Grimm, of Wetaskiwin, Alberta, was diagnosed with autism at the age of five. Throughout his life, Aaron has been supported by his parents, Vanessa and Kane, who firmly believe that their son should not be singled out for his disability.
Almost unable to speak, Aaron received educational support and attended regular school (his parents canceled the school district’s initial rejection in seventh grade).
“We’ve never felt sorry for him,” Vanessa told The Epoch Times. “We never allowed Aaron to feel sorry for himself… We raised Aaron just as we raised his brother, to work hard, do his best, and act.”
Growing up, Aaron and his older brother, Jonathan, both went to church, watched hockey, went shopping, went to restaurants, and went camping, just like their peers.
Developmental delays caused, socially, many of Aaron’s friends to outdo him; But Aaron learned to make the most of the situation.
“Now I look back and I can’t imagine how hard this must have been for him,” Vanessa reflects. “But he did, he’s lived up to expectations at all times.”
Your son’s journey to becoming a business owner began in 2007, during the summer vacation from college. He was a support worker looking for a summer job for him, choosing paper shredder as a possible option.
Aaron loves tactile and sensory action; He’s been shredding paper for his dad for years, and he liked the idea of the job, but he insisted on setting it up. himself or himself Deal.
So his mother supported him to take it seriously and come up with a name for the company, as well as cards, equipment and advertisements. Aaron rose to the occasion and created his company: AG Shredding & Recycling Services.
Five days after putting an ad in the local newspaper, he got his first job: 70 boxes for the Tim Hortons chain. He started shredding in his kitchen, but the first shredder burned out the first day. The second shredder cost $750 with warranty, while the third shredder cost $3,000 and lasted 10 years.
Thanks to word of mouth, ads, and Facebook, Aaron’s business took off quickly.
Today Aaron rented his own workspace and even hired a part-time employee.
Aaron has always been delighted with the sensory stimulation of chopping, singing as he works.
In 2021, Aaron’s support worker helps him fulfill an old dream: buying a home; Aaron and his parents saw about 15 properties and eventually decided to buy a modern 4-bedroom house with enough space for his friends and support staff.
While visiting the property, Vanessa heard him whisper, “That’s precious,” and knew he had found his spot.
Aaron contributed 50 percent of the down payment — from disability savings — while his parents covered the rest.
Aaron’s success in work – and in life – sparked international interest, and he was invited to go to Ukraine with his mother to share how accepting others made a huge difference to him.
Now, Vanessa tells parents of their children with a disability to “dream big.”
“If you see a disability,” he said, “all you see is fear and impossibility.” “But if you look at the person, the fear disappears.”
He adds that accepting their restrictions means that people with disabilities have the same right in the world as everyone else.
He said, “This is your world too, isn’t it?” “Not only you and me, not just everyone who doesn’t have disabilities.
“It’s also Aaron’s world.”
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