Max Coisman – Student / Founder / Influencer / Hopeful Olympic Athlete

Meet Max. He’s a social media influencer and entrepreneur with more than 1.3 million followers. He’s also a serious athlete who has won 5 national championships in a track and field event called race walking (also known as speed walking). Max graduated high school in 2023 and is currently taking a gap year to grow his businesses and continue his training for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Check out Max’s Major Accomplishments – Awards – Classes – Interview Questions

Major Accomplishments

Founder, Dogs of the Web – In 2020, Max started a single Instagram account to honor his family pet who had just passed away. Over the next 4 hours, this has grown into 40 dog-breed specific accounts on Instagram and Tiktok which collectively have 1.3 million followers and get more than 1 million views per day. He generates several thousand dollars per month in rev-share from Instagram and Tiktok as well as affiliate and brand deals with major pet companies.

Founder, MaxCoisman eBay Store – During the Covid pandemic of 2020, Max had a lot of free time on my hands, so he started an eBay store to sell antique magazines, records and other collectibles. During the next 4 years, this store generated more than $50,000 in sales and $30,000 in profits. In his senior year, he put this business on autopilot to focus on his social media accounts.

National Champion Racewalker – Racewalking is a track and field sport where you ironically can’t run; you have to walk. I started at the age of 10 and got really good pretty quickly. I have been a national champion for my age group 5 times (including both high school and middle school) and I have been an All-American (placing in the top 8 at a national meet) 18 times. I am hope to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Summer Games.

Eagle Scout – Some people may think being an Eagle Scout isn’t a “major accomplishment” because lots of people do it. For me, it was really important to my development. It forced me to get off the track or my computer (where I was working on my businesses) and do something fun. I particularly liked camping in the woods (which I did for more than 50 nights) and just goofing off with my friends.

National Awards

• 1st place – 2022 AAU Track and Field Junior Olympics Indoor National Championship – 3000M Racewalk Boys 17/18
• 5th place – 2022 USATF National Youth Outdoor Championships – 3000M Racewalk Boys 17/18
• 1st place – 2022 AAU National Club Outdoor Championships – 3000M Racewalk Boys 17/18
• 4th place – 2022 AAU Track and Field Junior Olympics Outdoor National Championship – 3000M Racewalk Boys 17/18
• 5th place – 2022 USATF Track and Field Junior Olympics Indoor National Championship – 3000M Racewalk Boys 17/18
• 4th place – 2021 USATF Track and Field Junior Olympics Outdoor National Championship – 3000M Racewalk Boys 17/18
• 5th place – 2021 AAU Track and Field Junior Olympics Outdoor National Championship – 3000M Racewalk Boys 17/18
• Finalist (top 20) – 2021 DECA National Competition – Business Growth Plan
• 2nd place – 2019 AAU Track and Field Junior Olympics Indoor National Championship – 3000M Boys 15
• 1st place – 2019 USATF Track and Field Junior Olympics Indoor National Championship – 3000M Boys 15/16
• 2nd place – 2019 USATF Track and Field Junior Olympics Outdoor National Championship – 3000M Boys 15/16
• 1st place – 2019 AAU Track and Field Junior Olympics Outdoor National Championship – 3000M Boys 15
• 1st place – 2018 AAU Track and Field Junior Olympics Indoor National Championship – 3000M Boys 14
• 2nd place – 2018 USATF Track and Field Junior Olympics Indoor National Championship – 3000M Boys 13/14
• 6th place – USATF Track and Field Junior Olympics Outdoor National Championship – 3000M Boys 13/14
• Broadcom Master (top 300) – National Middle School Science Fair
• 4th place – 2017 USATF Track and Field Junior Olympics Indoor National Championship – 1500M Racewalk Boys 11/12
• 6th place – 2017 AAU Track and Field Junior Olympics Outdoor National Championship – 1500M Racewalk Boys 12
• 1st place – 2016 AAU Track and Field Junior Olympics Indoor National Championship – 1500M Racewalk Boys 11
• 7th place – 2016 USATF Track and Field Junior Olympics National Outdoor Championship – 1500M Racewalk Boys 11/12

State / Multi-state Awards

• 1st place – 2021 AAU Track and Field Junior Olympics Outdoor Northeast Regional Championship – 3000M Boys 16
• 4th place – 2021 Massachusetts State DECA Competition – Business Growth Plan
• 2nd place – 2019 Connecticut State Middle School Science and Engineering Fair – Alternative and Renewable Energy category
• Finalist – 2019 Connecticut State Middle School Science and Engineering Fair – Biotechnology category
• Finalist – 2019 Connecticut State Middle School Science and Engineering Fair – Physical Sciences category
• Finalist – 2019 Connecticut State Middle School Science and Engineering Fair – Engineering category
• Finalist – 2019 Connecticut State Middle School Science and Engineering Fair – Computing category
• Special Award – 2019 Connecticut State Middle School Science and Engineering Fair – MIT Club of Hartford K-12 Initiative
• Special Award – 2019 Connecticut State Middle School Science and Engineering Fair – National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
• Qualifier – 2019 National Invention Convention – 8th grade
• Finalist – 2019 Connecticut Invention Convention – 8th grade
• Special Award – 2019 Connecticut Invention Convention – Connecticut Academy of Sciences and Engineering
• Special Award – 2019 Connecticut Invention Convention – United Technology Moving the World Forward Award
• 1st place – 2019 AAU Track and Field Junior Olympics Outdoor Connecticut State Championship – 3000M Racewalk Boys 14
• 3rd place – 2019 AAU Track and Field Junior Olympics Outdoor Connecticut State Championship – 800M Boys 14
• 3rd place – 2019 AAU Track and Field Junior Olympics Outdoor Connecticut State Championship – Shot Put Boys 14
• 1st place – 2019 AAU Track and Field Junior Olympics Outdoor Northeast Regional Championship – 3000M Racewalk Boys 14
• 1st place – 2019 USATF Track and Field Junior Olympics Outdoors Connecticut State Championship – 3000M Racewalk Boys 13/14
• 2nd place – 2019 USATF Track and Field Junior Olympics Outdoors Connecticut State Championship – 4x800M Relay Boys 13/14
• 6th place – 2019 USATF Track and Field Junior Olympics Outdoors Connecticut State Championship – 800M Boys 13/14
• 1st place – 2019 USATF Track and Field Junior Olympics Outdoor Northeast Regional Championship – 3000M Racewalk Boys 13/14
• 1st place – 2018 Connecticut State Middle School Science and Engineering Fair – Alternative and Renewable Energy category
• 2nd place – 2018 Connecticut State Middle School Science and Engineering Fair – Environmental Science category
• 3rd place – 2018 Connecticut State Middle School Science and Engineering Fair – Biotechnology Science category
• Finalists – 2018 Connecticut State Middle School Science and Engineering Fair – Physical Sciences category
• 2nd place – 2018 USATF Track and Field Region 1 Outdoor Championship – 3000M Racewalk Boys 13/14
• 1st place – 2018 USATF Track and Field Outdoors Connecticut State Championship – 3000M Racewalk Boys 13/14
• 5th place – 2018 USATF Track and Field Outdoors Connecticut State Championship – 800M Boys 13/14
• 1st place – 2018 AAU Track and Field Outdoors Region 1 Championship – 3000M Racewalk Boys 13
• 1st place – 2018 AAU Track and Field Outdoors Connecticut Championship – 3000M Racewalk Boys 13
• 5th place – 2018 AAU Track and Field Outdoors Connecticut Championship – 400M Boys 13
• 2nd place – 2018 AAU Track and Field Outdoors Connecticut Championship – 800M Boys 13
• 1st place – 2017 USATF Track and Field Outdoors Connecticut State Championship – 1500M Racewalk Boys 11/12
• 1st place – 2017 USATF Track and Field Outdoors Connecticut State Championship – 1500M Racewalk Boys 11/12
• 1st place – 2017 AAU Track and Field Outdoors Region 1 Championship – 1500M Racewalk Boys 12
• 1st place – 2017 AAU Track and Field Outdoors Connecticut State Championship – 1500M Racewalk Boys 12
• 2nd place – 2017 USATF Track and Field Indoor Northeast Zone Regional Championship – 1500M Racewalk Boys 11/12
• 2nd place – 2017 USATF Track and Field Indoor Northeast Zone Regional Championship – 4x400M Boys 11/12
• 1st place – 2017 USATF Track and Field Indoor Connecticut State Championship – 1500M Racewalk Boys 11/12

School / City / County Awards

• 2023 AP Euro Student of the Year – Weston High School
• 2021 Student Athlete of the Year – Weston High School
• 2020 Student Athlete of the Year – Weston High School
• 2019 Presidential Fitness Award – St. Gregory School
• 1st place – 2019 St. Gregory School Science Fair – 8th grade
• 2018 Presidential Fitness Award – St. Gregory School
• 1st place – 2019 St. Gregory School Invention Convention – Upper Level
• 1st place – 2018 St. Gregory School Science Fair – 7th grade
• 2017 Presidential Fitness Award – St. Gregory School
• 2nd place – 2017 St. Gregory School Science Fair – 6th grade

Classes

Clubs and Extracurricular Activities

• Eagle Scout – BSA
• Order of Arrow – BSA
• BSA Troop 157 Weston MA – 2019 – 2023 – Asst Senior Patrol Leader / Patrol Leader
• BSA Troop 42 New Fairfield CT – 2017 – 2019 – Patrol Leader
• DECA Club – 2019 – 2023
• Varsity Letters – Cross Country, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track

Hobbies

Max is too busy with businesses and training for the 2028 Olympics to have time for hobbies 🙂

Some Interview Questions with Max

Q – It looks you had a promising start as a science researcher in middle school. Being selected as a Broadcom Master is a pretty big deal. Why didn’t you continue on that path?

A – I really loved doing complex research projects, but my two biggest passions – racewalking and starting businesses – just took too much time. For most of high school, I spent 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM in classes at school. I put probably 15-20 hours a week in at the track for racewalking and another 20 hours a week starting and growing my businesses. That doesn’t leave many hours for anything else, including sleep 🙂

---

Q – Why racewalking and not another track event like the 400m or 800m races?

A – I started running at a community track club when I was in the 5th grade. Immediately, I knew that I loved the feeling I got during a workout and that I was an above average runner. But I also knew that I would never be a world champion (or probably even a state champion). You can train to be a great sprinter or middle distance runner but if you’re not blessed with a lot of fast twitch muscle fiber, you’re never going to be the best. Being a world class sprinter is 50% about training and 50% about natural talent. Racewalking is a different story. It’s more technical and training is far more important. I would say being a world class racewalker is 90% about training and 10% about natural talent.

---

Q – You founded two pretty successful business, what was the inspiration for starting them?

A – Both were very circumstantial. With my eBay store, I was just bored during the COVID lock down and wanted to make money so I just looked for something around my house that I could sell. My dad collects old magazines, so I asked him if I could sell some of the ones that he didn’t want anymore. And, then I realized that most people just throw away old magazines even if they are 50 or 100 years old. If they do sell them, they’re really cheap – maybe 10 to 20 cents a pieces. But then there’s this other group of people that will pay $50 for a magazine that features something that they’re passionate about.

It was kind of the same with my social media business. I missed my dog, Bacon, who had just died so I started an Instagram account for her where I posted some of the cute photos that we had taken over the 15 years of her life. It was mainly just for my friends and family, but random people started following my account so I posted more and more. Pretty soon, I found other pictures and videos and posted them as well. Now, four years later, I have 40 accounts (20 on Instagram for specific dog breeds and 20 on TikTok). I love businesses where you can start with one eBay auction or one Instagram post and then just see what happens.

---

Q – You make starting businesses sound so easy. Do think that any kid could have the success that you did?

A – Anyone can start an account on eBay and sell stuff or post funny pictures and videos on social media, but most people will stop when they encounter the 1st, 10th, or 50th obstacle. I guess I’m lucky in one way. I get obsessed with stuff easily and I’m also pretty good at being efficient and automating work. That’s what helped me to go from 50 sales on eBay to 5000 sales and from 100 posts on Instagram to tens of thousands of posts.

If anyone else has questions for Max, please leave them in the comments.