I’m not sure why, but when I was a 8 years old (1972), I responded to an ad in a comic book and sent away for a box of Burpee seeds to sell door to door. I sold out and reordered. When I was in Boy Scouts we had fundraisers and sold all kinds of merchandise. When I was 13, my brother and I caught bait fish with a 20 foot long drag net at the beach and sold them to the bait shops. When it snowed, I went door to door with my shovel. When I was 14, I bought a paper route from another boy. Then another. Then another. I delivered 140 papers faithfully each day. I was making $80 dollars a week in 1978. I learned how to hustle.
Let’s teach kids very young. Give them examples and experiences on how to hustle – how to sell things. They will be less dependent and less afraid for the rest of their lives.
Sounds familiar…I shoveled many walks and mowed many lawns…Eagle Scout…had a paper route, then two, then three so I could buy a Sears Transistor Radio and bicycle…no one is anointed with success…is comes from persistence and consistency (at doing the right things) and learning from our mistakes…to be able to instill that into the hearts and minds of our children is a joyful privilege and sacred duty…helping to build character is our true legacy and the real treasure that we pass down to our children and future generations…and Happy Birthday!…I’m 66 tomorrow and thankful for my health and the privilege to be able to help others with my knowledge and life experience and all that I have learned from you and others at Basement Systems…you have blessed many!
You inspired me, again. Thank you!
I blogged you and my own experience on this one:
“Random Ramblings from an Innkeeper: How did you learn to hustle?”
http://blog.claibornehouse.net/2014/11/random-ramblings-from-innkeeper-how-did.html
So what happened Larry? My dad had 144 on his paper route. He’s worked his tail off for everything he is today. I was trapping muskrats at 11years old and selling the furs. Had my owl lawn mowing company at age 13. I nagged my dad to teach me about tools and how to use them. Followed him with my bubble mower because I was too young to run the gas mower. I learned at a very young age the value of a dollar and did all I could do to help offset how much I cost my parents and to make myself money to buy myself the things I wanted. I have two siblings whom I love dearly but do not have the same values I do all raised by the same parents under the same roof. Now that I’m 32, I can do a lot of things mechanical now. We bring guys onboard in our HVAC business and it seems as though no one has the work ethics we seem to share. They don’t know how to use tools, gaining knowledge seems like it’s bothersome to them and this is a common theme to most business owners I talk to. To your blog? Is it too late to teach those “grown up” already? Teaching the young is good but what about the grown? I’m rambling but I read your blogs everyday and envy your business mode and although I’m a very positive person and self motivated I loose hope when everyday is the first day. Thanks