Nobody knows who you are. Even those you may have worked with for years. I bet they don’t know your history, your story, how you started out, who your most inspirational boss was, or what you learned while working as a teenager.The list is endless.
Start by telling your story. How did you start out?
Here are my seven and what I learned:
1. Newspaper Deliverer
Just like Walt Disney himself, I got up at 6am to deliver the morning newspapers every morning before I went to school.
My lesson: I learned the power of always being on time.
2. Babysitter
Three rambunctious kids once locked me out of the house.
My lesson: I learned great negotiating skills. I seriously needed them to open the front door, fast!
3. Lottery scratch card door-to-door sales
Before the national lottery existed, I sold scratch cards every Wednesday to a regular set of customers who agreed for me to knock on their door every week at a set time. It was like Amazon Prime while Jeff Bezos was still in diapers (nappies.)
My lesson: I learned that people would buy anything if you bring it to them regularly.
4. Ice Cream sales
Restaurateur Brian Murdoch used to freshly make real ice cream out of four ingredients. I sold them along the river of Stourport-Upon-Seven in England.
My lesson: Simplicity works and sells, you don’t need complexity you need what your customer wants right now.
5. Cafe caterer
Weston Super Mare Football Club had a match day coffee shop where I worked with my sister and mum.
My lesson: Speed is essential. In a football (soccer) match, there is a 15 minute half-time-break where everyone wants tea, coffee, and a burger. You have to batch process and prepare to make the most money during that time.
6. Lingerie sales
Jeanette Payton, the Store Manager taught me the art of selling and was my inspiration for the start of my retail career.
My lesson: I learned that a few choices rather than endless choices increases the speed of decision making.
7. Managing Director
I founded my first company when I was 16. Sponsored by HSBC, we had to raise money by issuing shares, choosing a product, and developing a marketing strategy. Then we had to go sell the product and write an annual report.
My lesson: Practical experience is more valuable than any exam or test.
All of my first seven jobs I held before I was 18. A recent study shows only one in three teenagers are now taking a summer job, which is a diabolical loss to their exposure and perspective before they hit college or the world of work.
Share your first seven with your team, and ask them what they learned from their first seven jobs.
I’d love to hear your seven.
Dedicated to growing your business,
Val