My first summer job at age 16 was at the mall, at a fudge kiosk where I was required to ask passersby if they would like a free sample. Truth time: It sucked. BUT, in retrospect all that stepping up to senior citizens looping the floor for exercise helped prepare me for a whole lotta cold-calling when I first started working for myself.
As any teen will tell you, summer is the time for self-employment. What was your first summer job, and how did it inform your perception of working for yourself? Did you learn any skills that helped prepare you for your current gig?
I was 15 1/2 and was a lifeguard and taught swimming lessons to toddlers. I loved it so much! And of course, because I literally came out of the womb as an entrepreneur, the next summer I taught private swimming lessons in my own pool! Shocker, I know!! ;)
That's awesome, @Anonymous - and I expected no less from you!
How did you find your clients? Did you advertise? Or did you take your client list with you when you left your old summer job? (Be honest!).
Word of mouth @EmilyCowan - they were my neighbors! :)
My first summer job was cleaning commercial halibut boats when they returned to harbor. Mostly it involved hosing fish guts and blood off the decks while wearing full rain gear. It was pretty disgusting, but there's nothing like dirty, hard work to teach you the value of a dollar!
I worked in a law firm at age 15 as a girl Friday. It was part of a work program at my high school. It was my first experience (other than helping my grandfather at his business) and I loved it!
Now, has anyone heard of that term “Girl Friday”? Imagine using that in 2018? :cathappy:
That's awesome, @lynda!
And yes, I do believe that the term @Anonymous is still in use :smileywink: Kristen, how did you come to choose that name for your business?
"Girl Friday" always makes me think of Lauren Bacall for some reason. Stand by for Googling....
LOL, oh! Here's why!!
Hey, @NiltonServa - welcome to QB Community and thanks for the kudo! Do you have a story to share?
i'm not quite sure how i chose the name. it wasn't necessarily a wise choice for marketing purposes, as it says ZERO about being a financial consultant etc for restaurants and bars. But at that time, i wasn't worried about marketing. I was worried about differentiating myself from others in the accounting/bookkeeping space... in other words, not just numbers.
Now, i've been using it so long i can't give it up.... i might lose some of that recognition that old clients or people that may have heard of me second-hand might have.
And after over 15 years of using it, i still kinda like it.
I like that name, too, @Anonymous! To me it says "capable bada$$ will keep your files in ORDER."
In any case, you were in step with the dot-coms in naming your business with an eye toward differentiation rather than description. (What does "Amazon" have to do with selling books - or anything else?) Although...I once worked for a WebMD wannabe website called Gazoontite. That was pretty bad :smileylol:
Great story, @SteveChase!! Counting the cash is a FANTASTIC introduction to real-world business operations. I once spent a year managing a youth hostel in downtown San Francisco, and part of my job was to count the cash and walk the deposit - a duffel bag stuffed with grubby small-denominations - to the Bank of America branch on Market Street. The experience developed my basic accounting skills, and also my appreciation for the police presence in the area :smileylol:
No problem @EmilyCowan!
I do have a story and it's pretty crazy but I'll sum it up. About three years ago I was incarcerated as a juvenile in and out. Throughout my teen years, I was involved with drug dealing and gang violence and a whole bunch of other stuff. During my second incarceration, I started to learn about business. I learned so much and when I was released I went to college to major in business. Since then I've presented research at Stanford, gave a TEDx Talk last November, and start my own business. The first business I started was last year and the second business this year. My older brothers and younger sister are all involved as well. I'm 20 years old and motivated to be a better person for myself and for my daughter that is on the way. This is me keeping it short but I wrote most of what has happened to me on my site website [LINK REMOVED BY MODERATOR]. I need to add to it since more things are happening in my life but the story starts there and I'm continuing to add to it every day.
Wow, that is an incredible story, @NiltonServa, and thank you for sharing. It sounds like you've done more living in your 20 years than I've done in my 42!
I'd love to hear more about your business(es). What do they focus on, and can you draw a clear line from your experiences as a youth to the sector you're in now?
@NiltonServa, you can do this!! I am the business coach and host of Momentum to $1 Million here in the QB community, so click here (and then click the green JOIN button) to get the goodness and come back often for support and input. #teamnilton! J.
Thank you @EmilyCowan!
So first off is SERVAMEDIA our Media Company where we focus on Social Media Marketing, Content Production, and Website Development. Second is SERVAREPAIR which is our Auto Repair Facility. We focus on general maintenance to large repairs. We have in planned in the future to add our mobile service back.
My life has taken a huge turn for the better. Going from what I told you to today is much different. I've met with people like Mitch Kapor and many CEO's in tech and media that people from where I'm from would have never thought possible. It's a totally different environment but I bring in the same amount of hustle I had growing up. My three priorities are ranked like this 1.) Family 2.) Personal Development 3.) Entrepreneurship. The reason for this is that when I was locked up I was stripped away from everything and the only thing that I wanted was my family. Then focusing on personal development is how I got better and began to realize I needed to change my lifestyle. Entrepreneurship came from these two things and this is how I rank my priorities and it keeps me going every day. My experiences brought me to what I do today so I'm thankful for it. Moving forward it is still a struggle to get by for us but you've got to love and trust the process, or it will get the best of you. I'm not afraid to lose it all because I've been there. As long as I'm with family it will all be fine.
Thank you @Anonymous!!
I'll check it out right now and join. Sounds good! I appreciate the support.
You bet @NiltonServa! That’s why we’re here! :)
My first summer job, I was 12 years old. My aunt owned a flower shop. I would sweep and clean the restroom. I was then put on notice by family and friends as being a great cleaner and organizer. Once I stopped tidying up the flower shop. I begin to work for myself by cleaning and organizing family and friends homes. My family often joke that they wish I get back into the cleaning business.
Oddly enough when I need to relax....I clean.
I like the logo!! It does feel fun and free. Numbers are often so intimidating, finding an airy way to present them while still maintaining the integrity of there importance is a challenge.
I have never had a "summer job" as I have always worked in our family businesses. We have owned many businesses, and done many different things. At the age of 10, I used to run the cash register at our retail store, sell at the markets, etc... We currently have 3 businesses and at 16, I started doing the accounting for them. In the past 4 yrs since I started doing the bookkeeping, we have opened the other 2 businesses. :)
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