Lessons From a Kid
What was your first job? As a 15-year-old, I was a laborer at our local small-town golf course, where I would start my day by raking all the sandtraps before the early bird tee times. I was paid $4.25/hour, which was the Illinois minimum wage at the time. That equates to approximately $8.75 in today's dollars after accounting for inflation.
Remember how I recently met a young man (12 or 13 years old) who has his own lawn-mowing business? Well, I gave him the bat signal last night and he swooped in to take care of my yard. He spent about 45 minutes at my house and was rewarded with a $30 payday. This equates to $40/hour! Not too shabby compared with our state's $7.75/hour minimum wage.
I asked him how he finds his clients. Here was his answer: "The same way I found you. I just walk up and down the street and ask people if I can mow their yard. If I do a good enough job, I hope they will ask me again."
So simple, yet so powerful. I love his entrepreneurial spirit. He could have just applied for a bunch of minimum-wage jobs and hoped one hit, but instead, he turned to the grind. He decided to create something. He's taking a work ethic, combining it with creativity, and adding a heavy dose of customer service. And just like that, he cobbled together a ridiculously high-paying job.
To me, this young man exemplifies the crazy new world order we live in. We used to rely on gatekeepers to decide if we were worthy of the job. Today, we're only limited by our creativity and willingness to put ourselves out there. If there's a 12-year-old making $40/hour mowing nearby yards, it's hard for you and me to have a good excuse.
Many people are hurting right now, for some very good reasons. It's a tough environment and the cards are stacked against us in many cases. But that's not the end of the story.....it's the new beginning. Now, it's our turn to step up and take care of business. We need to think outside the box, with creativity, and find ways to add value to people's lives. If we do, the rest will take care of itself.
Don't let conventional wisdom and gatekeepers hold you back. If one door closes, there are 1,000 others to knock on. Don't be discouraged. Don't quit. Don't give up. Keep knocking, and get creative!