I am an entrepreneur at heart.
My earliest business endeavor was at age 3. I had a soap box car that my Father had made out of scrap lumber. It had 4 wheelbarrow wheels, an old lawn tractor’s steering wheel and a single-lever hand brake that, when pulled, stopped the front wheels from spinning.
Although it had no motor, it didn’t matter because we lived at the top of a hill in a neighborhood cul-de-sac.
The first time I went flying down the hill, at speeds no three-year-old should ever reach, every kid in the neighborhood came running outside begging for a ride!
I quickly realized the most challenging part of riding the cart was pushing it back up the hill. So I turned to the first kid and said, “If you pay me a dollar you can ride it but you have to push it back up the hill”.
Surprisingly, each kid gladly paid their dollar, pushed the cart up the hill and rode down.
Before the day was done I had a fist full of dollars totaling around $20. It was then that my Mom came out and shut down my business operation stating that I should allow the kids to ride for free.
She was right, of course.
However, I never lost my taste for entrepreneurship. I loved being my own boss and have had many businesses since then.
Some of the childhood businesses I had were lemonade stands, puff paint T-shirt design, bracelet making, dog sitting, bicycle repair and face painting. (To name a few.) Later, when my mother purchased our first home computer the business ideas started really flowing. I began creating logos for small businesses, brochures, postcards, business cards and other graphic designs.
Some of my businesses were successful and many never really took off. However, my failures didn’t stop me. I kept going until I found something I loved doing and could see myself doing it everyday.
Today, I am an online entrepreneur, business coach and martial arts instructor. I have the joy of helping people change their lives for the better through online business coaching and the martial arts.
Are you an entrepreneur at heart? If so, what were your first business endeavors? I’d love to know I’m not alone. Comment down below.