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I was taught how to work for mine at a young age by a businessman whose yard I used to cut. I used to cut yards for $25 flat rate. If I had to rake up leaves or pinestraw I added $5 bucks to my price making it a cool $30 bucks. I used to recommend that I rake the yards to keep them looking fresh and most homeowners understood that and added the extra $5. some yards even began putting me on a schedule which guranteed payment every week, which guranteed I had money to buy bubble gum and comic books or save up for a bike or something. I'd say over the course of a summer I would average $3,000 each year. that's $1,000 month, roughly $240/week cutting yards. This gave me a sense of pride knowing that I had money to buy the jeans I wanted(Dickie's, Levi's and Lee jeans) and not want my mom thought I needed (no name brands from Goodwill with patches on the knees).
This entrepreneurial spirit was lost on cutting yards, I took it to
Jr. High/High School and was the "candy guy". I was that guy who sold all the Snickers, Twix, Now & Laters and Bubblegum year round and twice on Halloween ..I even expanded my hustle and made t-shirts for $20 to classmates with school spirit phrases on them like " Class of", "Seniors", names on the back, sleeves, on hats, etc.. so come time for Prom, Senior Day, Yearbooks, etc.. I had the money to do it. Again, I'm feeling good about myself and the bug put in my ears years ago, if you work for it, you can achieve what you seek.
But wait, threre's more. College. PARTY TIME!!..oh yeah, I got sht-faced more than enough, BUT by this time, I was into refurbishing old classic cars and selling them. I had already sold my first car and 1 other by the time I graduated high school so I knew what people liked. Long story short, during my college days, I was able to pay for a lot of college issues with money from the cars I sold(3) and money I already learned to stash at a young age.
Now as a grown man, I fully understand how to run a business, the power of being a self-starter, a go-getter and remain ambitious about my goals.
What say you? care to share your inspiration from a businessman? or anybody who taught you the value of working for what you want and not lying, stealing and cheating to get it?
Very nice story.
Only today in 2010 there ain't a single kid in suburbia who will have a job cutting grass in their neighborhood. Those jobs are already taken by those "doing the jobs that Americans won't do" .
The flaw in your posting, is that those "hard working people", wouldnt exist without the business man risking his "5 beach houses".. (although most business people I know, only own 1).. I happen to know a guy who does have 5 homes though.. Maybe we know the same man..
LOL...exactly..
the businessman that taught me didn't even have that. he had a janitorial service with 2 employees,. but he did own a bad ass Grand National with the hurst shifter and a nice Sea Ray. that's all I really needed to see. oh and the house he lived in which had a pool and a B-ball hoop in the driveway.
Aren't businessmen allowed to enjoy the fruits of their labor?
Only today in 2010 there ain't a single kid in suburbia who will have a job cutting grass in their neighborhood. Those jobs are already taken by those "doing the jobs that Americans won't do" .
LOL..true, but I was in the hood cutting yards. it can be done but kids are just too lazy these days and allowing the Mexicans come over and get that money while they stay in the house playing Xbox.
I started a mini dairy when I was 14, went into business with my best friend and my sister. The three of us had a herd of between 40 and 75 milking dairy goats depending on what time of year it was. We made soap and cheese and sold fresh milk to people for 'pet use only'. Mostly to other 4H kids raising pigs/cattle to put extra weight on.
From the time I was 14 to when I was 24 I was up at 4am or earlier milking, feeding and caring for my livestock. I also raised multiple grand champions after spending countless hours researching pedigrees and utilizing artificial insemination for my herd.
So yeah...not all kids are 'lazy'. I rarely idolize 'businessmen' but there are a few local people who I try to emulate.
the businessman that taught me didn't even have that. he had a janitorial service with 2 employees,. but he did own a bad ass Grand National with the hurst shifter and a nice Sea Ray. that's all I really needed to see. oh and the house he lived in which had a pool and a B-ball hoop in the driveway.
I knew a man growing up, (more precisely, my parents did) that was into everything and anything. He jumped from one business venture to another, losing money on every single one of them. I remember my parents and their friends making fun of this mans failures through most of my life. 20+ years all I heard was about how much this man couldnt do anything right, and they laughed to no end about his latest venture, being vending machines last I heard...
Then suddenly, one day it stopped, and I never knew why. I assumed it was because our family has simply lost touch with him, but as I found out years later, this this man was making money on all of those ventures (or more winners than losers), and last I heard lived in a multi million dollar home in a very nice part of town. He would build them up, then sell them off, and since he didnt tell anyone his business, they all assumed that they were failures..
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4Horsemen
Aren't businessmen allowed to enjoy the fruits of their labor?
You can see from the postings here, that many think the answer to this is no.. Note the liberals who ridicule, and use made up arguments to toute their "hate" for people who work hard and risk their life savings to grow and prosper..
Yeah. I was inspired to run away as fast as I could. The man was a thief that bilked investors while calling himself an inventor. Another was the office “candy man†that provided the drugs necessary to survive that environment. I kind of liked him even though I do not indulge. Another businessman I knew was a complete cheapskate that wouldn’t help a friend that needed some investment money. Fortunately the creep punched out at 53 years old from complete overindulgence. So did my friend from excess worry. Yeah, I have been inspired by businessmen. Most were selfish thieves.
So you have never seen anyone in your life who had an entrepreneural spirit that you admired?
Never?
How do you expect anyone to make money if all business is for 'selfish thieves'?
I was very inspired by Ed Breen, the current CEO of Tyco. After the scandal with the old CEO where top execs were using the company as their personal piggy bank, Ed Breen took the job at a pay cut and his first job was to fire the board of directors and leadership team that was in place under the old CEO.
Turning around and firing the people who hired you because you know they are corrupt - that is something I hope we all aspire for.
I was taught how to work for mine at a young age by a businessman whose yard I used to cut. I used to cut yards for $25 flat rate. If I had to rake up leaves or pinestraw I added $5 bucks to my price making it a cool $30 bucks.
I wish you were around as a kid when I lived in Maryland (1995 - 2007). I lived in an apartment complex in a very nice neighborhood. After a big snow, a snow plow would clear the parking lot and all of the car owners would have to dig out and clean off their car. I was there 12 years. No kid ever came to my door to sell anything or perform a service except once. In Year 10, three kids with shovels around age 12 came to my door and wanted to know if I wanted them to dig me out. This was great, I thought. Finally some kids looking to earn a few bucks. I wanted them to dig me out and clean off the car (totally willing to pay whatever they asked), but "no" cleaning off the car was apparently a job American kids won't do. They were willing to dig me out but cleaning snow off the car was beneath them. So, was apparently older teens working in local fast food places or at the car wash to earn a few bucks. Those jobs were all done by hustling illegal aliens towards the end of my Maryland years. Also, kids weren't selling girl scout cookies or candy bars (for their team or club), their parents were. If they didn't have to do "community service" in order to graduate from high school these kids would probably never work at all until they graduated from college.
To my amazement, when I retired here to Tennessee, I saw kids still working in stores, restaurants and fast food places after school and on weekends. (We don't get enough snow where I live in Tennessee to make shoveling or cleaning snow off the car a possible "job.")
I started tutoring at Age 14 and I had part-time jobs through high school, full time in the summer and part and full time when I went to college. Nobody mentored me but I was glad they hired me.
I'm telling you if some college graduate who graduated in some top percent of his class had no job experience, I don't care how smart they were in school. If I was a business owner I wouldn't hire the wusses.
I would have been proud to know a hustling kid like you in your old days.
I knew a man growing up, (more precisely, my parents did) that was into everything and anything. He jumped from one business venture to another, losing money on every single one of them. I remember my parents and their friends making fun of this mans failures through most of my life. 20+ years all I heard was about how much this man couldnt do anything right, and they laughed to no end about his latest venture, being vending machines last I heard...
Then suddenly, one day it stopped, and I never knew why. I assumed it was because our family has simply lost touch with him, but as I found out years later, this this man was making money on all of those ventures (or more winners than losers), and last I heard lived in a multi million dollar home in a very nice part of town. He would build them up, then sell them off, and since he didnt tell anyone his business, they all assumed that they were failures..
Now that's an inspirational story right there. That guy was going after his heart and working his ideas to fruition dispite what naysayers say. I bet he's been on quite a few vacations to exotic places. I know I would.
Quote:
You can see from the postings here, that many think the answer to this is no.. Note the liberals who ridicule, and use made up arguments to toute their "hate" for people who work hard and risk their life savings to grow and prosper..
I wish you were around as a kid when I lived in Maryland (1995 - 2007). I lived in an apartment complex in a very nice neighborhood. After a big snow, a snow plow would clear the parking lot and all of the car owners would have to dig out and clean off their car. I was there 12 years. No kid ever came to my door to sell anything or perform a service except once. In Year 10, three kids with shovels around age 12 came to my door and wanted to know if I wanted them to dig me out. This was great, I thought. Finally some kids looking to earn a few bucks. I wanted them to dig me out and clean off the car (totally willing to pay whatever they asked), but "no" cleaning off the car was apparently a job American kids won't do. They were willing to dig me out but cleaning snow off the car was beneath them. So, was apparently older teens working in local fast food places or at the car wash to earn a few bucks. Those jobs were all done by hustling illegal aliens towards the end of my Maryland years. Also, kids weren't selling girl scout cookies or candy bars (for their team or club), their parents were. If they didn't have to do "community service" in order to graduate from high school these kids would probably never work at all until they graduated from college.
To my amazement, when I retired here to Tennessee, I saw kids still working in stores, restaurants and fast food places after school and on weekends. (We don't get enough snow where I live in Tennessee to make shoveling or cleaning snow off the car a possible "job.")
I started tutoring at Age 14 and I had part-time jobs through high school, full time in the summer and part and full time when I went to college. Nobody mentored me but I was glad they hired me.
I'm telling you if some college graduate who graduated in some top percent of his class had no job experience, I don't care how smart they were in school. If I was a business owner I wouldn't hire the wusses.
I would have been proud to know a hustling kid like you in your old days.
Thanks. My Ol'man made us understand the value of money early on in life because he would rarely give us any and told us to go work for it. ..lol
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..I even expanded my hustle and made t-shirts for $20 to classmates with school spirit phrases on them like " Class of", "Seniors", names on the back, sleeves, on hats, etc.. so come time for Prom, Senior Day, Yearbooks, etc.. I had the money to do it. Again, I'm feeling good about myself and the bug put in my ears years ago, if you work for it, you can achieve what you seek.
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