Abby and Eason,
In the last letter, I told you about working at the dance studio. I didn’t tell you this, but it was closed on Fridays and Sundays.
I don’t really remember when or why I decided that I needed to work on Fridays, but somehow I must have because I started my first business.
My family lived close to the school I attended. Our school was a one building kind of school. All of the kids from kindergarten to 12th grade were in the same building.
I had a reputation in the school because back then it was uncommon to do gymnastics as a cheerleader. I was on the cheer team but really loved gymnastics so much more. So, I took every opportunity at ball games to tumble (do gymnastics flips).
Again, I don’t know how this even happened, but I realized that I could teach cheer and gymnastics on Fridays in my front yard. The kids could meet me outside of the school; we could walk to my house; and I could teach them. So, I did.
The first year I think I had like 8 kids come home with me on Fridays. I loved teaching them, and their parents really liked me. But, most of the kids who would be trying out for cheerleading that year had been put in cheerleading classes at a real gymnastics center. Those parents didn’t really know if they wanted a random teenager teaching their kids. (I can understand that).
At the end of the year, all but one of my kids made the cheerleading team. There were only 10 spots on the team, so that caused quite a stir. Suddenly, the list of kids wanting to come to my house for cheerleading grew – fast.
I also taught cheerleading camps in the summer (that will be the next letter) and a few of the moms from those camps decided to start driving their kids to my house for Friday lessons.
I had more kids than I knew what to do with, and I had a waiting list on top of that. I didn’t really have any time to add more classes so I decided I would hire my sister to help me. I trained her to lead jump lines and teach cheers while I mostly managed the gymnastics and strength training.
Our little group kept growing. I decided they needed experience before trying out for cheerleading because there were now more people in my group than could make the cheerleading team.
We started going to parades and competing in the end of parade talent competition. We found basketball games that would allow us to do stuff at half time.
The kids found friends, and I grew my first business. I had no idea what I was really doing at the time. In fact, I look back on it today and realize that I was actually learning skills that I still use today.
In this job, I learned about:
- The power of community. What I had developed was more than just a lesson, it was a way for kids to have a place they belonged – to have friends and an identity with a group.
- About entrepreneurship. I learned how to see opportunities in unlikely places like my front yard and parades and create something from it.
- How to build trust. I was a teenager. It made complete sense that parents needed to see results before they could trust me. My customers today need the same thing.
Of course, I learned other lessons too. But those are enough to get you thinking. What opportunities exist around? Is there something you are passionate about or even just interested in that could be an opportunity for you to learn about business? How do you use your free time to give yourself growth opportunities?
So many exciting things are ahead of you!
I love you guys,
Mom