I spent a good amount of years as a fulltime entrepreneur. During these years, I attempted to teach my sons the same values that drove me to become an entrepreneur. I guess you can say my parents didn’t really buy us stuff over $20 that we wanted so it drove me to learn how to make money. That was a great lesson in itself. If you always give a handout without a lesson, what did that child really learn?
Those were the 90s. That’s when I knew I had to find methods to teach myself how to make money. We didn’t have the internet in 1989-1990 so I found out that I could be a paperboy. What that did for me was build my personality around the people industry. Ironically, I don’t know if I’d trust todays methods of people on their phones driving with kids delivering paper early in the morning. Maybe I’ve become too soft.
I knew I love working with people. Especially the senior citizen community because I found that they have the greatest of hearts and were cut, for the most part, from the same tree of values I was. Not all of them of course but many. That career as a paperboy had me knocking on doors to collect payment and also building a timely manner to deliver the paper. Little did I know this would teach me the values of customer service as an entrepreneur.
One of my first businesses during my marriage life was running a computer service company, Affordable Computer Doctor, that allowed me to service the residents of Hemet and San Jacinto cities for over 5 years. I enjoyed the connections I made with people as well as the amazing stories of their WWII experience. I take a lot of pride in my work and I treat other people’s businesses as my own and work extra hard to make sure expectations are delivered on time.
So how do you inspire a 17 year old to build their own business or go get a job? Well you simply cut back on the luxury of paying for their cell phone. It begins with that decision and I know how addictive a smart phone can become to all of us so removing that definitely would drive someone to get to work. I told my boys a few years ago that they’re no longer kids. I’ve been working since I was 11 and if I can do it you can do it too. You can find value in building something on the internet now that they have access to the internet. Anybody can create something they love and enjoy. I always say you’re going to do best in something you’re passionate about rather than just doing anything. After all, we are all here to either build a business to survive and chase our dreams, or we are around to help someone else build theirs (Employee). Either way, if you’re needed that’s a good sign you have value that nobody else has.
I hope this small article inspired you. Just some thoughts that have been running through my mind. These are times to be creative and know your self worth.
Go out and fill that void and make it happen. After all, nobody can duplicate your personality. You are you because you are loved.
Cesar Ramirez