It feels like I\’ve been making websites since the beginning of time. But I know that isn\’t the case because I actually did have a life before the world wide web was ever invented.
In fact, I had a number of jobs before I became an Internet entrepreneur.
And with each experience, I learned something that has helped me to get to where I am today.
I thought it would be fun to attempt to document what I did before I became an Internet entrepreneur, author and speaker. I would divide my pre-Internet vocational experiences into four phases, so I think I\’ll write a 4-part series revisiting my past.
With that said, here\’s how I got my start in the workforce…
I remember when I first laid eyes on the Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I personal computer with 4K of smokin\’ hot RAM. It was love at first sight, and I simply had to have one.
At the tender age of 14 years-old, I secured a work permit from my guidance counselor at Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, IL (home of Allstate, A.C. Nielsen and Underwriter\’s Laboratories), and got my very first job at the food court in Northbrook Court mall.
I was a fast-food jockey at The Earl of Sandwich and The Earl of Pizza. I think my job description is self-explanatory. My initial compensation was minimum wage… $2.65/hour. Big bucks!
I really enjoyed working at The Earl, and remember getting my friends Peter and Lenny positions working alongside me at some point. I became a master of slinging a ladle of sauce on a pre-fab crust and slicing deli meats and slapping them on a bun.
Of course, I also remember burning myself on the massive pizza ovens and cutting my hands on the meat slicer more than a few times. Ouch!
The manager\’s name at the store was Ron Stoler (sp?) Ron was 27 years-old and a great guy to work for. He seemed to enjoy me and entrusted me with opening and closing the shop many days. I thought that if I was ever going to manage people, I\’d model myself after Ron…. cool and friendly. Ron, if you are out there and ever read this, thanks bud.
However, there was a brief run-in with an assistant manager who gave me a hard-time. He was very religious and didn\’t take kindly to a 14 year-old cursing. (Yeah, I had a bit of a foul mouth as a teenager). One time he disciplined me by making me clean the grout in the back room with a toothbrush. I was not happy. And mean assistant manager didn\’t last long at The Earl.
I remember saving my money so I could buy my first computer. When I finally pulled enough funds together, I splurged for the TRS-80. I still remember my mother asking me, \”What are you going to do with a computer?\”
Not only has Mom made peace with the answer to that question, but she has managed to find some online success of her own!
At fifteen years old, I left one fast food job for another. There was a deli just a couple hops down from the pizza and sub place. I worked there for a couple months.
Then I applied for a position at KB Toys in same mall. I learned a valuable lesson in my brief 3-week stint at the toy store.
The manager told me I had to take an \”honesty test.\” Basically, I was to answer questions about myself. One of the questions was \”Have you ever stolen anything?\”
The truth was, I had. During my time at the Earl of Sandwich/Pizza, I had probably pocketed a total of $10 or so from the cash register. It wasn\’t a lot, and I wasn\’t happy with myself for doing it, but I thought I would be honest and share my regret on the toystore \”exam.\”
A week later I was told that I wasn\’t welcome as an employee at KB Toys. As it turns out, I would have kept my job had I lied about my petty theft. But you know what they say about karma, right? KB Toys went bankrupt. Too bad, so sad, buh-bye.
So, it was back to fast food for me. I took at job at the Arby\’s restaurant in the food court.
Yuk. How is that chain still in business? I worked there just a few months before I had my fill of junk food. I was one of the few who DIDN\’T work at a McDonald\’s restaurant.
By this time, I was 16 years old. Retail opportunities opened up before me and was to enter into a phase that would lead to one of my BEST JOBS EVER.
Want to know what happened next? Part II in the series is here!
What are your memories of your first jobs? McDonalds? Wal-Mart? Lemonade stand? Babysitting? Please leave your comments below!