Growing up, I mowed lawns like many young kids do. Starting in middle school, I sold custom Nike socks to credulous kids. I graduated to reselling sneakers in high school and eventually started a business reselling vintage clothes in college. None of those, though, I would consider my first real job. That would come in the form of college baseball.
Of course, I learned all the cliché elements of working as a team, but one lesson sticks out the most to me. As a sophomore, I wasn’t getting the playing time I believed I had earned through an offseason of hard work. Apparently that inner belief turned into an outward negative attitude within the dugout. My head coach noticed and called me out. He took me for a walk and talk down the warning track before our next game.
“Are you supporting your teammates the best way you can?” he asked me. Immediately, I became offended. After a few seconds of gathering my thoughts, I realized maybe I hadn’t been. We talked things out, he reassured me my opportunities were coming, and that I just needed to stay diligent with my craft. That day I learned that my desires to be at the forefront of a team’s success is selfish—and that a simple, open, vulnerable conversation can change so much. Prior to that conversation, I hadn’t played a single game through a month of competition. After my perspective change, I started 21 games.
So, for D CEO‘s August issue, we asked area executives to reminisce on their first jobs. Here are the lessons they took from those early days:
Sarah Kennington
President, Thirty-Four Commercial
“My first paid job was at Graeter’s Ice Cream. I tore my ACL that summer, so I couldn’t scoop ice cream due to being on crutches. Instead, I was moved to the register, where I sat and checked out our long line of customers. Just because I couldn’t perform at my best didn’t mean I couldn’t participate as a team member. I learned to always show up and give everything you can, even if it isn’t what you anticipated.”
Luke Hejl
CEO and Co-founder, TimelyCare
“My first entrepreneurial adventure was selling rocks, followed by a rabbit breeding venture—their gestation period is only 31 days long. These experiences taught me how to differentiate, market, and sell products, which became useful as I pursued a career in advertising, then in healthcare. My first real job was working as a camp counselor, where I learned that success can vary from day to day.”
Adrienne Faulkner
Founder, CEO, and Chief Creative Officer, Faulkner Design Group
“When I was 13 years old, I began working for a company called Over the Rainbow in Preston Royal Village that sold hand-painted custom gifts. I added people’s names or decorative pictures on popcorn cans, cups, and just about anything that could be painted on. It taught me to be dependable, on time, and take responsibility. I also came to understand what it takes to earn, and the value of, a dollar.”
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