My First Job

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At age 9, I took my first job picking blueberries for 39¢ a pint at Mr. Pierce’s Farm in Westport, MA, with my buddies Michael and Rocco.

After a few days of work, I realized we’d all make more money if one focused on sorting while the others focused on picking. Sorting was time-consuming, and we only got paid if we produced pints ready for sale (no sticks, leaves, or unripe berries). I assumed the position of Chief Sorting Officer while Michael and Rocco worked hard filling buckets, and at the end of each week, we’d split the money evenly. We were producing more pints than ever. I won over Mr. Pierce. Business was good.

The following season, Mr. Pierce offered me a promotion to manage sorting for all pickers. It was a great opportunity, but there was one caveat, he was bringing on a team of older kids to be the pickers because he thought they might be faster; Michael and Rocco were out of a job. I tried convincing him to reconsider, but he was unwavering.

Without my team, I declined the offer. I knew Michael and Rocco were the right team for the job. Sure enough, a few weeks later, Mr. Pierce called asking us to come back; the older kids were lazy.

In the end, we decided that we liked riding bikes a lot more than we liked picking blueberries, so we declined the job. But that experience taught me three valuable lessons that I carry with me today.

1. If it ain't broke, don't fix it: If you've got a winning formula, don't get distracted by the latest craze. Focus on improving and expanding what's already working for you. Mr. Pierce made the critical mistake of chasing the shiny object and it ultimately cost him his top performers.

2. Small tweaks, big impact: It's often the tiniest tweaks that can bring about the biggest results. Just like how our little blueberry crew made their system more efficient, making bite-sized improvements to your strategies, products, or marketing, can create a snowball effect of growth.

3. Be fiercely loyal to those who produce results. It really does take a team to achieve out-sized results. When you find your people, do whatever it takes to hold on to them.