I had the pleasure last week of visiting with Girl Scout troop 1613. Their quest was to obtain specific requirements so that they can earn their business badge. (Though I must admit that some of the motivation for visiting might have been to try on pretty dresses!). This group of girls was awesome. My job was to give them a little bit of an understanding of what is involved in starting up and operating your own business. In preparing, I wanted to get this group of 10 and 11 year olds thinking about things that they wouldn’t normally think about from a business perspective. While I do believe that we accomplished the task at hand, I think the gift that the girls gave to me was far greater than what I was offering them. So many different personalities...and among the traits were confidence, certainty, uncertainty, shyness, boldness, energy, reservation… etc. etc. etc. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity of sharing my business experience with them.
The onset of the gathering started a little hectic for me as I was juggling at least one extra ball, as always… but my “assistants (daughter, then mother)” quickly came to my rescue and I relaxed, smiled and settled in. The girls listened reverently. They asked questions with the raise of a hand and asked intelligent questions (beyond what I think a 10 year old should comprehend). I was surprised at their interest. My disillusionment about how children are becoming spoiled, wavered for the evening and we all had a good time. During that evening, I was reconnected with the reasons why I went into business in the 1st place. Questions were asked about the daily and unobvious expenses I incur as a business owner. What do I like most and least about being my own boss and how important it is to maintain a good reputation? I learned about the hopes of the future of these 5th graders and I took a few moments to honor their dreams. Toward the end of the session, we learned about what type of business the girls would be interested in. It looks as though I will have some competition with a few bridal store owners, but doctors, silly bands and lotion store were some other aspirations.
In the end, the girls decorated the windows of their own choice, and they did a fabulous job. Oh… and they were rewarded with a little “dress up” time which they loved.
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