Career Lessons from My First Job: Insights That Shaped My Business

I've carried 2 lessons from my very first job at 14 all the way through my career that I wanted to share.

In 9th grade, my Civics teacher asked if I'd like to work at her husband's hot dog luncheon counter over the summer.

It was a fun, fast-paced job and I learned so much.

🍔 The first thing I learned was no one can eat a hamburger for lunch every day.

I quickly switched to turkey sandwiches.

The lessons in customer service though, I have carried throughout my career. And it's been a huge help as I run my own business, as as solopreneur.

What my boss taught me was this:

➡ People are much happier to wait once they have drinks. Greet people, get their drink order, deliver it, and then get their food order.

💁‍♀️ For me this translates to responding quickly when someone reaches out to talk to me. People want to know that they are a priority. In a bigger sense, people want to feel seen. That's something I provide for each client.

➡ Second, get people out the door when they're done. Ring people up as soon as they're ready, don't make them wait.

💁‍♀️ For me this translates to finalizing clients' documents quickly. After clients have a chance to digest their first draft, I schedule a review time at their convenience so that we can make any minor edits necessary and they have documents that are 100% ready to go. Clients know I'm committed to the process and to their success.

🌟 These two lessons, learned almost 30 years ago, have carried me really far. And the tips! 💰

What's a great career lesson you learned early on? I'd love to hear about it!