7 Lessons Learned: A Failed First Business

​The first time I had the taste of the entrepreneur bug, I felt alive.

I started my own side-hustle and made some extra change. I was able to afford the little luxuries I hadn't been able to afford before. I had a team who I could teach and who trusted me to lead.

Then, my first business failed.

It didn't fail because the demand for product wasn't there. And it sure didn't fail because I did something wrong, so to speak...

It failed on the account that I was in the 2nd grade and my business was selling origami boxes to kids at school. Yup, that's right. I was 7-years-old with a spark to build something great. To some, I was just folding paper and coloring stuff, but through my eyes, I was building an empire. At a young age, I noticed a need and tried to fulfill that need. Just so happened to be that that need was a cute, customized origami box for your crayons that would sit on your desk which sold at 10 cents a box. I know--I was living the high-baller life. Hey, those elementary chocolate chip cookies weren't gonna buy themselves. But according to my school principal, that was a no-no.

The day my first business failed, I learned a few life lessons. So here's what I learned:

1. People are always going to try to knock you down. They're going to tell you that you're doing it all wrong. And that you need to follow the "right" path in order to succeed. 
2. When you have big dreams, you're going to have to work really hard to get there. Just because your dreams are big it doesn't mean that they're impossible. Just keep at it. Show up, and stay true to yourself and your vision. 
3. Just because you have a high demand for oragami boxes and a deadline doesn't mean you can be mean to your team or those around you. Happy teams equal happy clients. And happy clients will be your biggest advocates! Just be nice, man! 
4. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and your vision. These are the people that are going to help you whether or not you realize it. 
5. Never believe the lie that you are above the small stuff. Yes, if times get tough and you gotta buckle down and delegate, then you delegate! But if your people need you--be there to help. 
6. Don't be afraid of rejection. Being afraid of rejection will only defer you from trying. And if you're not trying, you're just dreaming. Be a doer.
7. Keep creating. I tried to sell origami boxes to other 2nd graders because I wanted to create cute and fun stationary accessories, not because I wanted to make money. I did it out of love for the art and community that came with it. So, keep creating and helping others.

So, if I learned all that from "failing" by "folding paper and coloring stuff", then I guess it's not all that bad, right?