
08 May Lessons learned from teenage jobs
Heidi Zak, founder of ThirdLove, shares her experience working on a farm stand as a teenager.
“I think my dad is my biggest influence. He grew up on a small farm outside of Pittsburgh. Through a lot of hard work and by focusing on education, he has been really successful in business. I think it’s true in life that when you work hard, things will work themselves out for you. That work ethic is also something that I look for when I’m hiring.
Jobs can teach a teenager valuable commercial awareness, especially when they can see a direct link between their actions and how well the business does. In a restaurant it’s reflected in their tips. On a farm stand it’s how many customers say yes. In a clothes store it’s how many browsers buy.
It might spark questions like… “What if this was my own store?” “What if I owned this restaurant?”