Saturday was the Acton Children’s Business Fair.
I’ve written about it before, or at least shared our experiences with this event via podcast. The short version is…
Kids coming from our school and others display their wares, sell, and compete to win prizes for the most viable business ideas.
These kids know more about business than many “CEOs” I’ve met. You ask them their costs, their marketing plan, their expected growth, what model they’re looking to take on for business structure if they choose to continue on with their business… And they know the answers. Heck, they even know their numbers!
Our first experience with an Acton Business Fair was well before our kids had been admitted. My eldest son had received a 3D printer for Christmas that year. One elementary student was selling 3D printed toys and my son asked if he might help him with production. The youthful entrepreneur responded as he handed him his handmade business card “Why don’t you send me an email with a proposal and we can work out a contract?”
That was all it took for me, if an elementary school kid understood business this well, their abilities with everything else were sure to be incredible. Each child also shook hands with each of us after a purchase and their conversations were almost always partnered with fantastic eye contact I’d only ever anticipated from adults. These “kids” were on a truly different trajectory.
This year’s business fair was another beautiful experience. Last year was the first with our kid’s displaying their own work. This time felt different. A much more controlled chaos.
Eloise relaunched her “Best Friend’s Smoothie Shop” with BFF Esther Moran. Arthur took on a new mission, selling homemade chocolate bars with over 70 different variations (he’s spent weeks melting down chocolate and creating delightful options like “Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt and Pistachios”).
August? The friends he launched a business with last year decided to partner with their sibling which on the surface meant he was “pushed out”, but because he’d made the initial investment and founded it with them, he retained a percentage of their earnings… Then he marketed himself as a free agent. Known for his height and proficiency he ended up helping a kid led burger restaurant as a short order cook. His favorite part? Zero risk, and a guaranteed payout no matter what their profits were.
So many different beautiful paths.
Last year, each of our children won an award, this year only August did, and it was for the new restaurant he’d joined as contract employee rather than owner.
Believe it or not though, that’s not what this article is about.
It’s about a moment that impacted me so deeply, I wanted to share it with you all.
“The Gifts You Don’t Know You’ve Given”
Mike Garrett is a fellow Acton Dad, concierge Doctor, entrepreneur, trivia champion, carnivore, and all around good guy. We’ve interacted a handful of times, around the fire at school campouts, at Dad’s nights, etc. He’s always been a delight, but I’ve never felt like we really went deep. Saturday, that changed.
As Mike walked up to me, hand outstretched, eye contact on lock (just like the kids), he said something interesting “I’ve really enjoyed your writing lately, thank you for sharing it with the world”.
I thanked him gratefully. I’ve had friends and acquaintances reach out to share that what is in my mind, moved to words in print has been a blessing to them in some way. But I was surprised he’d read my thoughts. Even more surprised they were valuable to him.
Then, my phone rang.
A friend I’d invited on the off chance he’d be available had just arrived. I excused myself and dashed away.
But the gift he’d given me? It sat in my heart for hours, now for days.
All through the rest of the event, the awards ceremony, Eloise’s dance recital. Mike didn’t know it, but those words gave me something I didn’t know I’d needed. A reason to keep writing, to keep putting my head down, to stay focused and share my experiences.
The mastermind I co-lead holds me accountable to keep sharing, but these little moments with people I didn’t know I was impacting? They bolster my resilience to do even more.
So I wrote him a text that evening, thanking him again for the impact his words had on me… And now, I’m writing this for all of you.
Too often, we don’t take the time to truly be a witness. To truly reflect the impact people make on us. It can be a small gesture, a kindness, or something massive. But all too often it gets lost in the whirlwind of life, self flagellation, or the fear of seeing that you are something worth being shown love to.
I am so grateful for the reminder and encouragement.
Who could you send a quick text of thanks to today? Who deserves to know how much they’ve impacted your life? Thank you for reading my friend.