Selling Lollipops for a Skateboard

When Erik was back in high school, he really really wanted a skateboard and they were $120 (for the late 80s, that’s pretty pricey) and he didn’t have that money. He’d always done paper routes and shoveled snow and cut grass around the neighborhood but that was money that kind of just came and went. He needed money that was set aside specifically for that purpose and that purpose only. So he started reselling Blow Pops - you know, those lollipops that have a big wad of gum in the middle. He bought a big bag and would sell three for a quarter and at that price, he was making good money. He did this for several months and sold them at school, raising the $150 to buy his skateboard. At the time, it was no big deal but in retrospect, the key is that he wanted something, came up with a plan, and executed that plan. It was one of those early signs of entrepreneurialism: if you set your mind to something, you can make a profit if you’re savvy enough to sell something that’s in demand and come out with happy customers. If you have a kid, Erik would strongly recommend they put effort towards making the money for something they want - whether that be a skateboard, a Nintendo, etc. — Erik J. Olson is an award-winning digital marketer & entrepreneur. The Founder & CEO of Array Digital, he is also the host of the Journey to $100 Million Flash Briefing and daily podcast, and the organizer of the Marketers Anonymous monthly meetups. — Kevin Daisey is an award-winning digital marketer & entrepreneur. He started his first company when he was just 23, and is the Founder & CMO of Array Digital. Kevin is also the co-host of the Journey to $100 Million Flash Briefing and daily podcast, and the co-organizer of the Marketers Anonymous monthly meetups. — For more information on the show, and to check out past episodes, go to journeyto100million.com!