Oranges for Sale

One summer morning, I was watching an educational cartoon with my oldest daughter, Charlee. Knowing I had an important business call coming up, I told her she could watch one more episode and then tell me what she learned afterward.

The call ended up running long. Charlee, having finished the episode, came over and showed me a drawing she’d made on construction paper. She loves creating art, and I usually make a big deal out of her work. But in that moment, I’m sure I was only half-paying attention, thinking I’d give her my full focus once the call wrapped up.

Finally, when I got off the call, I went looking to see what Charlee had drawn. About that time, she rushed in from outside, all excited, saying, “Daddy, daddy! Look—I made five dollars!” A little confused, I asked, “How did you make five dollars?” She grinned and said, “I sold oranges to a nice lady.”

My mind started spinning. What?? Following her outside, I found she’d set up a small stand with a sign made out of construction paper that read “Oranges, $1.” Our kind neighbor had stopped on her way home, bought five oranges, and handed Charlee five dollars.

After getting over my initial shock at the safety issue, I had a chance to really process what had happened in her little mind. I couldn’t help feeling incredibly proud. As an entrepreneur myself, seeing her take such quick, decisive action filled me with pride. I asked her what had given her the idea, and she said, “The cartoon! The kids were selling lemonade at a lemonade stand.”

Initially, I’d wondered what historical lesson she’d take from the cartoon. ?While I’m sure she learned some history, her biggest takeaway was the lemonade stand. What amazed me most was how immediately she acted on her idea. Now almost every weekend she wants to set up her little shop on the sidewalk with various produce items.?

As adults, we often find countless reasons to delay or avoid action. There’s so much we can learn from the mind of a child and how readily they turn ideas into reality. As proud as I was of her entrepreneurial spirit, I couldn’t help but laugh, realizing Charlee still has some business fundamentals to master—like profit and loss! After all, Daddy’s the one footing the bill for the oranges. At this rate, I’m just the silent investor funding her operation, but it looks like she’s well on her way to understanding the art of a good sale.