Are you drinking the Kool-Aid?
I’m an entrepreneur at heart and have been for as long as I can remember. I was forever finding ways to get my siblings to pay me—”I’ll wash the dishes for you for 50 cents.”
By the time I was 12, I was earning my own spending money by babysitting. I was making 50 cents an hour and thought I was rich! I was. Before this, I had no money to call my own as our parents didn’t give us an allowance. I remember the summer I made $50! Woohoo!
One summer, when I was old enough to know better, I mixed up a half gallon of Kool-Aid, grabbed six plastic cups, and put it all into a wooden crate. Off I went to the new development behind us, where they were building the houses. I stopped at the first house and asked the workers if they wanted a glass of Kool-Aid. It was a hot summer day in Greenville, South Carolina, so everyone said, “Yes!”
People didn’t carry water bottles with them or colas as they only came in glass bottles, so getting something cold and sweet to drink delighted them. They paid me 5 cents a cup!
I trotted on to the next house, not washing the cups in between. They all bought from me! I went on and on through the neighborhood, from house to house. My memory tells me every single worker bought from me. By the time I got home, I had earned a dollar and a half. And I had made some hot, thirsty construction workers happy!
Isn’t that what it’s all about? Making others happy by serving them? Whether in our families, jobs, or companies, we strive to please others and make their lives better.
I received a delightful email from a customer today. He’s a monk. He asked me how he could pray for me and the company. What a beautiful question. It warmed my heart and delighted my soul.
As I go through my day, when the names of family, friends, or customers come to mind, I pray for them to have a blessed and peaceful day. The funny thing is, after I’ve thought about a customer, we’ll get a phone call or email from them. I’ve seen this happen over and over again through the years. Sometimes, it’s a fence customer who has not called in a year!
When you think about us, call or email us, even if you don’t need to buy anything. We love serving and hearing from you!
Call the BEST fence expert in the world, Terry, and say Happy Anniversary! She’s celebrating 24 years at Louis Page! T2C
Kind Regards,
Debbie Page
CEO, Louis E. Page Inc–Woman-owned business and Family-owned since 1893. (It adds up to over 131 years owned and run by our family. Think about it: Nobody stays around in business that long without really supporting customers so they want to come back!)
