Lakeisha Moore
The Signal
My dad was a small business owner. Starting at the age of seven, he instilled in me the principle of working harder than necessary to get what I wanted. I didn’t realize it then, but I believe that he was trying his best to equip me with what I needed to be successful.
Oftentimes, my dad would walk around blurting out little anecdotes with no forewarning. In my 7-year-old mind, it didn’t make sense. In fact, it seemed quite silly at the time. He would say things like “A penny saved is a penny earned,” and “He who rests must work.”
I can’t even begin to describe how annoying it was, but today I am grateful.
A sad reality that many face in modern day America is that not every child will have a father present in the home to teach them what it means to be successful. Fortunately, programs have been developed to aid in the development of preparedness skills in youth across America; one of those programs is Lemonade Day.
Created by a non-profit organization, Prepared 4 Life, Lemonade Day is an educational program that teaches children entrepreneurial skills through strategically planning for and operating their very own lemonade stands.
Imagine what society would be like if every child began developing the skills needed to become productive members of society by becoming business leaders, social advocates and forward-thinking citizens of tomorrow. On May 6, more than 65,000 children are expected to do just that by setting up lemonade stands in 39 cities across the United States.
Upon registration, children are given a backpack with an entrepreneur workbook that teaches them the 14 lessons of Lemonade Day, which includes how to create a business plan, secure investors, create and distribute a product, make a profit and give back to the community.
Being a mother of a 4-year-old boy, opportunities like this one gives me something to look forward to; together, we can discover new skill sets that will help to prepare him for the future. Much like my dad did for me, I try my best to instill in him business-savvy techniques that he can apply to multiple areas of his life, but as my dad would say,
“There is no lesson like a learned lesson.” For him, the hands-on approach is the best way of learning.
As an adult and mother, I can appreciate that principle and, in retrospect, I realize that if I had been given an opportunity to practice what my father preached, I probably would have been even more successful.
My son isn’t quite old enough to participate in this year’s Lemonade Day, so we will live vicariously through my 10-year-old niece, Dasia, for the time being. She is what some may call a kid-preneur. At age 9, Dasia started her own personalized children’s storybook business, and on May 6 she will add lemonade stand owner to her resume.
Pursuing another business venture is what drew her to Lemonade Day. Dasia also wants to help inspire other children to become kid-prenuers. My father, Dasia’s grandfather, would be proud.
Lemonade Day is a national program, but will take place locally both in Houston and Galveston. Those interested in participating in the event can contact the Galveston Chamber of Commerce at 409-763-5326. More information can also be found at www.lemonadeday.org.
