Feedback Is the Breakfast of Champions

Back in the 1950s, my first real job was working after school and on weekends in the neighborhood five-and-dime store. I already had been distributing the store's sales flyers for a couple of years, but now I actually was on the payroll-85 cents an hour! I began my career right after my 13th birthday in August, and things went well at first.

I initially swept floors and stocked shelves, but as the holiday season approached, the owner asked me if I would dress one of the two display windows in the front of the store. He wanted to feature the store's line of toys. I had taken a mailorder course offered by one of the toy manufacturers and assembled all the toys for the store's basement Toyland," so I was excited about this opportunity to show off what I had learned.

I spent the following Saturday morning assembling the display. As soon as it was done, I went looking for the owner. A few minutes later, we stepped onto the street to inspect my masterpiece. He was delighted! He said it was the best window display he had ever seen. I stood next to him, beaming with pride. My career in retail already was secure at age 13!