Action creates opportunities for learning. In some way, it doesn’t really matter what you do, as long as you’re doing something… like our mate Roy.
A few months ago, I introduced you all to Roy.
Roy is an entrepreneur, a businessman, a visionary.
Roy is 12.
I met Roy on Brunswick St in Fitzroy. He had a small stall selling Peanut Butter, under the label ‘Fitzy Foods’.
I love Roy’s story. It’s not a hard luck story. He’s not supporting a family suffering from incurable gluten intolerance.
Roy is just having a go. He doesn’t need to be there. His folks are well-off enough. But they know the value getting out into the real world and making things happen.
And Roy is making this happen.
This week he sent me a link to his new website:
I took a look. Man, things are moving quickly for the young fellah. The website is slick. There’s a gallery, a blog.
There’s even an online store.
Online store?!?
Two months ago he had a card table on Fitzroy Street. Now there’s an on-line store?
Ah, but it’s not quite the big time yet. As he says:
“If you live in or around Fitzroy, I'd love to deliver you your order by bike!”
How good is that! An online store for bike-delivered peanut butter! I told you Roy had a big future.
And check out the write up on the home page:
This is Fitzy Foods. The home of locally roasted, ground and sealed peanut butter. I’m Roy, and I have a passion for nut butters of all shapes and sizes. This passion was taken to another level, when I decided to get a job, but found that it was illegal at 12. After being thoroughly disappointed for a couple of hours, I decided to make my own job, and Fitzy Foods is the product. When I make peanut butter for Fitzy Foods, I am always amazed at how much fun I can have, and the most rewarding part is of course, putting a smile on someone’s face. Local Fitzroy peanut butter can brighten anyone’s day, and Fitzy Foods is proof of that!
Classic.
And take a look at the website. It’s a tidy piece of work. It’s clean, it works well. It does everything you need it to. It’s got some warm product shots.
It’s everything you need a business website to be.
So look at the amazing experience that Roy has already racked up. He’s developed a product. He’s explored a niche. He’s done some thinking about what kind of pricing the market will support, and what kind of pricing he needs to be profitable.
And then he’s developed a website. Put some time into looking at different themes, thought about the functionality he needs, written a few blogs, got some great product shots, thought about how to make the online sales component work…
I’m sure he’s had a hand. Knowing Roy, he’s probably got his parents chipping in sweat equity. But parents are important stakeholders too. You’ve got to manage your stakeholders.
And, so altogether, Roy has successfully launched a fully-functional online business.
At the age of 12.
Fantastic.
This sets Roy up for a great future. And I don’t think he’ll be in the peanut butter business forever. I don’t even think he’ll be in it for long.
But action creates opportunities for learning. Just think of everything that Roy has learnt so far. And just think how useful that knowledge will be to anything Roy does in the future.
Roy’s journey has started. Maybe he’ll start branching out into different nut flavours. Maybe he’ll pivot into macadamias. Maybe he’ll get excited by web-design. Maybe he’ll come up with a new method of online payments.
Who knows?
He’ll follow his passions and life will take him where he needs to go. Life seems to work like that.
But for that to work, there needs to be momentum. You can’t follow your passions if you’re not moving. You need to act.
Action creates opportunities for learning. You get to try things out. See what works. Learn from your mistakes. And most importantly, see what you actually like.
As you become more successful, you begin to see your passions in higher resolution.
Like, “I like helping people. I like helping sick people. I like helping people with terminal illness. I like helping people with cancer. I like helping people with cancer find peace in their final days.”
Or, “I like helping people. I like helping people succeed. I like helping people succeed financially. I like helping people set up businesses. I like helping people set up on-line businesses.”
On and on it goes.
And exploring your passions has to be one of the most enjoyable and worthwhile things you can do with your life.
But unless you make a start, you’ll never get anywhere.
And in a lot of ways, it doesn’t really matter where you start. Take Roy. He could have just as easily got into badges, or chewing gum or beard combs for hipsters.
Each journey would have had its lessons.
And say you want to make a million dollars. You don’t necessarily need a plan that’s going to take you from right now to a million dollars in the future.
Just get moving. If you keep that goal in mind, the next step is probably already obvious. Don’t worry about the step after that. Just take care of what’s on your plate already.
Keep the goal in mind and just keep moving.
Be a man of action. Be a man of action like Roy.
Keep up the great work, champ.
How do you motivate yourself to be a man of action like Roy?
What’s the task that’s on you plate already?
Richard says
I’ll bet that within a week, some over zealous politically correct lefty will have brought Roy’s Fitzroy endeavours to the attention of the local Council, the Health Department, the ATO and several other bureaucracies all whom will individually visit young Roy and swamp him with ‘cease and desist’ orders until he complies with hundreds of rules and regulations designed to stifle initiative and limit progress until the great unwashed without any of their own figure out a way to carve off a piece of Roys burgeoning empire for themselves, who produce nothing but frustration….
Pippi says
GO ROY, Young Entrepreneurial Skills are golden. My Son started selling sticks of sherbet at school in year 7 (Aged 12 years ) It was all going awesome until the teachers intervened, because they thought the sherbet mite be some form of drug. Ridiculous.He is now 20 years old , sells his Original Designs Online to the USA, & Is setting up online selling options. ,with all the major Players.We attended Steven Essas Seminar yesterday in Sydney. It was truly Inspirational, Entertaining & the way of the Future!!!
I Couldn’t have put it better myself Richard, but hes a minor so he will probaly be able to get away with it & keep going.
Michael Fordyce says
Good on him, we need more kids stepping up like this!
ed says
This is a wonderful example of entrepreneurship and creative spirit. We all can learn something people like him. Our only limitation is our IMAGINATION. Well done Jon for this article.