What's the back story?
I've been a serial entrepreneur since I was nine years old. I wanted a new bike. My parents didn't believe in handing out money unless we earned it. So my father armed me with a bucket of red paint, a small paint brush and a painter's apron.
I lived in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota in the late 1950's. Our daily mail (including Sunday) was delivered by the same mailman for years. Yes, they were all men in those days. He drove up to each mailbox in his white truck with red and blue logos on it and placed our mail in the box. If we wanted to send something out we placed it in the box before his arrival and raised the red metal flag on the side of the box. That was a signal for the mailman to stop even if he didn't have a delivery on that day.
It was important that the flag stay bright red so he could see it even on the greyest of Minnesota winter days.
There I was, this cute little girl with my red bucket of paint and brush, ready to spot any mailbox flag that needed to be refreshed. I simply knocked on my neighbors' doors and asked them if they would allow me to paint their flag for 25 cents. I don't think anyone said no that day and a star was born! I knew I was going to be a successful......... whatever!
I purchased my first two-wheeled bicycle in just a few short weeks! I sure wish I had a photo to share with you of me with my paint bucket. But since I don't, enjoy this!
