What was your first job?
When I was about 12, besides babysitting, I did a paper route. After that I sold USA TODAY papers door-to-door. I became the top salesperson, even out of all the adults! I was very focused and got a taste of a bonus when I worked hard. That’s when I realized that I loved sales. Another job I had when I was young was cleaning rooms at the Ramada Inn.

How much did you make?
USA TODAY was based on commission, it was very minimal. The Ramada Inn was minimum wage.

How was your first job different than you thought it would be?
I didn’t know what a job was, I just knew that I had to work hard and be grateful for the opportunity to make money because I could change my living situation. When I graduated from college, I got my first real job at IBM. I felt like I deserved to run the whole company. However, I quickly realized I had to pay my dues, often doing entry-level work.

What important lessons or skills learned in your first job have been instrumental in your success?
When I did my paper route I realized that if you worked hard and did really well, you would be handsomely rewarded. I got my first taste of commission on my paper route job and learned what it was like to work for myself. I quickly learned that if I didn’t work, I wouldn’t get paid. And if I worked hard, I would get paid very well. This notion still applies today in my own business.

Have you seen how lacking those first job skills could have negative effects on others?
It’s important for young kids to learn the value of money. If you work, you get paid and that’s how things grow. If kids don’t have that knowledge, and they get money from your parents or something, then they will get confused on how the real world works. If you don’t know how the workforce goes, then you won’t learn the work ethic that comes with a real job.

Was there a specific event in your first job that taught you something you still use today?
When I was cleaning rooms at the Ramada Inn, I was really tired! I know at all jobs if you’re tired, you slack off. I actually got caught, because I was so tired from working so much, I just fell asleep in one of the rooms! Someone came in and it shocked me, and the fact that I got caught was so shameful. I learned you can’t “sleep on the job,” you have to do the job, because they’re paying for you to do it. I learned that I was there to work and not to sleep!

Did you face any obstacles that had a significant impact on your career path?
I faced a lot of huge obstacles on my path to success. When I started my business, I had no money. I couldn’t get anything! I couldn’t get a bank loan, I couldn’t get a family loan, and it was so hard. I was turned down left and right and had no collateral. An investor I knew made me sign a tight contract and he loaned me some money. After working for 24/7 for a straight year, the market collapsed. And my business had funds collapsing, everything was collapsing around me! I couldn’t believe it, and then the investor called me and said he was pulling funds. I went back to the investor with bullet points of how and why we are going to get through this, and he actually agreed and said yes to continuing to back me. Since then my business has grown into a multi-million dollar organization. My business could have ended, but instead, I overcame that obstacle and turned it around.

What advice would you give to someone starting his or her first job?
Go for a first job that you really want to do, that you have a passion for. Don’t worry about the money, do it because you want to do it. If you want to be an accountant, do accounting. Advertising?  Do an advertising job. Don’t do something because your parents want you to, or your boyfriend/girlfriend wants you to, but do it because you want to. Each one of us has a talent, so think about what you really want and go for it.

What do you find most rewarding about your position today?
I help women with their struggles. In my business and personally, I spend a lot of time helping, inspiring, and motivating women by giving them the tools to exceed in business, which are in my book Live It, Love It, Earn It. The best thing about my position is that I have the time and resources to give back to young women and help them succeed. It’s very rewarding!