Entrepreneur. My first business – Bubblegum

Entering JFK Junior High in 1980,

I rode my bike with 3 friends to and from school.

My closest friend Billy and I also were competitive swimmers. If ever I lacked a ride to practice, (precisely starting at 4:45PM), I biked to Victory Park pool. 

But, Billy and I had other plans…

selling bubble gum to the kids around school.

We would purchase our inventory at a 7-11 near the Krispy Kreme and the Chicken Unlimited on 6th avenue and 167th Street.

“Gum Running”, that’s what we would call it.

That would be our first business.

We eventually negotiated with the 7-11 manager and picked up a box or two before school, at slightly above his wholesale cost. We then charged 5-10 cents a piece, a 200-500% mark-up. We limited our activity to evade discovery.

By lunchtime we were sold out.

What to do with the profits?

We drove our bikes to the Sub Center next door to the 7-11 and got ourselves sub sandwiches. We cleared $5-10/day typically.

Billy used some of the proceeds to grow his lawn-mowing business.

I quickly got busy with extracurricular activities that related to my interest in finance, medicine and science.

Fast forward to today, whenever I assist clients on realizing their goals for retirement, savings, life insurance, the emphasis is always on trust and “peace of mind”. I am continually reminded that my clients come first,

they always have.

Even when I just sold bubblegum.