These first 3 jobs shaped my career

I love where I am today as a father, grandfather, and businessman who helps investors create intelligently growing portfolios.

Looking around me, it’s hard not to see that I’m blessed.

Thinking about how I got here, however, it’s equally difficult not to see all the effort it took to make my reality happen.

Not that I’m complaining. I actually wouldn’t trade any of that work for the world considering what I learned along the way.

Many of you know my rags to riches to rags to riches story: how I grew up in a single-parent home… made it big in commercial real estate (CRE)… lost that fortune twice over, first to a bad business partner and then to the 2008 crash…

And then began a new career altogether, ultimately founding the company you now know as Wide Moat Research.

It took effort to get through all of that – oftentimes more than I thought I could give. But looking back, I realize I was well-equipped to make it happen thanks to the first three jobs I had growing up.

They weren’t anything glamorous. I didn’t get to put my name on anything more than a nametag (which certainly didn’t have “CEO” printed on it).

There were no scheduled meetings with high-powered business leaders or chances to hobnob with the rich and famous. And I certainly wasn’t impressing anyone with my investment advice.

The CRE development, the exploration opportunities, the real money… those all had to wait until I learned the basics from my first three jobs.

My very first job was delivering newspapers to roughly 100 customers when I was 15.

Six days a week, I would step outside at around 5 a.m. to collect the newspaper stacks my employer delivered. It didn’t matter if I was tired or didn’t feel like it, or if it was raining or snowing outside.

Because I had a job to do.

The next hour would be filled with rolling each individual paper, bagging them all if necessary, and stuffing them into my knapsack. Then it was back outside again to start my route before most of my customers’ morning alarms had gone off.

At the time, it just felt like work: a way to make money for whatever 15-year-olds liked to buy back then. But I now realize it taught me one of the most valuable lessons of my life…

That there are no sick days or personal leave when people are counting on you. The customers expected their newspapers every morning, and it was my responsibility to deliver them.

As a result, that job taught me discipline and reliability – both of which translated well into my post-2008 recovery, helping me build Wide Moat Research into what it is today.

Whether I’m writing articles, publishing newsletters, recording videos, or communicating with subscribers, I understand that customer service and consistency matter.

Even if it means my day has to begin at 5:00 a.m.

My second job was working as a “courtesy clerk” at our local Family Mart grocery store.

Which is a polite way of saying I was a bag boy.

Which might actually be a step down from having a newspaper route.

Nonetheless, I stayed busy bagging groceries, carrying them to customers’ cars, cleaning floors, gathering shopping carts, and doing whatever else needed to be done. And you know what?

I learned to take pride in every bit of it. No matter the situation and no matter the task, I always tried to treat customers with kindness and respect.

One memory from that second job of mine has stayed with me especially. It was when I helped an elderly woman carry her groceries out to her car, only to receive a $20 tip for my troubles.

At the time, it felt like a fortune. But believe it or not, what struck me most that day wasn’t the money. It was the recognition that good service makes a difference.

My second job taught me how to interact with people, reinforcing the importance of treating every customer with courtesy and professionalism. It also taught me the kind of humility that every leader needs to know.

I’m now absolutely convinced that being respectful is of utmost importance. When you make that your first priority, the numbers tend to follow.

My third job might surprise a few people. And honestly, I think this might be the first time I’ve publicly admitted that, at 17 years old, I worked in the women’s shoe department at Meyers Arnold.

Yes, that’s right. Women’s shoes.

I thought at the time it might be a good way to meet girls. (An opinion I wasn’t completely wrong about.) But it also turned out to be an excellent way to learn about sales and marketing.

This was thanks to my manager, Johnny, who was legendary around town. He knew absolutely everything there was to know about women’s shoes. Brands, styles, trends, customer preferences: you name it.

So it should come as no surprise that he had a near-perfect success rate with customers.

I guess I only learned one new lesson watching Johnny. However, it was absolutely worth it: realizing that the best salespeople aren’t salespeople at all.

They’re experts in their field.

It just makes sense that people tend to trust you more when you truly understand what you’re selling. It doesn’t matter whether that product is women’s shoes or well-priced, quality-driven investment opportunities.

The rule applies the same.

There are so many ways to lose money in the markets – even when you’re committed to purchasing dividend-paying assets.

People think of income stocks as safe portfolio purchases. And they’re right… in theory. But in practice, there are still dangers you need to be aware of.

In last week’s Wide Moat Show, Nick Ward and I discussed one of the biggest dividend-stock pitfalls you need to know about, including five real-time examples to avoid.

Catch the full episode right here.