I'll always be thankful to the pizza shop 5 minutes from home for giving me my first real job. (And yes, it is listed on my LinkedIn profile.) There I was able to see how classroom theories like competitive advantage, supply & demand, and the Pareto principle work in the real world. (Ex: Figuring out the quickest routes to various neighborhoods, the best times to work, and who the best tippers were helped me to earn more in one evening than my non-delivering peers did in a week.) I also learned how much more there is to people than meets the eye: -Like the guy who had won big bucks in the state lottery, but kept working anyway to maintain a solid work ethic and not forget where he came from. -Or the recovering drug addict, who turned out to be one of the smartest, most strategic thinkers I've ever met. As they shared their personal stories, I learned not to judge the book by its cover. And I benefited immensely from those relationships. Additionally, I learned how to properly mop a floor and how to get around the entire city--without the assistance of a smartphone or satellite aided navigation. (It was 1996.) And I earned the right, once and for all, to tell others that at 18 years old I began my career as a professional driver. What's your story? #FirstJobLessons …see more