When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Guacamole

From Lemonade to Avocados

My lemonade stand was a dud - no foot traffic, and drivers weren't stopping for lemonade. Let's face it - a lemonade stand isn't exactly a unique idea. Fortunately, I overheard my parents discussing how avocados were going for $1.15 each at the store. Meanwhile, we had a massive avocado tree in our backyard, my treehouse built right on top. I set up a rope, bucket, and pulley system - then switched to selling avocados instead of lemonade.

Don’t dwell on failure - pivot to a better approach:

Adapt quickly when something isn’t working. For example, if your team meetings feel unproductive, try a new format, like starting with open questions to spark engagement. Spot a challenge this week, such as slow client responses, and test a new tactic, like a more personalized follow-up. Track the impact for two weeks to see if results improve.

Misspelled Signs, Sold-Out Stock

With an inventory of avocados freshly plucked from the tree, I rebranded my lemonade stand as a fruit stand, pricing avocados well under the retail cost to draw buyers. In my haste to get started, I accidentally stenciled "Avecado" onto every sign. Many people pointed out my spelling error, but they bought me out of my entire stock on the first day anyway. I fixed the spelling error later, but it didn’t boost sales. As it turned out, customers valued inexpensive, fresh avocados over perfect signs.

Deliver value instead of chasing perfection:

Prioritize impact over polishing details. For instance, when preparing a pitch, share a clear draft rather than perfecting every slide to get faster feedback. Push out your next task, like an email or report, after a quick review. Use a basic spell-check tool, but don’t stall. Check after a week - did the flaws matter, or did the results deliver?

Long Rides, Short Returns

My tree ran dry fast, but I found a goldmine of avocado trees not far from my home. I’d haul buckets and a telescoping fruit picker in a wagon tied to my bike, but the trips were grueling. Picking alone was slow, avocados bounced out of the basket, and my wagon would hit sidewalk cracks and tip over. All that extra effort increased my hours worked, and the more I sold, the farther I had to travel for stock. After a few weekends, the payoff just wasn’t worth the grind.

If your approach burns you out, it can't hold up:

Build sustainable workflows to keep your energy high. For example, cut time on repetitive admin tasks by sharing routine scheduling with a colleague, freeing you both for bigger priorities. Pick a time-heavy task, like sorting daily emails, and simplify it with a template or batching responses. Aim to save time, tracking hours saved in a notebook or phone app.

Teaming Up for Bigger Wins

To fix the problem, I teamed up with my friend across the street. We split the work and profits, raised prices a bit while keeping them well below retail, and sold way more avocados than I could alone - in half the time. We even out-earned his older brother’s part-time job per hour.

Aim high and collaborate for better results:

Set ambitious goals and team up to achieve them. For example, to boost team performance, partner with a colleague to share ideas, like co-running a brainstorming session. Set a bold goal, like improving output or morale, and split tasks by strengths - one gathers input, the other aligns next steps. Track progress in a shared document to see the impact.

Conclusion

My 10-year-old avocado stand taught me lessons that work just as well for a kid entrepreneur as they do for today’s business leaders: pivot fast, prioritize value, design sustainable processes, and collaborate for scale. I also learned that failures are just lessons waiting to be learned - embrace them, adapt, and keep pushing forward.

Take the Next Step:

Try a New Angle: When something’s not working, like a client pitch falling flat, pivot by trying a new angle, such as a tailored follow-up call, and test it this week to spark better results.

Focus on Delivery: Deliver a presentation, like an idea or team pitch, without perfecting every slide, and check in a week to see if its value outweighs small flaws.

Streamline Work: Streamline a draining task, like constant status updates, by switching to a once-weekly summary or a quick 5-minute voice note, freeing up hours for bigger priorities within two weeks.

Go Big, Team Up: Set a bold goal, like doubling your team’s output, and pair with a colleague to divide tasks by strengths, tracking wins over a month.

These steps will turn setbacks into opportunities and strengthen your path to success.