An Old Lunch Pail Reminds This Founder to Embrace the Tough Times
Working through setbacks and overcoming hurdles sometimes yield the greatest lessons.
By Jason Minick •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
I grew up in the 1970s in a small town in central Pennsylvania and spent a lot of time at my grandparents' house, a railroad-style home just down the street from my parents. My grandfather, Charles, would come home from a long day's work, covered in dirt and oil, and share a sugary sip of coffee from a thermos he kept in a banged-up aluminum lunch pail.
My grandfather was an entrepreneur. After serving in WWII as a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers for the U.S. Army Reserve, overseeing construction projects across France and Germany, he returned home and realized there was a need for his skill set in the local community. He started his own custom grading and excavation business and got to work. And the work was hard.
Continue reading this article — and all of our other premium content with Entrepreneur+
For just $5, you can get unlimited access to all Entrepreneur’s premium content. You’ll find:
- Digestible insight on how to be a better entrepreneur and leader
- Lessons for starting and growing a business from our expert network of CEOs and founders
- Meaningful content to help you make sharper decisions
- Business and life hacks to help you stay ahead of the curve
