This is a subscriber-only article. Join Entrepreneur+ today for access

Learn More

Already have an account?

Sign in
Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

My Dad Gave Me a Knife When I Was 11 to Help Him Work. That Knife Opened My World. Pop couldn't pass on much, but what he did teach was priceless.

By Jeff Walsh

This story appears in the June 2021 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »

Courtesy of Jeff Walsh

The box arrived from India and contained my future. Inside was the first prototype of my company's first product. But to open the box, I used something from my past. It was a knife given to me by my father when he taught me the greatest lesson of my life.

Pop dropped out of school in the ninth grade to work in a tomato-canning factory. He worked many jobs after that but never earned much. I grew up as the youngest of seven children and decided early that I'd go to college — which would require paying for it myself. I started doing odd jobs whenever I could, including joining my dad at work.

Related: Why the President of Microsoft Signed My Air Jordans

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Business News

McDonald's Is Making a Major Change to Its Burgers in 2024

The beloved Big Mac will also be getting a big makeover.

Thought Leaders

3 New Ways to Develop Laser-Like Focus

To boost focus in the face of distractions, you need a new approach to success.

Growing a Business

Serial Entrepreneur Turned VC Reveals 4 Numbers You Need to Know to Scale Your Company

If you're looking to attract investment or simply seeking to scale your business, there are four key numbers you should use as your guiding light.

Growing a Business

What It Takes to Build a Best-In-Class Company — 3 Essential Elements

The journey to excellence is not a matter of chance but a deliberate pursuit to shape the future and raise the bar for all who follow.

Marketing

5 Tips for Helping Your Book Stand Out In an Overcrowded Niche

Writing a book is one thing. Getting people to read it is an entirely different kind of challenge.

Business Ideas

55 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2023

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2023.