The Moment Before
There is something irresistible about wanting to know how the story ends. Will the hero succeed? Will the mystery be solved? Will everything work out? Sometimes we want to skip ahead, peek at the final page, and reassure ourselves that everything turns out just fine.
This week, our studios have been living in that feeling. Tiny rooted plants that have spent the last month growing in water and finally finding homes in pots. Bath bombs are drying, lemonade recipes are being tested and retested, the garden is overflowing, and the chickens seem to be working overtime. Every few minutes another question drifts across the studio. “Would you buy two for $10 or $8?” “How much does one bath bomb usually cost?” “Should VIP seating cost two dollars more?” No one knows the answers and that’s exactly what makes entrepreneurship so exciting!
Earlier this week, the Discovery Studio held a practice Bazaar. Learners became entrepreneurs while fellow learners became customers. They haggled over prices, sampled snack mixes, compared experiences, and carefully spent their Bazaar Bucks. After, one learner led the reflection and asked a simple question. “What made you decide where to spend your money?”
The answers were surprising. “I liked negotiating.” “I was looking for the best tasting snack mix.” “I really liked the VIP seating. That gave that business an edge.” No one had the same answer and perhaps that was the greatest lesson of the day. There wasn’t one perfect product, one perfect price, or even one perfect customer. Real customers value different things.
A worksheet can ask, “What would you charge?” Yet, a customer quietly choosing another booth teaches something entirely different. That’s why at Acton we believe so deeply in Exhibitions. Learners don’t simply learn about entrepreneurship, they become entrepreneurs. They wrestle with uncertainty, they revise, they negotiate, they pivot. They discover that success isn’t about guessing the “right” answer but about listening, observing, and learning from the people they hope to serve.
This Saturday our school has the privilege of hosting Oshkosh’s very first Acton Children’s Business Fair for young entrepreneurs throughout our community. Next Thursday our very own learners will welcome family and friends to their Entrepreneurship Exhibition.
Two Business Fairs. Two opportunities to step into the arena.
Everyone wants to know how the story ends. Will the plants sell? Will customers love the bath bombs? Will the pricing work? Will someone discover a better idea halfway through the day and change their entire juice business plan? No one knows yet. Perhaps that’s exactly where heroes grow, not after the story has been written but in the chapter where courage is required before the ending is known.
We all want to skip ahead and read the last page. Instead, this week I invite you to help your learner enjoy the chapter they’re living in by asking:
What are you hoping your customers experience?
What problem are you trying to solve?
What part of your business are you most proud of?
What are you curious to find out once the doors open?
This week, may you enjoy the beautiful mess of watching your learner prepare, wonder, revise, create, and bravely step into the unknown. The ending can wait. This chapter is worth savoring.