We received a range of submissions, some were funny and others were sentimental. Some happened decades ago, while others occurred within the last two years. Some told tales of businesses that have gone on to be highly successful. Others were just in the process of launching new endeavors.
We told you it could be anyone from your parents to Steve Jobs. And while no one cited the late Apple CEO, the most common inspiration source was your parents.
However, the winning entry belongs to Ryan McManus, who told the tale of his first job at a small ice cream shop called Frost Bite in Avon, Indiana . Ryan told us that the entrepreneurial lessons he learned were twofold. First, it taught him how a business decides margins and how much to price something. But second, and perhaps more importantly, it taught him about treating your employees fairly.
"Work hard, understand how you will make money (and in today’s startup environment, this is worth reinforcing) and treat your employees with respect," Ryan says. That's a pretty great lesson to learn at 15. For his answer, Ryan will win an iPad 2 and a $100 gift card to the App Store.
Because there were so many great answers, we've chosen two runners up who will receive a package of Mashable swag.
Savannah Peterson's story tells of a random act of kindness that gave her the motivation and the startup capital to forge out on her own when it seemed impossible.
Cyndi Masters wanted to thank her case worker, who didn't discourage her from pursuing a dream when others might have.
Check out all the responses here and thank you to everyone who participated!
Contest presented by Babson
This contest is presented by Babson, ranked #1 in entrepreneurship education for over 18 years. Babson is a living/learning laboratory focused on advancing Entrepreneurial Thought and Action® in organizations of all types and sizes, everywhere.