From Selling ICEEs to Building a Brand: Lessons From My First Job
My First Job: Selling ICEEs at Tampa Stadium
My very first job was selling ICEEs at Tampa Stadium during Bucs games. Well, we called in Polar Cup.
It wasn’t glamorous work. Sticky hands, climbing stairs, and a Florida heat that melted you faster than the ice in the cup. But that job planted the first seeds of my entrepreneurial journey. I made $.25 for every cup I sold (plus tips).
I quickly learned that if I showed up with energy, smiled, and hustled, I made sales. If I didn’t, nothing happened. That was my first taste of entrepreneurship.
What I Learned From That First Job
Looking back, selling frozen drinks to football fans taught me lessons I still use today as a founder:
Hustle drives results. The kids who moved fast and engaged the crowd sold more.
Timing matters. Demand shifted with the energy of the game—halftime was different from kickoff. Adaptability was key.
Pride in small work matters. Even when the job seemed insignificant, the way I showed up changed how people responded.
These lessons might have seemed small at the time, but they became the foundation for how I approach business.
The Parallels Between Football and Entrepreneurship
Being a lifelong Bucs fan reinforced those same lessons.
I endured long losing seasons.
I celebrated the Super Bowl win right after high school.
I weathered another playoff drought.
And when Tom Brady signed, I invested in season tickets—only for COVID to shut down stadiums.
That’s the reality of being a fan: you don’t just show up for the wins. You stay through the droughts too.
Entrepreneurship is no different.
Some seasons are full of setbacks.
Others bring breakthrough wins.
Most of the time, it’s about resilience and consistency.
In both football and business, the long game pays off.
From Stadium Hustle to Starting The New Primal
Years later, I left a corporate job and started experimenting with recipes on my kitchen counter. That side hustle became New Primal.
And I realized: the principles were the same.
Show up with energy.
Adapt to the moment.
Take pride in every step, no matter how small.
Selling ICEEs at a football stadium may seem worlds apart from building a national CPG brand, but the mindset was identical.
Why Your First Job Still Matters
Your first job—no matter how small—can shape your entire career.
For me, it was the start of understanding sales, timing, resilience, and the importance of showing up consistently.
For you, it might have been waiting tables, bagging groceries, or mowing lawns.
The bigger lesson? No job is wasted. Every experience is a rep that builds your resilience and teaches you how to handle the bigger stages that come later.
Final Takeaway
Entrepreneurship is about playing the long game.
Show up when it’s hard.
Adapt when things break.
Take pride in the small wins.
Because one day, you’ll look back and realize that the “small” job you thought didn’t matter was actually preparing you for everything that came next.
👉 What was your first job, and what lessons did it teach you? Send me a note—I’d love to hear your story.
