Mayday is an annual event in our small town that is anticipated by all. Locals gather at the tiny park, featuring their small businesses at booths spread out all over park grounds. Food trucks bring some of the community’s greatest eats, and local music groups jam at the center of it all. May 2017 was my family’s first summer in the area, and we were excited to join in the fun.
I volunteered to help out with whatever the community organizers needed, which ended up being handing out bags of popcorn.
But when popcorn lulled and I noticed the raffle table had no visitors, I offered to run around the park directly selling tickets. It was an idea off the top of my head, but was immediately accepted by the people I was working with. I was overjoyed: It’s not my preference to be stuck by a popcorn machine, and I wanted to interact with individuals from my community.
Even I was surprised when, one hour later, I had already sold several hundred tickets. I had met almost everyone at the park. I had made the community organizers happy by promoting their raffle. I had brought smiles to faces of both old and young. And it had been a blast.
And that’s the moment I first got an inkling that I would enjoy sales. Several months later, I applied to Praxis, and here I am today, filling out the placement survey focusing on a sales role. Funny how one small experience can have such a huge impact.