Trending
Have you ever thought about trying something? Not something fun like kayaking or skydiving -- although I would argue what I'm about to tell you is just as exciting and exhilarating. At least to me.
This story is also why it can be a little dangerous to be around me when you speak your dreams out loud.
You see, I have a bad habit of finding ways to make things happen. I've matured enough over the years not to do it for other people. Someone once told me, "You can deliver the mail, but it's not your job to open it." That lesson took me a while to learn but I stick to it like no other lesson learned.
So let me set the scene.
A while back, while rooting our boys on during a lacrosse game, one of the moms -- someone I absolutely adore -- started telling me about her banana bread. Then she asked if I'd like some. Like any normal human being, I immediately responded, "Of course! Thank you!"
The following weekend, the boys had another lacrosse game. It was an hour and a half away, cold, rainy and miserable. Unfortunately and fortunately, I wasn't able to make it.
A few days later, I saw this mom again, and she mentioned that she had brought my banana bread to the game -- but I wasn't there. I was devastated.
OK, maybe devastated is a strong word, but I was definitely disappointed.
The season continued. No banana bread. More lacrosse. Still no banana bread. So I did what any normal impatient person would do. I made my own.
After all, if you want something badly enough, you probably shouldn't rely entirely on someone else to deliver it.
One loaf turned into another. Then another. Before long, I was making banana bread every week.
Eventually, my boys reached their limit on banana bread consumption, so I started bringing loaves to meetings and workshops. Somewhere in the middle of all of this, the original banana bread mom actually dropped off a mini-loaf for me. Which was indeed delicious.
The problem was that by then I was already hooked.
In fact, I became so confident in my banana bread abilities that I decided to test myself by baking without looking at a recipe.
Lesson learned: Patience is important. Also, double-check your internal ingredient list.
Around that same time, I was teaching a workshop for Dandelion-Inc about revenue reshuffling -- finding creative ways to generate income, uncover hidden skills and use the resources you already have available.
During the discussion, I started thinking about myself. We all become a little complacent sometimes. We get comfortable doing what we do every day. I realized I needed a challenge -- a jolt of energy to remind me what it feels like to build something from nothing.
So I gave myself a mission. What if I sold enough banana bread to pay one bill? There was one rule. I couldn't use money from any of my businesses.
The entire point was to see what was possible starting from scratch. When you have nothing. Then, as if the universe was listening, I received an email from our neighborhood homeowners association announcing a community garage sale.
You guessed it. I was in.
While sitting outside during the garage sale, selling some things and not selling other things, I began doing a little more due diligence on my banana bread scheme.
How many loaves would I need to sell if they were $5 each? What would ingredients cost? What about containers? Would I actually make a profit?
Then another thought crossed my mind.
Instead of spending money on cute decorations and fancy displays, what if I marketed the banana bread the same way I marketed the garage sale?
As it turns out, there are some pretty strict rules when it comes to advertising garage sales. Listing a banana bread stand by itself would likely get flagged pretty quickly. But there are always creative ways to work within the rules.
I didn't want my banana bread venture advertised anywhere except the garage sale listings anyway. That neighborhood sale brought more than 100 people through the area, which gave me a pretty good idea of the potential market.
So I came up with a simple solution. I added used books.
Honestly, we have a bit of a book problem in our house. Every shelf seems full, yet somehow new books continue to find their way through the front door. I'd love to make room for more, and I'd rather see some of our well-loved favorites end up in someone else's hands than continue collecting dust on a shelf.
Just like that, my garage sale became a garage sale -- with a side of banana bread. And suddenly my little experiment felt a lot more real. Used books. Banana bread. A random experiment. A challenge.
Maybe a terrible idea. Maybe a brilliant one. Honestly, I have no idea. But that's kind of the point.
Sometimes we don't need another business plan, another spreadsheet or another certification. Sometimes we just need to remember what it feels like to try something. To be scrappy. To risk failing at something completely unnecessary.
Because whether this banana bread venture becomes a hit or a total flop, I've already gotten exactly what I wanted from it. A reminder that possibilities often start with something small, simple, and maybe a little ridiculous.
So stay tuned. We'll find out together whether this banana bread can actually pay a bill.
Mother, author, entrepreneur and founder of Dandelion-Inc, Lisa Resnick wants to hear your story. Share memories with her by emailing lisa@dandelion-inc.com.