The Gyro Stand That Built Me

I didn’t fill out a job application.

I just happened to be standing next to my dad at the Saturday Market.

I was 15.

We were walking around downtown Portland and he said, “Let’s go find my friend who runs the gyro booth.”

I thought he was hungry.

I was too.

We find the booth, and my dad shakes Mo’s hand and goes:
“You need anyone to help you work today? Or this weekend?”

Mo laughs and says, “Actually yeah… the guy who was supposed to be here didn’t show up.”

Then he looks at me and says, “You ever worked a register?”
I said, “Nope. But I’ll learn.”

My dad puts two bucks in my hand and says, “Take the bus home, son. You’re gonna have fun.”

And just like that… I had a job.

Looking back, what my dad gave me that day wasn’t just a job.

He gave me courage.

He gave me permission to figure it out in public.

He gave me exposure to real people, real work, and real values.

That summer, I learned more about:

Customer service

Marketing a ( Gyro ) brand

Food hustle

Human behavior

Showing up early and staying late

Smelling like lamb and tzatziki on the ride home

…than any classroom could’ve taught me.

I worked with Mo until I was 18.

And eventually, I launched my own t-shirt booth at that same market years later.

That gyro stand taught me more about entrepreneurship, marketing, and leadership than any business course ever has.

Still grateful.

Still carrying it with me today as I help my clients become authorpreneurs.

Here's a pic from that T-shirt booth I started after working with Mo, who pushed me to make my art.

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