Dr. Tim Thayne Presents:
Our childhood rules (before the existence of today’s technology and more informed parenting) included that we couldn’t go beyond the Smith’s house to the south, or the Heart’s house to the north, and we had to be home before dark—or before that if our mother called. And “calling” meant that she was actually yelling from the front of the house, not using a phone. Indeed, these same rules were shared by all the kids in my neighborhood, which made for a guarantee of social activity—particularly in the summertime.
We loved the long summer days, when dozens of kids of all ages would emerge in synchrony from their houses in the morning, often barefoot and siblings in tow, and we would find ourselves biking, roller skating, chalk drawing, catching tadpoles, making mud pies, building forts, having bubble gum blowing contests, and wherever else our imaginations took us.
One summer in a fit of entrepreneurial spirit, about ten of us decided to start a lemonade stand. We assigned jobs for mixing lemonade, adding ice, pouring, selling and collecting money.
My mom supplied the cooler, and we calculated the ratio for the powdered Country Time Lemonade. We all worked on making a large sign to advertise the lemonade stand, and all further marketing was strictly word-of-mouth.
Soon it was time for our “Grand Opening.” Apparently, our marketing was solid; there was a line at the beginning of the day, and the lemonade was flowing. We were charging three cents per cup and I was collecting the money. Of course, our customers were our own siblings, neighbors and friends.
One of my friend’s young sisters, about age four, made her way to the front of the line. I handed over the lemonade, which she promptly gulped down. Then she looked at me and asked me for her three cents back. I explained to her that was the price for the lemonade, which she just drank. She stared at me blankly and tears began to collect in her eyes. She asked again for the money back.
Being a brat, I asked for the lemonade back. Then the tears fully sprung, flowing, and she pleaded that wasn’t fair. Softening, I asked why. She said because it was her money and she wanted it back. I turned tack and tried to explain the process: We had paid for the lemonade, so collecting money was our way of being paid back. No breakthrough. I tried another route; I explained that if her lemonade was free, then I would have to give everyone else lemonade for free, and that wasn’t fair.
She was now fully sobbing, and then admitted she’d be in trouble for spending her money without asking permission from her parents. She abruptly turned to go home, distraught. My heart sank. I justified that it was fair to charge three cents for the lemonade, and further that her parents would explain everything to her at home. But, the uneasy feeling lingered. A sickening realization of my stubborn attitude swirled with my understanding of her predicament.
I’d like to say I know what happened when she went home; I don’t. I do know that I took this experience into my adult life. To this day, I regret that I was not polite, loving or kind. I didn’t bother to show compassion, or to be curious, or to explore her perspective.
I think of this often. We all have our own perspectives, our own personal stories and things we bring to the table. BOTH SIDES OF AN EXPERIENCE CAN BE LOGICAL AND VALID AT THE SAME TIME. Staying curious, kind and compassionate—a three-cent lesson from a lemonade stand decades ago—might open doors to communication that helps and heals.
– Christina Zechiel
Christina Zechiel is a life-long lover of learning; preferably when the lessons aren’t learned the hard way and is still figuring out what to be when she grows up. A favorite phrase of hers is, “This life is a privilege.” Above all else, she is profoundly grateful for her two children, who are her everything.
Dr. Tim Thayne Presents:
Mike is one of those brilliant, self-taught, back end developers that you always hear about. As a youth he could trust that “My mother would love me no matter what . . .” When he isn’t cranking out new code, Mike keeps up on the newest technologies and every Tuesday and Thursday nights he trains SpeedSoft with his team.
Rafael has his degree in Marketing and Advertising and years of experience with our dev team. As a teen he could trust that “The most important thing in life is love, and the most valuable things are our family and friends.” When he isn’t working on making the website and mobile versions of Trustyy seamless and functional, he unwinds by exploring nature. His favorite activities are climbing mountains, camping, going to the beach, swimming, playing the harmonica and always learning new things.
Afton’s experience is in marketing and bookkeeping. As a teen she could trust that with her parents “Feeding the horses and milking the cow each day before school–not after–was a must.” When she isn’t busy with keeping Trustyy’s lights on, you’ll usually find her baking up a new treat or working on a sewing project.
Nicoli has a degree in Multimedia Production. She has worked with our team of developers for three years. She learned to trust her own parents when they taught her “Things won’t come easy and that working hard will bring me great blessings!” When she isn’t putting together beautiful marketing pieces for the Trustyy App she likes to take pictures, play the guitar, piano, and drums, and meet up with her family to laugh over the silly things they did as kids.
Adriano is certified in Analysis and Systems Development. In his family he could trust the fact that “One difficult experience teaches me that failure is not the end, but rather an opportunity for growth and learning.” When he is away from his work in making sure the Trustyy App buttons and bells and whistles are working properly, he likes to go to the gym, to the beach to surf, on walks with his dog, or go out with his girlfriend.
Lucas’s work experience is in User Experience, Interface Design and Product Management. As a teen he could trust that “In my home honesty was highly valued and lying was not tolerated.” When he isn’t at work making sure the Trustyy App is easy on the eyes, Lucas likes hiking, gaming, going out for dinner, and spending time with family.
Cadu has his education in Analysis and System Development. While growing up he could always trust that “My parents would be there to support from playing soccer at the park to learning to ride a bike.” When he isn’t making sure things are easily navigated for our Trustyy App users, he likes to play beach soccer and enjoy music of any type, but specifically rock, country, R&B, and pop.
Mike is one of those brilliant, self-taught, back-end developers that you always hear about. As a youth he could trust that “My mother would love me no matter what.” When he isn’t cranking out new code, Mike keeps up on the newest technologies and every Tuesday and Thursday nights he trains SpeedSoft with his team.
Roxanne received her bachelor’s degree in history and secondary education. She has worked in publishing and marketing for the past 14 years. In her family Roxanne says she could trust that “Her grammar and posture would be consistently corrected, to help her to become a lady.” When she isn’t busy writing and beautifying things for the Trustyy App, you can find her reading biographies, practicing yoga, or gathering the family to talk business, celebrate wins or just plain hang out.
Sidney has a bachelor’s degree in Web Development and has worked in technology for 16 years, building apps for the last 10 years. Growing up he could trust that “It was always expected that I would fix anything related to technology.” When he isn’t managing the development of the Trustyy App, you will find him spending time with his wife and kids. He loves to make Brazillian BBQ with his family.
Jim has a degree in Design and over 25 years of experience creating SaaS products and managing talented product and development teams. In his years at home as the oldest of five he could trust that “Each child got a weekly ‘night-up’ where we got to stay up late with a parent and do anything we wanted with them.” When he isn’t looking 10 miles down the road for what will come next on the Trustyy App, you will find Jim canyoneering, doing photography, watercolor painting, or keeping up on the latest gadgets and technologies.
Eric earned his degree in Communications, Public Relations and Advertising, then added on an MBA. He says he could trust that “His parents were honest people who kept their commitments–especially to their kids.” When Eric isn’t keeping everyone at Trustyy on task, he is an outdoor enthusiast, year around, rain or shine, cold or hot, with biking in the summer and skiing in the winter.
Tim earned masters and doctoral degrees in Marriage and Family Therapy, and has 30 years of experience working with families. While growing up Tim says he could trust that “My mother would love me no matter what, and that my dad would require that I respect my mother.” When he isn’t busy guiding the vision for the Trustyy App, you can find Tim working around the house and yard, taking care of his sheep, dogs and horses, or enjoying a game of Corn Hole with the family.
