07/13/2026
⛳ Some of our first business lessons came from selling golf balls...that we found in a ditch.
Growing up, there were three of us brothers.
Every summer, we'd spend hours exploring the muddy irrigation ditch behind our family's property. On the other side of a wheat field was a golf course, and we figured out pretty quickly that golfers were losing a lot of golf balls in those ditches.
So we'd dig them out of the mud, haul them home in buckets, wash them, and scrub each one with old toothbrushes until they looked almost new.
When we had enough, we'd load them into our little red wagon, pull it to the road, and put up a hand-painted sign:
⛳ Golf Balls – 10¢
Looking back, we probably sold quite a few of those golf balls back to the same golfers who had lost them. 😄
Our cash register? Our dad's old toolbox.
At the time, we thought we were just making a little spending money.
Looking back, we were learning lessons that have stayed with us ever since:
✔️ Opportunity is often where others don't look.
✔️ Hard work creates value.
✔️ Take pride in what you do.
✔️ Understanding your numbers matters.
Today, two of those three brothers own Quist & Quist CPAs.
Instead of selling golf balls from a red wagon, we help business owners understand their numbers, reduce taxes, improve cash flow, and build stronger businesses.
The businesses are bigger.
The numbers are bigger.
But the fundamentals haven't changed.
❤️ What was your first "business" growing up?
👇 Tell us in the comments!