The Financial Illiterate

 

After breakfast, Cathy returns to her office to catch up on paperwork. She is the consummate American success story. In twelfth grade, she had the highest average in our graduating class. Both Michigan and Ohio State offered her generous scholarships. She decided that Michigan was perfect. It was close to Port Huron and had a prestigious school of medicine. My parents were calling her Dr. Richardson before we'd even left high school.

However, not only did Cathy not become a doctor, but she also didn't even go on to college.

Knowing that her scholarship would cover most of her expenses, she felt no sense of urgency to get a summer job. Therefore, in the summer of twelfth grade, while I slaved at the brass company, Sis opened her own business. Combining her artistic flair with her love of horticulture, she founded Richardson Landscaping. The corporate name was simple, but the concept was pure genius.

Cathy spent the first four weeks of the summer combing the nicer neighborhoods in Port Huron. When she spotted a property that she felt would look better if landscaped differently, she would do a series of sketches until she perfected the look. While basking in the sun at the beach, she would do a watercolor of the final sketch.

The young entrepreneur would then frame the painting herself—tastefully, of course. A sticker on the back simply read "This is how Richardson Landscaping sees your home." The framed picture was delivered, via courier, to the homeowner. The total cost to Cathy was approximately $50 a picture.

Over the course of four weeks, she completed seventeen of these impressive and unique business cards. At the end of the month, Cathy started following up with phone calls, and