From Karate Boards to Ticket Booths: My First Jobs at the Fair

My first Minnesota State Fair wasn’t about rides or food on a stick; it was about karate. I was just 13 years old, studying taekwondo under Jon and Pat Worley, when our school was invited to perform in the Education Building. We demonstrated forms (a sequence of pre-arranged, solo movements, kicks, and strikes that demonstrate a practitioner's mastery of Taekwondo techniques and principles), and I got to break boards with round-kicks..

We also had an exhibitor's booth with a giant fishbowl where fairgoers tossed in their spare change. The change all went to "Jerry's Kids". The fair ends on Labor Day, and for years, Actor/comedian Jerry Lewis hosted a 24-hour Muscular Dystrophy fundraiser. Jon’s son had muscular dystrophy. Even then, I understood that the fair was more than entertainment. It was a place where people gave, where community came together, and together we can stand up for a cause.

Image credit: www.wisconsinnationalkarate.com

Fast forward to 1988 (age 21): my first year working the fair as an adult. I was selling tickets at the gates, learning how to handle lines, questions, and the endless flow of people who make up this great Minnesota get-together. It was exhausting, but I loved every minute of it. I was handling thousands of dollars in cash. And only a couple of years later, with a promotion to Kidway Manager.

Looking back, those early experiences shaped me. Karate taught me confidence and the power of showing up. The booth taught me about generosity and purpose. Selling tickets taught me about patience and people. Managing Kidway, I was hand-counting $750,000 in cash. It changed my perspective on money. Each small job at the fair became a stepping stone, building skills I would carry into every future role, both at the fair and in my entrepreneurial journey.
We don’t always realize when we’re young that the little things are preparing us for the big things. Breaking boards, counting cash, tearing tickets, or serving others might seem ordinary in the moment, but they each hold a lesson. Sometimes the foundation for who we become is laid in the most unexpected places, like the midway or kidway of a state fair.