A 9-Year Old’s Market Day, and a Reminder for Every Researcher

This week I watched my daughter run her first business and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.

Her school held a Market Day where every kid had to develop a business plan, produce 30 products, and create their own business cards, store signage, and a marketing poster. Two weeks of planning, making, iterating, and selling.

Her product? Themed surprise bags (BFF, Sports, Nature, Beach, Animals, Mystery). Each one containing 5 out of 6 possible handmade items: a squishy, a notebook, a sticker, a bookmark, a bracelet, or an inspiration quote. Every item was made by hand. The surprise element was entirely her own idea. She’s 9.

As someone who works in market research, I was struck by how closely the skills she had to develop mirror what we do every day:

• Planning the work. Before a single item was made, we mapped out everything that needed to happen and in what order. Good research doesn’t start with fieldwork; it starts with a clear plan.
• Producing quality work. Thirty bags. Each one had to meet a standard. There’s no hiding behind “it’s just a rough draft” when a classmate is handing over their pocket money. Our clients expect the same.
• Being open to feedback. Her first poster design? Not quite right. Her prototype? Not scalable. Taking feedback without getting defensive, and actually using it to improve, is a skill that takes practice at any age.
• Problem solving and pivoting. Some materials ran short. Some ideas didn’t work as imagined. She adapted. In research, objectives change, data surprises us, timelines shift, our value is in how we respond.

She sold out.

Sometimes the best professional development reminders come from the most unexpected places. Proud doesn’t even cover it.