--- title: FIRST JOBS description: "A Day in the Life Blog Entry #5: First Jobs. I got my first job at 13… a paper route for the 3-block stretch between North Ave. and Center." image: https://gioia-creative.com/hubfs/First%20Jobs.png --- [Skip to content](https://gioia-creative.com/blog/first-jobs#main-content) [![](https://gioia-creative.com/hubfs/Horizontal_Black.svg)Homepage](https://gioia-creative.com/blog/gioia-creative.com) - [Blog](https://gioia-creative.com/blog) - Services - [LinkedIn for Lead Gen](https://gioia-creative.com/gioia-creative-linkedin-training-program) - [Content Marketing Framework](https://gioia-creative.com/content-marketing-starter-pack) - [Emails](https://gioia-creative.com/email) [Join My Newsletter](https://gioia-creative.com/newsletter) - [Blog](https://gioia-creative.com/blog) - Services - [LinkedIn for Lead Gen](https://gioia-creative.com/gioia-creative-linkedin-training-program) - [Content Marketing Framework](https://gioia-creative.com/content-marketing-starter-pack) - [Emails](https://gioia-creative.com/email) [Join My Newsletter](https://gioia-creative.com/newsletter) ![A teenage girl (me) on a Bay Thoroughbred Mare](https://gioia-creative.com/hs-fs/hubfs/First%20Jobs.png?width=1200&height=1200&name=First%20Jobs.png) Stories # FIRST JOBS ![Amanda Stein](https://gioia-creative.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Amanda%20Stein%20Round%20Headshot.png?width=48&height=48&name=Amanda%20Stein%20Round%20Headshot.png) Amanda Stein September 10, 2026 *There will be likely be typos, weird punctuation, and grammar errors in this blog because I'm not policing myself as a write. If that drives you nuts, feel free to bounce ✌️* ##### A Day in the Life Entry #5: 462 Words I got my first job at 13… I was the paper boy (or girl as it were) for the 3 block stretch of houses on 83rd street between North and Center. I loved it. The route took me about an hour. (And I hustled so I could get home in time to watch Animaniacs.)  I had a little map of which houses got the Journal (the afternoon paper) and which got the Sentinel (the morning weekend paper). During the winter my dad helped me. We had to deliver the weekend paper at 5am. We’d take our wood-paneled Chrysler minivan on the really cold mornings (no skipping out just because the temps dipped below zero) and we would work together to get it done. Then he’d take me out to get a ham and cheese omelette at George Web. Eventually as I got more used to the route, I decided to have my dog Holly help. I bought her a harness and hooked her up to a wagon (I actually pulled it, but I liked the idea that she could to it so!) and off we went down the street. My dad called our local paper (the Tosa Times) and pitched the story of the “Paper Puller Pooch” and the journalist came out and followed me on my route. I think all told I saved up about $1,300 over the course of about a year. My goal was to buy a horse. I didn't quite make that goal but I was able to scrape together enough to rent a horse at a nearby farm. That sounds so silly - rent a horse! But basically I was assigned a horse that I had to take of as if it was my own. I can’t remember her name, but I know she was a chestnut mare quarter horse. And I loved her! I was so fearless as a 13 year old. Riding her all by myself or with my friend alone on the trails outside the farm. There was only one stretch of level ground alongside an expansive stretch of field where I was allowed to to let her run - and I always took it. Me and my mare would let loose for those few minutes. I felt invincible. I felt free. I felt ALIVE.  There was nothing like it. ————————— I would love love love to hear the story of your first job, or one that had an impact on you when you were young! There’s just one rule - DON’T EDIT IT. And definitely don’t run it through AI. Just write. Just let it be imperfect. (I went first my sharing this… my very messy first draft!) I’m going to add this story to my LinkedIn profile and I’d encourage you to do the same!   ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fgioia-creative.com%2Fblog%2Ffirst-jobs](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fgioia-creative.com%2Fblog%2Ffirst-jobs) ## Keep reading ### [Stories UNINTENTIONAL IDENTITY](https://gioia-creative.com/blog/unintentional-identity) ### [Stories My F\*ck It Era](https://gioia-creative.com/blog/my-fck-it-era) [![](https://gioia-creative.com/hubfs/Horizontal_Black.svg)](https://gioia-creative.com) - [Newsletter](https://gioia-creative.com/newsletter) - Services - [Email](https://gioia-creative.com/email) - Packages - [Content Marketing Package](https://gioia-creative.com/content-marketing-starter-pack) - [LinkedIn Training](https://gioia-creative.com/gioia-creative-linkedin-training-program) --- Privacy Policy · Legal · © 2025. 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