Rag$ to Riche$
The Crazy Idea
March 5th, 2010 NIGHT
Well, another end to another day. I'm sitting on the same old couch, same old t.v., same old room, same old me. Same old everything. IS NOTHING GOING TO CHANGE?
Mom came home at 7:00."Dinner's soup and bread!" "Great !" I called back. I went downstairs and set the plastic forks, spoons, and knives out.
"Dig in !" I cheerfully said.
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A bit about myself :
.I'm poor.
.I'm smart but don't have a good education.
.I have a lot of friends.
.My best friend is Brooke.
.My mom's name is Katie Bowman.
.My name is Madalyn Bowman.
I'm going to ....Zzz........
March 20th, 2010 NIGHT
Sorry I didn't write, I was very busy! BTW! I got an inspiration to look for another job!!
Dream...CRASHED. There were no jobs.
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Am I crazy? I just thought I should start a business!!
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You know what I AM. Going to start a business I mean. No matter what. I do not want to be poor for the rest of my life. I want mom to be happy, because she hasn't been since dad died. As a matter of fact I haven't been either.
Dad died. Dad died. Dad died. Dad died.
The words echoed sadly in my head.
Dad died. Dad died.
March 29th, 2010 AFTERNOON
I was taking a stroll to Goodwell on my lunch hour so I can have some food. I walked nearby that old guitar shop. WHAT!
The sign that usually greeted me with an "open" or "welcome" now said "CLOSED".
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Now what shop is going to offer guitars, tuners, amps and many other guitar-ish things. The little voice in my head said "Remember, your dream, ....start a business".
"Yes..." I thought to myself. The idea dawned on me.
FINAL DECISION -
I am going to start a guitar shop called....hmm...may be R & R & Blues.
No matter what.
March 31st, 2010 AFTERNOON
I am on lunch break, but instead I am going to the bank. I am going to get a loan of $60,000, I hope that is enough to start a guitar shop. The owner of the old guitar shop let me have the building. That's one obstacle down.
Nowadays I barely eat lunch. Instead I use my lunch break for remodeling the guitar shop. It's not perfect but it's going to great!
My best friend Brooke, a waiter at my restaurant is helping me. We are working on it bit by bit.
I am DETERMINED.
Let's Get Down to Business
April 5Th, 2010 NIGHT
Me an my friend Brooke finished remodeling the guitar shop. Now all we got to do is get in touch with a guitar manufacturing company.
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"Ring! Ring! Ring! can you send a stock of guitars to R & R & Blues?"
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Well as you can see our business is coming along good. And yes, it's OUR business, after all Brooke is helping so she gets to have a share in the business and profit.
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My plan is working.
April 11Th, 2010 AFTERNOON
I contacted the same guitar shop for tuners, picks and amps. They sent a stock of everything with a 50% discount.
It was going well.
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We set everything up in the store. Then we were about to lock the door to the store. But then our first customer asked "Can I buy guitar? I want a beginner acoustic with a fine finish." Me and Brooke immediately said yes." "We don't have our prices in yet, so it's a bargain."
After her, customers rolling in. But my lunch break was almost over, so we closed the shop.
But not for long.
April 20Th, 2010 NIGHT
So far we've gotten so many customers we'll be able to pay our loan back with some money left too! Brooke said "I don't think we will ever be poor again!"
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Today we have a problem in our store. Someone bought the last guitar and we don't have enough money to buy another stock, but customers were asking for guitars 24/7 now. What are we going to do?
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Brooke got an idea to make money doing something else and using those profits to buy another stock of guitars. So now on our lunch break, she eats a little, then mows lawns to earn money. I eat a little then take care of the shop, then we switch.
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Will it work out?
April 26th, 2010 AFTERNOON
Me and Brooke have been working so hard mowing lawns, we almost enough money to buy another stock of guitars. Our profits so far are about $40,000. You might think our business is going well. But no guitars in guitar shop that sounds insane.
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Today it was my turn to mow lawns. One neighbor said I was working way too hard for only $20 so she gave me $40 bucks!!! Lots of neighbors said that. May be because I was mowing lawns in a rich and expensive neighborhood.
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Today Brooke bought back a $100. She told me, she closed the shop and mowed lawns too. We had enough money to buy a stock of guitars with some dollars left over. So we bought a stock.
It did work out.
Up to Speed Again
April 27, 2010 NIGHT
Customers went back to R & R & Blues. It was now the only guitar shop people ever went to. People came from far and wide to R & R & Blues. Me and Brooke weren't complaining. We were glad our business was up to speed again!
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I had told my mom about this business before. But she probably thought it was a joke. But today I showed her the money and tears ran down her cheeks. She looked as though she had waited for this all her life. "Such determination, discipline, hard work, and thoughtfulness is rare for your age!" she said, breathing heavily, tears were running into her mouth.
April 30th, 2010 NIGHT
Oh Great. Now our stock for tuners, picks, and amps was starting to run out. But by now we had so much profit we could use that to buy another stock of all that stuff. So you can see why me and Brooke weren't that worried.
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It' hard to see that a business made by two 16-year-olds could be any success. But at any rate, ours is successful alright. Me and Brooke are taking in the money with big smiles on our faces.
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What had been only a dream a month before was now reality.
Wonderful reality.
March 3rd, 2010 NIGHT
Guess what? I heard on the radio that R & R & Blues is on the top ten guitar stores.In 5th place! I never dreamed our store would have come this far as in business.
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Let's face it , the stock of tuners, picks, and amps is almost empty. Brooke said " Lets mow lawns again to get money." But I was tired of mowing lawns .I wanted to use our profits."It is my business,your'e just like a share holder." I argued defiantly .She said
"Well if its your business , and i'm just a shareholder,I quit."
"Okay,but you don't get a share of the profits."I said.
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Yes,60,000 to my self. My mom is going to be so happy.
May 7th, 2010, Night
Today I got an idea. Why don't I just stop working at the restaurant? I have two hundred thousand dollars all to myself. What if it keeps on growing? Will I become a millionaire?
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Today I called my boss and asked my salary early. "Why?" he said, confused. "I quit", I said. He hung up, without saying another word drove to my house and gave me the salary. When I looked at the weary old face, I had to apologize. "Sorry' I said reluctantly.
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Now I can work in the guitar shop all day! More customers, more money, more happiness.
May 10th, 2010, Morning
RING...RING...! I looked at the alarm clock. Already 9:00? I jumped out of bed and barged out of the door.
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It takes me 10 minutes to RUN to the guitar store. My mom already took her car, so I couldn't drive either. I was too tired to run so I jogged. I got there in like 15 minutes. I flipped the closed sign to say "OPEN".
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It was already 10:00 and I had zero customers. What was going on?
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Then I realized it. I had hung up a sign on the door that said "open around lunch time", 10:00 was no where near lunch time. "I'm just going to have to wait" I thought.
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12:00 rolled by. Customers flooded the shop. It was back to normal.
May 23rd, 2010 - Afternoon
TODAY I HAD THE MOST CUSTOMERS. I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!!
They kept pouring in, I closed the shop for a while so I could rest. My profits now are $300,000. May be because of all the customers, I got today! I still have lots of guitars, amps and picks. Would anything go wrong?
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I am missing Brooke. I know that she was mean for quitting suddenly and leaving me in the dust. But she was a big help. Nowadays, I have to do everything by myself. Atleast one good thing is I don't have to share my money with anybody. I hope that doesn't sound greedy. I just don't want to be poor anymore. I would rather do the dirty work.
May 26th, 2010 - NIGHT
I called Brooke today asking if she would want to come back. She said no. Apparently she would have but she doesn't want me to have to share the money with her. She knows I really am working hard to earn money.
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Now I feel guilty. May be Brooke really wanted to help but she was restricting herself. Was I being mean to my best friend?
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Today I went over to Brooke's house. I explained to Brooke that if she really wanted to come back she could. She said no again. I asked her if she was sure a million times. She said yes every time. I looked at her expectantly. But she said nothing and stared blankly at me. We hugged. We truly understood each other.
May 30th, 2010 - NIGHT
It was settled. Brooke wasn't coming back.
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Today it was pouring rain. That's why particularly nobody came to the guitar shop. Barely anybody came to the outside of their house. Another bad business day.
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What if I become a millionaire?
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Don't act like I'm crazy. It could actually happen. I hope it will!
May 31st, 2010, NIGHT
I am working at the guitar shop every day now. Loads of customers were coming. I could never imagine that this many people would want to buy guitars.
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My mom came and visited my store today. "You did all of this by yourself?" she cried. " Im- possible".
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I heard on the radio today that R & R & Blues was the number one guitar store.
Would my happiness ever end?
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Even Brooke is proud.
June 1st 2010, NIGHT
I have seven hundred thousand dollars now. That is close to a million!!
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Many of my neighbors have come up to my house and clapped me on my back proudly. I have never been so loved and admired except from my mother.
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I had an interview with 102.9 FM. They asked me stuff like:
"What was your inspiration?"
"How do you feel?"
"What made you do this?"
It was boring.
June 4th, 2010, Night
OMG! OMG! OMG! I looked in the cash register today, counted my money and realized I had...
A MILLION DOLLARS!!
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I told my mom immediately(Who wouldn't) I was the youngest millionaire ever in history!!
We went to the Guinness Book Of World Records website and put in my information.
10 minutes later we got an email. I was in the Guinness Book of World Records!
June 11th, 2010, night
Today I didn't go to the shop. I was way too excited. I told everyone I met that I have a million dollars and I'm in the Guinness Book Of World Records. When they looked like they didn't believe me, I waved my money and the Guinness certificate in their face. They would walk away looking utterly bewildered!
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My mom, Brooke and myself were so proud of Madlyn Bowman. It was a winning moment that I would never ever, even try to forget.
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At the end it all comes to this.
I did it. I transformed from Rag$ to Riche$!
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