In the Arena
The Childhood Business That Sparked Alex Chequim’s Entrepreneurial Journey
Clip: Episode 3 | 1m 37sVideo has Closed Captions
Alex Chequim recalls how a lemonade stand taught him an early lesson in creating value.
Alex Chequim traces his entrepreneurial instincts back to childhood in Brazil. After realizing people would not pay for herbs they could pick for free, he changed course and began selling orange juice and lemonade. The experience became an early lesson in identifying a problem, adding value and building something people wanted.
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In the Arena is a local public television program presented by WTVP
In the Arena
The Childhood Business That Sparked Alex Chequim’s Entrepreneurial Journey
Clip: Episode 3 | 1m 37sVideo has Closed Captions
Alex Chequim traces his entrepreneurial instincts back to childhood in Brazil. After realizing people would not pay for herbs they could pick for free, he changed course and began selling orange juice and lemonade. The experience became an early lesson in identifying a problem, adding value and building something people wanted.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipI believe that I've been an entrepreneur since I was very, very young.
So I was very, you know, active.
So probably my old teachers would say that, "Okay, he's always chatting and doing things."
But the real thing is because my dad and my mom, they got divorced when I was four years old.
- Okay.
- And I realized at that time that things can change a lot.
And you need to be, you know, more focused, like, to not lose track.
- Right.
- So I started thinking in making things when I was very young.
So when I was seven years old, six or seven, we had, like, a garden, a place that some, you know, herbs and other things.
- Right.
- And people, "Okay, let's sell it."
And then I helped them, like, kids, you know, in the street, put those things to sell, to make tea.
And then I realized there's a problem because we are trying to sell.
And you know, the people, you know, passing and say, "Why I should buy it?
I can go there, and I grab it for free."
- Mm-hmm.
- It's, like, two steps from the stand that we were.
And it's, "Oh, that's something here.
We need to add value.
We need to do something that, you know, creates value."
Of course, now I can translate, now I can do that, but in that time it was, "Okay, there's no value here."
So I decided to sell orange juice and lemonade.
Alex Chequim on Turning Problems Into Opportunities
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Ep3 | 1m 16s | Alex Chequim explains why entrepreneurs must see problems as opportunities to adapt. (1m 16s)
How DigiFarmz Is Using Technology to Help Farmers
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Ep3 | 2m 29s | Alex Chequim explains how DigiFarmz helps farmers make smarter, less risky decisions. (2m 29s)
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