Yesterday, I was working at a small trade show that my company, UNDFIND, sent me to last minute. Usually I don’t plan on working too much on Mondays away from home since I have the Kidlet and I don’t like leaving her at a babysitter (not that I know any in my area anyway).

So, I armed her with books, her DVD player, and enough snacks to feed an army and set out to a hotel banquet room in LA. When we got there, I realized that there were no outlets, so the movie option was out. She had read the entire drive there, so she was tired of reading. She ate her sandwich and asked if she could help. So, I sent her with her 10″ ONE bag, complete with her pink cover and sent her off to show people her bag.

Usually at a trade show, my job is to schmooze shake hands and kiss babies. I walk around in my pretty dress and stilettos and meet the vendors, talk to people and tell people about my bag. I go to lunches and parties, smile and get my picture taken a lot. From time to time, I’ll stand at our booth and well, do pretty much the same stuff.

About 10 minutes after I sent the Kidlet off, she returns, and she said that she wished she had some fliers to hand out. So, I grant her wish and sent her off with a handful of fliers, to which she exclaimed,” Now, I am confident!” She was gone about half an hour before she came back for more fliers (the room was pretty small, so I was amazed that she had given them all away so quickly). So, I gave her more. She then came back some time later (time kind of blurs on the windowless, fluorescent-lighted floor) and excitedly told me she told a lady about the bag and the lady was going to stop by to see them. Shortly after that, a man walked up to me, shook my hand and told me that he had to meet me because I had such an awesome daughter who was going to become a wonderful marketer someday (I could almost hear the collective gasp of all my Asian ancestors whose dreams of having only doctors and lawyers in the family were dashed in one fell swoop).

After some time, I figure I better check on her (mother of the year nominee, folks) to make sure she wasn’t annoying any of the vendors or was kidnapped or something and booth after booth, I was stopped and given accolades of what a brilliant child I had. She even had Jerry Ghionis asking to shoot her wedding (to which she replied, “No, I want my mom to shoot it.” Atta, girl!) She ended up spending the entire 9 hour day, schmoozing everyone in sight. The lady she sent over ended up buying two bags, much to her excitement. On the way home, she started telling me all the ideas she had to improve the selling process and what some of the businesses she talked to could do to change and be better. I told her that we had to go back for another long day tomorrow, and she informed me that she had “people” coming by the booth tomorrow to talk to her about the bag.

My 8-year-old knows how to hustle. I think I have found my retirement plan 🙂