Teach Grit the Hard Way (Dave Ramsey’s 10-second lesson)

Years ago at an event, Dave Ramsey was mobbed by entrepreneurs pitching their ideas. I stood on my tiptoes and called out, “Hey Dave—how would you teach grit to high school students?”

Like the Red Sea, the crowd parted. He walked over and said, “Easy. I’d have them try to sell something nobody wants and watch how they respond.” He told me about college students who used to sell encyclopedias door-to-door; if they stuck with it, he’d hire them. If they could do something that hard, they likely had the grit his team needed.

Comfort and growth can’t co-exist. That’s why our Seed Tree curriculum replaces “business plan workshops” with real sales experiences.

Why This Matters

At this point in the year, schools using Seed Tree curriculum are stepping into Grit & the Art of Selling—a live, real-world module where students must:

-Create a simple product or service

-Craft a clear UVP (unique value proposition)

-Make one actual sale to someone they don’t know

Students feel the awkwardness. They face no’s. They iterate the pitch. And they discover that grit isn’t a poster—it’s a muscle.

Key Takeaway: Students don’t learn grit by talking about it. They learn grit by selling through discomfort.

Try This Starter:

1. One-Sentence Offer: Have each student write a 12-word pitch that starts with the outcome, not the object.
   

2. Five Whys: Push the offer down to the life-level value (not “phone charger,” but “device to ensure you won’t miss opportunities”).
   

3. One Real Customer: In the next 48 hours, students must attempt one sale to a stranger. Debrief: What changed in your pitch after the first “no”?
   

Schools running this module report sharper messaging, higher student confidence, and more authentic classroom energy—because students are doing the real thing, not the worksheet version.

If you are an administrator, connect with me to book a 30-minute Discovery Call to see the Grit & the Art of Selling module and resources your teachers can use next week.

Let’s Go!