I started out at 5 years old selling lumps of coal door to door in eastern Pennsylvania in 1948.......
OK, maybe not that bad, but,
Grew up poor, left home at 17, worked "here and there" until I got drafted (Joined AF) at age 20.
After military, went to college and got an engineering degree via GI Bill ($222/month!). Had a part time job, ate ramen and soup.
Went to work for a Fortune 500 industrial company and later got an MBA at night. Made Plant Manager at 38+ year old. Then went to work for Big Oil. After Big Oil puked employees in the mid 1980's, I went into consulting and formed my own engineering consulting company and worked oil & gas for the next 20+ years.
So, to recap:
Selling coal chunks, paper route, painting houses, time on a garbage truck, inseminating cows, retail clerk, auto mechanic, etc - 5 years
Military (made it with no body scars, holes, etc) - 4 years
Industry/Big Oil - 12 years
Sub S Corp - 25 years
This is all give or take a year or so.
Total - 46 years (ugh!)
But it was a hoot!!