Normally, posts about parenting and life in general are confined to a personal blog, The Little Magpie. However, the article below was shared with me in July by Tina Marconi, and I felt it was time to share it here. As a parent, I’ve been guilty of not cultivating the entrepreneurial spirit in my child – which is shocking due to my enthusiasm for encouraging imagination and ideas.
So why is this on a business blog related to marketing, public relations and innovative ideas? The answer is simple: the tactics for encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit are relevant to every successful parent and every successful business.
From “Parenting à la française” – an earlier post mentioning why my child is asked to read the President’s letter to the nation. Yes – no matter the current President’s political party.
These tips are appropriate for small children, but they are also spot-on for teenagers. They’re also good reminders for mentors, for supervisors and managers, for business owners…. and even for self-reflection.
Don’t we all want our ideas encouraged, and for our thoughts to be given a chance? Shouldn’t we all surround ourselves with friends and colleagues who are entrepreneurial and get our own wheels turning about the possibilities in the world? Aren’t we better and more productive human beings when we try experiments and projects – grown-up lemonade stands – and learn from our mistakes?
Likewise, we need to remember the importance of cost versus profit, sell what we make, enjoy the fruits of our labors (“spending money”) and figure out what we are good at in life.
The tenets of this article on sparking the entrepreneurial spirit in children are the tenets of sparking the entrepreneurial spirit in ourselves. And at the end of the day, the humans with a little entrepreneurial spirit – be they accountants or startup cultivators – are the winners.
Don’t be thrown by being punted over to a site called Babysitters.net – go read the article, and then apply it as a parent, as a manager, or to your very own {entrepreneurial} success story.
Does it spark something in you?
I wrote a post in the New York Times a couple of years ago titled “How to Raise a Business Owner.” It is still my most popular post to date, even though it had little to do with my actual topic, which is small-business sales & acquisitions.
As an entrepreneur with two school-age children, I find myself continually using everyday experiences to teach my kids about business. It’s just something we do at our house, like a fun game. Whether or not my kids grow up to be entrepreneurs is almost beside the point — as long as I help them find find their passion and have the courage to follow it. To your point, the entrepreneurial ethos is good for everyone!
Here is a link to the NYT blog post:
https://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/22/how-to-raise-a-business-owner/
Love this link, Barbara. Thanks so much for reading – great to see what you are up to and your impact! I’ll reach out soon – might be good to get you involved with a couple of NWA initiatives: a new chapter of Dress for Success (the first in Arkansas), as well as some upcoming events through the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas. I’ll keep you posted!
Yes, please keep me posted. Would love to meet at some point & hear more about what you are up to — blogging, business and NWA involvement.
I thought the ten suggestions were a great reminder- especially number 5. So, So hard to let them experience disappointment and so-called failures, and yet it’s the biggest favor you can do a child. I also try to talk very candidly about my own set backs, hoping my sons will see and develop the ability to dust yourself off and try again!
So true, Audra. It’s such a great article. I always feel like such an evil parent when I make my kids struggle instead of rushing to their aid. I want to cultivate that sense that they can do it – whatever it is. Just this morning I was sipping coffee with a neighbor and the toddler was struggling to open the door. I saw the neighbor start to help her when she fussed, and I just said firmly: you can do it. It’s like that quote, which I can’t quite remember – something to the effect of it being amazing what people accomplish when you let them know you believe they are capable.