ARE ENTREPRENEURS BORN OR MADE?

Do you ever wonder if some people are just designed with entrepreneurship in their DNA? It seems like they’re just made for it and they would never quit, because it’s just a piece of who they are. Or do you question if nurture plays the greatest role in developing the entrepreneurial spirit? 

So, let’s have a little debate today and leave you with some practical tips to bring into your home to support your entrepreneurial Luminaries and feel confident that you’re guiding them and steering them towards where they’re actually called to and made for.

Let’s raise them up right!

IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:

[1:43] Nature vs Nurture 

Call us nerds but we are known to watch some nature shows at our house on Saturday morning. In one particular episode of something we were watching, they were following a herd of elephants that were forced to migrate because food and water were scarce in that area. Usually the matriarchs of the herd use their incredible memory to lead their families to old familiar areas, with each changing of the seasons but because of war and poaching, and the spread of farmlands, these roads have been taken away from them. So, this particular herd was following a path they had never been on before that was paved by the generations before them. It was a path of survival and what was found on the other side was land full of new resources that these elephants had never seen before. And researchers are still working to understand the sheer magnitude of this discovery. They were going simply based on instinct, something that had been passed on to them in their DNA from those that came before them.

I found this story so beautiful, interesting and meaningful to me and it got me thinking about our entrepreneurial journey. Are we drawn to it because of the DNA that’s been passed down to us, are we literally born to be an entrepreneur based on those that have paved that way before us? Or is it something nurtured into us or something we witness? Or maybe it’s a combination of the two.

[4:40] Can Entrepreneurs Be Made?

If you are listening to this podcast, I’m guessing you are an entrepreneur and you’ve got a child or you’re connected to children, and you’re thinking about their future and how to best support them. So, you’ve already passed those genes down to them. Now, let’s cover the other side of the debate: can entrepreneurs be made and if so, what environment skills, mindset and opportunities should we create and nurture for our kids to set them up for success? 

I do believe it can be both/and. I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. You guys have probably heard me say that 50 times so I personally was given the same genetics that led them down that path and I do see the nature aspect of it. But I also witnessed it; I watched the glory of entrepreneurship, I witnessed the value of it, I learned the lessons, I sat alongside my parents, as they worked in their businesses, so there was a lot of nurture there too.

Let’s break it down and focus on the piece that we can control which is the nurture side of it. If you look at the most successful entrepreneurs, there are really three areas they’ve mastered or are naturally gifted in, that have contributed to their success.

[6:51] Innate Giftings and Callings 

These are the God given skills, the things we were made to do, it’s just a piece of who we are. It’s often things we take for granted because it is so innate and so natural to us. And the good news is, we all have this and it can look so drastically different for each of us. 

The difference is that entrepreneurs understand their unique gifts, or at least the good entrepreneurs do. They understand that they were given to them for the purpose of sharing them with others. They know there are people in this world that need what they have: their voice, their product, their services, their skill, their wisdom.

Far too often, people have a tendency, myself included, to dismiss those superpowers because it seems small and sometimes insignificant. Sometimes, in this world that’s telling us how to be with pressures to fall in line, our creativity and our unique gifts get lost and forgotten.

But, the thing is that people become leaders when they first master something for themselves. That’s where we have something to lead others in. If you desire this for your children, start with that. What have they shown interest in that you can help them practice and master that’s going to result in that confidence?? 

We’ve created a guide to help support you in this because we know it can be tough, and it’s going to give you the tools and the resources to notice those little sparks in your kids and start to document them and take the next step in nurturing their gifts and helping to equip them for their unique path and purpose. It’s a free workbook that you can download at https://luminaryleadershipco.com/spark/. 

[9:41] Practicing and Building Skills That Entrepreneurs Actually Need

Sure, there are things we’re innately gifted in, but then you have to ante up and develop the skills that are necessary to support you in entrepreneurship. 

Just being an incredibly creative being, isn’t enough to be a successful entrepreneur. You need to actually have the skills to get it out into the world. There are these undeniable sets of skills and traits that entrepreneurs possess, but they’re all areas we can practice and develop. I have entire episodes you can tune into around many of these skills, like resiliency, confidence, discipline, goal setting, casting a vision. Other skills I would include are: independence, brainstorming, reflection, responsibility, rallying people around an idea, communication, risk taking; these are also really powerful traits of many entrepreneurs that most of us respect and admire. 

Your child doesn’t need to be running a business to practice some of these things. Whether they’re in traditional school or they’re home with you, or they’re on a sports team or in an art club, we can find opportunities in everyday life if we’re intentional about what skills we want our children to develop and utilize. So, provide your kids a chance to practice these new skills and look for opportunities to teach them powerful lessons, even in the little everyday moments

[11:46] Overcoming Limiting Beliefs and Teaching What an Entrepreneurial Mindset Looks Like

This one is a big one. After a decade of coaching and mentoring entrepreneurs, I can say that this is the most important piece of all. 

As parents we have the power to instill a mindset that will serve our kids for life, or be a detriment to them for life, depending on how we approach it. So, how can we as parents create a positive, confident, resourceful mindset? 

Entrepreneurs seem to have a unique mindset. We have this ability to see problems as opportunities. More than most people, we can see that we have the ability to change things and make an impact and make a difference. Having the vision to see those opportunities when others don’t and having the confidence to act on it is a powerful thing in business. How can you instill in your child that not only anything is possible, but it’s within their control and possibility.

[13:23] Where The Magic Happens

The magic comes in when we combine all three of these things: innate giftings and callings, practicing and building skills that entrepreneurs really need to be in business and overcoming the limiting beliefs and teaching that entrepreneurial mindset. 

We want to help our kids be who they were born to be, so once you identify that child spark, spend some time nurturing the skill sets that your family believes to be valuable, work on their mindset, teach them to look at all the possibilities and all the options available to them to support them in what they’re being called to. 

Raising a child aware of entrepreneurship and working towards developing the needed skills is going to impact their life for the better and point them towards opportunities that are right for them. Even if they don’t go start their own business one day, entrepreneurial spirit and mindset is a value to anybody. 

[14:37] The Luminary Leadership CO(OP)

Kind of like the elephants, we too can pass on our generational stories that impact wisdom from those that came before us. And I encourage you to take some time to think about what those stories are in your family. Maybe call a parent or if you’re really blessed and still have your grandparents, call them and write these things down. Make sure your kids know where they came from and why it’s so critical and so important. 

We are entrepreneurs raising the future leaders of this world and we live in a time when the world needs this more than ever. Raising a child with an entrepreneurial spirit might just be the most important thing you could do for this world.

I’m inviting you to join this movement. We’re working on something very special that will be home for people like us – for the rule breakers, for the ones doing it differently, for the ones that are deeply empowered and impassioned to do this work. I’ll be sharing more about how you can get involved soon but for now, if this speaks to you please join our waitlist at https://luminaryleadershipco.com/coop/. 

We cannot wait to invite you into a safe space to do this important work together.

If today’s episode spoke to you, please subscribe and leave us a review. Make sure you join our movement and our waitlist at https://luminaryleadershipco.com/coop/, developed for the entrepreneur that’s raising the next generation of change-makers and leaders while also finding success in their business.

Come connect with me on Instagram at @elizhartke and if there’s a topic, a question or a guest you want to hear on the show or an idea you have for us, just reach out and share that.

We do this for you so the more you tell us the more we can serve!

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Raising Luminaries Spark Workbook 
• Join The Luminary Leadership CO(OP) Waitlist
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