AS ENTREPRENEURS, WE CHOOSE THIS PATH BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT CAN LEAD TO A DIFFERENT WAY OF LIFE.
We’re called to do more, we have this idea that we want to breathe life into and monetize. But, do you ever wonder whether your kids will choose this path? Will they choose entrepreneurship too? And why is it that some kids choose the same path as their parents while others tend to run in the opposite direction from the path their parents chose? Like with most things, it comes down to modeling. What was their vantage point on our entrepreneurial experience?
Today, we’re talking about how we can best introduce and model entrepreneurship for our kids to see if it lights a spark in them and how we may be inadvertently turning them off to it. What can we do to help light that entrepreneurial spark for them through our own words and our own actions?
Let’s raise them up right!
IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:
[2:05] We Tend to Gloss Over the Wins
A few days ago, I was talking with one of my team members who also has kids. She was sharing about a side business that she has in real estate, and how much she and her husband love it. We got to talking about what aspects of that business their kids witness, what they see. And she had this lightbulb moment realizing that the kids probably see more of the struggles that come from running a business versus the victories that come with it.
When she and her husband are catching up about the business, they’re talking about putting out the fires, they’re dealing with the things that pop up. And it’s not on purpose, we just tend to gloss over the wins or the things that are going well and we focus on the battles that we’re up against. We take for granted the good part sometimes. As entrepreneurs sometimes we have to focus on those problems, because we’ve got to fix them.
So, what are the conversations around the dinner table when it comes to entrepreneurship within your family? What are your kids listening to and absorbing, even if you’re not directing the conversation at them? Because trust me, they’re picking it up.
[3:40] It’s a Gift, Not a Burden
When I was a kid, if I got up in the middle of the night to go use the bathroom or to go get a glass of water I would usually see the light on in the dining room. I’d see my mom with her briefcase open and all her papers out, catching up on the work that she had missed because she had chosen to prioritize being present with the kids. And sometimes I get asked why or how I still pursued entrepreneurship despite witnessing that sacrifice.
I think one of the reasons is that seeing that didn’t equate in my brain to: all entrepreneurs don’t get sleep. Because my mom didn’t view that as a sacrifice. She never complained about it, she was doing it with joy. It was a gift that she had a career that allowed her to be present with her kids, even if it meant working and logging late hours. And I think because that was the lens through which my mom viewed entrepreneurship, it became the one she shared with me.
As entrepreneurs, we are natural born problem solvers. If we’re not, we’re not going to be in business very long. There’s not a single day without a problem in entrepreneurship, but we have to be careful not to let our kids only see the problems. And when we do problem solve it should come from a place of possibility and positivity not stress and frustration.
Don’t underestimate the power of your words, the power of your actions and the power of your perspective on what you do.
[6:38] The Glory on the Other Side is Untouchable
The reason I’m so passionate about entrepreneurship and serving entrepreneurial parents specifically, is because I think it opens up the doors of possibility in our lives that we can’t necessarily access in the same ways through more conventional career paths. There are a lot of stressors that come with it, there are a lot of sacrifices that come with it but the glory on the other side of it is so untouchable. It’s just this unbelievable opportunity to weave your natural gifts, your skills, your passions, your purpose into something that can generate more financial freedom for your family. And I think that’s a beautiful thing.
I’m not forcing anything on my kids. If they choose a path other than entrepreneurship, I’m not going to be heartbroken about it, as long as it’s the right thing for them. However, what I’m doing now is looking for ways to identify those little sparks in them along the way.
[7:40] Raising Luminaries Spark
I want to remind you guys that we have a free workbook that is so instrumental in identifying those sparks in your kids and cultivating that little entrepreneur in them. So, make sure you go to https://luminaryleadershipco.com/spark/ to get a copy of the workbook so that you can help your kids identify their spark.
Help them figure out what are those things that really light them up and capture them while they’re young so you can cultivate it and serve them in their own personal growth, in their own leadership growth.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:
- Raising Luminaries Spark Workbook
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