Raising Kids to Be Entrepreneurs

Yesterday I went to an all day event, hosted by a company in Salt Lake City known as Vistage.  I was invited to this event with my husband as co-CEO’s of our companies.  We are ready to take our businesses to the next level, and it was a great event to “catch the fever” of a more profitable business.  It is designed to put you face to face with other successful CEO’s and have them mentor you through your problems.  (You’ve heard me say many times “Face to Face with Greatness.”  Yet we often don’t think about financial greatness when we teach our kids.) These aren’t your average small businesses.  These are businesses producing from over $250 Million per year in revenue, up to and beyond the Billion mark.

My mind was going many directions.  Business, family, education.  It was wonderful.

Cameron Herold

For four (4) hours I was wowed by Cameron Herold.  Never heard of him, I bet.  He’s a Canadian business rock star, and I bet you have heard of one of his companies.  1-800-GOT-JUNK?  An American company as well.  There is a video below where you can hear some of his thoughts.

Did you know that most of the traits found in  CEO’s are the same traits found in those with Bi-Polar Disorder?  Yep, CEO’s are crazy.  And we love it.

Do you have a vivid vision of your future?  Do you have a clear image in your mind of where your life will be in the next few years?  Maybe it is time to create that vision.

As a mother, CEO, homeschooler, educator, political activist, and entrepreneur, I was loving the day.  But what struck me the most was how often he talked of schools taking the “drive” out of young people. Our society ends up drugging those with ADD or ADHD into submission, rather than help them find their purpose and genius.  I’m not suggesting there isn’t a place for that, but it should be only in extreme cases.

WHAT IS YOUR CULTURE?

Yep, that’s a slide at Google.

We often here of “culture” in the workplace.  What is the “culture” of your home?  I don’t mean how do you celebrate Christmas, or do you have a family favorite activity that everyone seems to love.  I mean what does your workplace or home create, right when you walk into the door.

He told a story, and I’m going to relate it here.  Please forgive me if I missed some of the details, but it explains this “culture” idea well.  I wondered how I could implement this into my home life as well.

A shuttle driver is picking up 3 candidates from a hotel after being flown in for an interview with the company.  They arrive at the offices.  There is no clutter, or dirt, but a warm and welcoming environment.  As the three potential new employees wait for a few minutes in the lobby, the shuttle driver goes into the HR department.  He debriefs them on the drive over.  You see, he isn’t a shuttle driver, but actually an employee in HR.  He tells them, “We have Bob, Mary and Tim.  Bob was a jerk.  He was anxious and treated other people on the shuttle with disrespect.  Mary was nice, and Tim, really deserves some credit because he was trying to calm Bob down.”

The next person that sees these three people explains to Bob, in front of the others, his interview is over.  He explains that it began at the airport, and they will be driving him back to his hotel, and will pay for his return flight home.  Mary and Tim, get to proceed to the next portion of the interview.

Bob is never even allowed to pass the lobby.  What does that tell you of the culture of the company?  Did Bob’s amazing skills matter?  Nope.  His attitude toward people mattered.

What is the culture in our homes?  Do we nurture goodness?  Do we encourage learning?  Do we allow mistakes as stepping-stones to greatness?  Do we applaud the grand ideas even if they fall short?  Do our children know what it looks like to dream and think big, because they see it in us?  Are we encouraging entrepreneurship?

You have all heard of the book “Good to Great.”  Excellent read.  But most of us in business and life need to get from “zero to good.”

Did you know that keeping the wrong person in your business can cost you FIFTEEN TIMES (15 x) their annual salary?  Sadly, I know this is true from experience.  And keeping the wrong person too long can cost you even more.  Have you ever thought about that?  By NOT letting someone go, you can literally crush the will of another human being.

Translate that into home life…..What can keeping (or allowing) the wrong behavior in your home cost you and your family?  This is so much more valuable than dollars.

We can’t think top down in business.  We must stop thinking top down in government.  And, maybe it’s time to get right on the floor with our kids, too.

I could go on and on about my day yesterday, because it was very impactful, and it will take me quite some time to sort through all the AHA’s I came away with.  But I wanted to leave you with a story about my neighbor.

My neighbors, Chad & Christie, homeschool like me.  They are busy, and productive, and sometimes (I imagine) overwhelmed.  But their son is an amazing, budding little entrepreneur.  He has come up with something to sell, or a service to provide to his neighborhood for years.  This year, it was pumpkins, and that kid has made quite a bit of money this fall.  Great job in creating a GREAT CULTURE in your family.

Here is a video from Cameron Herold every family should watch, and then show it to your kids. (Warning:  I think there is one swear word so watch it first, before you show your kids)

http://http://www.ted.com/talks/cameron_herold_let_s_raise_kids_to_be_entrepreneurs?language=en#t-590819

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Schooling Gets in the Way of Education

The country has sent their children back to school. But many have not. Things like Common Core are getting many people to re-think education. FINALLY!

Education happens every day, all day long. Schooling, as Mark Twain once said, can get in the way of education.

Don’t forget why we are educating our children. It isn’t because we want them to grow up and be rocket scientists, it is because we want them to be happy productive adults.

I wanted to share a video from Ted Talks, that I think fits well into what more and more homeschooling is doing. It is creating passionate people, with a desire to be happy, and who then can go out into the world and create freedom.

There is a great “Not Back To School Summit” that is free for anyone to attend on-line during September 2014. I will be teaching 3 classes. Today, Sept 9 at 7:30 p.m. (Mountain Standard Time), Saturday Sept 20 at 10:00 a.m. and Thursday Sept 25th. Each class is different. There are many other people involved, including one of my mentors Oliver DeMille.

Come join us this month. HERE — http://www.hecoa.com

14 Points to Success During a 4th Turning

14 Points from the Book “Our Home” and a speech by Dr. Oliver Van DeMille

by Jacqueline Smith

Imagine a peaceful life around you, even when the world is in turmoil.  Imagine your family close to you, and doing what they need to do, to keep things going during a difficult time in history.  Imagine working with others in your community so no one goes without.  Imagine building a great life, with more meaning than ever before.

How?  As we have been discussing different cycles of history, we can look to the last time we had a difficult cycle, and learn from it. The book “Our Home” by C. E. Sargent, was written in 1899 and is available on-line as an e-book, or purchased for your regular reading pleasure.  Purchase book    We gain insight into our future, by looking at our past.

Here are 14 things that you and your family can begin to do now.  There are many others, but here is a place to start.   This will require a change from 2nd or 3rd turning thinking, into 4th turning thinking.  And you might as well shift, because we are in a 4th Turning.  Are you ready? (if you need more information on the turnings click here and here )

1. Embrace the new and the now:  We are not in an economic crisis, this is the new economy.  Forget old goals, write new goals, including relationship goals, finances, and happiness.

2. Evenings and Sundays with family:  3rd turning was all about entertaining ourselves 7 days a week.  It is time to simplify and spend time with the people you love around you building things, making plans, and learning.  Besides, you probably can’t afford to do all the things you used to do.

3. Self-culture:  This is opposed to pop-culture.  High school is where you try to fit in, and our society has extended that culture into adulthood.  It is time to be great with who we are on the inside and not try to impress anyone.  Decide who you want to be, who you want to help, and be happy.

4. Individual rules for life:  Create your own set of standards to live by, your own rules that you will keep for life, regardless of what others are doing.

5. Raise adults: During 2nd turnings we raise accountants, lawyers, doctors, engineers. During 3rd turnings we raise children.  These are individuals who never grow up and take on responsibility.  They are the epitome of failure to launch.  4th and 1st turnings are all about growing up and taking life on.  The 4th turning mindset is about having accountability and responsibility for our lives.

6. Meaning:  Everything in a 4th turning will take on meaning.  Your trials, hardships, joys, and challenges will take on meaning, and we need to look for it during a 4th turning.  Read “The Hiding Place” for the meaning in the fleas.

7. Widows, orphans, grandparents, children, sick, unhappy:  During 2nd and 3rd turnings these are service projects every once in a while.  During 4th and 1st turnings these become our life. We will truly care for others and seek to fill their needs.  This will not be government forced charity, but actual charity, without pay, without reward, without recognition.

8. Marriage:  The central focus in a 4th and 1st turning is marriage.  Children will be vital and important to the 4th and 1st turnings, but their relationship will be secondary to the relationship with your spouse.  You will find meaning in your spousal relationship on a much higher level.

9. Initiative Education:  During 2nd turnings we give job training. During 3rd turning we teach job skills.  During 4th and 1st turnings we teach initiative.  The work ethic is re-born, and the people that will keep jobs in these turnings will be the ones with strong work-ethic and a initiative to act on their own. This also includes thinking outside the box and doing things against the standard.  This includes: Education alternatives such as charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling.  Medical alternatives such as chiropractors, acupuncture, herbal cures, and vitamins.  Downshifting alternatives such as leaving a high paying job to move out of the city, one parent leaving work to stay home with the kids, simplifying life.  If you need more education here is the best place to get it as an adult.  Monticello College.  No matter where you are in the country, their distance courses can help you.  But be prepared, these are transformational classes, not just informational.

10. Entrepreneurship:  During a 2nd turning people think that means you can’t get anyone to hire you.  During a 3rd turning it means getting rich as fast as possible, retiring, and relaxing.  During a 4th turning, it means you create something useful that employs others, that lives on, so you can create wealth, and fulfill your personal mission. (more on personal missions in another post).  For more information on how to be an entrepreneur go to our article on 3 Things We Need for Freedom to Win.

11. Produce Wealth: During a 2nd turning this means you get a steady job and save money.  During a 3rd turning it means you invest your money and get rich.  During a 4th turning you recognize the needs of others and you recognize the need for society to rebuild itself.  Then you can create a product, service, or organization to fill those needs, while providing for your family, and creating wealth to continually help society.

12. Creativity & Inventiveness:  Be creative in ways to get wealth.  Be creative in your frugality.  A great place to start is this blog on money http://www.themoneymuse.blogspot.com/

13. Resiliency:   Bounce back. Our country has been known for it’s resiliency as a nation. We will need to be a resilient individual. Look for reasons to get back up and start over.  It’s no time for a pity party.  It’s time to act. Pick yourself up, assist in picking up your neighbor.  Don’t allow yourself to wallow.  It will be hard, but it will get better, especially if you make that decision.  This is known as zero point.  A great place to read about that is here: http://nicktsmith.wordpress.com/2008/10/03/operating-from-zero-point/

14. Ambition:  In a 3rd turning if you were ambitious, you were a go-getter that moved up in the corporate world to obtain wealth.  In a 4th turning, ambition will mean the ambition to do the right thing, and make sure good wins.  It will be having the ambition to have public virtue. Public virtue is difficult to understand coming from a 3rd turning perspective, but it is vital to the success of a 4th and 1st turning.  A good example of doing the right thing for the sake of right is the example of many merchants in our founding era.  When the British came to take their supplies, they had a few choices.  They could sell their supplies and get gain, they could abandon their supplies and the British would still take them, or they could burn their entire shop to the ground, so the British would not have access to their supplies.  They chose the latter of the three choices.  That was public virtue.

FREEDOM CAN WIN!