How To Think Like A Successful Entrepreneur

Last updated on April 2nd, 2012 at 12:29 pm

Information and inspiration are in abundance via TED.com, the online equivalent to the uber-genius conference that takes place annually in Long Beach, and many points world-wide.

As an entrepreneur, multiple streams of income prophet, and big-time dreamer, I often look for an inspiration in quality videos on the Internet.  The other day and ran across this interesting title on Ted: “Lets Raise Kids to be Entrepreneurs” by Cameron Herold.

Cameron talks about his experiences growing up, his father fostering his entrepreneurship from a very young age. Some of the scenarios he mentions in how he implemented the concept of filling a need in the market I don’t necessarily agree with, but I do like his point.

We are not cookie-cutter learners.

How was your experience in school? Did you excel and have the ability to focus and study? Or were you bored and always looking for ways to make the subject more exciting?

Cameron Herold offers a different way to look at different learners. He suggests that although there are basic knowledge needs from school subjects, we are typically gearing our kids toward having a J.O.B., not starting a business.

Don’t have a heart attack, I know education is vital and there are things you need to know to get through in this world, no matter what success path you choose. But the ability to learn how to package an idea, to foster that creative bug, doesn’t get discussed until college if at all.

Cameron talks about the opportunities he found to make money growing up, and putting himself through college. A lot of his stories revolve around perseverance, testing the waters, and going for it.

These traits did not describe me until well into adulthood. I was not the Type-A that some people have described me as of late. I was a quiet, introverted kid who loved dance and planned to do that for the rest of my life.

Since my knees had other plans, I’ve been able to tap into some hidden well of self-confidence, focus and drive that I can honestly say wasn’t there until my late 20’s.

There are times when I wish I’d had advice like this when I was a kid.

What if you do have a kid, or yourself, that just thinks differently? How can you offer to them that will keep them engaged? The advice Cameron offers – bartering household work for benefits like cash or a later bedtime – will not work with all kids.

I personally agree allowance doesn’t work, but that may be because I have a kid who is motivated by money. Or what money can bring into his fashion-happy life.

My big thing with money is the savings lesson. No one taught me how to save, and Cameron has some great tools he’s put in place for his kids.

I have to say this is something I did when my now 15-year-old was younger, but got too lax as he grew up.

Teaching kids not to waste money is a huge opportunity to help them handle their future responsibilities.

Is money a motivator?

Do you love money, business, this entrepreneurial thing?

Find out for yourself, and for your kids.

Dreams, passions and visions somehow get crushed as we grow up. Typically this is wrapped up in curiosity, questioning, leadership, the ability to find solutions, and the ability to ask for help when they need it.

When kids show these traits support them. Foster their strengths, rather than, as Cameron describes, getting them a tutor for things they suck at and may still suck at, even with help.

Let the idea of being an entrepreneur be OK.

The definition of entrepreneur is  “a person who organizes, operates and assumes the risk for a business venture”. This doesn’t mean you have to have your MBA or even have a college degree, but it does require some traits be there.

There are many positive elements to fostering that creativity, teaching them and ourselves what a good employee looks like, what good service is, and definitely what good service isn’t.

This was a hilarious representation that Cameron uses as an illustration of how to communicate bad service.

As for the TED conference itself, I have yet to attend but its my goal to be there in the flesh by 2014. I’ll take a seat in the audience or present on stage -  whatever works!

Here’s to a successful week, however you chose to define it.

~ Heather

Heather’s dream is to have multiple streams of income, starting with launching an e-commerce website that showcases her one-of-a-kind designer jewelry, which are crafted by her. Her newly launched sites are couture jewelry available through For Your Adornment, and Twitter background designs on Twitter And Beyond Dot Com. She also teaches Social Media tactics for business, besides being CEO of her own web design company. Heather’s post day is Thursday.