It’s National Boss’s Day and while most of the nation will celebrate their employers, I am joining the celebration of a ten-year-old boy who is growing his own business “like a boss” with a program he calls “Become A YouTuber.” When my friend Angela told me that she was helping her son develop this program as his own business, I immediately thought to myself, she’s a pretty cool mom. I mean, our kids are growing up in a time and a place where being on videos whether it’s YouTube, SnapChat, Music.ly, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook (insert your favorite here), is a normal, “kid thing” to do. How awesome of her to take the time to support her son and his passion! But it wasn’t until she told me “why” that I realized it was so much more than showing support for her son’s passion, it was life-saving.
Angela shared how her son Jesse had no previous history of mental illness or anxiety before he was in car accident in July. For the next 6 months her son’s mental health declined to the point that he couldn't get off the ground. He would lay on the kitchen floor, the middle of the street, the school hallway screaming and refusing to get up for hours. She had no idea what was wrong. Finally in March based on a recommendation from a friend they went to the Amen Clinic. Jesse was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and they immediately began to treat it. By September he was back in school and won the most improved student award after missing half of third grade and spending the other half in tears on the floor. Angela went on to share that when she saw Jesse’s first vision board full of YouTube stars and he kept begging her for months to help him create his own YouTube channel...she saw an opportunity to help him get better while helping him learn valuable life lessons. Now, he's getting real world, practical experience running his own, first business as a YouTuber!
So in honor of Mental Illness Awareness Month and National Boss’s Day, I want to share the ten lessons I learned from this ten-year-old entrepreneur:
Lesson #1: Don’t let “busyness” stop you from starting your own business.
Yes, we tend to live our lives constantly in motion these days with work, school, after school sports and activities, dinner, bedtime, and repeat. But how often throughout the day do we take time to dream? You know the kind of dreams we used to share with our friends. I’m sure you have had a business idea or two, but did you let the “busyness” of life hold you back from turning your dream business into a reality? It’s okay if you answered yes. I have too. But, we can change that outcome by taking a moment each day to allow ourselves to put actionable steps to achieving our dreams. Make a list of three dream business goals, make a commitment to completing those goals daily and watch your business dreams become reality.
Lesson #2: You can turn your pain into a passion that pays for your purpose.
Turning your pain into a profitable passion may seem impossible but just remember, we all are fighting a battle. It’s how we get up, show up and step up that will make the difference. What are you passionate about? Make a list. And, then think of ways that list can help pay for your purpose on this planet.
Lesson #3: Seek a mentor and be a mentor.
Jesse was able to lean on a mentor to launch his YouTube business. I have learned through the years that mentorship is truly a gift that keeps on giving. Many of my accomplishments both personally and professionally have come from having a mentor. I have learned more about myself in the process. I am also honored to have served as a mentor to some amazing young professionals.
Lesson #4: Network your network!
Yes, we all have circles of influence that we can leverage for opportunities. But, do you use them? Angela shared with me how she reached out to her old school buddy Michael Buckley who is now a full-time YouTube star with over 1m subscribers. He taught her son everything he needed to know to get his channel up and rocking and rolling. Now they have a program together to help other kids. How cool is that?
Lesson #5: Financial literacy really needs to be experienced to be learned.
Angela told me that her biggest peeve as an entrepreneur is that school isn't teaching her kid the skills he really needs to be happy and successful. Like how to create the life and career that you love by following your passion, and how to manifest anything you want with the right amount of desire, appreciation, work, and fun. I have to agree with her. But how do we teach our kids this very important life lesson? I believe it has to be experienced to be learned. We need to let our kids try their own business whether it’s a lemonade stand or a YouTube program. We need to let them see the pay off, learn from their mistakes and grow their own passions into profits.
Lesson #6: Parents and kids can learn a lot about each other by just playing games together.
Okay full honest disclosure here...I do NOT like to play Minecraft, at all. I mean it hurts my head physically to play it with my kid. But, my son LOVES it and he’s really good at it too. So I find myself “playing” with him because he loves it and it means time we can bond together. I mean it’s more like I let him build his house and whatever else while I watch, but it is still time together. And while we “play” he tells me things about his dreams, his day at school, his friends (did I mention he’s only four?). He shares with me in a way that I don’t think he knows how to without the game. And for that reason, I will build a house, find a creeper or whatever they call that thing.
Lesson #7: You may not be “smarter than a 5th grader” but you can learn from one.
When my daughter was in fifth grade she said to me after school one day that she wanted to learn how to cook. I thought to myself, “yeah, I want to learn how to cook too!” Cooking in my house growing up was not a shared experience. Through the years I have learned to cook just enough meals to get through the week but could I learn to make new ones? Hell yeah! And, thanks to my daughter, we are both learning to cook in the kitchen, together.
Lesson #8: Let go and let your kid be awesome!
Jesse kept begging his mom to help him start his own YouTube business and she made the decision and effort to support him. How often do we try to teach our kids how to do everything that in the process we stunt their own ability to be awesome? I think Kid President said it best, “You were made to be awesome.” Yes, we need to parent our children but can we look past the beds that aren’t made perfectly or the clothes that aren’t hung up the way “we would do it” to allow our children to create their own path? I know it’s not easy to “let go” but if we allow for a little more wiggle room we might be surprised at the end result.
Lesson #9: Manifest meeting the “star” who inspires you!
Jesse made a vision board full of YouTube stars that he wanted to meet and you know what? He has met most of them! This may sound a little too Wayne Dyer for you, but I love him and his quotes so here’s one to inspire you, “our intention creates our reality.” It’s true. Honestly the fact that I am writing this blog for Huff Post is a result of setting the intention that I would blog for Huff Post and meet Arianna Huffington (done and done). But, like anything else, it takes practice. Set your mindset to manifest meeting (fill in the blank) and set your intention on making that become your reality.
Lesson #10: Be You!
I love that quote by Oscar Wilde, “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.”
Stop trying to be like or act like or sound like anyone else but YOU. The world is hungry for authenticity and to connect with people who are “real” not some version of somebody else.
So who are you inspired by on National Boss’s Day? For me, it’s definitely Mr. Malhotra. My friend says that her son is learning so much as he grows his own business: creative skills by making videos about the things he loves and sharing them with other kids; business skills and financial literacy by earning money from ads on his channel; people skills by collaborating with other YouTubers and by managing his fans and comments; and most importantly, how to create the life and business you love by doing what you are most passionate about!
No, Jesse is not your average entrepreneur and that’s why his story about his business resonates so much with me. It has inspired me to support my daughter with her own YouTube passions and we’re having fun building her channel, together (stay tuned for more from SoCallieGirl). But most importantly, this ten-year-old boss has taught me that you are never too young or too old to turn your passion into a profitable business. Thank you Mr. Malhotra, you are a real VIP (very inspiring person) and I can’t wait to see what you will create next.
If you have an 8 - 14 year old who wants to Become a YouTuber, this virtual mentorship with original YouTube Partner, Michael Buckley could be for them. This course gives them everything they need to go from scratch to thousands of subscribers, and helps them develop their own creative, business, and people skills while having fun doing something that makes them the coolest kid on YouTube and in school.