How to Entrepreneur. Teen Edition.
I’ve always said my kid has taught me how to parent him. Now he’s also teaching me how to entrepreneur.
We were climbing together a couple weeks ago. I hadn’t been climbing consistently since taking a month off for vacation and felt weak and unmotivated.
For my last climb of the day, my son encouraged me to try something hard on top rope. I said, “I’ll climb something moderately hard on lead. Worst case, I can always take or fall.”
(Translation for non-climbers: I was basically choosing the safe option where I could back off easily if it got too hard.)
My kid called me out!
My kid responded incredulously, “Why would you say that?! Don’t assume you’ll fail.”
He’s been diving deep into mindset work lately. And in that moment, he called me out — kindly, but clearly.
The climb was really hard. It felt beyond my current capabilities. I almost fell. But I had my kid’s voice in my head and I tried harder than I would have if he hadn’t challenged me.
I made it to the top and I didn’t fall. And I didn’t take. And it felt really good.
A little grit goes a long way
That same voice pushed me again last week.
I’d been discouraged after a couple failed attempts to turn LinkedIn followers into email subscribers. Looking back, it’s wild how quickly I decided growing my list wasn’t worth the effort.
So, in the spirit of doing hard things, I joined a 30-day email growth challenge, even though I was a day late. I got 29 new subscribers in two days. By the end of the week, I had 45.
Guess what?! Grit pays off!
Two Entrepreneurs
Making stuff happen
But my kid isn’t just spouting motivational soundbites. He’s been practicing what he preaches with his own dropshipping business.
He started working on it about 18 months ago and has weathered more failure than most adults could stomach. And plenty of skepticism too.
Friends who initially wanted in quickly started giving him shit when results didn’t come as fast as he’d hoped. His dad and I have tried to be supportive, but we also felt like it was important to have back-up plans. He does not appreciate this perspective. We're letting him do senior year online so he can focus on the business, which I hope he sees as the vote of confidence it is.
I’m sure it’s felt like no one believed in him. But he kept going. Pivoting. Learning.
A few weeks ago, he switched from dropshipping to affiliate marketing and suddenly started making money. Like, real money. And instead of coasting on the success, he immediately started thinking about how to take it even farther.
That level of persistence in a teen (or anyone) is pretty inspiring.
Where did this kid come from?!
I’ve taken more big swings in my business over the last six years than I did in the first fifteen, so I don’t want to sell myself short.
AND my kid is pushing me to think even bigger. To go even farther.
He has a new idea for a dropshipping business that feels risky to me. I suggested he just stick with what’s working for a little longer. But he’s not interested in playing it safe.
And he’s right. He’s living at home. The stakes are low. It’s exactly the right time for him to take risks and bet on himself.
I love how he’s pushing himself and not settling for less than what he knows he’s capable of. He’s inspiring me daily.
What about you? Quit something too soon? Ready for a do-over?
My kid dares you.
Goodies Just For You
WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT: Speaking of inspiring… Judge Judy on Amy Pohler's podcast is 🔥, as the kiddos say. I almost didn't listen because I didn't think I was interested. But I got pulled in by a clip on Instagram where Judge Judy talked about knowing your worth and (not) negotiating her contracts. She also says, “A woman has to have a way of earning a living. Because if a woman doesn’t have a way of supporting herself, she is in a position of being controlled.” Oof. Felt that one! The whole conversation is fantastic. I went from being agnostic about Judge Judy to being a SUPER fan within the hour.
WHAT I'M BAKING: It's the end of summer, which means the waning days of stone fruit (my FAVORITES). So over the weekend I made Alison Roman's peaches & cream galette. It's from her Sweet Enough cookbook, but I think this is the recipe. I couldn't find great peaches—they weren't super flavorful (because end of season). I was bummed and worried bringing it to a dinner party. But it was still absolute heaven. Every crumb was gone at the end of the evening. Note--I added lemon zest. Alison Roman also has THIS on "how to galette."
WHO I'M ADMIRING: Dr. Brianna Darcey brings something unique to healthcare—she's both a registered nurse with 15+ years of experience and a licensed acupuncturist. After a decade in Labor & Delivery at UCSF, she saw how Western medicine can be essential but often rushed. Her Oakland practice bridges that gap by actually giving you time—90-minute appointments where you’re really heard. She specializes in fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum care, combining clinical expertise with the intuitive approach of East Asian Medicine. If you're looking for healthcare that's both evidence-based and deeply personal, check her out.
