I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t an entrepreneur. Long before I learned how to spell that tricky word, I was always brainstorming new ways to be my own boss. In fact, I’m pretty sure I was born with entrepreneur blood flowing through my veins.
Raised by two amazing entrepreneur parents, I grew up with this sense of adventure and exploration, knowing that my future could be ANYTHING I wanted it to be. I have SO MUCH to thank them for, but most of all I’m grateful for this: the way they showed me that I could CHOOSE my destiny, live my dreams, and never have to work for anyone else if I didn’t want to.
In today’s world there is more opportunity than ever to be your own boss — even as a teenager! In fact, your teenage years are the BEST TIME to start exploring an entrepreneur lifestyle. I started so many ventures as a teenager, some of which failed, some of which I adore but don’t profit from, and some of which I now see stretching into my future for years to come. I became a blogger and a video designer, I stepped into the world of recording and producing music, I founded a non-profit organization with my sister (and made a documentary), I tried (and failed) to be a food blogger, and I wrote six novels, discovering again and again my love for storytelling.
Needless to say, I did a LOT of exploring in my teenage years. Now, as a 21-year-old, I look back at some of those experiences I had when I was less experienced and think: “man, I wish I knew…” or “I wish I thought…” or “I wish I looked at it this way…” So that’s why today I’m going to share some of those things I wish I knew when I was a teenage entrepreneur, for ALL YOU AWESOME TEENS OUT THERE, who want to be your own boss.
01. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A CHILD PRODIGY
This is probably the BIGGEST THING I struggled with throughout my teenage years. I felt like there was this ticking clock, counting down the days until I wouldn’t be a teenager anymore — and it was not something I was looking forward to. I felt like I had to be a “child prodigy.” I wanted nothing more than to publish a novel as a teenager (something I did not achieve) and release a full album of music as a teenager (something else I did not achieve).
Although I did other very cool things — things everybody praised me for doing — I didn’t feel truly accomplished because I didn’t hit those big goals. I wanted to be able to look back and say: “look what I did when I was still a teenager.” But those big goals just didn’t happen. And here’s the clincher… I’m glad they didn’t.
I’ve yet to release my first LP or my debut novel*, but looking back, I can only breathe a big sigh of relief that I didn’t accomplish either of these goals as a teenager. Not because they wouldn’t have been good — but because today, after taking my time and letting myself gain more experience, I know these things will be even better. So don’t feel like you have to hurry up and accomplish something big as a teenager — that’s not what it means so be successful. On the contrary, successful people are willing to learn, willing to grow, and know that good things are worth waiting for.
*stay tuned until summer 2019 folks!!!
02. EVERY STEP YOU TAKE IS IMPORTANT
Sometimes I look back on things I spent time and energy on as a teenage entrepreneur and I think: “Wow. That was so unimportant.” But here’s the thing: IT WASN’T. Let’s take for example my blog. There are some old posts in my archives that aren’t too impressive. In fact, I wrote them long before I knew what the heck I was doing — and it shows. But does that mean these posts are worthless, in the grand scheme of things?
NO. In fact, they are priceless. Because they were a very small but very important step in the journey of my career so far. Writing each and every post on this blog has taught me something. And every single drop of energy I put into my blog as a teenager has only returned to me in the form of experience and understanding.
You see, every step you take is important. Even if it’s a tiny step. Just like how every ingredient in a recipe is important, even the smallest pinch of salt. So don’t disregard anything. Explore, learn, and add to your experience. It will only make you better at what you do.
03. YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING
It’s pretty standard knowledge that most entrepreneurs don’t know what the heck they’re doing…and teenage entrepreneurs? They get even more room for guessing. So dude, don’t be ashamed of it — take advantage of it! Consider yourself way advanced for starting this journey so young and having a vision to be your own boss.
There’s so much pressure put on teens and young adults these days — we’re expected to know exactly what we want for our lives at a point in our lives when WE’RE STILL LEARNING. Our prefrontal cortex (the logical decision-making part of our brain) hasn’t even finished developing, and yet we’re expected to know EVERYTHING WE WANT FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS?! Give me a break. Literally, give me a break. Let me think about this! It’s a serious question, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Take your time and don’t feel pressured by society to have all the answers. It’s perfectly okay to have none of the answers. It’s perfectly okay to have no idea what you’re doing. YOU HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD.
04. TRY LOTS OF THINGS. CHOOSE A FEW.
It’s sad, but there’s a limit to how much you can do. I believe that you are multitalented and it’s RIDICULOUS for you to limit yourself to just one thing if you feel drawn to many different things — but you also don’t want to overwhelm yourself with more than you can handle.
That’s why it’s so awesome to explore many things, and decide on a few that really click with you. Don’t let anyone decide for you, and don’t let anyone guilt you into choosing the wrong path for yourself. This is YOUR LIFE, to live how YOU WANT. So choose what’s going to bring you lasting happiness and a sense of purpose. Choose wellness — mentally, emotionally, and physically.
05. LET YOURSELF GO THROUGH SEASONS
As I mentioned at the top of this post, (and in the past) I used to be a food blogger. For two years, I kicked butt with that blog — posting three times a week, creating dozens of recipes, and washing hundreds of dirty dishes. But…it got old. It wasn’t my true calling, so I got burnt out. I found that I had fallen into a hole of misery and didn’t have any time or energy to devote to things I really loved, like writing books and making music.
After lots of consideration, I decided to give it up and start something new. It was scary at first — ending something that had potential, to begin a whole new season of my life — but in retrospect, I am SO GLAD I moved on. Food blogging was a great experience, but it just wasn’t my scene. I still love reading food blogs, of course, because so many of their authors LOVE what they do — they’re talented and skilled and living their dream…and that’s a beautiful thing to witness.
So let yourself go through seasons. Let yourself do one thing for a little while, learn from it, and then move on to something that better suits you. Remember: this is the time of your life that you’re really GETTING TO KNOW YOURSELF. Try to look at yourself objectively, as if you’re helping a close friend find their true passion and calling. Be kind and patient and never stick with something just because you feel obligated to finish what you started. If you feel like it’s time to let it go, LET IT GO.
06. BE CONFIDENT
Confidence pays off, bro. As an teenage entrepreneur (especially one who isn’t going to college), you’re going to find yourself in a lot of awkward conversations where someone asks you a typical question and expects you to reply with a typical answer. I used to dread being asked the question “so where are you going to college?” but now that I’m a bit more experienced and confident in myself, I can very comfortably answer, “Actually, I’m an entrepreneur, and I have my own business.”
This isn’t as frowned-upon as you might think. In fact, whenever someone asks me if I’m in school and I tell them that I’m an entrepreneur, they are genuinely impressed and interested to know more. In fact, it’s a great conversation starter and might lead to some great opportunities for you in the future! Don’t be afraid to be yourself. The most successful bosses out there are NOT afraid of what other people think, and YOU SHOULDN’T BE EITHER. So stick to your guns.
TALK, BRO
Are you a teenage entrepreneur? Can you relate to some of these struggles I went through? SHARE YOUR STORY WITH ME! I’d love to hear all about your #boss journey and your dreams for the future. What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
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